Founding Member (2012) Charlottesville, Virginia
Jim Clawson grew up in Idaho, and went to school in California, Utah, and Massachusetts. He retired as a professor of leadership and organizational behavior from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in 2014 after a long and very enjoyable career teaching, researching, writing, (24 books, 300 cases, 30 articles) and consulting worldwide. He’s married to Susan 43 years (2020), they have four children, and live in Charlottesville, VA. Jim has been serving as the Captain of the VaHGA since 2019 following the long and storied administration of Skip Platt, Founding Captain.
Jim’s Hickory Bag
I like variety. My first hickory club was a 1925 Kroydon mashie niblick which I broke with a deep divot on the 4th hole at Pinehurst National in 2005. Just repaired it in March, 2015 and made it a part of a “new” set of original Kroydons: 25* midiron, 30* mashie, 35* mashie, 40* spade mashie, 45* mashie niblick, 50* niblick and 55* niblick. I have come to enjoy tinkering with the clubs, reshafting, cleaning the heads, gluing, regripping, whipping, etc., in my garage/shop. I’ve assembled play sets (midiron, mashie, spade mashie, mashie niblick and niblick) of Kroydons, Maxwells and Stewarts, and am working on a set of Nicols and Hollywoods. All of that said, I play best with my Tad Moore Star OA replicas. I also have a set of Players Special RTJ replicas. I rotate among these sets constantly.
The woods are more difficult for me. I’ve got Tad Moore and Mike Just replica drivers, spoons, and bulldogs, original MacGregor and Forgan Dreadnought drivers, and several other attempts to find a good fairway wood. I putt with several alternatives: Brown Vardon replica, MacGregor Hollowback replica with a purple heartwood shaft, a Just Fancy Face and a Jean Gassiat. I also enjoy gutty golf, a lot. My gutty play set is mostly Stewart originals, with Just replica long nose driver and spoon, and Sam Ryder replica putter.
I’ve had two aces with hickories, one at Capon Springs WV during the VAHGA Open and one in a practice round for the VAHGA Open at Birdwood Golf Course 2020.
I’ve also got a set of gutty clubs, mostly Stewarts with one or two Tad Moore (niblick) and Louisville Golf replicas (Gassiat putter). I enjoy gutty golf and try to make 3-5 tournaments a year when able.
Contact Jim
phone: (434) 825-3797
e-mail: jimclawson@virginia.edu