May 24-25
Sara Bay Country Club
Sarasota, Fla.
In conjunction with the Florida Hickory Golfers, the Florida State Golf Association has re-introduced hickory golf to its membership and plans to host an inaugural Florida Hickory Open in May 2021. The inaugural FSGA Hickory Open will be played at the historic Sara Bay Golf & Country Club. It will be conducted as a true open for both amateurs and professionals from Florida and beyond.
The FSGA plans to offer a variety of hickory opportunities through its FSGA One Days as well as dedicated hickory-only events. Its 2020 schedule featured five host sites with hickory golf divisions and the association is committed to grow its hickory golf schedule in 2021 and beyond. The Florida Hickory Open will be a major component of that effort.
The FSGA’s hickory golf program represents a return to the earliest days of the association, which has been conducting amateur golf tournaments in Florida since 1913. For its first 12 years, all state championships were played with hickory shafted clubs. It wasn’t until 1924 that the USGA legalized steel-shafted clubs, while hickory-shafted clubs dominated play until 1930.
Tournament organizers are working closely with the FHG and the SoHG to ensure the event follows SoHG guidelines for equipment. As for handicap information, as of this date (early October 2020), the FSGA is working with SoHG representatives to create a fair and equitable handicap system for those players who do not have an SoHG handicap. Otherwise, SoHG-maintained handicaps will be used for the tournament. The final handicap system will be in place well before the tournament begins. Check the website (link below) for updates.
Scores from this and other hickory-only tournaments are applicable only to SoHG or hickory-only handicaps and may not be applied to one’s modern GHIN handicap index.
Click here for complete tournament information, rules and fees.
Championship Format
- 18 holes of individual stroke play
- Championship Field – 96 players
- Open Division and Net Division
- Net division plays net stableford
- Professional purse and amateur gift cards
Eligibility
- Male and female amateur and professional golfers
- Minimum age of 16 years old
- Handicap – TBD
- Entrant is not required to be a member of the FSGA
Entry Fees
Amateur Florida resident $250
Amateur Non-Florida resident $350
Professional Florida resident $400
Professional Non-Florida resident $500
Estimated Purse (professionals, is $8000 with first place earning $2500
Entry Fee Includes:
- Practice round with cart
- Tournament rounds with cart
- Player Welcome Dinner and Club Swap after practice round
- Player luncheon after round one
- Tee gift
- Professional purse for top finishers
- Amateur gift certificates for top finishers
Late entries are subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the field.