April 13, 2020
The 2020 Belvedere Hickory Open has been cancelled.
Host professional Dennis “Marty” Joy said it was both an easy and a hard decision to make. Easy, because safety is the priority, but hard because it is such a joyous event.
“All our members look forward to it, but we just can’t do it this year,” he said. “And the nature of our club is such that it cannot be rescheduled for later in the year. If things do open up, there are many other events scheduled for the club, including the Michigan Senior Amateur for early September.”
Joy had just returned to Charlevoix, Mich., on April 12 from his winter sojourn in Florida and reported that the normally bustling resort town was eerily quiet. “We saw only one car downtown and it is usually pretty busy, even in April,” he said.
Joy confirmed that all those who have registered for the Belvedere Hickory Open will be sent refunds.
Thus falls another favorite hickory event in a year of dashed hopes. Still, to keep things in perspective, there are many people struggling for their lives on the front lines of this pandemic and the cancellation of a golf tournament must pale in comparison. Even the mighty Masters had to let April slip by without a green jacket ceremony.
So, take care everyone and let us hope for better days as the weeks go by.