HICKORY GOLF NEWS

July 20, Des Moines, Iowa Bill Reed, tournament host, reports: The 2019 edition of the HoA has been completed. The Open Medal Champion was a three-peat for Jeremy Wright of Louisville, Ky. He had to put in overtime to do so as he finished the 36-hole tournament in a tie with Gary Youngberg of Ames, Iowa. Wright shot 73-75 and […]

A 10-minute video produced by a Belvedere Club member, a past president, presents several highlights of the 2019 U.S. Hickory Open, including interviews with committee members and players. The member, who wishes to remain anonymous, teamed with a Charlevoix video production company to produce the film. Belvedere’s PGA Professional, Dennis ‘Marty’ Joy, said the member is devoted to his club and […]

By Jim Davis If you want to grow up to become a U.S. Hickory Open champion, it helps to have a father who loves golf, as well as a country club course adjacent to your backyard. Rick Woeckener had both. The youngest of three children, Woeckener, 50, was born in New Brunswick, N.J. and moved to the Miami area of […]

June 25 – Charlevoix, Mich. By Jim Davis Early last year, when organizers of the 12th annual USHO were planning the tournament, June 13-15 were the original dates of choice. Later, for logistical reasons, Belvedere GC’s Head PGA Professional, Dennis “Marty” Joy, moved the date back a week, to June 20-22. A stroke of genius, that. For the weekend of […]

June 15, 2019 Bo Turocy, the SoHG’s secretary and the head professional at Wescott Golf Club in Summerville, S.C., is participating in a First Tee fundraiser on Aug. 8 that involves a 100-hole golf marathon. He’s looking for pledges from his fellow hickory golfers. Here’s his note: “Hey everyone! I have an opportunity to use my passion for golf to […]

June 5, 2019 Martin Pool reports: Amid the towering fir trees, on a gorgeous sunny weekend in Seattle, the Northwest Hickory Players conducted its fifth rendition of the Pacific Northwest Hickory Championship. Thirty-nine players teed it up on June 1-2 at the historic Inglewood Golf Club, which is celebrating its centennial year.  The course is as challenging as they come, […]

June 6, 2019 Stan Spring of Baton Rouge, La., reports that things are going well in his quest to introduce hickory golf as an inducement to preserving the town’s City Park Golf Course, which had come under some pressure to close. “Yesterday, George Morris, feature writer for the Baton Rouge Advocate, came with his photographer to do a feature on […]

May 19, 2019 The first Mid American Hickory Open is in the books. Thirty-four players had a very wet, rain delayed first day. We dodged a bullet the second day, watching severe weather pass by to our north, and finished in sunshine. Thank you to the staff at Soangetaha Country Club in Galesburg, Ill. for letting us continue. You know […]

May 18, 2019 Copenhagen, Denmark On Saturday, May 18 the 8th Open Danish Hickory Championship was contested at the Asserbo Golf Club – north west of Copenhagen. Sweden’s Henrik Peyron (Helsingborg Golf Club) took the championship trophy with a very fine 78. Second was Dennis Willadsen (Ikast Tullamore Golf Club) of Denmark who was only two strokes off Henrik’s pace. The men’s […]

May 13, 2019 Report by Ernie Ernst: We are certainly lucky here in Wisconsin to have so many great courses to play and 10 that are nationally recognized. We are even luckier that we get to play some of these courses with our hickory sticks in fun events. This weekend, May 10-11, the Whistling Straits Hickory Challenge was contested on […]

May 9, 2019 World Hickory Golf Day was celebrated by many playing groups around the U.S. and the world on May 5. Check the websites and Facebook pages of the groups for photos of how they spent the day. Posted below are several photos from groups who shared their hickory celebrations with us. If you have more photos to share, […]

May 2-4, 2019 Highland Park Golf Course Birmingham, Ala. Tad Moore reports that the 2019 Southern 4-Ball, May 2-4, enjoyed lovely weather and that 64 players and 32 teams entered the event hopeful of winning, but enjoying every minute of this classic team-play tournament. Everyone enjoyed a welcome party and trade show after the practice round on Thursday, a hearty […]

April 21, 2019    Hickory golfers have a generous side. Besides the enjoyment of the sport, more and more tournament directors and players are adding charitable components to their events, just like the Big Golf Tours.    Mike Stevens, a Tampa, Fla. teaching professional who helps to manage the Florida Hickory Golfers, is the host of the annual U.S. Pro […]

April 17, 2019 Phoenix, Ariz. Arizona’s dry air must be great for hickories. There’s the Arizona Desert Hickory Classic for one thing. And the players near the Tatum Ranch Golf Club have come up with a way to share their enthusiasm for the sport with neighboring clubs. Steve Simer tells the story: We here at Tatum Ranch Golf Club in […]

After finding room for 48 waitlisted participants for the 2019 U.S. Hickory Open, organizer Marty Joy says only one name remains on the list and, even better, there is a very good chance that if you have the time and ability to get to Charlevoix, Mich. between June 20-22, you, too, may have a very good chance to get into the […]