HICKORY GOLF NEWS

It was 2004, my first golfing trip to Scotland. The agenda included foursomes at Musselburgh, at match with the members of Dirlton Castle and the Scottish Hickory over Gullane 3. There was also another round, one at Kilspindie between Gullane and Musselburgh along the East Lothian coast, that was as enjoyable as anything that memorable trip. Wonderful springy turf, lovely […]

Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by the promise of golf; Though we cower by hearth in northern climes, in the outposts of empire there are games afoot; fortunes to be made, and we fortunate viewers by courtesy of the media barons. Like the recently unearthed Richard, the time is full of promise and though we […]

A little PR this way comes thanks to a recent article in Golfwrx.com. Author Ron Montesano spoke to several people involved in modern hickory golf to gain an understanding of the sport and convey it to the largely mainstream golfer readers of the website, which is a partner with the Golf Digest company. Here’s a link to the story. golfwrx-hickory […]

2013 Mountain Valley Hickory OpenMarch 15-17Pinehurst Resort Course No. 3 Apparently the change in date (from October) has been good for the Mountain Valley Hickory Open as is the change in venue to Pinehurst. The event, as of Feb. 5, is sold out. However, requests for additional signups are being taken and placed on a waiting list. Tournament Director Breck […]

Back to Scotland for this month’s featured course. A classic links layout, Machrihanish is away down the Mull of Kintyre, three hours by car from Glasgow and just a few miles from Campbeltown. It’s beautiful country, mostly farmland. Getting there by car takes you north toward Inverary, then south along the A83 past lofty crags on one side and the […]

This year as part of our 25th anniversary celebration, we have planned a weekend trip to Montreal and Quebec City to play two of Willie Park Jr.’s best North American courses. Willie Jr. either created or modified some 50-plus golf courses in Canada and the U.S. Also this year Willie Jr. is being honored with induction into the World Golf […]

That question comes up often, and the answer is never as clear as we would like. Still, we need to try to ensure that everyone has an understanding of which clubs are allowed and which are not. During that transition time when the golf world was moving from wood shafted clubs to steel shafted clubs, club makers and club companies […]

It was a quiet night in the club room. Rather a welcoming change from the usual ebullience that characterizes our younger and more enthusiastic bucks. They were off raining down ebulliency somewhere else, I suppose. Two tables held foursomes plying spades and hearts for points rather than approaching clubs and putters. Their occasional guffaws and lighthearted banter did nothing to […]

2012 Year in Review, Hickory Golf on the Pacific Coast Happy New Year Hickory Friends, I hope 2013 is a great one, especially for hickory golf out here on the West. Keep your 2013 calendars open for Pacific Coast Hickory events. In mid-Feb we have the Arizona Desert Hickory; the California Hickory “North-South” is back and kicks off Friday night […]

The six U.S. lads who visited the World Hickory Open in October 2012.   Editor’s note: Mike Stevens is a golf teacher and holder of several national hickory titles. A thoughtful writer and familiar competitor at hickory touraments here and abroad, Mike shares his thoughts about travel to the World Hickory Open this past October. One of his playing/traveling companions, […]

The Autumn Wee Nip offered a discussion of modern balls available for play in modern events that employ pre-1900 equipment. There was much discussion even back in the day about the ball, the new rubber core, the smaller hard ball and the “floater.” For additional reading, we heartily recommend you log-in to your member’s dashboard and check out the two […]

Located just 20 minutes from downtown in the tree-lined residential neighborhood of Forest Hills, The Babe measures a modest 6,244 yards, but should not be taken lightly. Mike Stevens, SoHG board member and national hickory champion, recommends the course as a great challenge for visiting hickory golfers. Although both nines are par-35, the backside sports four par-4s in excess of […]

A Ruling and a Secret By MacDuff There was a great deal of talk in the club about the recent USGA ruling regarding the so-called “belly putter.” The newest dictum mandates that no part of a putter may be “anchored” against the body. Curiously, to my mind, it was deemed acceptable to secure a putter against one’s forearm, presumably because […]

The accompanying gallery shares photos of the exhibit in Delray Beach, courtesy of Melissa Carter, director of marketing and public relations for the Delray Beach Center for the Arts in Delray Beach. Fla.

The rule will take effect on Jan. 1, 2016, the beginning of the next four-period of rule amendments or changes. You can get the story from the USGA by clicking on the following link: Anchoredstroke