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, please send them in.
Good fun and good golf. Enjoy the season!
World Hickory Golf Day reports:
From Wisconsin, Greg Smith wrote that he and Don Madelung spent the morning of May 5 demonstrating hickory clubs and putters on the range and practice green at Cherokee CC in Madison, Wisc. Later, the two played a hickory round with Greg and his brother Jeff. They were enjoying their first round with the old clubs and both are assembling play sets, Smith says. “I gave them information about the Society as both are interested in joining,” Smith said. “I also invited them to visit my collection at home and learn how to make clubs playable.”
From Ohio, Tom Johnson (Foxburg Hickory Championship host) wrote:
“I have a Sunday group of about 16-20 (15 this past Sunday) on the Suffield Springs GC in Suffield, Ohio. Mike Campailla is one of them; he and I are the hickory players, the others use modern clubs. For World Hickory Golf Day, we set up hickory clubs on a couple of par 3s, and let the guys take some shots, and win some money. Of course the feedback was very positive, and the guys had a lot of fun.”
In Pennsylvania, Frank Rosenzweig, as stalwart a hickory devotee as you will find, engineered some fun as his club in Ellwood City, Pa., the Connoquenessing CC. He shared a photo, below, with his head pro, Dave Yokitis, and the club’s director of golf, John Mazza.
From the Pacific Northwest comes word of the 7th annual Vintage Classic, which is hosted by the Northwest Hickory Players. About two dozen participated in the event on Meadow Park GC in Tacoma, Wash.
In Michigan, the Michigan Hickory Tour visited Ella Sharp Park in Jackson for a round of match play hosted by Jim Hannen. T’was a lovely day on what has proven to be a long and chilly spring. A photo below shows the group and the happy winner of the match play.
And from Nebraska, 15 hickory players participated in a field of 80 at the 2019 Homesteader Open, held on World Hickory Golf Day. The Homesteader is a long-time event in the Omaha area, played at the Beatrice CC. About 13 years ago, GHS member Duane Baylor started up a hickory division in the largely modern-shaft golf outing. Finishing first in the hickory division was John Hutton of Denver, Colo. Second was Larry Krebsbach of Lincoln, Neb.
Also from Nebraska, the Elmwood Park Hickory Challenge, a two-man best-ball event, was held on World Hickory Golf Day. Check out the photo gallery below for a PDF of the results.
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- Frank Rosenzweig, center, enjoyed World Hickory Golf Day activities at his club, Connoquenessing CC, in Ellwood City, Pa. With him are Dave Yokitis, head professional, left, and John Mazza, director of golf, right.
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- Nothing like the 19th hole to quench one’s thirst following a round of hickories. From Wisconsin’s Cherokee Park CC comes this apres-golf scene with, from left, Don Madelung, Greg, Greg Smith, and Jeff.
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- Some of the crew who gave hickories a try at Suffield Springs GC in Ohio with host Tom Johnson.
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- Mike Campailla shows his hickory form at the Suffield Springs hickory golf outing.
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- The Northwest Hickory Players, photographed on World Hickory Golf Day at the Meadow Park GC in Tacoma, Wash.
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- The Michigan Hickory Tour gathered at Ella Sharp Park in Jackson for a match play outing.
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- It was a World Hickory Golf Day victory for Lloyd Slinglend, left, who won the Michigan Hickory Tour match play outing. He is presented a special watch made by Jim Hannen, center, identical to one worn by last year’s winner, Keith Pinchback, right.
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- Putting out at the Homesteader. From left, Paul Bjerke, Bob Bjerke, and John Hutton.
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- Foursome at the Homesteader on World Hickory Golf Day. From left, Bob Nowaczyk, Mike Needleman, Dick Shanahan, and Duane Baylor.
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- Playing in the 2019 Homesteader in Omaha, Neb. were Bill Reed, left, Bob Bjerke, and Peter Herrington.
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- Results of the Elmwood Park Hickory Challenge in Nebraska.