SoHG Medal Policy (Currently Under Review, February 2025)
(Please note – Tournament directors are free to order medals following the guidelines below.)
Purpose: This policy is developed to provide consistent standards for the use, availability and awarding of SoHG-approved medals for hickory competitions. The medals are intended to be awarded for performance only. Continue reading…
Background: There are a variety of hickory tournament competitions conducted around the world on a regular basis. The SoHG has developed tournament and equipment guidelines for use by anyone presenting a wood shafted event. The intent is to make competitions fair and equitable from event to event.
SoHG’s U.S. Hickory Open – The U.S. Hickory Open annually rotates along the following geographic lines: the East Coast; Midwest (Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River); Heartland (Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains); and the West Coast. These are general areas, not specific. This tournament is conducted by tournament committees designated and overseen by the SoHG USHO and Events Committees. Organizers of this event are free to use the SoHG-approved medals.
Regional and Local Wood Shafted Events – These events are usually offered by local or regional hickory golf groups or clubs and can be one-day or two-day events. These events can order and use the SoHG-approved medals.
Other wood shafted tournaments – Basically, any event that is organized and does not choose to follow the SoHG guidelines falls into this category. Examples might be using non-approved clubs, requiring a certain type of club only, designating a particular ball for the competition. These events will not be allowed to use the SoHG-approved medals. The Society does not discourage this type of event but would encourage organizers to consider following SoHG guidelines to ensure a fair and enjoyable competition.
Medal design and distribution: The SoHG has worked with Kirkwood & Sons, one of the world’s leading medalists and engravers, established in 1826 in Edinburgh, Scotland, to develop a tournament medal die, proprietary to the SoHG. This die is used to strike SoHG tournament medals in gold, silver and bronze, with the capability for suitable engraving to identify the tournament and divisional details. Three medals are awarded at the SoHG-conducted U.S. Hickory Open in the various divisions: gold for the champion, silver for the runner-up. A bronze medal is sometimes, but not always, prepared for the third place finisher.
Events using the medals are responsible for ordering (see below) and paying for the medals for their events. Regional and local events are welcome to use their own medals as well as applying to use the official medals. The SoHG Board may also authorize the purchase of these medals on a case-by-case basis and upon application by the tournament director after certifying his/her intent to conduct a hickory competition that follows SoHG guidelines. SoHG medals are not authorized for tournaments that do not follow SoHG guidelines.
Medals should be ordered at least six to eight weeks prior to an event to enable accurate engraving and shipping. The cost for the medals, which will come in quality display boxes and includes engraving and air mail delivery, is approximately $35 each. Prices are estimates, and subject to change primarily due to shipping charges and exchange rates.
Click on the link below to download a PDF order form for the medals.