The 4th annual Virginia Hickory 4-Ball Championship was held on Sept. 20-22 at Fredericksburg Country Club in historic Fredericksburg, Va.
Eighteen hickory players took on the Fredericksburg course, founded in 1925 on a southern plantation. The tournament was a modified Stableford, awarding points for the different scores on each hole.
Friday’s practice round was followed by a cocktail party/club swap and dinner, with players looking for that missing weapon to help them bring the course to its knees. Libations were enjoyed and hickory friends gathered from not only Virginia, but North Carolina, New York, and Massachusetts.
Saturday’s first round was ushered in by a pending storm system, heading our way. Fortunately, the rain waited until play was finished so the lads could enjoy teeing up the hickories. A front nine, modified captain’s choice, best ball was followed by an alternate shot back nine, which turned out to be a lot of fun. The team of Bill Conant and Bill Wardell proved worthy of the trip down from Massachusetts, leading the field in the gross point totals. Close behind were Skip Platt and Jim Saunders.
Sunday’s final round brought bright sunshine and cool temperatures after a night of soaking rain. It was perfect weather for hickory golf and the teams took to the course competing in a better ball format, using the point system once again.
Those darn Yankees from Massachusetts kept up their fine play, totaling 74 points for the championship, taking the gross division honors and the Virginia Hickory 4-Ball trophy north with them. In second place in the gross division were Rick Woeckener and Brian Schuman, with 67 points.
The net division was taken by Jim Clawson and Bob Platt with 84 points. Close behind them winning the second place net prize was Mike Hobson and Mike Langrehr, with 78 points.
The Virginia Hickory Golf Association thanks all the competitors for participating in its annual event. A special thanks to both Louisville Golf and Tad Moore golf for providing support by donating raffle items.
We hope to see even more hickory nuts at next year’s event.
