One more title? Sir Bob Charles to play in 2023 New Zealand Hickory Open

By Jim Davis

Occasionally, to the wondering mind of the hickory golfer there comes the thought of how fine it would be should a well known champion golfer join the field for, say, a U.S. Hickory Open.

Masters champion Sandy Lyle has competed twice in the World Hickory Open, winning once, and we have seen videos of such young tigers as Rory, Dustin, Justin and others giving hickories a test and seeming to enjoy the experience if only for amusement’s sake. Another Masters champion, Jose Maria Olazabal, has enjoyed a round or two at Spain’s San Sebastián Hickory Championship.

But, we think, how would it be if a Nicklaus, say, or a Trevino, a Fred Couples or a Berhard Langer were to enter for the USHO trophy? 

What clubs would they use? A mix of original and replicas? Would Randy Jensen, Mike Stevens or Iain Forrester serve as a hickory swing coach? Would their legendary competitive fires be fueled by the thought of a new title?

Perhaps the better question is whether they would enjoy themselves and to that we are confident of a positive answer. Such is the spirit at hickory golf events that even scratch players may be caught unawares with smiles on their faces. The hickory game seems to deliver greater scope for celebration than enervation, despite the smaller frustrations that will ever color the game of golf

From Christchurch, New Zealand, comes word of another legendary golfer who, we are told, regularly joins his club mates in wood shafted golf at the Christchurch Golf Club.

One fellow club member, new SoHG member Peter van Eekelen, writes that Sir Bob Charles not only enjoys the game, but that he is the driving force behind an inaugural New Zealand Hickory Open, to be played in March of next year in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the club

“It will be a 12-hole 4 ball in the morning,” writes van Eekelen, “followed by lunch and 12 holes of singles in the afternoon. It will be open to men and women. There are no qualifying rounds; however; if someone wanted to participate, we have a schedule of matches immediately prior and we are working on post-Open matches so traveling participants can make a week of it playing hickory golf.”

The field is limited to 80 players. Van Eekelen says that any SoHG member who finds him or herself in that part of the world next March is very welcome to register for the event. Registration will close at the end of January 2023.

The fact that Sir Bob is enthusiastic about the event is an encouraging thing. Now a handsome silver-haired figure of 87 – a very youthful 87, we may add, without unwelcome flattery – Sir Bob is a golfing champion of the first order, having won his his first title, the New Zealand Open, as an 18-year-old amateur. He turned professional in 1960 and promptly began winning and playing on both European and North American tours. In 1963 he won the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Also in 1963, he won the Houston Classic, his first PGA victory and the first PGA Tour event won by a left-handed golfer. Though right-handed by nature, Sir Bob plays as a lefty.

Over the course of his career, he has won about 80 tournaments around the world. At age 71, he beat his age twice in a single tour event. On the Senior PGA Tour (PGA Tour Champions) he won 23 times and is the first lefty to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

With hickories, Sir Bob has found that enjoyment that comes to one who finds a new challenge in the game, new depths to explore, and great friends to join in the exerience along the way.

Van Eekelen, this past October, initiated a series of weekly hickory golf competitions at Christchurch GC, starting with a Harry Vardon 9-Hole Challenge. The field was booked well in advance. “I believe this will become a feeder for the NZ Hickory Open next year in March.”

Van Eekelen, with help from Sir Bob one presumes, is organizing interclub hickory competitions with such sister clubs in NZ as Balmacewen, New Zealand’s oldest golf club, Royal Wellington and Royal Auckland.

“We have now extended the invitation to our sister clubs in Australia – Royal Queensland and Royal Sydney – and they too are looking at participating in the Interclub as this also feeds directly into the NZ Hickory Open,” Van Eekelen says. “Royal Queensland have already indicated they are sending a team over to the hickory open.”

Sir Bob may be the ‘Oldest Member’ for the Christchurch side, but there are keen young players taking up the sport, too. Van Eekelen writes of Catherine Bell, a young woman who captains his club’s Pollock Cup Team (an interclub women’s match) and is soon to play golf for NZ on a professional level.

“She is so keen on hickory that she is going to play in the Open in March with her fiancé carrying her bag,” van Eekelen says. “She is scheduled to be married just four days later!”

As for Sir Bob, van Eekelen says the golf legend says he has every intention of playing in the tournament and is the driving force on the Open Committee. “We have been getting some early practice in and Sir Bob is still deadly with his putter.”

One hopes the beloved veteran will once again find the magic to best his competitors and take home yet one more trophy. Such a victory might not have the awe or gravitas of a Claret Jug, but it will surely come with no less a measure of satisfaction, and perhaps a bit more fun in the bargain.

It just might be time for that bucket-list trip to Auckland.