Susan Tracy, left, USA, and Tatjana Thos, Germany – winner and runner-up, respectively, in the Women’s scratch division of the 2022 World Hickory Open.
By Rick Adams
On the multiple occasions I had played golf in Scotland across the past three decades, I had – oddly – never played in what I considered “Scottish weather” : windy, rainy, cold, generally nasty. I had been cursed with only sunny, balmy days from Royal Troon to Old Musselburgh to The Old Course. (Except for waiting seven hours through the night in the rain in the singles’ queue to get a tee time.)
That changed dramatically on the first day of the 2022 World Hickory Open (Oct. 9-13), the Archie Baird team event held at the world’s 15th oldest golf course (1793), Fortrose and Rosemarkie in the Scottish Highlands, set on a narrow peninsula – about four fairways wide – that separates the Moray Firth from the North Sea.
I can now say I’ve played in true “Scottish” weather. The wind blew so hard at times that we needed driver to reach a par-3 that might otherwise require a wedge. Some tee shots dared you to aim over the sea and expect the gale to blow the ball 50 yards sideways to dry land. The rain ranged from forget-the-umbrella downpour to sprinkles. And the temperature varied from wintry to autumn to midsummer – all in the space of five hours.
I loved it. It was the most fun I’ve had on a golf course while simultaneously playing my worst. Sharing the experience with three new friends from the States and Japan was memorable.
The WHO then moved to a three-course rotation of Nairn, Castle Stuart, and Royal Dornoch, all within about an hour’s drive of Inverness, where the Kingsmill hotel served as headquarters. My wife and I had opted for a small guest house overlooking Inverness Castle, which meant I got to navigate through the Highlands in a right-hand drive hire car (my best driving of the week) rather than be tied to the shuttle bus schedule.
I played Royal Dornoch, the best of the trio, the first day of the individual competition. This turned out to be fortunate seeding because by the fourth, final day of the event I was exhausted from walking the surprisingly hilly layouts. For a 70-year-old who typically plays 9 holes once or twice a week and an occasional 18, trekking 72 holes in four days was a bit of an endurance test. (My lower back is still reminding me several weeks later.)
Each of the courses was laid out at more than 6,000 yards, on the long side for hickories, and the scoring was on the high side with only 7 scores in the 70s all week, the lowest a 76 by Nicklas Lindstrome at Nairn.
Some friends from the States showed up at the WHO as part of a marathon 21-day golfing excursion around Scotland, the type of trip I would have gladly joined in my younger days.
It did not help that I was playing with rental clubs, though I have found that I am comfortable with just about any hickory, original or replica, after a couple of shots. I really enjoyed that little “bulldog” spoon that Hamish had tossed into the set. What I missed, not willing to risk my own clubs to Ryanair (after seeing horrific photos of lost golf bags at Edinburgh airport following The Open Championship) was my broomstick putter.
The best part of WHO 2022, for me, was getting to meet dozens of people from around the world with whom I had been in email contact the past three years. I had discovered hickory in 2018, and played the WHO 2019 in East Lothian, but I knew almost no one at the time.
The social events were as much a highlight as the golf, including seeing Matt Dodds (in kilt) and Jurgen Heck dancing a Scottish fling. The food and drink were excellent, especially the haggis.
After Inverness, we drove over to the east coast and played with a small group at the fabulous Renaissance Club. Of course, the sky was a brilliant blue and the temperature barely required a sweater. My kind of Scottish weather.
***
For the record, there were 120 players from 14 countries playing WHO 22.
The professional event was won again, as in 2019 (the previous pre-Covid gathering), by Olle Widegren of Sweden. This was the third victory in succession by Swedes with Johan Moberg winning the 2018 edition. HeinzPetr Thul of Germany was runner-up, nine shots back.
The men’s amateur scratch champion is 28-year-old Guillermo Retana from San Sebastian, Spain, currently living in Austria. As a teenager, Retana was a chief rival of former world No. 1 Jon Rahm, and won the Spanish state championship. He played college golf in the States at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and has won the Liechtenstein Open.
The women’s amateur scratch champion is Susan Tracy (Star, Idaho) who has been playing about 30 years and has achieved a single-digit handicap with modern golf clubs. She started playing hickories in 2019 and won the Pacific Northwest Hickory ladies championship four times since. She also won the Arizona Desert Hickory event in 2019 and was runner-up in the 2021 U.S. Hickory Open at Gearhart, Ore. Husband Tom Tracy, a current board member of the Society of Hickory Golfers, caddied for Susan on the final day at Castle Stuart, what he called “tough course, tough conditions.”
Winners in other categories:
Ladies – Bridgette Lauber, Germany
Men’s – Gonzalo Retana, Spain
Over 70 – Larry Woods, U.S.
Over 50 – John Henry Williams, U.S.
The 2023 World Hickory Open festivities will shift to the west coast of Scotland: Dundonald Links for the Archie Baird Team. Prestwick, Western Gailes and Kilmarnock Barassie for the individual event.
World Hickory Open 2022 Prize Winners
Archie Baird International Team Champions: Japan 3 78 pts
itoshi Asanuma, Kazatuka Tokufuji, Katsuyki Fukumoto & Suguru Nakase
Runners up: The Swedes 76
Truls Anestan, Hans Kedalv, Svante Hansson & Mathias Wiberg
Third: Bulldog Hickory (Sweden) 75
Mikael Elofsson, Martin Johansson, Frederick Nyman & Bjorn Larson
Olle Widegren is the 2022 World Hickory Champion. Widegren, second from right, retained the championship, which he first won in 2019 and finished the tournament on 234. Second was Heinz Petr Thul from Germany. Switzerland’s Roberto Francioni was third. A full list of the championship results is now available.
World Hickory Open Individual Events
| Ladies World Hickory Champion(gross):
Runner-up: |
Susan Tracy (USA)
Tatjana Thos (Germany) |
299
321 |
| Ladies World Hickory Champion(net): | Bridgette Lauber (Germany) | 251 |
| Runner-up: | Gertraud Hofer (Austria) | 252 |
|
Men’s W H Amateur Champion(gross): |
Guillermo Retana (Spain) |
240 |
| Runner-up: | Niklas Lindstrome (Finland) | 244 |
| Third: | Mats Gyldorff (Sweden) | 244 |
|
Men’s W H Amateur Champion(net): |
Gonzolo Retana (Spain) |
194 |
| Runner-up: | Martin Pool (USA) | 202 |
| Third: | Frederick Nyman (Sweden) | 204 |
| Honourable 70 Champion (gross): | Larry Woods (USA) | 264 |
| W H Seniors over 50 Champion(gross): | John Henry Williams (USA) | 251 |
| Runner-up: | Mathias Wiberg (Sweden) | 254 |
| Third: | Eric Becker (USA) | 257 |
| World Hickory ProfessionalChampion: | Olle Widegren (Sweden) | 234 |
| Runner-up: | Heinz Petr Thul (Germany) | 243 |
| Third: | Roberto Francioni(Switzerland) | 247 |
| Fourth: | Mike Stevens (USA) | 278 |