News – Virginia Hickory Golf Association

Notes and Scenes from the Inaugural Stars and Stripes Hickory Classic

Fireworks ignited at East Potomac Golf Links today (Saturday June 22, 2024) as hickory golfers from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC, and Virginia competed in the Stars & Stripes Hickory Golf Classic. Record high temperatures fueled low scores on the links. Open Division Champion Grant Raffel bested the field with a 75. Many thanks to all for participating and your generous donations to the GLUT-1 Deficiency Foundation! @glut1deficiencyfoundation. We will be back next year and YOU are invited to join us!

OPEN DIVISION
1st place – Grant Raffel 75
2nd Place – Sam Sinclair 76
3rd Place – Sam Webster 80

SENIOR DIVISION
1st Place – Rob Gilbert 86
2nd Place Dennis Meadows 86
3rd Place Larry McLean 88

STATESMAN DIVISION
1st Place – Jim Clawson 89
2nd Place – Linn Williams 91
3rd Place – Nelson Ford 91

Here are some photos from the tournament.

Stars and Stripes Hickory Classic

Everyone,

Our own Sam Sinclair has organized an opportunity for us to play in the Stars & Stripes Hickory Golf Classic (see below). What a great opportunity to gather together and play hickory in the nation’s capital. Act fast and register as time is of the essence!!!

Va Hickory Championship and Va / NC Hickory Challenge Cup

The date is set for the combo event of the Va Hickory Championship and the Va / NC Hickory Challenge Cup. The tournaments will be held at the same time, same day on Saturday November 18th, 2023 at Poplar Grove Golf Course in Amherst Va. Tee times will start at 11:45 and there will be room for however many players we can get together. The Va Championship will be stroke play with a Gross and Net winner, and the Va / NC Challenge will be a team medal play at this time. Having been reminded by the fearless captain of the NC boys, Andy Moye, that NC has won 6 of the last 9 matches, we need a good showing of boys from the Old Dominion this year so we can secure the title. Please let me know if you can make the event.

VA HICKORY HEATER CONTESTED

On August 5th, an eager foursome teed up and played the Olde and Creek Course nines at Shenvalee Golf Resort in New Market Va. Dennis Meadows, Jim Clawson, Billy Hunter (Defending Champion), and Captain Rob Gilbert were on hand to test their skills in the Virginia heat that day. The company was terrific, and the course full of charm and character, making the event challenging, frustrating, exciting, and various other adjectives at different times during the round.

Billy, Dennis, and Jim tee off on the Creek course.

The view to the green on number 8 of the Olde

Over hill and dale they rode and walked, and at the end of the day defending champ Billy Hunter took gross honors and the Heater trophy. Jim Clawson won net honors for the day. The group also held a Par 5 Challenge for lowest total score on all par 5’s, and Billy Hunter won himself a $50 gift certificate generously donated by Knicker Dog knickers!

More events to come in the rotation for VaHGA. We are currently working toward a VA / NC Hickory event, the Va Hickory Championship, and a new Gutty event for the fall. Stay tuned!

RICHMOND CUP COMPLETE

The Richmond Cup was held held May 6th 2023 at Belmont Golf Course in Richmond Va.

The Richmond Cup!

The men of Virginia came together to contest the Richmond Cup on May 6th. It was a beautiful day and well attended at Belmont golf Course. The group played the traditional 12 hole course, and followed up with the 6 hole par 3 course that was a 2 club challenge. David Farrar (host of the event) was joined by Billy Hunter, Skip Platt, Jim Clawson, Dennis Meadows, Jeff Miller, Jerry Wells, George Belby, and Rob Gilbert.

Jerry Wells, George Belby and Skip Platt ready to tee off

Jim Clawson, Dennis Meadows and Rob Gilbert prepare to play

The play was brisk and most of the men avoided most of the trouble, with only a smattering of foozled shots along the course. After the 12 hole round was finished, the group moved on to the 2 club par 3 challenge.

At the conclusion of play, the winners were announced.

David Farrar won Gross honors for the tournament, while Skip Platt won the net prize.

The par 3 challenge was taken by Billy Hunter.

Long drive was won by Jerry Wells, and Skip Platt took the closest to the pin prize.

Skip, Jerry, and Billy with their spoils

Many different configurations were used in the par 3 challenge… niblicks, jiggers, mashie niblicks, mashies, putters, and the like. Many thanks re due to Mcintyre Golf, King’s Cross, and Knicker Dog for their generous support of our tournament, and to David Farrar for hosting the event. Up next is the Hickory Heater August 5th at Shenvalee Golf Resort. Hope to see you all there!

2023 Gutty Gopher in the Books

A small but intrepid group met on Saturday the Ides of April (Tax Day!) at Meadowcreek Golf Course in Charlottesville to contest the 3rd Annual VaHGA Gutty Gopher. It was a beautiful day for Gutty golf in the commonwealth.

After short iron shots down the hill, (and a lucky bounce off of Clawson’s bridge), the men were well on their way.

The third hole featured some excitement, as Dennis Meadows putted his ball from the bunker up onto the green. Not to be outdone, Tom Mehigan lofted his shot right into the cup for a birdie!

Came the 6th, and Captain Rob foozled his drive, but managed a long approach with a cleek and he was well up. That didn’t matter to Jim, who sank a 39 foot putt for par, clinching the longest putt of the day and a sleeve of JH Taylor mesh balls courtesy of Mcintyre Golf.

About the 8th, a shower set in briefly which caused a slight consternation in the play of the hole. Dennis, in a moment of foresight, hit his ball under a tree and recovered from his situation while utilizing the shelter of the tree as he did so.

Hole number 9 was our closest to the pin hole, and Jim again captured the moment as he snuggled his ball nearest the hole and won himself a pair of socks courtesy of King’s Cross Knickers.

The foursome stroked ably along the back nine, the next bit of excitement coming at hole 14, where Rob recovered his drive from the bunker with a crack lofter shot right near the green , and was up and in for par. This was no match for Jim, who again showed his mettle by sinking a putt for birdie.

At the end of the round, VaHGA Captain Rob Gilbert of Lynchburg played what he called his “best hickory round ever”, a smooth 40-41-81 to claim the title. He was also best dressed by far. Jim Clawson, immediate past Captain, took home the net honors. All men had moments of stout play, and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Rob and Jim posing with the spoils of the day.

Thanks are due to Mcintyre Golf and to King’s Cross Knickers and their generous donations which helped make the day special. (Captain Gilbert notes that VaHGA has a discount code “Gilbert” for a substantial discount at Kings Cross Knickers.)

In three weeks, we will contest the Richmond Cup at Belmont Golf Course in Richmond, Va. and hope to see you all there.

VaHGA Announces New Captain!

Rob Gilbert of Lynchburg and founding member of VaHGA was nominated, approved, and appointed VaHGA’s 3rd Captain on January 28th, 2023. Rob has been an active participant, always the best dressed, and energetic player for years. We invite all VaHGA members and friends to encourage and support Rob as he begins to chart the path for VaHGA in 2023 and beyond. Skip Platt will continue as Treasurer.

Inaugural VaHGA Hickory Heater Contested Labor Day Weekend 2022

Six intrepid VaHGA players assembled today, September 3rd, at Meadowcreek Golf Course and enjoyed relatively mild weather, slight breeze, and good conditions while contesting the VaHGA Hickory Heater Trophy. The gross results were

Billy Hunter 81
Tom Mehigan 82
Rob Gilbert 87
Jim Clawson 87
Chuck McMullin 89
Dennis Meadows 91

Congratulations to Billy Hunter–with a nice 35 on the inward nine. And to Tom Mehigan for a close second.

VaHGA at the 2022 Southern Hickory Fourball

VaHGA was well represented at this year’s Southern Hickory Fourball hosted by Tad Moore at the Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama. Terry Pemberton and Eric “the Hickory Hokie” Johnson teamed up as did Deal Hudson (now from Lilburn GA but still a VaHGA Founding Member) and yours truly. Non-resident VaHGA members Mike O’Donnell and Tyler Guthrie also competed in the event.

The course was in good shape; the greens were difficult. Every hole is different requiring a multitude of shots. #4 requires a good drive and a strong approach over a deep ravine. #7 gives me nightmares; the approach over a concrete creek requires precision and length. The views from 15 and 17 tees are beautiful. See below for the tee shot on par 3 #5 over a pond.

The scoring system this year was a Stableford “Quota” system which required some mental adjustments for old timers. In this system, each player is competing against their own handicap. One subtracts their handicap from 36 (18 holes at even par, 2 points for par). That number becomes that player’s “quota” or “target”. My handicap from the front tees was 16, so my “quota” or “target” was 20. I shot an 88 in Round One (and “earned” 18 points) two over my handicap on this par 70 course, and my “Quota” score was -2 , So one is playing “against” one’s own handicap. At the end, one can simply add both players (or more if larger teams) scores to their “quotas.” Two partners who scored -2 and +2 to their quotas would have a score of zero/0 which beats any negative score but loses to any positive score The Stableford Quota leaders after Round One were at +8, meaning they played better than their handicaps. Most teams were in negative numbers. This system simplifies playing team games (2+ players).

Winners. Some 60 players showed up this year. Peter Flory and Ted Kopec won the Open Division while Barb Kopec and Tad Moore won the Stableford Quota Division (+10).

During the awards ceremony, VaHGA recognized and honored host Tad Moore for his national and global support of hickory golf, his beautiful artistic golf clubs (mentioning Otey Crisman), and his warm generosity as a person, someone who is a “net contributor” rather than a net taker in society. We presented Tad with a VaHGA Medal of Honor and a lifetime honorary complimentary membership to VaHGA.

Deal Hudson, Jim Clawson, Dan Penny and John McGuire

Tim Cooley, Mark Hollingsworth, Terry Pemberton, Eric Johnson, David Brown

2022 Richmond Cup in the books!

Saturday March 26th the Virginia Hickory Golf Association (VaGHA) contested the annual Richmond Cup at the Lakeside Park Club, a difficult Donald Ross design. The wind was blowing hard and cold! Ten intrepid players challenged the elements and the dangerous greens, Andy Moye (NC), Russell Eaves (NC), Eric Wagner (Charlottesville), Dennis Meadows (Virginia Beach), Linn Williams (NOVA), Nelson Ford (NC), Rob Gilbert (Lynchburg), Tom Mehigan (NOVA), David Farrar (our host, Richmond) and Jim Clawson (Charlottesville).

We played a Stableford format in which points were hard to come by. The ‘earned’ points ranged from 1 to 17. Earned plus handicap scores ranged from 23 to 32.

In the end, Andy Moye was the ‘gross’ winner (he declined the moniker!) and Dennis Meadows won the ‘total’ points in a scorecard playoff with Eric Wagner (a former champion here). We all had fun AND were happy to get out of the wind!