Category: News

We have three events scheduled now for this Spring.  Please see below and RSVP to jimclawson@virginia.edu if you want to participate. 

1. March 27^th Saturday:  Richmond Hickory Cup @ Lakeside Public Club.  https://www.jeffersonlakeside.com/ 11:00 am tee times, green fee $65.00.  Nine already signed up.  Let me know if you want to join in the fun on this “early” Donald Ross wild ride. NOTE: was held at Royal New Kent and Andy Moye took honors.
   
   
2. May 2^nd Sunday:  World Hickory Day Open @ Meadowcreek Golf Club https://www.meadowcreekgolf.org/ .  11:00 am tee times, green fee $35 walking $55 riding.  This would be a chance for Gutty Gopher players to preview the course.  We are limited to 3-4 foursomes.  I need commitments before April 15^th.  (POSTPONED)
   
   
3. May 22–23^rd, Saturday Sunday: VaHGA Gutty Gopher Open @ Meadowcreek Golf Club https://www.meadowcreekgolf.org/.  11:00 tee times on Saturday and early tee times on Sunday for travelers.  Green fees $35 walking and $55 riding.  There are a wide variety of hotels in Charlottesville all within about 15 minutes from the course.   Our first gutty event since weather postponed it last fall.  I need commitments by May 3rd.  (POSTPONED)

ALSO, note one of my favorite events, the Southern Fourball hosted by Tad Moore in Birmingham AL at Highland Park GC on April 22-24.  Contact Tad tad@tadmoore.com if you are interested in going.  It would be great to have a big Virginia contingent.  PS: Won by our former member and still close friend, Rick Woeckener, and his Fourball partner, Joe Hollerbach.

There’s a lovely article in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of Virginia Golfer about a name change and rebranding of the Jefferson Lakeside Country Club where we held the 1st Annual Richmond Hickory Cup last March. The new name will be the Jefferson Park Club but still feature the original Donald Ross course that drove several of us (except winner Eric Wagner) crazy. Check it out AND plan on the (if COVID cooperates) 2021 version of the event on Saturday, March 27th. VaHGA members David Farrar and Paul Lynk are members there and host us for the event. https://vsga.org/engage/virginia-golfer-magazine/#1578928873345-85b37c46-2114

As of 3/1 we are ON so please contact Jim Clawson (jimclawson@virginia.edu) and David Farrar (d.farrar45@gmail.com) to save a spot. Tee times will begin at 11:00 am to allow time for travel. Green fee for the day payable at the Pro Shop will be $65. We look forward to seeing you there and challenging Eric’s holding of the Cup!

The first annual Carolinas Hickory Open will be contested on Tryon Country Club in Tryon, NC June 17-19.  Details are posted on the CHGA EVENTS tab.  This will be a 2 day stroke play tournament with low gross and low net being awarded for each of our 3 divisions:  Open (under 61-and all those wanting to play in the Open division), Senior, and Super Senior.  As of yet we do not have a field limit, but I’m hoping for at least 24-48 players. Practice rounds will be available Thursday June 17, with competition rounds to follow on Friday and Saturday mornings.  This is a 9 hole golf course, and we will play different tees for the 2nd 9 holes both days.    I will be working on a local room block, and there are numerous B&B’s and small inns in the general vicinity. All contestants MUST be paid members of the CHGA and have an official SOHG handicap (or play at scratch) – no exceptions. Your budget for the 2 days will be approx $125 to include 2 rounds of golf, 2 lunches, refreshments, tee gift, medals, and trophy.  It is my goal to have this be a first class event and experience.   Please RSVP as able. Richard Schmidt Captain, CHGA

Visit The Carolina Hickory Golf Association at: http://carolinahickory.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

The US Hickory Open will be held at Gearhart Golf Course in Oregon on September 12-14. Registrations opened up January 1st and we (yours truly is coordinating registrations for Rob Alschwede, Tournament Host) already have 120 registrations. These include some “temporarily held spots” for former champions and the like. Rob is striving to get the course to host 120 players, SO if you are interested register now. Housing is also scarce in the area. I’ve reserved a room in Astoria, about 20 minutes away. See the SOHG site for the registration form and tournament details.

From Rich Schmidt, CHA Captain: “I’m determined to hold a proper NC Hickory Open Championship this year.  With the help of some fellow hickory nuts in the mountains, I’m trying for a 2 day ‘proper’ event to be held at the very old and very cool Tryon Country Club outside of Hendersonville in late July or early August.  This is a Donald Ross 9 hole throwback of a course with a cool old log cabin for a clubhouse.  We would go around 2x and play different tees the 2nd time around. I’m shooting for an entry fee of no more than $125-150 that will include 2 rounds of golf with cart (optional), a modest tee gift, medals for gross and net across the divisions (depending on interest), and lunch both days.   And perhaps if we have enough money a cooler of beverages at the end of each day, as the club doesn’t really have a grill.  It is my hope that we will get 28++ for the field. Before I get too far down the road on planning, I would love to gauge everyone’s interest? Please do not reply to this message as I won’t get your input.  However, I’ve posted a similar request on the Forum section of the website, where you can weigh in with your comments and suggestions.” Richard Schmidt Captain, Carolina Hickory Golf Association Visit The Carolina Hickory Golf Association at: http://carolinahickory.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network   To control which emails you receive on The Carolina Hickory Golf Association, click here

Happy New Year VaHGA players! I hope you have had a safe and happy holiday season and are looking forward, like me, to a better 2021! Before we get going on the new season, here’s a report of our truncated 2020 season.

1st Annual Richmond Hickory Cup was won by Eric Wagner.
The 1st Annual World Hickory Event was won by Eric Johnson.
The Virginia Fourball Tournament was won by Skip Platt and Greg Whitmer.
The Virginia Hickory Open was won by Don Hamilton.
We postponed the VA-NC HICCUP (The Flame of Eternal Hope) due to COVID.
The 1st Annual VaHGA Gutty Gopher was also postponed due to COVID concerns and course playability.

There were a modest 8 gutty matches played over the course of the year. The results were as shown below. No one had seven matches so we don’t have a VaHGA Gutty Player of the Year.

Eric Wagner	5
Deal Hudson	1.5
Terry Pemberton	4
Eric Johnson	1
Jim Clawson	6.5

There were a more respectable 35 hickory matches played over the course of the year.

NAME	# of Matches	Points	Points / Match
Kevin Coombs	1	2.5	2.50
Bob Platt	6	14.5	2.42
Dennis Meadows	2	4	2.00
Eric Wagner	15	27.5	1.83
Terry Pemberton	7	12	1.71
Jim Clawson	22	29.5	1.34
Greg Whitmer	3	4	1.33
Nelson Ford	3	3.5	1.17
Linn Williams	1	1	1.00
Eric Johnson	7	6	0.86
Skip Platt	1	0.5	0.50

WHICH means given our guideline of seven matches minimum, ERIC WAGNER is our VaHGA Hickory Player of the Year! Congratulations Eric!

The first annual VaHGA Gutty Gopher tournament is confirmed for Saturday-Sunday, November 14-15 at Meadowcreek Golf Course in Charlottesville, VA. Due to COVID restrictions no special events are allowed, so the nine registered players will tee off from the red tees as “normal” groups of three. Stay tuned for results.

Several VaHGA members went to the 17th annual Mid-Pines Hickory Open and came away with medals. First, former VaHGA member, Rick Woeckener, won the overall Open Division with rounds of 77-75. The second round was marked by heavy rain, a weather delay, and cold winds. Congratulations Rick! Well done!

Second, VaHGAns Deal Hudson and Chuck McMullin fought it out in the Super Senior Gross Divison, finishing first and second well ahead of the rest of the field. Deal shot 82-85 while Chuck posted 81-88. The next highest score was 93-90=183.

Third and less significantly, VaHGA Captain Jim Clawson was carried by newby Jimmy Wilkins of Memphis, TN, playing with borrowed clubs to Gross Runners-Up in the Pine Needles Foursomes Tournament on Friday and Winners in the Pine Needles Foursomes Tournament Net Division.

Way to go, VaHGAns! Keep it up!

We played the VAHGA Fourball/Open Championships September 14-16 at the newly redesigned (by Davis Love III) Birdwood Golf Course at the Boar’s Head Resort. The weather was perfect, cool pre-autumn days. 20 players (10 fourball teams) came from the Commonwealth and North Carolina to compete. We also welcomed three new players.

Results were as follows:
FOURBALL Open
                1^st Gross            Greg Whitmer and Skip Platt (143) Playoff on #18
                2^nd Gross          Don Hamilton and Jeff Haas (143)
                1^st Net                 Eric Johnson and Bud Nelson (122)
                2^nd Net               Terry Pemberton and Joe Hollerbach (124)

FOURBALL SENIORS
                1^st Gross            Bob Platt and Jerry Wells (151)
                2^nd Gross          Jim Clawson and Eric Wagner (157)
                1^st Net                 David Farrar and Paul Lynk (122)
                2^nd Net               Nelson Ford and Linn Williams (130)

OPEN Open (Medal)
                1^st Gross              Don Hamilton (154)
                2^nd Gross             Skip Platt (157)
                1^st Net                  Joe Hollerbach (139)
                2^nd Net                 Dennis Meadows (142)

OPEN SENIORS
                1^st Gross              Bob Platt (134)
                2^nd Gross             Deal Hudson (151)
                1^st Net                  Bud Nelson (137)
                2^nd Net                 Jim Clawson (139)

Nelson Ford also established a new Birdwood Hickory Course Record of 75/57 during his practice round. Nelson said it was one of his best rounds ever with moderns or hickories!

Here’s a link to the bagpiper calling the players to the first tee on Day One. And a link to various photos from the event. Sincere thanks to Joe Hanning of the Boar’s Head Resort for his photography.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

August 25, 2020
Tad Moore Hickory Classics has just moved into our new building and to
celebrate we are offering your hickory regional group special discounts
on our products. These are discounts you cannot get anywhere else
and you need to call me to get them.
I also have a few new items not on my web site such as a Randy Jensen
inspired Spalding HB putter and a set of beautiful left hand clubs. Pall
Mall woods, OA irons and a Chicopee putter.
Please call 706-333-9626 or email me at tad@tadmoore.com
Thanks for your support in the past and now. I will continue to try to
bring you the finest reproduction hickory clubs made.
Regards, Tad Moore