U.S. Wins Hickory Golf Championship At Baltusrol
Hickory golf is alive and well in the United States, and for a few days, in New Jersey.
The United States retained possession of the Hickory Grail trophy with a 16-8 victory over Europe in the ninth Hickory Grail (Ryder Cup format) that took place at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield and concluded on Tuesday, October 27.
The United States took a commanding 10-1/2 to 1-1/2 lead over Europe following the Foursomes and Four-Ball Matches on Monday. Europe rallied to win the Singles Matches, 6-1/2 to 5-1/2, but the United States improved its record to 5-2-2 over its counterparts.
The sides meet every two years, and every four years in the United States, with the home team winning in 2011 at the Dormie Club in Pinehurst, N.C. In the most previous matches, 2013, at England’s Walton Heath (which once included Winston Churchill as a member and hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup), the clubs battled to a 12-12 draw, but the U.S. retained the prized trophy.
The matches are conducted by the British Golf Collectors’ Society, which was formed in 1987 to promote the history of golf and the collecting of golf memorabilia. Each participant in the Hickory Grail matches used their personal sets of hickory-shafted clubs which were produced prior to 1934. Modern mesh pattern balls, similar to those used in the 1920s, are of limited flight and conform to the clubs used.
Golfers comprising the 18-member U.S. team, who are also members of the British Golf Collectors’ Society, came from far and wide to compete including Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Virginia, and New Jersey’s Rick Wolfe of Baltusrol and golf book publisher Mike Beckerich of Knickerbocker. Playing and reporting on the event for GolfWeek magazine was noted writer Curt Sampson of Texas,who penned Ben Hogan's authoritative biography.
The European group was dominated by residents of the U.K., particularly England and Scotland, and included seven players from Sweden , where hickory golf is revered. All golfers played in period outfits, including knickers, flat hats and ties. The Upper Course at Baltusrol, which played at 5,800 yards, was the venue for the competition.
Clubs include driver, brassie, cleek, varieties of mashies, niblick and putter.
Philip Truett, the president of the Society, was an original founding member in 1987.
“We are privileged to be here at Baltusrol. It’s lovely to have our American members play here against our European members. In hickory golf, it’s all about the purity of the strike,” Truett stated.
“Unlike America, we have a lot of golf societies and most of our courses are available for them to play on. We started our society to promote the history of the game and the memorabilia of the game,” Truett added.
The European side also had one female member, Carolyn Kirk of England, a two-time English Senior Amateur Stroke-Play and one-time Senior Amateur Match-Play champion.
"The true winner is hickory golf. Our historical contests engender a sweet spirit of respectful competition among those who join in the quest. I am happy to see both sides emerge with plus-handicaps in friendships that will last a lifetime," said U.S. captain Mark Wehring of Texas.
Wehring said he specializes in collecting golf books, especially those written by Bernard Darwin, a grandson of the British naturalist Charles Darwin.
British Golf Collectors’ Society has more than 600 members worldwide, including 100 in the United States. According to Nigel Notley, the captain of the European team, the Society is hoping St Andrews will be the host of the Hickory Grail in 2017.
U.S. team secretary John Crow Miller of Texas and William Farmer both played in his ninth Hickory Grail match.
