IT is one of the oldest golf clubs in New South Wales.
So, Bowral Golf Club in the Southern Highlands seemed the perfect venue for a hickory golf club challenge, hosted by the Australian Golf Historical Society.
This club was established in 1901 and happily accommodated players with clubs that were more than 100 years old as well.
Indeed, AGHA captain Les Browne suggested some of the clubs being used may well have been used at the opening of this popular 18-hole course.
These events always attract players from far and wide, while some locals were using hickory clubs for the first time, with the AGHS delighted to supply many players with the age-old clubs for their first ‘hit-out’ into history.
An enthusiastic band of golfers before teeing off at Bowral Golf Club.
The Bowral course was set up to replicate the distances played 100 years ago and scoring was a modified stableford.
Club captain Peter Cottee welcomed players on a sunny spring Southern Highlands day as he proudly showed off a course in pristine condition.
One regular player was asked why they played hickory golf.
The reply? “When I finish a game with my regular steel clubs I think about my bad shots . . . when I play with hickories I remember the good shots.”
The overall winner was Tony Souter from Antill Park with an unbelievable 68 points, the game of his life.
The runner-up with 65 pts was David Rail.
The best-performed woman was Kathy Every-Burns from Concord Golf Club with 49 points.
The current Australian Hickory Champion, Tim Sayers, finished one-under-par to win the scratch prize.
Sayers continues to play some of his best golf on this layout: he also won last year’s NSW Hickory Championship at Bowral and commented that it was one of his favourite hickory courses.
The locals handled the hickories well and many indicated they hit the ball more consistently than they did with their regular clubs.
The player that handled them the best was Robert Shield with 62 pts.
One unkind observer was heard to comment: “Well, he should be able to play with them as he grew up with hickories.”
In fact when AGHS captain, Les Browne, collected the loan sets he needed to check all clubs were there as one indicated “this is better than my regular driver!”
The event is again scheduled for 2025.
