Cornwall Golf Union
Hickory Golf Continues in Cornwall
Whilst the planned CGU Hickory Championship fell short due to a low number of entries there have been two other competitions played in the county during the summer.
First in August Truro Golf Club hosted the inaugural Cornwall Hickory Championship which took place in perfect weather conditions and on a superbly maintained course. A small field on this occasion nevertheless saw some fine performances out on the day. The unusual sight of golfers smartly dressed in vintage attire filled the clubhouse balcony with onlookers as participants played the 11th green.
Truro was the third leg of the south west Order of Merit designed to find this year´s overall regional champion. Winner was Paul East with a respectable 34 points – as usual, Paul was using his trusty long nose spoons and might possibly have had some home advantage! Woodhall Spa-based, Mike Roberts, made a welcome return to his Truro roots and came a close second with 33 points. Candida Machin (Rye) claimed third place with 31 points, an excellent result for someone new to hickory golf.
Then in late September St Enodoc hosted another hickory event.
Sixteen brave souls set out under a threatening sky to compete for the inaugural Cornish Hickory Pairs Trophy on the Holywell Course . The Holywell with its 9 Par 4s and 9 Par 3s is well suited for hickory golf, but its relatively short length and consequent low slope rating means that for most golfers the ‘hickory allowance’ on their handicaps is lost on the course handicap! Indeed, two scratch golfers competing had to play off +2!
A number of players looked at the skies and decided to don waterproofs (pre-1936 waterproofs, of course) before the start but as it transpired the weather gradually improved and the last groups finished in sunshine. There was a good representation from across the county with players from Launceston, St Enodoc, Perranporth, Newquay, Truro, Falmouth and West Cornwall. There was also a mixture of hickory old hands and hickory virgins.
Unsurprisingly it was the oldest hands of all, Truro pair Paul East and Leslie Nikola, who took the Trophy with a better ball score of 41 points, but second place went to a home St Enodoc team of hickory newcomers, Richard Palmer and James Strang, who ‘ham and egged’ it well to score an impressive 38 points. Mention should also be made of James and Matt Tucknott of Launceston who amassed 32 points off +2.
The individual prizes were restricted to hickory virgins and here James Strang, following an impressive birdie on the Par 4 8th, led the way for most of the round only to be pipped by Peter Williams from Falmouth who parred the 18th to sneak a point ahead with 32 and take the individual prize.
Richard Palmer was unanimously voted ‘best dressed player’ by our fashion panel.
Our thanks to St Enodoc Golf Club for hosting the event and to all the participants for making it a hugely enjoyable day.
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