On Friday past I attended the Hickory Golf Challenge at Manderley on the Green in North Gower. This was the first year for the Hickory Challenge and the organizer/host Chris Hawes pulled out all the stops. “The impetus for this tournament is really all the great events I have been able to attend through my short time as a hickory golfer, says Christopher Hawes. “Everyone is welcoming and full of character, and the emphasis, while being competitive, is on the pure enjoyment of the game.” It was a well organized event that offered a little something everyone. If you want to participate in an outstanding Hickory Golf event, then next year this is a must attend.

At the registration, Chris and his team thought of everything as he set up a vintage travel display. After receiving our shirts, Charlie and I walked around at the other sponsor venues. The won that caught our eyes the quickest was an amazing truck from the Redneck Brewing Company.

“At Redneck Brewing Company we are proud Canadian Rednecks. Our goal is to provide a quality crushable craft beer to Rednecks and all others across this great land. Our intention is to do so at a very budget friendly price. ” I had a great discussion with Ken McCafferty about the growth of his brewery. You could definite feel the pride of ownership and passion of creating a top quality product that he loves sharing with everyone. In addition to the brewery, located in Calabogie, Ontario, Ken touted the great food and atmosphere at the Redneck Bistro.

I tasted the Pale Ale and and Amber beers. Both were tasty, but I will gravitate towards the Pale ale. Pale Ale is a Fruity blend IPA, with a 5.7% alc/vol, golden in colour. It’s smooth but slight happy flavour, with notes of Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon & Lime with a great nose. It was very refreshing and I like it the most. Overall, it was a great to talk to Ken and even better to sample his products.

Hickory events are a fantastic opportunity to meet like minded hickory stick golfers. I met many interesting people at the Hickory Challenge and the most notable was Fred Boland from Kingston, Ontario. He was the senior elder at the event. At 82, he started playing with hickories about 5 years ago. It goes to show that if you have a love of golf, you are never to experience to play with hickory sticks. It was great chatting with Fred and he inspired me to want to be a better hickory player.

I played the two person scramble Charlie and we were paired with Dave and Jeff. Charlie and I sported our own clubs and Dave and Jeff used some loaners from the Golf Historical Society of Canada. It was the first time that Dave and Jeff played a round with hickory sticks. As the round unfolded, they easily understood the mechanics of hitting the old clubs, but the execution phase took a bit of time. After the 18 holes, both were hitting the ball like a pro….most of the time. 😉 Actually, they both hit some amazing shots from various distances. For the first time out, they really stepped up and showed a knack for playing older clubs. I think the next time they play with hickories, they will give Charlie and I a run for our money.

The first annual Hickory Golf Challenge is a must event for golfers in the Ottawa area. This event was extremely well organized and offered something for everyone. Chris Hawes put out a fantastic event and I look forward to attending next year!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!