The 2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge, 6 – 8 June, has come and gone. This event, organized by Chris Hawes, raised money for a worthy charity and expanding the fun of hickory stick golf. Chris started this event last year and it was a huge success. Chris is running this must attend hickory event again this year and already the numbers of participants has grown. Here is the results of this fun hickory stick event.

The One hundred and eighteen hickory golf enthusiasts played golf at Manderley On The Green in a fun outing on Friday, June 6 in a two-person scramble format. Twenty-six stuck around for further hickory stroke play competition on Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8. By all measures the weekend was a success! 

When we refer to the event being a success, we mean that our goals have been met. Those goals were:

• 1) To HAVE FUN;
• 2) To Expose and educate folks on the enjoyment and challenge of Hickory Golf;
• 3) To Encourage a few of you to continue to play hickory golf and join us for regular play events around Eastern Ontario;
• 4) To Raise some money for a worthwhile cause – The Osgoode Emergency Food Cupboard; and
• 5) TO HAVE FUN – CANNOT BE STATED TOO OFTEN. 

Winners of the Friday Scramble were Matt Stovall (Arizona) and Chris Kholi (Ottawa).

Our Stroke Play Net winner on the weekend was Ron Wiens.

The Overall Gross Winner was PGA of Ottawa Golf Professional Andrew Robertson.

The 2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge raised through silent auctions over $8000 for the Osgoode Emergency Food Cupboard.

Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge participants received golf shirts, free passes to Yuk Yuk’s (The world needs to laugh a bit more!), vouchers for tickets to the Commissionaire PGA Americas Tour Event in Ottawa and replica golf balls. Participants were also reminded that the game of golf is steeped in history and now they were now a part of that amazing journey. 

Upcoming for hickory golf enthusiasts in Ottawa are regular monthly (hopefully bi-weekly soon) Hickory Nine and Dine and weekend Play events at various clubs in the area. The fact that some of the Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge participants want to try this again and find the experience and challenge of playing with hickories rewarding is the best measure of success. 

Finally on the weekend, the hickory stick group honoured Kelly Taylor, a golfer and Hickory lover from Calgary who sadly passed away this February. Our 3 nations Championship: WEST (Alberta); EAST (Canada/Ontario); and SOUTH ( USA ) went to Team Ontario. This will be an ongoing rivalry, and I am sure both the West and South will rise again! 

There were lots of prizes and folks took home Safari Trips to South Africa (courtesy of Milinga Safari and Ken McCafferty Desjardins Insurance/Redneck Logger); Golf and Sightseeing in Ireland (courtesy of Hawes Partners), a house Rental this March in San Tan Valley Arizona (courtesy of Grant Desouza) and so much more. 

I would like to thank all the sponsors who helped make this event happen: Our Title Sponsor: Ewing Morris Investments; Manotick Home Hardware (Adam); Mosely Private Health (Gavin); Pat Connor– Edward Jones, Manotick. Hawes Partners Golf Experiences; A Great Ireland and Northern Ireland Golf and Sightseeing Adventure; Hawes of St Andrews West Original Replica Hickory Golf Clubs.

Thanks to Chris for organizing such a wonderful hickory stick event. I was unable to attend this year, but have it marked on my calendar for next year!

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