Reflections
KC ’ s Sunflower Hickory Open Returns Golfers to Game ’ s Infancy
Words and Photography by Alan Hoskins
It was a nostalgic retreat to the days of golf ’ s infancy when Bobby Jones , Walter Hagan , and Harry Vardon were known worldwide . Golf shirts were replaced by knickers and plus fours . Clubs had hickory / wood shafts and carried such colorful names as mashies , niblicks , baffies , and spoons .
Despite temperatures that hovered in the low 50s , it was at the 4th Annual Kansas Sunflower Hickory Open held April 20 at Falcon Lakes Golf Course that 14 teams participated in the tournament hosted by The KC Area Hickory Golfers . Players came from as far away as Omaha and the Lake of the Ozarks to golf with hickory-shafted clubs like those manufactured before 1935 . Open to men , women , couples , and “ newbies ” wanting to try hickories for the first time , rental sets were available . Period attire was encouraged but not required . The cost to join the fun was $ 115 per player and included golf , cart , range balls , and awards BBQ .
“ It ’ s golf as it was meant to be played ,” says Mike Needleman , the founder and event coordinator of the Kansas City organization and a member of The Society of Hickory Golfers ( SoHG ), a worldwide organization promoting and supporting golf played with hickory clubs . In the U . S ., there are easily two to three hickory tournaments or events every weekend .
“ The only difference is that hickory clubs don ’ t carry the ball as far , about 40 yards shorter ,” says Needleman . “ So we play the shorter
14 June 2024 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
Mike Needleman founded the KC Area Hickory Golfers Association .
tees . If a course is 6,000 yards , we play at 5,500 . But otherwise , the shots are the same . The idea is to get to within 150 yards on second shots , and then it ’ s all even .”
Needleman carries six to eight clubs , including a mid-iron , mashie , niblick , mashie-niblick , putter , and the equivalent of a 2-wood off the tee . “ The swing is slower , but the pure feeling of a well-struck shot is still there ,” he says . Overthe-counter golf balls are played , although many players prefer balls with less compression .
Original antique hickory shafted and modern replica hickory clubs can both be found at most tournaments . Thanks to two companies , Spalding Golf and Tad Moore , replica hickory sets of clubs approved by the Society of Hickory Golfers are available .
Needleman became interested in hickory-shafted clubs in 2015 while bouncing in and out of hospitals for 60 days with a rare lung disease . “ I had exploratory surgeries , and suddenly , one day , it was just gone ,” he says . By then , Needleman had spent a lot of time reading about woodworking and , specifically , hickory clubs .
“ I decided I ’ d give it [ hickory golf ] a try and bought a starter set of hickory clubs , said Dale Hallock who heads Omaha ’ s active hickory club and was one of the participants in this year ’ s Sunflower Hickory Open event dressed in classic all-red knickers ( see photo next page ). Hallock says , “ Over the