What do Cyril Walker and Mark Lakin have in common playing hickory golf clubs?
Story and Photos by: Greg and Beverly Wise – Golf the Wise Way
In 1924, Cyril Walker, playing at Oakland Hills in Birmingham, Mich., won the U.S. Open, the first and only major of his professional career. Walker defeated a strong field headlined by golf’s emerging young legend Bobby Jones, the defending champion who had won the 1923 U. S. Open at the Inwood Country Club in New York.
One hundred years later…
2024, at the Kenosha Country Club, a superb Donald Ross-designed course in Kenosha, Wisc., Mark Lakin won his first U. S. Hickory Open. Lakin is a club member and club champion at KCC. He had been convinced to give hickories a try by fellow club member, Gregg Thompson, a true gentleman, who had convinced the KCC board to host the prestigious Society of Hickory Golfers’ tournament. Greg, who knows Lakin’s game quite well, assured him he had a chance to win.
And much like the history before him, Lakin bested a field that included past USHO champions Taylor Jones (2018 at Sedgefield CC in Greensboro, N.C.; and 2020 at Happy Hollow CC in Omaha, Neb.), James Ciganek (2022 at Mission Inn Resort at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.), and Richard Woeckener (2010 at Mimosa Hills CC in Morganton, N.C.; and 2019 at Belvedere GC in Charlevoix, Mich.).
In the Women’s Division, Rylee Stovall held on to her first-round lead to claim a second championship over 2020 Champion, Susan Marchese (at Happy Hollow CC, Omaha, Neb.), and 2023 Champion Jane Pohlman (at Inwood CC, Inwood, N.Y.), and runner up Anna Oxenstierna of Sweden by 4-strokes.
The 17thAnnual U. S. Hickory Open,
presented by the Society of Hickory Golfers.
By the numbers…
Highest Number of Players in the annual event – 130
(38 Open Players – 40 Senior Players – 38 Super Senior Players – 12 Women Players)
Highest Number of Women Golfers – 12
First two-time Women’s Champion – Rylee Stovall
(2022 Mission Inn and 2024 Kenosha)
24 United States Represented
Highest Number of International Players – 7
(China 3 – Switzerland 1 – Sweden 2 – Denmark 1)
What’s in the works for 2025?
The 2025 U.S. Hickory Open is scheduled for Hot Springs, Ark., at the Hot Springs Country Club. World Hall of Fame golfer Willie Park Jr. designed “The Park Golf Course” in 1898 as a nine-hole golf course. It was expanded to an 18-hole golf course years later. The course features six sets of tees and from the tips is 6,852 yards long. Bentgrass greens and views of the surrounding lakes and mountains, make this a perfect site to test those hickory skills in 2025.
Take a look at this promotional video for the 2025 U.S. Hickory Open
It’s Time to make your plans to be in Hot Springs, Arkansas for the
2025 U.S. Hickory Open. October 5-7, 2025
To see more photos of the 2024 US Hickory Open – Click Here
Looking for a Hickory Event in your area… Click Here to Access our complete listing!
About the Authors
Greg and Beverly Wise have been traveling the world, playing and writing about their golf experiences as “Golf the Wise Way,” and submitting to numerous publications.
Greg has played golf for more than 60 years and truly believes that “a picture is worth a thousand words…” so, Beverly and Greg both excel in getting the right photos to enhance their stories.
