2023 Winter Park Hickory Classic
By Greg and Beverly Wise
Year after year… the Winter Park Hickory Classic draws some of the best hickory players from across the United States and Canada.
Bill and Elizabeth Geisler, organizers of this prestigious hickory event, again found themselves with a full field event and a waiting list just prior to the opening. This 2-day event has separate tournaments for each day. January 21 was a Gross and Net score event for men and women with Former PGA Tour player Wally Armstrong firing a 73 for the Gross win and Richard Boggs carding a 68 for the net win for the men. For the ladies, BJ Hayden with a gross score of 82 and Marci Likens played well with a net 66 as champions of the lady’s division.
The second day is considered the fun day. With a 4-club format – 9-hole event. Despite the strong winds, Gil Feagin of Myrtle Beach carded a gross score of 35, with Jim Davis of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Editor of the Society of Hickory Golfers, netted a score of 30 for the Men’s Champions. For the lady’s, once again, BJ Hayden took low gross with a 43 and Marci Likens finished with a net 36 for the Ladies Championship.
The Winter Park Hickory Classic is played on the historic Winter Park 9 and located at the Winter Park Country Club. The course was built in 1914, and with the renovations that were completed in 2016, WP9, has become one of the top 10 short courses in the United States.
Planning is now underway for 2024. Mark your calendars – the dates for the next Winter Park Hickory Classic are January 20-21. Be watching for more details at WinterParkHickoryClassic.com
