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The golden hued Cadillac sedan pulled into the front row at Fox Ridge Golf Club with personalized plates boldly proclaiming "GCS 213 ". The owners, Harry Mack Horton and wife Garnet, had arrived along with GCS region 7 Director Joe De Wulf and wife Elaine and immediately began setting up for the trade show. Defending champion Randy Jensen and a half dozen others were on the course for a practice round and the putting green and range areas were dotted with players using clubs from the golden era of golf. Knickers, plus fours and eight paneled hats were in every direction. Local Fox Ridge resident Terry Grattan had planned a Friday evening dinner party for four. As players and guests began to accumulate, the final dinner tally was an impromptu 16. It's easy to find an extra rib-eye (or 12) in Iowa.




			29th Heart of America Hickory Championship

			The golden hued Cadillac sedan pulled into the front row at Fox Ridge Golf Club with personalized plates boldly proclaiming "GCS 213 ". The owners, Harry Mack Horton and wife Garnet, had arrived along with GCS region 7 Director Joe De Wulf and wife Elaine and immediately began setting up for the trade show. Defending champion Randy Jensen and a half dozen others were on the course for a practice round and the putting green and range areas were dotted with players using clubs from the golden era of golf. Knickers, plus fours and eight paneled hats were in every direction. Local Fox Ridge resident Terry Grattan had planned a Friday evening dinner party for four. As players and guests began to accumulate, the final dinner tally was an impromptu 16. It's easy to find an extra rib-eye (or 12) in Iowa.



Saturday morning brought about trading, bartering and gift giving at the Trade Show in the clubhouse and at mid-day the tournament began. The best-shot teams led the way with 2 flights. The trophy winners in the Vardon flight were: John Ausen, Steve Krantz, Dave Goss, Mark Newton, and Gary Moody, all of Iowa. The Hagen flight winners were: Arch Murphy, Ed Droste, Jim Lynch, Chuck Kromer, and John Grant, also from Iowa. The Guest Division was won by Chad Frush, a golf course superintendent from nearby Waverly, IA., who shot a 77; and 2nd place in the Guest Division went to Dr. Dave Minner of Iowa State University with an 81. Southpaw Dick Shanahan of Nebraska fashioned a net 83 in his 1st official GCS event. The Net Division saw Andy Reistetter of Gurnee, Illinois fire 80 - net 70 for 1st Place. Joe Rohan and Dave McNair both of Omaha tied for 2nd Place with net 72's. Rohan took home the hardware due to a card-off birdie 4 on the 3rd extra hole, a 600 yard par 5. Tournament host Bill Reed of Des Moines won the Senior Division with a gross 86-net-68 and Russ Fisher also from Des Moines placed 2nd with net 76. In the Open Division for the Traveling Trophy and the Championship, Terry Easton of Brandon, SD eagled the 18th to tighten the collar of the defending champ. But Randy Jensen birdied the last getting up and down out of a fairway bunker to hold his lead and win with a 75 to Easton’s 77. There was inspired play from Rob Ahlschwede, Tom Pitts, Terry Pitts, Joe De Wulf, Terry Grattan, and Scott Johnson, but not close enough to place in their respective divisions. The tournament closed with a grill your own "IOWA CHOP" dinner on the patio and the awards were donated by the "Club Doctor" Russ Fisher. Region 7 GCS director Joe De Wulf extolled on the benefits of membership to the Golf Collectors Society to new-comers, while trying to convince his wife Elaine that this was indeed the best way possible to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. Thanks to the staff at Fox Ridge Golf Club for providing a challenging venue for the 29th edition of the oldest continually held Hickory Tournament in the world. Bill Reed, Heart of America Tournament Director

29th Heart of America Hickory Championship