North Oregon Coast Going Back In Time

Gearhart Golf Links will host the 2021 US Hickory Open, a nod to the club’s historic roots

Gearhart Golf Links is a course with a long, rich history, going back to 1892.

Gearhart Golf Links, the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi River, made a big announcement in March: the North Oregon coast course will host the 2021 US Hickory Open.

Presented each year by the Society of Hickory Golfers, the US Hickory Open is the premier hickory golf tournament in the United States. 2021 will mark the event’s 14th year and only the second time a course in the western United States has played host.

“We are thrilled to return to the West Coast,” said Society President Greg Smith. “In 2020 the sold-out Open is welcoming hickory golf enthusiasts from over 22 states, and Canada, at Happy Hollow Golf Club in Omaha, Nebraska. The chance to visit the Oregon Coast and play the brilliant and historic links at Gearhart is something very special for our international members.”

The US Hickory Open is scheduled for September 12-14, 2021.

“Gearhart Golf Links is an exceptional venue for this tournament,” says Northwest Hickory Players tournament organizer Rob Ahlschwede. “David McLay-Kidd, acclaimed architect of Bandon Dunes and Mammoth Dunes, ranked Gearhart in his ‘Top 10 Favorite Places’ in the March 2020 edition of Golf Magazine. The seaside course offers a true links-style experience, perfectly suited to the original equipment used by global hickory golf collectors and enthusiasts.” The course already has a relationship with Hickory golfers in the Pacific Northwest, having hosted a three-day event each year since 2015. Director of Golf Jason Bangild says hosting the US Hickory Open is an honor for the course and will put the club in the spotlight in a good way.

“Gearhart Golf Links is a course with a long, rich history, going back to 1892. Our clubhouse is full of pictures showcasing the earliest players in Gearhart, many playing hickory clubs and walking in coat and tie, or long dresses,” said Bangild. “The hickory game is just a great fit for the course. We have really enjoyed working with Rob and all of the Northwest Hickory Players over the last few years, and we’re thrilled to host their national Open next year. The course is located right in the center of Gearhart, so when the tournament comes to town, it’s sure to draw a crowd!”

While all USGA rules are in effect for the stroke play tournament, there are some equipment restrictions that players must follow. All golfers must use pre-1935 authentic wood-shafted clubs or Society-approved replicas. Tournament organizers may modify local rules to help players experience the game as closely as possible to the way it was played nearly 100 years ago.

Visit www.NWHickoryPlayers.org for more information about the event. Click here to read our feature story on Gearhart Golf Links!