September 2020 Newsletter

Incorporation

On 30 July 2020, Hickory Golfers Queensland received notification from the Queensland Office of Fair Trading that its application for incorporation had been successful. We owe much thanks to Chris Cooper and Rob King-Scott for their efforts in overseeing the incorporation process — they are the true ‘founding fathers’ of HGQ.

The aims of the association are to:

support and advance the sport of golf being played in the traditional way;
promote the experience golf in a manner consistent with how the game was played in the hickory era;
encourage the playing of golf in Queensland with hickory clubs;
set and maintain standards for hickory golf clubs and equipment in Queensland;
provide an organisation for like-minded hickory players;
promote the playing characteristics of wood shaft golf clubs;
provide advice on the restoration and repair of wood shafted golf clubs;
establish guidelines for organising hickory golf tournaments in the Queensland;
provide a centralised scheduling system for state-wide hickory competitions;
provide for the establishment and maintenance of hickory handicaps;
encourage an interest in the heritage of golf in Queensland.

More simply, however, our main aims should be:

To have fun playing hickory shafted golf;
To enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded spirits.

2020 Carnegie Clark Trophies—Royal Queensland Golf Club Hickory Shaft Championships

On Friday 7 August, the rainiest day in recent memory, seventeen Royal Queensland members contested the Carnegie Clark Driver and two associates challenged for the Carnegie Clark Putter.

The field

In a superb display of wet weather golf, Ross Bishop compiled a score of 32 stableford points off the (reputedly punitive) handicap of 11. Andrew Baker followed in second place, edging Peter Egan into third place on count back.

In the associates’ event, hickory newcomer Leanne Rooijmans outpaced former two-time winner Tracey Heading on count back. Both players scored 19 stableford points.

Trophies were presented at the Heritage Day luncheon on Sunday 9 August by His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland.

Despite the inclement weather, a fun day was had by all.

Results

Members:

1 Ross Bishop (11) 32

2 Andrew Baker (10) 29 C/B

3 Peter Egan (22) 29

4 Philip Akes (10) 27

5 Chris Cooper (-2) 25 C/B

6 Peter Monks (14) 25

7 Rob King-Scott (8) 23

8 Arthur O’Shea (16) 22 C/B

9 Andrew Corrigan (9) 22

10 John Greenhalgh (17) 22

11 Bradley Tatnell (8) 21

12 Ian King (8) 20

13 Wally Boydell (23) 18

14 Glenn Reynolds (10) 15

15 Ivan Hodges (6) 14

DNF Koen Rooijmans (18) –

DNF Charlie Earp (18) –

Associates:

1 Leanne Rooijmans 19 C/B

2 Tracey Heading 19

Robert H. Henrit Donation

Recently, Hickory Golfers Queensland donated a group of historic and valuable hickory golfing artefacts to Royal Queensland Golf Club. This gesture was made to acknowledge and help celebrate the club’s centenary.

The RQGC Heritage Day luncheon on Sunday 9 August provided an ideal opportunity for HGQ Secretary Rob King-Scott to present the mementos to the club President Andrew Greville.

In the Centenary Library prior to the luncheon, Rob also showed and described the bag of clubs to club patron His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland. Rob says the Governor took great interest in the exhibit and acknowledged its historical importance.

The donation comprised a golf bag and set of clubs made by the first professional golfer at Royal Queensland Golf Club — Scottish-born Robert H. Henrit, who was appointed in February 1921. As such, these are among the earliest objects still extant from the club's formative days.

The donation comprised and a canvas Sunday bag with stencilled initials N.E.W. and a set of lady's golf clubs, including:

a brassie
an iron

a mashie
mashie-niblick
a putter

All of the clubs have Henrit's and the club's name stamped into their heads. Additionally, all but one of the clubs are stamped 'NEW' on their sole plate (brassie) or sole (irons). These represent the original owner's initials, as was the custom of the day.

Some time ago, RQGC archivist Ian Lynagh made an extensive search of club records in an effort to identify an early associate with the initials 'N.E.W.'. However, due to the custom of lady golfers being recorded with the 'Mrs.' version of their husband's name (e.g. Mrs Andrew Greville), Ian could not find a suitable candidate.

The bag and four of the clubs were acquired by HGQ member Ross Haslam and passed-on to Dr Peter Monks for restoration. Peter donated the remaining club.

Thank you to Ross and Peter for their tireless efforts in the domains of golf club collecting and restoration—and for their generosity in making these irreplaceable items available for donation.

About Robert H. Henrit

Born in 1877 or 1878 (according to the Scottish census) Robert H. Henrit was appointed professional at Arbroath Golf Links in September 1908, having been previously supervisor of the ladies' course in his home town of St Andrews.

The 1911 census shows him living with wife Margaret and three young children at Queen Street, Arbroath. He entered the 1912 Open at Muirfield but did not get past qualifying, He produced clubs using an ovoid hickory shaft but it is not established whether he held a patent for this design. He was still in Arbroath in 1914, having played in a foursome against Ben Sayers that year, but returned to St Andrews sometime after the First World War with regular success in local competitions.

With none of the namby-pamby name calling associated with disputes between modern golf professionals, he was in court in St Andrews in 1931 for assault-having punched his fellow golf professional, Thomas Blair, in the face a couple of times, after using 'most filthy language'. He was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months.

Modified extract from: Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland website

Royal Queensland Golf Club’s recently published club history contains more information on Hernit, see: Lynagh, Ian L. Royal Queensland Golf Club: 1920–2020, Brisbane, 2020.

Presenting the HGQ donation...

Rob King-Scott, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and RQGC archivist Ian Lynagh

A letter from the President

You will shortly receive a letter from the President inviting you to become a member of the association. To help finance the association’s activities, fees will be as follows:

Joining fee $25
Annual subscription $50