Queensland Hickory Open Championship Report

Hickory golf came to the Cradle of Golf in Brisbane on Sunday with BGC hosting the 2025 Queensland Hickory Open Championship.

Suitably garbed golfers from BGC, RQ, Indooroopilly, Nudgee and Noosa Springs joined Les Browne and Bruno Pase from Sydney and international visitor Peter van Eekelen, President of Christchurch Golf Club, to play 18 holes of stroke on a course set up to be as relevant as possible to the use of 100 year old antiques.

The conditions were cloudy but dry to begin and several players had promising starts, none more so than former BGC Captain and renowned hickory wielder Al Grieve. Al was around par after 5 holes, but hit his drive to the edge of the green on hole 6 and two-putted, then sank a 10 foot birdie putt on 7, chipped in for three on 8, and got up and down from off the green for a four on the 9th. Four birdies in four holes!

How could he stuff it up from there? Well, he didn’t. The rain in the afternoon literally put a dampener on the scoring, but Al held it together very nicely for a gross score of 73, enough to win the event by several. Very well done, Mr Grieve! The runner-up was Michael Mason from Noosa Springs, followed by BGC’s Peter Kyffin.

The nett event was a close affair with Indooroopilly’s Roger Gibson’s score of 69 winning on a countback from Adrian’s brother, Ross Bishop, after finishing very strongly.

I spoke to Roger after the game and asked him to what he attributed his fine form. His response:

“I just love playing at Brisbane. I always really enjoy the course.”

Well said, Roger.

After the game, the players and several partners enjoyed an elegant dinner in the Members’ Bar overlooking the 18th green. Sipping beakers of the warm south whilst savouring Gillian Hirst’s delicious offerings is not something to be missed. I encourage everyone to experience it.

Thank you to Gillian, Kassie and the staff for the flawlessly delivered dinner. Thank you also to President Deb, Captain Dean, CEO Geoff and BGC as a whole for embracing hickory golf so enthusiastically  as an important part of the history of our grand Club.

“In hickory golf, you only remember your good shots.”

Greg Mellifont