The Basozabal golf course will host the fourth edition of the Hickory Golf Open San Sebastián on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 August. This is a golf tournament reserved for the sport’s most nostalgic vintage fans. And in this discipline you play and wear special clothes, in addition to respecting the oldest rules of golf. All players had to play with ancient clothing and pre-1935 wooden sticks, which projected an incredibly powerful and visually striking image. The tournament is committed to resilience over time and traditional values, respecting the history and heritage of golf. This is a sporting event that is hard to find anywhere else.

The balls are made of Gutta-Percha -latex- and mimic those used nearly a century ago in the United States and England. Additionally, they will all have Basozabal’s shield CD printed on it, and each participant will be given one of them, regardless of their performance. Gloves are not allowed and players will not be able to place the ball, as before. It is also impossible to use current technology, such as trains, electric cars, lasers, or special watches.

Exponential growth

The tournament grows every year. In its first edition, more than ten players took part, while this time around sixty participants are expected. Registration opens a week before the tournament, open to anyone who wants to have fun playing golf the old fashioned way. Players from all sides are expected in this fourth edition. Madrileños, Andalusia and France will meet local golfers.

In the tournament there are two different competitions. One of them is contested in scramble mode (Mexico), in teams which will be held on the 19th. The other tests will be conducted individually, which will take place on the 20th. In addition, amateurs and professionals are distinguished. In the case of an expert competition, the winner will be awarded an economic prize. In the last two years a player like Txema Olazabal, a two-time winner of the Augusta Masters, has taken part, among many other things. This championship has a charitable purpose, so all money raised will be donated to the NGO of the Gipuzkoan College of Engineers.

Hickory golf disorder

Hickory golf became popular in the United States and England, where golf practice began to flourish. Until 2016 has not yet reached Spanish soil, coinciding with the centenary of the Real Club de Golf de Zarautz. The starting point of this discipline was born from the debate whether today’s players are better than the past. That is why since 2019, every summer award has been given to the purest golf in Basozabal.