The echo of the great success of Hickory Golf, played on Saturday 10th at Golf Cà della Nave, in the splendid setting of Villa Grimani Morosini, has also reached Treviso. An unforgettable day, kissed by the sun, in the name of friendship, passion for the game and a conviviality that is now rare.
Golf Cà della Nave has always been, in my opinion, the most important course in the Triveneto area. Created in the 1980s, it was the first of three Italian courses designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, an American champion and architect of golf courses around the world, whom I had the pleasure of meeting personally.
To create this course, Palmer was inspired by nearby Venice, scattering the 27 holes with scenic and strategic water obstacles. The inauguration took place in 1988 on the occasion of the Women’s Italian Open, won by the extraordinary Englishwoman Laura Jane Davies, who years later would also win the Women’s British Open.
The intent was ambitious: to create a course capable of hosting prestigious competitions such as the Ryder Cup, but also accessible and fun for less experienced golfers. Palmer succeeded perfectly: a challenging course for those who dare, but playable for everyone, thanks to an intelligent and well-calibrated design.
Hickory Golf: a dive into the past with style
For those who still don’t know it, Hickory Golf is a fascinating discipline: it is played with wooden clubs, similar to those used at the origins of this sport, and with period clothing, refined and scenographic. But beyond the aesthetic aspect, what really strikes is the spirit: fairness, serenity, respect for the rules and a great sense of community.
The real prize of a Hickory day is not only the victory, but the sharing of an authentic experience, in harmony with your playing companions.
The day began with a rustic and genuine breakfast: bread and salami, accompanied by a robust red, sweets and sparkling wine. The snack took place next to hole one, where member Giancarlo Moro set up the picturesque and functional Hickory House, a meeting point for all enthusiasts.
On the course: between nostalgia and performance
The first tee-off was scheduled for 11:30, and the weather was perfect: sun, ideal temperature, neither hot nor cold. The course was in splendid condition: fairways, roughs and greens well-kept; the only note to report concerns some bunkers, which would need a little replenishment of sand.
The participants, Italians and foreigners, were well “armed” and smiling. Some ladies – including the brilliant Laura Casali – brought elegance and great technique to the course. I was joined by Laura from Rovigo, Giuseppe from Turin and Kurt from Austria: all very good, and clearly superior to me in the use of hickory irons, notoriously less forgiving than modern ones.
Kurt hit powerful violas; Laura, despite her declared lack of experience with the vintage equipment, played clean and straight shots. I, on the other hand, was too absorbed in looking at the course. I hadn’t played it for years, after the well-known vicissitudes of the club, and I feared finding it neglected. Instead, I found it in great shape, with the same brilliant logic in the design, the well-placed obstacles and an atmosphere that filled me with nostalgia.
The third half: awards and smiles
After the game, everyone went to dinner next to the pools, in a festive atmosphere that then continued in the Hickory House, with the awards.
As per Hickory tradition, no one goes home empty-handed: bottles of the excellent Campion sparkling wine, from the land of Cartizze, and numerous gadgets for everyone.
The most prestigious award went to Agostino Stival, who recorded the best net score and even a spectacular hole-in-one. Laura Casali won the title of first lady, receiving as a gift a rare and perfect vintage putter.
