When we first conceived the Hickory Masters in late 2024, the idea was both simple and demanding: to create a hickory golf event where authenticity wasn't a theme, but a rule. Where no replica equipment would be tolerated, and every club on the course would be an original piece of history.
What followed was eighteen months of planning, coordination and, ultimately, a tournament that exceeded our expectations in every way.
If you haven't read the full story of the competition itself, the dramatic final round, Markus Brier's closing birdies and the first name engraved on the Silver Rake Niblick, you'll find it here.
This is the story behind the story.
Designing Hickory Masters 2026
From the outset, the concept was clear: the Hickory Masters had to stand apart from the excellent hickory competitions already established around the world. That meant making authenticity non-negotiable: no replicas, strict equipment regulations and a course setup that would reflect the era the clubs were made for.
We set the course at 5,100 metres — a length in keeping with early twentieth-century golf — and took full advantage of Villa d'Este's natural hilly landscape.
The small, well-protected greens were chosen deliberately: in hickory golf, there is no room for brute force.
Timing was also important. Just two weeks before the Hickory Masters, the Federazione Italiana Golf had hosted the International Amateur Championship at Villa d'Este.
The Club and its Greenkeeping Team made an extraordinary effort to present the course in outstanding condition, challenging and fair in equal measure.
Hickory Masters 2026, Golf Club Villa d'Este | @m@monepic
A field that validated the concept
We were quietly confident in the idea. The response confirmed it.
The inaugural Hickory Masters attracted 37 players from 16 countries, including 15 professionals and 22 amateur competitors with an average handicap of approximately 6.
Players travelled from Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Finland, France, England, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, the United States, Sweden and Switzerland.
That international reach, for a first edition, told us something important: the demand for an exclusively original-equipment Major already existed. It simply needed a home.
Weather as a true test
The practice day brought a strong northerly wind reaching 10 m/s.
The opening round was played in sunshine with only a light breeze. The final round was interrupted twice by storms and lightning before both players and organisers saw it through to the end.
That resilience, from the field and from our team, felt appropriate. Hickory golf has always demanded patience and adaptability. The weather simply extended that requirement from the golf clubs to the people holding them.
A competition within the competition
While the Open category drama has been well documented, the amateur categories produced their own compelling stories, and their own deserving champions.
The gala dinner
The prize-giving ceremony, conducted by Kit Alexander, was followed first by the speeches from the Club President and the event organisers and then by the gala dinner in the magnificent clubhouse of Circolo Golf Villa d'Este.
From L to R: Andrea Contigiani (Director), Antonio Munafò (President), Kit Alexander
Participants and guests enjoyed an evening of friendship, conversation, and shared stories.
The professionals were seated among the guests, creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere: the kind of evening that only a sport rooted in tradition and genuine fellowship knows how to produce
Looking ahead
The first Hickory Masters is behind us. The memories it created, for the players, the guests and for our team, will not fade quickly.
The first chapter has been written.
We'll see you in 2028.
Paolo Quirici
Co-Founder
Hickory Golf Masters SA
Via Peri 11
6900 Lugano
www.hgm.golf