Ruth Park #9
The Metropolitan
MAGA Events
Jayne Watson honored by USGA as Joe Dey Recepient
Normandie Amateur
Page 4
Golf Club of Florissant Page 6
Boone Valley to host
USGA Girls’ Junior July 24-29, 2017 Page 8
Metropolitan Open moves to June dates Page 9
Vol. 4 No. 1
Fire Destroys Clubhouse at Bogey Hills Page 8
Fire Department able to save dozens of Member clubs located on lower level. Golf Shop located on opposite side of clubhouse from fire.
Walters Family vows to rebuild an even bigger and better facility
May 20-21
Amateur Series #1 May 15
WingHaven
USGA Events US Open Local Qualifying May 9
The Legends Entry Deadline April 26
Clubhouse
Catastrophies through
US Senior Open Qualifying
the years
May 23
Page 14
Boatwright Interns Advancing their Careers Page 16
Glen Echo CC Entry Deadline May 10
2017 Schedule Page 11
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131 314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
The Metropolitan
January - February 2017
STAFF
Executive Director Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org Director, Operations Maggie Smith - maggie@metga.org P.J. Boatwright Interns - 2017 boatwrightintern@metga.org METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Match Play Championship Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches Four-Ball Championship Mid-America Junior Cup USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS US Open Qualifying (Local and Sectional) US Senior Open Qualifying US Amateur Qualifying US Mid-Amateur Qualifying US Women’s Mid-Amateur US Junior Amateur Qualifying US Senior Amateur Qualifying US Women’s Open Qualifying US Amateur Four-Ball US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball EXECUTIVE BOARD Stanford S. Grossman – President Emeritus Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. – Vice-President Thomas O. Sobbe Jr. – Vice-President M. Ray McCraine – Secretary G. Scott Engelbrecht – Treasurer G.F. (Rick) Meyer Jr. – At-Large Member H. Mick Wellington – At-Large Member ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Jim Dunn David Rhoads Curt Rohe METROPOLITAN EDITOR Jim Healey
Curt’s Comments Greetings to all of our members. Hopefully everyone has had the chance to get out on an area golf course during these past few days of “early” spring; I certainly did. I played 18 holes last Sunday at Old Hickory GC and it was fantastic. See, in 2016 I only played 9 holes the entire year...and that came on New Year’s Eve down in Florida! So that rumor that all of us in the golf business do nothing but play golf... yeah, not so much! Curt Rohe Executive Director Anyway, spring is right around the corner and we have been extremely busy getting ready for another full season. Maggie Smith, our new staff person, has jumped right in and is getting acclimated to the office and everything MAGA is doing for our members and clubs. Registration for all MAGA Championships and Amateur Series events opens on March 1, which coincides with the first day of score posting for our region as well. The full schedule is online and also available in this edition of The Metropolitan. We did begin taking registration for the Metropolitan Cup Championship about a week ago, this is our annual inter-club matches that runs the entire season. One big change I want to highlight for this year is we have set a date in September to conduct the Semifinal and Final matches at Fox Run GC. It will be a great full day of matches to wrap up the season long event. Hard to believe we are beginning our third season of The Metropolitan, this has been a really solid addition to our member benefits and I cannot thank Jim Healey enough for the work he has done on this endeavor. We have some plans for even more exciting things to come for this coming season of the newsletter. Lastly, I would like to welcome our new friends from the Southern Illinois Golf Association who will be reading The Metropolitan. The SIGA members and clubs will be getting the full suite of USGA GHIN services from MAGA in 2017, they will be eligible to participate in MAGA championships (and vice versa), with MAGA members competing in their championships. I have had the pleasure of making a couple trips to SIGA land the last couple months and the clubs have been gracious in coming aboard with MAGA this year. So, remember, score posting begins March 1, if mother nature is allowing, and registration for MAGA events opens the same day. As always, thank you for taking a few minutes to read The Metropolitan and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at curt@ metga.org. All the best... Curt
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Third, distinctive venues: Unlike sports such as tennis and football, the modest code of 34 Rules, definitions and appendices helps assure that the game may be played relatively fairly, despite the significant differences between venues such as Augusta, St. Andrews and Chambers Bay.
Rules of Golf Corner THE PASSION OF RULES OFFICIALS and SOME RULES HISTORY:
Fourth, changing attitudes: While golf is a game of risks and hazards, based on the two fundamental principles of playing the ball as it lies, and playing the course as it is presented to you, there is also Rule 1-4: “If any point in dispute is not covered by the Rules, the decision should be made in accordance with equity.” As a result, the Decisions book index contains a list nearly three pages long of Decisions regarding unusual situations and how “in equity” the golfer should proceed. For example: 18-1/5, Ball Stolen by Outside Agency from Unknown Spot.
Mark Twain once wrote, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” When it comes to Rules Officials, having schooling (Rules knowledge), AND education (meaning experience with on-course, real-life situations) are equally important. Studying the Rules is like practicing golf; the more you study, the more proficient you become. However, no matter how booksmart an official becomes, the better ones know that applying the Rules in real-life situations is more than just knowing the Rules. This brings me to the history of the Rules that we so arduously study. The Rules have evolved significantly.
Finally, growth and change: The process of Rules changes was explained by the USGA & R&A as follows: “Modifications come about as a result of actual on course situations which expose weaknesses or omissions in the Rules.” The most recent example of growth and change was the announcement of a new Local Rule that eliminates the penalty when a ball is accidentally moved on the putting green. This “responds to the concerns we [the USGA and R&A] have heard from both golfers and committees about the difficulties in applying the current Rules when a player accidentally causes a ball to move on the putting green.” There was an unintended consequence of the deletion of Rule 18-2b in January 2016 which automatically penalized a player 1-stroke for movement of the ball after address on the putting green. The deliberative process in making any changes to the Rules or Decisions is designed to enhance the game, but the system is not perfect. Another example is the “continuous putting” Rule of the 1960s, an effort to improve pace of play that was rescinded after a few years.
One of the interesting aspects of the Rules of Golf, to me, is that they are not stagnant. Rules have been part of the game since 1744 when the first set of formal Rules were created for the first known golf tournament at Leith Links, the historical home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. This first event was played over a 5-hole course, each being over 400 yards. The first of the original 13 “Articles & Laws in Playing at Golf” was: “1. You must Tee your Ball, within a Club’s length of the Hole.” The rationale for this is that courses in 1744 did not have manicured, closely mown, greens, and the “tees” were little mounds of dirt or sand. The second Article was: “2. Your Tee must be upon the Ground.”, meaning that the teeing mound could not be elevated above the ground, such as on a platform. In 1907, H.S.C. Everard wrote, “Nobody is ever satisfied with the rules of golf as they may happen to stand.” Personalities of golfers aside, there are several reasons why the Rules change. First, equipment changes: As stated so eloquently in Rule 14-3, “Golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on the judgement, skills and abilities of the player.” For this reason, the Rules include specifications for balls and clubs and there are “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” that deal with artificial devices, unusual equipment and abnormal use of equipment. The Rules now address electronic devices.
In stating the reason why the new Local Rule mentioned above was introduced, the USGA website stated, “The movement of a ball on a putting green has been one of the many topics discussed as part of The R&A’s and USGA’s ongoing Rules Modernization initiative to consider comprehensive changes to the Rules of Golf.” You can count on it: The Rules will continue to evolve. This is why we Rules officials are continuously studying and gaining more on-course experience with rulings in an effort to get it right and make the game as equitable as possible. For us, it is both a passion and a labor of love for the game. Best wishes for a successful 2017 season.
Second, attitudes change: While previously “played by the Common Man as a sport and a relaxation from the worries of life,” we now have grandstands filled with cheering and shouting spectators, corporate tents, and course designs influenced by what has become a spectator sport.
Alvan Sage MAGA Rules Committee and Course Rating Committee
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Honoring Jayne Watson, Joe Dey Award Recepient
Curt, Jayne and Mike Marquart, a member of the MAGA Rules Committee, at the USGA Annual Meeting
Curt Rohe and Jayne Watson at USGA Annual Meeting with the 2017 Joe Dey Award for Volunteer Service to the game (L-R) Kim Abbott, Lew Erickson, Jayne and Ellen Port at the USGA Annual Meeting
Click on the Image below to watch the USGA video on Jayne Watson and the Joe Dey Award.
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Reception for Jayne at Old Warson on January 25, 2017
Jayne surrounded by her family
(L-R) Jim Holtgrieve, Jayne Watson, Ellen Port, Stan Grossman, Tom O’Toole
(L-R) John Kueper, Stan Grossman, Ellen Port, David Rhoads
Mike Marquart, John Kueper, Skip Berkmeyer, Alvan Sage, Ron Rhoades
Dr. Jack Eisenbeis, Jim Holtgrieve, Jayne Watson, Curt Rohe
Steve Sebastian, David and Lynette Chrenka
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Florissant Golf Club A new Vitality at an old North County Favorite as it begins its 53rd Season.
Whether you have called it Paddock or Old Fleurissant, today, the City of Florissantowned course is not just flourishing, but its approach to making the golfing experience at the course one of the best has players returning again and again! How many courses have birthday parties for its regulars? How many public facilities call their regulars to ensure they get the tee times they want? Better still, how many public courses know a player by sight...along with their family? Not many, to be sure. But at the Florissant Golf Club, that’s just the way they interact with their players every day. Club manager Don Ryan, now in his second season at the course, is nothing but passionate about his course and those who come to play. “I try to get to know the players, about their families. I want them to know that we appreciate them coming here to play and we want to make their golfing experience as good as it can be.” Founded as Paddock Country Club in 1963, just as the Paddock housing developments were being constructed nearby, Homer Herpel, a legendary golf professional, teacher and course designer in the area, was hired to layout an 18 hole course over the rolling hills of north county. Originally semi-private, it soon went fully public and laid claim to some of the finest players in the area.
Golf Operations Manager Don Ryan with the new logo, celebrating 20-years as part of the City of Florissant
John Kueper, who today heads up the St. Louis Publinks tournament, lived in nearby Spanish Lake during that time and was a frequent player. “The players who showed up at that time were some of the best in the city. Terry White was the pro at the time. He had guys like Spencer Sappington, Pete Beardsley, Gary Strickfaden, Charlie Dale, Bret Burroughs, Bill Moser, Jim Kurtzeborn and Paul Trittler showing up for a game. The men’s championship was a title that was a real battle. If you won that, you were easily one of the area’s best.” By the mid-1990s, the golf boom was continuing and in 1997, the City of Florissant, spearheaded by then-councilman Tom Schneider, arranged for the City to purchase the course. Looking to take advantage of Florissant’s historic past, Paddock was renamed Old Fleurissant. However, by 2005, it was determined that identifying the course more with the city’s ownership was important and it was re-branded as the Florissant Golf Club.
However, it was the promotion of Ryan in 2015 that really put a spark into the club. With longtime superintendent Andy Sprunt, who had spent time at both Bellerive and Westborough after arriving in the U.S. from England, they set out to not just make the course better, but to also make the golf experience better. David Estes (left) with Superintendent Andy Sprunt
“We do just about everything we can for the golfer,” said Ryan recently, “we want them to feel like we’re their club. We have so many regulars that come on a daily basis. It’s terrific.” Another area where Ryan has shined is getting outside events to the course. “We’ve had nearly 50 outside events annually, with many of them on weekends. A number have been coming here for years. However, we are also very aware of the need to balance normal play with these events. My staff and I get on the phone and call our regular players to make certain we arrange a time for them to play around the event. I know they really appreciate that.” The Metropolitan
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Another familiar face seen around the golf shop is longtime player and area champion David Estes. Along with his wife Sandy, the recently retired Boeing player now assists the course with ways to make things even better. “I’m here to help; to act as a sounding board that they can bounce ideas off of to improve things. It’s really Don, Andy and the rest of the staff that do the heavy lifting. They make things work here.” Some of the recent changes include new signage around the clubhouse, new carpeting and shortly, new counters and displays in the golf shop. By the way, most, if not all of the work, is being done in-house by the staff! Mayor Tom Schneider, the guiding force behind the course is just as passionate. “Like all of our recreational facilities within Florissant, the golf course is one which we hope all of our residents enjoy. However, it’s also about making Florissant a more enjoyable place to live. As the only city in St. Louis County with an 18 hole golf course, we take great pride in how it’s maintained, how players are treated and how much they enjoy the course. If we succeed in each of these areas, players will come back again and again.” For his part, Mayor Schneider knows a lot about the game. He grew up caddying at Meadowbrook CC and also at Bellerive. He was fortunate to be selected to caddie during the 1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive, where he toted a bag for Dudley Wysong. He is also a very good player, though his duties these days limits the time he has to enjoy the game. One of his goals is to make Florissant Golf Club the “place to play” when golfers look to play a well maintained and well conditioned course. “Our greens have always been rated among the best in the area and outside of a few courses, I’d like to believe that our zoysia fairways are just about as good as it gets!” Next time you think of making a drive to a distant course, why not head up Old Halls Ferry Road a few minutes north of I-270 for what could be a great day of golf! You might just be pleasantly surprised.
Click the image above to hear Florissant Mayor Tom Schneider discuss Florissant Golf Club The Metropolitan
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Boone Valley to host 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior St. Louis golfers have a unique opportunity to see some of the best girl junior golfers in the world as they descend on Boone Valley this coming July. The site of the 2007 U.S. Junior and the Senior PGA Tour events in the late 1990s and early 2000s, will challenge players from across the globe as they prepare to earn a USGA title. Two-time champion Eun Jeong Song became the first girl in 45 years to defend her title when she won the 2016 championship. She is eligible to defend her title as she will be 17 in 2017. Among recent winners who have gone on to success on the LPGA Tour are: Minjee Lee (2012), Ariya Jutanugarn (2011), Boone Valley’s par 4 13th Alexis Thompson (2008), Inbee Park (2002) along with Alison Lee, runner up in 2012 and member of the 2014 Curtis Cup team, which won at St. Louis CC. Among the winners of the U.S. Girls’ Junior, five have gone on to win the U.S. Women’s Open, six have won the U.S. Women’s Amateur and 27 have earned 300 LPGA titles, including Mickey Wright with 82 victories. Wright also competed at Glen Echo in the mid-1960s, winning a title in the St. Louis Open. There is no admission fee for the event.
Bogey Hills Country Club Fire Destroys Clubhouse Late on Thursday, February 16, a fire ravaged the clubhouse at Bogey Hills Country Club, leaving very little of it standing. Firefighters were able to save some member clubs located at the west edge on the lower level before it became impossible to do more. Founded in 1962 by Doc Walters, the club is in its third generation with Angel Walters Liken serving as General Manager. Built around the shell of the original farmhouse that stood on the property, Bogey Hills has a strong, loyal membership, which will most likely stand with the Walters family as they look to rebuild.
Post-Dispatch Photo
Clubhouse overlooking the 18th green
Original Clubhouse c. 1963
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Metropolitan Open Moves to June 14-16 for 2017 The 2016 Metropolitan Open was arguably the most successful Metropolitan Open to date. It has the largest field ever with the largest number of professionals competing - 105 - in its 11-year history. With the dates falling a week ahead of the Web.com event in Springfield, IL, the timing was right and a strong field showed up to compete for the $25,000 first prize. Mini-tour journeyman Dan Woltman captured the 2016 title on the Lewis & Clark Course. Woltman started the final round at 10-under and a 4-shot advantage on 2015 champion Chris Brant and looked to have safe cushion toward the title. Even with a double bogey at the last hole Sunday, Woltman hung on for a 1 shot victory. Woltman would use his victory and the $25,000 first prize to springboard the rest of his summer and is exempt on the Web.com Tour for 2017. MAGA Executive Director Curt Rohe commented on the date change for the 2017 Metropolitan Open: “We are excited to bring a 12th Open Championship to St. Albans this June. With Plaza Motors as the presenting sponsor once again and the Open Committee working to provide a first-class experience for the players, we are ensured another very successful Open. The golf course should be absolutely perfect with the new June date.” The Country Club of St. Albans will be hosting the PGA Junior Championships for both boys and girls, in July, which also played a role in moving the date for 2017. However, with the Springfield Web.com event also moving back to June it was a great fit to move the Open ahead of that event once again. St. Albans is also fully committed to continuing to make the Metropolitan Open the premier Open event in the Midwest. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, Members, and staff of The Country Club of St. Albans, we are looking forward to hosting the 12th Metropolitan Open Championship in 2017. Last year’s field was the strongest yet and we are excited to host another fantastic field of Professionals and Top Amateurs. Many thanks to Tom O’Toole, Curt Rohe, and the Metropolitan Open Committee for their leadership in making this event such a success. As a life-long golfer, St. Louis Native, and PGA Professional, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to support the great game of golf and doing my part to make this event a great success!” stated Morgan Gonzales, PGA General Manager at The Country Club of St. Albans A full field will consist of 156 players. Amateurs who are members of the MAGA with a USGA handicap index of 1.4 or below are eligible joining professionals from around the country. The Open will kick-off on Tuesday afternoon with our fifth Pro-Am event. This Pro-Am and has become an excellent way to showcase some of the young professionals in the field and meet some of our great supporters of the Open. The Pros will play for a skins pool where $1,000 will be up for grabs. Skip Berkmeyer (The Legends CC) and Sam Migdal (Norwood Hills CC) tied for Low Amateur honors in 2016, with Alex Cusumano (Norwood Hills CC) the only other amateur to survive the cut. Migdal would go on to be named the 2016 Metropolitan Player of the Year. Championship play will commence Wednesday with competitors playing 18-holes on Wednesday and Thursday before a cut to the low 40 and ties made for the Final Round on Friday. The Championship is FREE for spectators to come out and watch one of the strongest fields to tee it up in St. Louis! If you should have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact Curt Rohe, Executive Director, via email at curt@metga.org or phone at (314) 567-MAGA.
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St. Louis Golf History Jim Barnes
Perhaps the best player among those least known among Major Championship winners is “Long Jim” Barnes. Born in Cornwall, England, he emigrated to the US like many young players, seeking his fortune in America. He arrived in San Francisco in 1906 at age 20, having served as an assistant pro in England at age 15. Though he remained in America, he deferred becoming a citizen, maintaining his patriotic English roots for life. A contemporary of Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, he was at Whitemarsh Valley in Pennsylvania when the PGA of America announced it was holding a championship at Siwanoy CC in New York in 1916. Barnes had won a number of state championships and had competed in the US Open since 1913, so he was very familiar with his competition. Contested at match play, he defeated Willie MacFarlane in the semifinals and then downed Jock Hutchison 1up for the title, earning $500 and a diamond medal. In 1917, he was lured to St. Louis by the opening of the new Sunset Hill CC (Sunset today), where he served as instructor. He remained at Sunset for the next three years. In 1919, following the end of World War I, the PGA resumed its championship at the Engineers CC on Long Island. Barnes was again successful, defeating Fred McLeod 6 and 5 in the final.
At 6’4”, he was the tallest Major champion for nearly half a century.
When Barnes won the 1921 US Open, he was given the trophy by President Warren Harding, making him the only player in history to receive the U.S. Open trophy from the President of the United States.
He remained at Sunset Hill until early in 1921, when he moved on to Pelham CC in New York. Later that year, he won the 1921 US Open held at Columbia CC, outside Washington, D.C, by a record nine shots, a record not broken until 2000 by Tiger Woods! Four years later, in 1925, he claimed the British Open title at Prestwick.
“Bobby, you can’t always be playing well when it counts. You’ll never win golf tournaments until you learn how to score well when you’re playing badly.”
Along the way, he won three Western Open titles, considered a Major tournament in that era. He is one of only ten players - and only three Europeans - to have won three different majors in their career, not counting those with the career grand slam! He is credited with 21 wins and 14 seconds.
This was Barnes’ advice to a young Bobby Jones, who would later write, “This is perhaps what I learned to do best of all.”
He died in 1966 in New Jersey.
(See page 15 for the other Major winners!) The Metropolitan
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Competition Schedule 2017 MAGA Competitions
Entry Championship Date(s) Deadline Venue The Old Warson Cup Normandie Amateur East Side Amateur Women’s Amateur Championship Open Championship Junior Amateur Championship Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Four-Ball Championship
May 6-7 May 20-21 June 10-11 June 19-20 June 14-16 July 24-25 August 3-5 August 14-15 October 13
Invitational May 12 June 2 June 7 May 31 July 12 July 19 July 26 Sept. 27
Old Warson Country Club Normandie Golf Club Spencer T. Olin Golf Course Sunset Hills Country Club CC of St. Albans TBD Norwood Hills Country Club Westborough Country Club Algonquin Golf Club
2017 USGA Qualifying Rounds
Entry Championship Date(s) Deadline Venue US Open Local Qualifying US Senior Open Qualifying US Women’s Open Qualifying (36-holes) US Junior Amateur Qualifying US Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifying US Amateur Qualifying US Senior Amateur Qualifying US Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying US Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifying US Mid-Amateur Qualifying
May 9 May 23 June 6 June 27 June 29 July 17-18 August 7 August 7 August 22 August 22
April 26 May 10 May 17 June 7 June 14 June 21 Juy 12 July 19 August 2 August 9
The Legends Glen Echo Country Club Bogey Hills Country Club Links at Kokopelli Lake Forest Country Club Spencer T. Olin Golf Course Greenbriar Hills Country Club Greenbriar Hills Country Club Meadowbrook Country Club Meadowbrook Country Club
2017 MAGA Amateur Series Schedule Entry Event Date(s) Deadline Venue #1 May 15 May 8 #2 June 12 June 5 #3 June 30 June 23 #4 July 10 July 3 #5 August 11 August 4 #6 August 28 August 21 Two-Man Event September 25 September 18 Two-Day Championship October 7-8
WingHaven Country Club Tamarack Golf Club Bear Creek Golf Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Annbriar Golf Club The Quarry at Crystal Springs Far Oaks Golf Course Aberdeen Golf Club (Invitational)
Online applications for ALL MAGA events are available on the MAGA website. Events in grey have been completed.
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The Metropolitan
January - February 2017
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The Metropolitan
January - February 2017
Catastrophies within area Clubs Bogey Hills is the most recent Club devastated by Fire, But There Have Been Others! Early on, when clubs depended on kerosene lamps and candles, fires were often just a normal aspect of club life. It was not until electric lights became commonplace that the rash of fires at clubs, businesses, churches and other establishments were significantly reduced.
St. Louis CC - 1895:
Just a year after the Club’s new clubhouse opened in Clayton, a devastating fire burned it to the ground, with only a lone chimney left standing in the morning. The Club quickly began to rebuild, hiring the same architect and had him duplicate the original design.
Westwood - 1944: (right) The fire could be seen for miles as thick, black smoke consumed the locker room and most of the second floor of the club. The War made getting materials to rebuild very difficult, as the building was not put whole until 1952!
Meadowbrook - 1957: (Left) The fire started in the west wing of the
clubhouse in Overland, which housed the locker rooms, and quickly spread across the clubhouse. With temperatures around 11 degrees, hydrants froze, leaving firefighters without water, resulting in the building becoming a total loss. While the club was housed in a hotel for the next year and a half, it planned its move to Clayton and Kehrs Mill and a Robert Bruce Harris course.
Norwood Hills - 1985: (Left) As fire departments from miles around descended on Norwood, the entire East end of the building was lost, including the locker rooms and some dining.
Forest Park - 1949: (Right) Forest Park’s pro, Ed Duwe’s golf shop
was a complete loss in an explosion that destroyed a significant part of the Lindell Pavilion, killing one golfer and injuring four others. A seond fire in Forest Park occurred in 2002 at the new clubhouse being built by American Golf as part of the renovation of the Park.
Contrary to legend, neither Glen Echo or Sunset’s original clubhouses were replaced due to a fire.
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Winners of Three Different Majors Did you guess who they are? Here are the non-Europeans... These two never won the Masters; though Hagen was long past his prime when it began: • Lee Trevino (1974, ‘84 PGA; 1971, ‘72 British Open; 1968, ‘71 US Open) • Walter Hagen (1914, ‘19 US Open; 1921, ‘24, ‘25, ‘26, ‘27 PGA; 1922, ‘24, ‘28, ‘29 British Open) This pair never won the PGA • Arnold Palmer (1961, ‘62 British Open; 1958, ‘60, ‘62, ‘64 Masters; 1960 US Open) • Tom Watson (1982 US Open; 1975, ‘77, ‘80, ‘82, ‘83 British Open; 1977, ‘81 Masters) These players never won the U.S. Open • Sam Snead (1942, ‘49, ‘51 PGA; 1946 British Open; 1949, ‘52, ‘54 Masters) • Phil Mickelson (2004, ‘06, ‘10 Masters; 2005 PGA; 2013 British Open) He never won the British Open • Byron Nelson (1940, ‘45 PGA; 1939 US Open; 1937, ‘42 Masters)
European Winners of Three Different Majors •
Jim Barnes (1916, 1919 PGA, 1921 US Open, 1925 British Open)
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Tommy Armour (1927 US Open, 1930 PGA, 1931 British Open)
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Rory McIlroy (2012, 2014 PGA, 2011 US Open, 2014 British Open)
Winners of The Professional Career Grand Slam •
Gene Sarazen (7) • (1922, 1923, 1933 PGA; 1922, 1932 US Open; 1932 British Open; 1935 Masters)
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Ben Hogan (9) • (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953 US Open; 1946, 1948 PGA; 1953 British Open; 1951, ‘53 Masters)
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Gary Player (9) • (1962, 1972 PGA; 1965 US Open; 1959, ‘68, ‘74 British Open; 1961, ‘74, ‘78 Masters)
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Jack Nicklaus (18) • (1963, ‘71, ‘73, ‘75, ‘80 PGA; 1962, ‘67, ‘72, ‘80 US Open;
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1963, ‘65, ‘66, ‘72, ‘75, ‘86 Masters; 1966, ‘70, ‘78 British Open)
Tiger Woods (14) • (2000, ‘02, ‘08 US Open; 1999, ‘00, ‘06, ‘07 PGA;
2000, ‘05, ‘06 British Open; 1997, ‘01, ‘02, ‘05 Masters)
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Where Are They Now? The Comings and Goings of some of our Boatwright Interns... Mike Wice: After my Boatwright Internship ended, I was determined to
continue to pursue work within the golf industry and develop contacts, which I hoped would benefit me in the years ahead. I accepted a position within the Grounds Department at Old Warson, gaining valuable experience on that side of the business. Working at a club such as Old Warson, I quickly saw the level of professionalism that was present and how hard they worked to maintain the course in championship form. I took a year off away from the game and worked within the Clayton School District as a substitute teacher.
Mike Wice
Following that, I went to work for 3balls.com, an online golf equipment business, for six and a half years. It was challenging as we all know how competitive the golf business is today, but I worked with some outstanding individuals during that time.
I returned to the golf administration side of the business in July 2015 when I accepted a position as Manager of GHIN and Information Technology at the Massachusetts Golf Association (MGA) in Norton, Massachusetts, the seventh largest golf association in the country.
Ian Davis: I served as a Tournament Coordinator in our Houston office
for two years. My role was to assist in the management of TGA competitions that include statewide championships, South Regional events, Legends Junior Tour events, outside tournaments as well as TGA and USGA qualifying. I just recently accepted a Tournament Manager position and recently moved to Austin. I will continue to manage TGA events but the move allows me to serve as a resource for our Member Clubs and our Volunteer Program in the Hill Country (Austin & San Antonio areas).
Ian Davis Tournament Manager Texas Golf Association
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January - February 2017
Mike Kendrick:
After my 2013 Boatwright internship ended, there was not much opportunity in golf administration around St. Louis with state or regional associations. I decided to build upon my Bachelor degree in History and pursuing a teaching certification at UMSL. However, I also kept an eye out for golf opportunites around the country. In late 2014, a job posting for the Metropolitan Golf Association in New York came about. It was for a two-year, 10 months per year “fellowship,” which bridged the Boatwright internship and a full-time position. I accepted the Fellowship in February 2015, for the 2015 -2016 seasons. There could not have been a better place to continue learning the business than here in the NY Met Area. I quickly learned about the staggering amount of historic, world-class golf courses the area has to offer (our 2015 schedule included Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Friars Head, and Westchester Country Club to name a few). I also appreciated the way the MGA conducted championships. Having worked with Curt and Tom, I had developed a very high standard for running events, so when I got to New York, I was happy to find that everyone up here has a similar expectation of excellence. I picked right up where I left off at MAGA and felt right back at home in the golf world, even though I was very far from St. Louis. Mike Kendrick Manager, Championship Operations Metropolitan Golf Association
In the middle of my second year, 2016, a position became available and I was offered the full-time role of Manager of Championship Operations at the MGA. I will be going into my third season this year. I love the job and the clubs and people I get to work with. I live in New York City and my brother and sister-in-law actually live only a few blocks away – which makes it feel even more like home, but also scares my mom, for she fears we’ll never come back to St. Louis.
Golf Digest Ranking of Best Missouri Golf Courses (2015-16) (1) Boone Valley G.C., Augusta (2) Bellerive C.C., St. Louis Δ (3) St. Louis C.C., St. Louis (4) Dalhousie G.C., Cape Girardeau (5) Old Warson C.C., St. Louis (6) The Club at Porto Cima, Sunrise Beach (7) The C.C. of St. Albans (Lewis and Clark), St. Albans (8) Buffalo Ridge G.C., Hollister (Pub) (9) The C.C. of St. Albans (Tavern Creek), St. Albans (10) Fox Run G.C., Eureka
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The Metropolitan
January - February 2017
MAGA Members are being offered a 10% discount on all tickets. For additional information contact the Solheim Staff at solheimcupusa.com.
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New for 2017! Golfing Before The Arch: 1896-2016 The latest edition of Golfing Before The Arch updates area golf events since the last version was published in 2014. Included in this edition is: • Results from the 2016 USGA Senior Amateur at Old Warson • Complete Curtis Cup results and player photos • Updated results of District, Missouri Golf Women’s golf and area titles through 2016 • Updated course information with the latest club closings • Updated player details on championships and qualifying for USGA or other national events • Listings of Gateway PGA Section Champion from 2016 back to 1938 • It’s 572 pages of information and details on area golf If you love area golf history, or just would like to see your name in print, this is the one book for you! The book is available for $39.95 at www.LULU.com, a self-publishing site. Upon placing your order, the book will be printed and shipped to you. You may search for the book by its name or by the name of the author, Jim Healey. Also on the site are additional book by the author that may be of interest to you. They include a book on area basketball history, published in 2013. To purchase the St. Louis Men’s District Centennial Book, please email the author at jimhealey24@aol.com or visit www.stlgolfhistory.com for details.
Front & Back Cover
The Metropolitan
January - February 2017
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Ruth Park #9
The Metropolitan
Vol. 4 No. 1
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131 314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
Important Information USGA website: www.usga.org MAGA website: www.metga.org GHIN website: www.ghin.org
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