Washtenaw Golf Membership celebrates its a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary this 12 months. Based in 1899, it’s among the many three or 4 oldest golf equipment in Michigan.
For my cash, it’s among the many finest. If you’re a fan of basic golf programs (as I’m), you must play Washtenaw. Lengthy a personal membership, it has been open to most people for a number of years.
For the one centesimal anniversary, the then-private membership printed a commemorative ebook detailing its historical past.
You’ll be able to learn the earliest historical past of the membership on this publish right here. The second entry on this collection is right here. The third section of the historical past collection is right here. Section 4 of the Washtenaw Golf Membership Historical past is right here.
From the official membership historical past:
The Drive Again To Non-public Standing
The objective fo Greenstreet’s plan was to safe 300 membership sat $75 every plus tax. He decided this income would equal the funds obtained from inexperienced charges obtained from public play. The course might then function as a personal membership for the usage of memebrs and their visitors solely.
The deadlien for signing up 300 members was April 1, 1946. It was determined that if the drive fell brief, all deposits could be refunded and the course would operte once more on a semi-private foundation.
To the nice shock of many doubters, the Greenstreet plan was an amazing success.
Clark Greenstreet might have been mildly shocked himself. Not solely have been 300 paying members signed up however a ready record of 100 was established. And the ready record had extra potential members ready to get on it.
Greenstreet was fast to level out that he had quite a lot of assist. Jim Hart headed a membership committee of fifty individuals. And Helen Silkworth was accountable for signing up 35 members.
Shortly thereafter, the board of administrators adopted a rule requiring every member to personal at the least 100 shares of golf firm inventory. The directive prevailed, though it was not overwhelmingly common. Whereas all members would now personal equal shares, all would have a voice as half homeowners of the membership. There nonetheless remained some shareholders who weren’t membership members.
The Golden Anniversary.
Greenstreet known as the Golden Anniversary celebration in 1949 “essentially the most excellent occasion ever held at our membership.” It featured a week-long collection of points of interest. However Greenstreet pointed to the day an exhibition spherical was performed because the spotlight.
The golfers invited to play Washtenaw’s rolling course included Al Watrous, Sam Byrd, Margaret Russell and Shirley Spork.
Watrous was the well-known veteran skilled from Oakland Hills Nation Membership. He performed on two Ryder Cup groups, gained the Canadian Open, was runner as much as Bobby Jones within the British Open and gained six Michigan Opens and 9 state PGA titles, in addition to the senior PGA title thrice. The colourful Sam Byrd had succeeded Babe Ruth as an outfielder for the New York Yankees. An impressive golfer, he grew to become skilled at Plum Hole.
Margaret Russell was the main golfers of the Girls’s Detroit District and membership champion at Oakland Hills. Shirley Spork was a budding golfer attending Jap Michigan College.
An enormous gallery adopted the foursome as Watrous recorded a 67, Byrd, 73, Russell an 81, and the younger Shirley Spork, a women course file 74. Spork later performed on the professional tour.
[editor’s note: Shirley Spork not only later played on the pro tour, she was in fact one of the legendary thirteen Founders of the LPGA. She was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1968, the Eastern Michgian Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Hall of Fame in 2000, the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2019, and the LPGA TOUR Hall of Fame in 2022. It is a crime that not all of the thirteen founders are in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In a conversation I had with her, she said she regularly played at Washtenaw, as they let her play there for free. She is probably the most famous person to play at Washtenaw]
Normal chairman for the anniversay celebration was Invoice Nelson (Invoice Nelson’s son, Jim Nelson, co-chaired the centennial celebration).
The Flying Fifties and Sixties
By the Nineteen Fifties, Washtenaw had really change into a mecca for golf fans. Whereas the fairways weren’t but fitted with an automated watering system, the greens have been excellend and the course hailed by devoted golfers.
The water supply for the greens got here from an underground river in a most unconventional method. In line with a newspaper clipping, a well-drilling firm was employed to discover a water supply. Utilizing the most recent scientific drilling gear, the corporate drilled all the way down to 225 toes, however to no avail.
Decaring a state of emergency, greens committee chairman Jon Montonye requested his spouse for assist. Mrs. Montonye was a girl of hidden abilities who had discovered “effectively witching” from a buddy and had already confirmed her abilities by discovering her household effectively.
With forked stick in hand, Mrs. Montonye made right here approach among the many golfers on the course. Her divining rod held parallel to the bottom, she waited for the downward pull. In line with the newspaper account, when the pull got here, it virtually pulled the stick out of her palms. The energy of the pull indicated that the water was not too removed from the floor and that there wa quite a lot of it. Drilling was began on the designated spot. At 100 toes, the drillers struck an underground river, which offered a effectively that flowed on the charge fo 50 gallons of water per minute.
Skep tics got here away with a way more open thoughts about Mrs. Montanye and her divining rod. In 1951 Betty Jane Courtright (Wilson) gained the Michigan Womens Amate ur championship , turning into the primary Washtenaw member to carry a state title.
And in recognition of the course’s nice playability, Washtenw was awarded the 1955 Michigan Open event.
Greenstreet performed within the first two rounds of the open and remembered one in every of his enjoying companions was Horton Smith. Famend because the leading putter of his day, Smith gained the primary Masters’ championship held at Augusta . “He was a positive gentleman and he by no means missed a putt below 10 toes throughout our two rounds. From 40 toes he caught them stiff to the cup,” recalled an admiring Greenstreet.
Walter Burkemo gained the 1955 Open title . He additionally captured a nationwide PGA championship. Low newbie for the Open was Chuck Koscis, a longtime {golfing} nice and a school classmate of Greenstreet.
[editor’s note: Horton Smith was just one of three Major Champions at the 1955 Michigan Open at Washtenaw. The others were Chick Harbert (1954 PGA) and Wally Burkemo (1953 PGA)]
Within the early ’50s extra emphasis was positioned on making Washtenaw a “household membership.” A swimming pool was constructed simply west of the current first tee . It grew to become a well-liked heart for younger and previous alike . Aggressive swimming occasions for children drew enthusiastic, cheering dad and mom.
As a result of the Washtenaw Golf Company had no evaluation powers, every member was requested to make a minimum mortgage of $100 for the swimming pool venture. The loans have been to be redeemed on the charge of 10 % per 12 months in credit score over a 10-year interval. Many members selected to not search compensation.
Two fires, solely 4 months aside , prompted roughly $7,000 harm to the clubhouse in late 1951 and early ’52. Each blazes have been blamed on chimney defects
In 1957 a driving vary was constructed which included a follow sand lure and chipping inexperienced.
Century Notes: It was 1968 when a small pond in entrance of the sixteenth gap was expanded. Not way more than a puddle, it was broadened to its current dimension in order that it covers the doorway to the outlet and a 60-yard space in entrance of the fifteenth tee.
Rebirth of Washtenaw Nation Membership
In that very same 12 months, work started to dissolve the Washtenaw Golf Firm and restore Washtenaw Nation Membership. The method was workable due to the motion within the ’40s.
Members have been requested to commerce their 100 shares of inventory within the golf firm for one membership within the new Washtenaw Countr y Membership . Members holding greater than 100 shares have been paid in money for extra shares. Non-members holding shares within the golf firm have been additionally paid in money for his or her shares .
So Washtenaw Nation Membership was reborn as soon as once more as a bona fide personal nation membership. Farewell to “firm administration.” Greenstreet remembers one member of the board served 24 years, one other 21 years. Others , like Greenstreet, went on and off the board as wanted, serving a number of phrases of three years every.
“We want youthful faces , recent blood, daring minds and new concepts,” wrote Greenstreet in his conclusion of the membership’s early historical past.
And , maybe , extra members like Clark M. Greenstreet.
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