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| Architecture drawing of the original Rockdale Country Club. The club opened Dec. 1929 |
by Letty Stapp Watt
*For the sake of the “Timeline of Miami Country Club” I have
chosen to use the exact words from the newspaper writers because they
date the times and the language of golf, and the cultural standards from the
war and depression years.
1930 January 1 MNR The first New Year's party of the Rockdale Country Club with bridge and dancing as its principal features, passed into most pleasant memories at midnight last night with the passing of the old year. The entrance of 1930 was announced by Pres. N.F. Wright, whose voice could scarcely be heard above the din noise makers provided for the gay crowd a few minutes before midnight.
Twelve tables had been set for bridge and more than 50 couples took part in the dancing. Dinner was served at 7:30 o'clock. It was delayed by the arrival of more guests and members than the number of reservations. A few members who did not wait for the dinner, but returned later to take part in the games and dancing.
Strict adherence to the reservation rules must be enforced, President Wright announced, until the club has a regular caterer. Mr. and Mrs. Russel James of Hotel Miami catered the meal.
1930-1931 Johnny Gatherum Golf Professional (Feb. 1930-Feb. 1931) Rockdale Country Club.
1930 March 10 MNR The 1st tournament of the season was held yesterday at the Rockdale Country Club, in spite of the a stiff wind and soft ground some good scores were made.
Fred Newton led the field with a total of 78 for 18 holes and was awarded the 1st prize of 5 golf balls. The prizes were furnished by the contestants and under the rules agreed upon, the winners were 1st place Fred Newton, 2nd Glen Scott, and 3rd Fred Reid who tied with a considerable number of players.
Considerable work is under way on the golf course. The bunkers on No.8 and No. 9 are being flattened out and the new tee is being built for No.1 Later in the season a grass green will be constructed near the clubhouse for No. 9.This will give the Rockdale golfers an opportunity to practice approaches and putts on greens similar to those adopted by many other golf clubs in the district.
1930 June 20 MNR Note: Bobby Jones won the British Open golf championship for the third time with a score of 291.
1930. July 2 MNR
The 1930 tournament for the Oklahoma Professional Golf Association will be held at Rockdale Country Club of Miami on August 15,16,and 17. The event will be played on sand greens. The first day will be given over to a 36-hole pro-amateur event. Play in the 72-hole state professional tournament will occupy the two following days, the winner will go to the national professional tournament next winter.
Approximately, $500 in prizes will be offered during the tournament by various golf supplies stated A.O. Sancomb, President of Rockdale CC.
1930 August 14 MNR Miami will be the golf mecca this week for golf experts of Oklahoma and parts of nearby states. Already a number of golf professionals have been playing the nine-hole course, where the state tournament opens Friday.
1930 August 15 MNR
According to the caddy house gossip, leading contenders for the state championship and for the right to play at the PGA this fall at Fresh Meadows CC, New York are C.E. Clark and Jack Guild, of Tulsa. The caddies predicted that it will take the equal of four 67’s to win the championship. The links of RCC are very hard and the roughs are light, making low scores not difficult. Cloudy weather which prevailed this afternoon proved ideal mid-summer golf weather.
The pairings for the pro-amateur contest this
afternoon were as follows: Jack Ott and Jimmie Gullane of Bartlesville and Russ
Hawk and M. F. Askew of Tulsa. Luther Sheldon and John Gatherum of Rockdale and
R. W. Skinner
and Harold Nunnunger of Tulsa. Paul Wilson and George
Whitehead of Tulsa and Al Sancomb and C. K. Clark of Tulsa. Charles Douthat and
Jack Guild of Tulsa and M. K. Hutts and Tom Cohill of El Reno. R. P. Spencer
and Joe Dahlman of Tulsa and Glen Scott and Bol Higgins of Okmulgee. Clarence
Gordon and Obert Wood of Oklahoma City and Fred Newton and Evan Fitzgerald of
Tulsa.
1930 August 18 MNR Clarence Clark of Tulsa retains the Oklahoma PGA title.
His total is 276 for 72 Holes on the Rockdale Links—Jack Guild Second. Still shooting sub-par golf, but far from approaching the course record he set Saturday, Clarence E. Clark, Tulsa professional and 1929 Oklahoma Professional Golfers association title-holder, won the 1930 crown on the Rockdale Country club links here Sunday. Clark’s card showed 142 strokes for the final 36 holes of play while his Saturday card was 134, IO strokes below even figures. However, the 172 taken Sunday after a near-cloud burst Saturday night had slowed up the course, was more than enough to protect his four-stroke lead over Jack Guild, another Tulsa professional, who scored 177 Sunday for a total of 2S5. Clark’s tournament total was 276, or 12 blow short of par for the 72 holes. Clark won the right to represent Oklahoma in the National PGA contest at Fresh Meadows CC in New York this fall. He also won the lion’s share of $500 prize money.
Jack Guild placed second with 285 and George Whitehead of Tulsa third with 287. Guild was second a t the half-way mark, but Whitehead displaced M. F. Askew of Tulsa during Sunday’s play. Askew took 151 strokes Sunday to drop to sixth place from third.
Jack Guild placed second with George Whitehead of Tulsa third.The other pros were Harold Nennenger of Tulsa, Jimmy Gullane of Bartlesville, Bob Higgins of Okmulgee, Marion Askew of Tulsa, Evan Fitzgerald of Tulsa, Joe Dahlman of Tulsa, Obert Wood of Oklahoma City, John Gatherum local pro from Miami, and Tom Cahill of El Reno.
While no definite announcement of the match was made and no one came forward who would take responsibility for the rumors, it was gossiped that the pair would play 72 holes over the Rockdale course for a purse of $1,000 arranged for by backers of Laffoon at Joplin and Miami and of Clark at Tulsa. Laffoon, former pro of Rockdale, son of E. B. Laffoon of Miami and now a Joplin professional, is regarded by many as the best golfer ever seen on the Rockdale course. However, the twice-champion Clark would find plenty of supporters and Miami fans today were looking forward hopefully to completion of such a match at an early date.
1931 The Depression hit Rockdale Country Club. The membership fee was cut in half to $2.75 a month. (Centennial p56)
1931 February 13 MNR John Gatherum, who learned his golf at St. Andrews, Scotland has resigned is job at Rockdale Country Club and will replace Clarence Clark, Oklahoma PGA and Open Champion, as professional in charge at the McFarlin Country Club in Tulsa. Gatherum comes from Rockdale Country Club in Miami, where he has been the pro for the last year. He previously had been with the Fort Smith, Arkansas Country club, Oakhurst Country club in Tulsa, and Twin Hills County club in Oklahoma City.
1931 June 9 MNR Leonard Ott, Miami golfer and Joplin pro has joined the club of clubs. Last week on the eighth hole of the Oak Hill course 160 yards from the tee he got his hole-in-one. He was advised by his playing partner to hold his foot over the cup as no one knows what the new ball is likely to do.
1931 August 5 MNR The weekend handicap tournament at the Rockdale club was won by Al Sancomb, former president of the club, who finished the 18 holes with an even par. Young John Robinson, Jr. beat the Club Champion Luther Sheldon for second place.
1931 August 15 MNR George L. Coleman Jr, came near upsetting Rockdale CC golf champion tables Friday afternoon when he shot a 35 on the first nine holes and gained a two-hold lead against Luther Sheldon. Sheldon, who is experienced in tournament play, triumphed over Coleman on the second round. The seventh hole on the second round was Coleman's Waterloo. A far-reaching drive which hooked over the fence into the hay field cost enough strokes to assure Sheldon of a two-hole lead with two holes to play. Number eight was tied with birdies and the match came to an end. Only one other match was played Friday. In Class !, Russel James won from Billy Neel, two up.
The tournament is in full swing this week. Two former club champions, Russel Hawk and M.K. Hutts, are out of the lineup on account of illness and injury. A field of 60 players will contend for various flights. A tournament for juniors will be scheduled soon.
1931 September 14 MNR Clarence O. Gordon, familiarly known as Seth, is the 1931 golf champion of Rockdale CC. In the 36 holes match he defeated Glenn R. Scott. Gordon is the youngest club champion. He is 19 years old and a Sophomore at NEO.
Previous champions are: 1930 R. P. (Kelly) Spencer; 1929 Luther Sheldon; 1928 Melvin Hutts; 1927 Fred Newton; 1926 Luther Sheldon; 1925 James Mothersead; 1924, 1923, 1922, 1921 Russel Hawk.
1931 September 25 MNR A large delegation of Miami golfers will journey to Neosho for an intercity match. A return engagement will be played on the Miami links the following Sunday.
1931 September 25 MNR I appreciated the Miami News Record growing up because they recognized women in golf from the professional ranks to pee wees in our own area. As an example, of the importance of golf at this time in history the news reads: A sturdy 20-year-old American girl today stood between Miss Enid Wilson, towering British champion, and the final round in the Women's National Golf championship. The task of blocking the English girl's challenge fell to Miss Helen Hicks, a long hitter and one of this country's top ranking players. The other semi-final match brought together the defending champion, Mrs. Glenna Collett Vare, who is campaigning for her sixth championship, and Miss Virginia Van Wie, a 22-year-old Chicago star.
Helen Hicks went on to become one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA in 1950. An event that was voted and signed on in Wichita, Ks at Rolling Hills Country Club.
Route 66 The development of Route 66 played a major roll in the growth of Miami and the Tri-State area. In 1926, John T. Woodruff from Springfield, Missouri, and Cyrus Avery from Tulsa, Oklahoma founded the U.S. Highway 66 Association. They successfully lobbied for a highway from Chicago to Los Angeles through Springfield through the mining area in the Tri-State near Joplin, Missouri, Galena, Kansas, and Miami, Oklahoma through Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The vision of Route 66 was to link the small farming towns of the Midwest with the main markets at each end of the highway. A commercial highway, for trade, commodities, and the small stories along the Main Streets of those towns.
Route 66 opened the doors for golfers from Chicago to Oklahoma City to travel town to town and play the newly developed golf courses, while doing business.
For more information on Route 66 please refer to this source: Miami and Route 66
1932.1.5 MNR
1932- MNR January 20, 1938 No pro from 1931—38
Through out the 1930's the news of the country club is quite often found in the society news. The regular twice-a-month dance of the Rockdale Country Club was held Friday evening at the clubhouse. The hostesses for the party were: Mr. and Mrs. A. Scott Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Wallace, and Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Dammann. Under the club entertainment program, dances are held on the second and fourth Friday of each month. Notice was not called to the fact that the last March dance fell on Good Friday until after the orchestra had been engaged. Efforts to postpone the dance until Saturday failed. A number of couples who attended programs in connection with the observance of Good Friday, later joined the club party, but the attendance naturally was reduces by the conflict.
1932 April 7 MNR The headlines read: Headaches May Help Lower Golf Score according to Dr. C. R. Griffith, psychological research director of athletics at U.of Illinois. "The golf player with a headache has the advantage over his companion who feels 'fit as a fiddle.' The headache keeps him from pressing and from experimenting. He is out merely to play the game and this means he is out to do that which he has been most in the habit of doing." "If a man goes into a golf game feeling fine, either of two things may happen. He may start to make each hole in one and thus be guilty of pressing. Or he may experiment. Pressing breaks up timing and rhythm. Experimenting may lead to disaster. The man who has a headache or is not at his best, will not be guilty of pressing. He will play his natural game."
1932 April 7 MNR The golf season of 1932 at the Rockdale Country Club links will officially be launched Sunday afternoon with an inter-city match between Miami and Coffeyville, Kansas. The Rockdale club links are in fair condition. During the past week the fairways have taken on an advanced season condition due to the drought and the strong winds which have prevailed.
1932 April 10 MNR A larger delegation of golfers from the Coffeyville, Kansas Country club
1932 June 19 MNR Economics at Rockdale Bringing Unprecedented Throngs to Links--The opening of the links of the Rockdale CC to Ottawa country golfers at a low greens fee is bringing about a great revival of interest in this popular recreation in Miami. Coupled with 50% reduction in the membership dues of the club the greens fee permits have more than doubled the list of divot diggers. A lot of rusty golf clubs have made their appearance on the local fairways during the past week.
The Rockdale links have also proven attractive to hotel guest. A number of locals and out-of-towners have enrolled for a month or longer at $2.75, which is a new membership dues.
An announcement of interest, especially on account of the advent of hotter weather, is one by John Ballard, custodian of the golf shop, that hereafter there will be in effect a 50% reduction in the price of cold drinks. This means that from no on until further notice golfers may quench their thirst for a nickel instead of a dime.
1932 July 11 MNR With 26 pairs in action Pittsburg, Ks and Miami golfers played Sunday to a tie in one of the largest inter-city golf tournaments played this season at Rockdale C.C.
1932 July 11 MNR The annual tournament of caddies of the Rockdale CC is under way this week. The matches being played so far show: McCorkle winning two up and one to play over Breckinridge; Andy Gump winning five up over E. Warner; Glen Heath over Hank Eagle two and one to play; Virgil Pryor winning over Irvin Heath three up and two to play. The semi finals are scheduled to be played the first of this week.
1932 August 28 MNR The American-born golfing clan too a team victory over their foreign-born colleagues Friday, 10 to 8. Ed Dudley, former pro at Miami Country club, led the American team with a par-smashing 67 over the Oak Park course of Chicago. A 67 equals the course record there of Horton Smith, anothe American who helped with the battle by defeating Len Gallett, 3 and 2. Dudley won over Clarence Hackney 4 and 3.
1933 September 5 MNR The corporation (1929 Rockdale Country Club) was dissolved and a new corporation organized under the name of the Miami Country Club. At the time of the incorporation, there was an indebtedness hanging over the clubhouse and course of $9,000. Through the untiring efforts of the different boards of directors of the Miami Country club, this indebtedness has been wiped out entirely together with a considerable sum of back taxes which the old corporation owed at the time the Miami Country club was incorporated, and at the present time, there is not outstanding indebtedness against the club.
During this time the club owned 80 acres of ground and the new clubhouse.
1933 September 7 MDNR Buddy Poteet, 19-year-old son of Deputy Sheriff Bill Poteet, was in third place in the Tulsa district golf professional championship today after the initial 18 holes had been disposed of. Poteet rounded the first lap of the four-day race in 79 strokes.
The youthful McFarland club professional learned all about his irons on the Rockdale course (Miami, Ok) serving as the caddymaster for some time before taking over professional duties at Tulsa.
Due to the fact that the McFarland club has only sand greens (as did Rockdale) and the Indian Hills course where the championship is being played is grass greened, Poteet's showing in the opening round is exceptionally good and he is to be considered as a potent threat to the title held by Joe Dahlman at the present time, and who is making a gallant effort in defense of the crown.
1934 April 22 MDNR A meeting to determine whether the former Rockdale Country club will be organized and financed for use by contributing Miami citizens or whether it will be turned over to a private interest will be held at 7:30 o'clock Monday night at the Hotel Miami. A.C. Wallace stated that the organization will not be perfected unless 100 persons agree to join in financing the club which would be called Miami Country Club, Inc.
Originally $10,000 was expended for the purchase of the land where the golf course and clubhouse are not located. Later the building of the fairways and general improvements for the club course layout called for an expenditure of $17.000. The new clubhouse was constructed in the spring of 1929 at a cost of $25.000.
The modern kitchens are fully equipped and large banquets and dinners may be handled with these accommodations. The white maple dance floor is said to be one of the finest in the section of Oklahoma. There is a five-room suite upstairs for a caretaker.
With the downward trend in business conditions in the area, the foreclosure was demanded by holders of certain bonds. Following this mandatory action a group interested in preserving the club for Miami as an institution asked Mr. Wallace to purchase the property on the foreclosure sale. Mr. Wallace put up$7,200 to make the purchase and took the title in his own name. In addition to this sum there is $1,800 due in back taxes. Thus the total required to protect the club is $9,000.
To the corporation would be conveyed all assets of the former Rockdale Country club. Monthly dues for the next two years would not exceed $2.50, plus a 10 percent government tax. This will mean only $33 a year for dues including the tax assessment, for each person who joins. No expenditures would be made except for maintenance. If 100 persons sign to help maintain the club as an institution for Miami, plans will definitely be outlined tomorrow night, otherwise, the property will be disposed of to private interest.
1934 May 16 MDNR Approximately 36 men working in groups of six to a squad today launched the final drive to increase the membership in Miami Country Club, Inc., the workers determined to enroll at least enough to boost the figure to 100 and to assure continuance of the club. The organization of the men will be in the hands of Leo Dobbin, M.Robert Clark, R.E. Holland, George Coleman, Jr., Charles Morris and Russ Hawk.
With the bulk of the money for the club already provided by 20 Miami men who each purchased shares at $200, those who join now will have to pay but $33 for the next year to enjoy full privileges of the clubhouse and golf course. When this is complete the club will be owner-member owned.
1934.5.30 MNR Country Club Season Opens
The first golf tournament at the new Miami Country club was in progress today. The tourney was a handicap event with the first place winner to receive a golf club and other winners to be awarded golf ball.s
The clubhouse was officially opened to the membership. The locker room and the showers are now available for use. The clubhouse will be open throughout the season for social events and other uses for members.
Other tournaments are to start in the near future and will be held at various periods throughout the summer. The course is said to be in better shape than at any time in the last few years. Several have already tried their skill on the fairways this spring.
Last night approximately 55 attended the first "stag smoker" in the clubhouse. After a short business session, the group played cards. Refreshments were served to members and guests.
Authors Note: My interest in this history is sincere and simple. My father, Johnie F. Stapp, became the PGA head pro at Miami Golf and Country Club in the spring 1954. I was six years old and already playing golf. Now at age 73 I find as much passion and fun in the game as I did in the 1950's. Because of my parents, I have a great deal of love and respect for the game of golf and its history from Scotland to the wind swept prairies of the plains state. My plan is to preserve that history and some of those stories.
*This is a work in progress outline. For the purpose of this blog TIMELINES are being used to collect and share archival information. As these timelines become near completion stories will appear in single blogs. My sources have been the Archives of the Miami New Record, Miami Daily News Record, Joplin Globe, "Golf in the Ozarks" by Monte McNew, "The Story of Golf in Oklahoma" by Del Lemon.
For other stories about golf and Miami, Oklahoma please read my personal blog "Literally Letty." Literally Letty
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