This is Letty Watt--Oklahoma Golf Legend Podcast

Thursday, February 11, 2021

1938 Miami Country Club Enters a New Era

SPRING OF 1938, First grass greens


 

The Miami Country club is entering a new era with the nine holes now seeded and soon to be opened. The club now boast 160 members and will undoubtedly be one of the sportiest and most attractive courses in the state.

The new greens are much larger and contoured so a player will not find the putting monotonous. The greens are surrounded by sand traps designed to catch a golfer’s ball should it be detracted from the pin in any direction. The peat moss used on the top dressing for these greens will allow the ball to hold the green within a few feet of where it lights.

The club now owns 80 acres of ground, a modernly equipped clubhouse which is second to none in the state. The grass greens, together with the watering system are not costing the club anything.

The new tees planted with Bermuda grass will be approximately 15 x 30 feet. The new water system just installed has been connected to the city water main line that has been extended to the country club. Hole numbers 2, 7, and 9 fairways will be dog-legs and par on the new grass greens will 36 now reduced from 37. The new grass greens will be open for play in the spring of 1938.

The club employs a cateress, who is accessible at all times to serve meals for private parties or organizations who rent the clubhouse. It is felt that the people of Ottawa County and surrounding areas can be proud of the new facility for golf and social activities.

 With membership jumping from 70 members to 160 in the last four months, it is the ambition of the board of directors to offer a bigger social program.  There will be a stag party once each month for the men. In the past the Stag nights have been quite successful in bringing members to the club.

The ladies now meet each second Tuesday afternoon for bridge and sewing. These affairs are very popular with the ladies (within a few years this grew into ladies day for golf and bridge). 

Two Friday nights each month have been set aside as “Family night.” The other two Friday nights have been set aside for entertainment for the Friday night activities. Mrs. F. L. Wormington is chairman of this committee. John Sailing is chairman of the house committee. Mrs. Elmer Isem is president of the ladies division. The present officers of the club are as follows: W. R. Grisham, president; R. G. Cunningham, vice president. W. J. Worley, secretary- treasurer. The board of directors includes W. B. Grisham, R. G. Cunningham, George L. Coleman, Jr., Charles Neal, John A Robinson, and C. M. Harvey, Jr. 

The Rockdale Country Club was organized in Miami about 1916. The original four holes were converted to nine holes with sand greens by the time the new country club was built in 1929.  By 1933 the Rockdale Country Club incorporated and this corporation dissolved and a new corporation was organized under the name of the Miami Country Club. At the time of the corporation there was an indebtedness hanging over the clubhouse and course of $9,000. Through the untiring efforts of the board members this indebtedness has been wiped out along with back taxes. At the current time the club has no outstanding debts.

 

Miami Daily News Record 1937.9.5 rewritten 

* For other stories about golf and Miami, Oklahoma please click on the link to  my personal blog Literally Letty

 

No comments:

Post a Comment