1958--70 Ball Spotters

 

Esty shops sell these.

Starting in late 1950's, several junior golfers were asked to be "ball spotters" for various tournaments from spring until fall. "Ball spotters," teens with good eyes and agility were needed to work the creek and trees on holes #2 and #3. Occasionally, a "ball spotter" might be stationed on the dogleg on hole #9 or along with creek between holes #4 and #5.   

In my memory, I thought working outside in all kinds of weather was the best job ever.  

Sandy Stephenson and I became ball spotters for the men's tournaments in the late 1950's. When Sandy's family moved in the early '60's my new partner became C.Ann Richards. Our job was to sit in the shaded corner of the creek that ran through hole # 2 and watch where golf balls landed, then jump, run and put a towel down where the ball landed, if we could find it. When we couldn't find the ball, we assisted in the search as if our lives depended on it. If the ball landed in the water or rocks we did our best to retrieve the ball.

The creek zig-zagged through a wooded area creating hazards for players on holes #2 and #3.  Hole #2 was a wicked dogleg right that crossed the creek in the fairway, so that men and women alike needed to fly over the water to the landing zone that opened up for the dogleg. Like all nine hole courses MGCC had two tee boxes one red and one white to define each nine holes. One tee box held two sets of tee markers, one for the women in the forward position and one for the men toward the back of the tee box. (By the mid-sixties a woman's forward red tee box was built on the left side of the hole before the creek.)  

When the men played the white forward tees they tried to cut the dogleg, and most of them failed. Our job was to find the balls and put a marker down. The fence on the left side of the hole stood as an out-of-bounds maker, so doom often marked a player who could not hit a long straight ball. The red tees (placed back as far as possible from the creek) paid off as well, because some men couldn't hit the ball across the creek, and balls that didn't fly straight either went out of bounds on the left or into the creek or trees on the right.

Our eyes were young and bodies agile. As errant golf balls bounced off rocks, struck trees and bounced sideways, we ran though the wooded area, spotted balls in tall grass, under limbs and leaves, in the rocks surrounding the creek and in the water.  Snakes were never a concern. We wore "lake shoes" so the rocks in the creek did not hurt our feet. We showed no fear as we stuck our hands in the clear waters or between rocks because the men rewarded us with cash for our efforts. The men were not stingy with tips for finding their lost balls--any where from a quarter to fifty-cents, or better yet silver dollars. Sometimes they even handed over dollar bills and didn't ask for change. A few men  gave us money even when we couldn't find a ball, we could at least tell them where it crossed the creek.

My sister, Jonya and Suzy Wickham, were the next generation of "ball spotters" and Jonya recalls vividly the weather conditions under which we worked. In the spring we worked in the light rain, if lightning was not present. Those could be cold and windy days for us. The sweltering heat of July and August tournaments were sometimes exhausting. The most important tournament became the Invitational in September. That event  paid off financially. I think the men often felt sorry for us being out in the heat. 

 

We arrived with sack lunches and a thermos of Kool-aid (that often tasted like coffee) to hold us for the day. We could run over to hole #3 to drink out of the water fountain. Fresh water from the ground piped up through a round cement container filled with sand. It was quite tall for youngsters, who often had to pull a bench over to stand on, so we could reach the handle and turn on the water. From time to time someones' mother would walk down and check on us. 

We were reliable respectable young girls and boys, who learned more about life through our country club jobs than sitting home reading a book. 

 

The words read "Stolen from Johnie Stapp"

Range balls were often found in the creeks, as members did not want to lose a ball that might have cost $.75 -- $1.00.

*Now, as a more Senior golfer, I understand why "ball spotters" were so important. 

1950-1999 Ball, Golf Ball, Rubber Core Ball By Waters AdminMay 23, 2018

Object Name: Ball (B 181) , Golf Other Name: Ball, rubber—core Date: 1971 Description: This is a commemorative, Spalding golf ball in dimple pattern. It is painted white with blue, tan and black markings and features a person in a space suit hitting a golf ball. It was made to mark the first golf ball used in space. Maker: A.G. Spalding & Bros.,…

Golf Ball History--Archives This site contains some unique descriptions and pictures of a variety of old golf balls.

In the 1960's Titleist sold three different balls in the pro shop (red labeled, black labeled, and black with red numbers). It cost $1.25 each or a sleeve of three for $3.50. The Club Special was the cheapest ball at 50 cents. There was also Dunlap, Acushnet golf balls, and Hogan. The Spalding golf ball, Wilson Staff, and Top-Flight were very popular and usually sold at Miami Sales and other downtown stores.

**If you were a ball spotter and have a story to tell please post it under comments, or send it to me.   

Letty Stapp Watt, historian, The Golf Pro's Daughter