A Collection of Personal Stories --Part 1

 

PERSONAL STORIES FROM the MIAMI GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

 

 

1957 Tom Pat Wilson—I remember great times at the dances in the ballroom. One time my cousin and I were supposed to babysit my little brother, Bobby, during the dance and party. Being a ornery older brother I decided to teach him how to scratch his butt and stick his finger up his nose. The idea was that he would do that in front of adults and make them laugh.

Needless to say, we were in serious trouble when my parents discovered Bobby’s new trick.

My favorite memory of those times at the club was when Dad would use the “pull my finger and fart” joke on the kids. We laughed ourselves silly and then I taught my daughter how to do it.  Dad joke

 

1960s-80’s Gary West recalls his personal stories as twofold.

 

The early days playing four to nine holes depending upon my age and the later years when I moved back from San Francisco to Miami of playing after work and coming down the 18th hole when it was almost dark and still finding our balls.

 

I have really enjoyed reading your stories and seeing pictures from high school days, my parents’ friends and how lucky we were to have grown up in such a great place.

 

 

1960-1970’s Mark Cordell shares his reflections.

 

Thank you for the note.  I have enjoyed reading your writings on Miami Country Club history.  I think we were all very fortunate to have had an opportunity to grow up at MGCC. 

My Mother and Father were both a big influence in my golf.  Mom and Dad both played and made sure my brother and two sisters had an opportunity to learn and play golf.  In other words, we were a “Golfing Family”.  I still remember the Sunday afternoon nine-hole Family golf games. They were always there to help guide us with the golf game and how to act on the course.  One thing I am not  proud of happened during the summer.  We played a lot of golf.  As a kid playing golf, I thought the thing to do was to hit a club against something when you missed a shot.  (Not the thing to do but probably was trying to act big as I had seen some of the older guys do it.)

 Well, on (the original) #6 I  pushed my drive into the right rough close to a tree.  I missed the next shot and hit my 3 iron against a tree.  It snapped!!  After some careful thought, I told my dad that night that my ball was up against a tree and when I tried to hit it, I hit the tree on the follow through and it snapped.  Little did I know, my dad had come out to play in the evening and from the putting green saw the whole thing.  So, in the middle of the summer I was banned from the golf course for a week and never had a 3 iron until I was I high school!  He told me that if golf made me that mad then I shouldn’t be playing.  Lesson Learned!!!

Another big influence on my golf was your father.  We were very fortunate to have a Pro who had time for kids.  During the Summer your dad would give us Juniors Friday morning golf clinics before Junior Golf. 

As you probably remember, your dad was a BIG believer in the grip!!  He was a “thumb of your left hand straight down the shaft and your right-hand V covering the left hand”.  We all tended to stray from this allowing the left hand to become stronger but whenever he was around, we quickly moved it back.  He would ride up on us when we were on the course and ask to see our grip.  Of course, it was always correct when he did this. 

What really threw us off was when he watched us without us knowing it and he would see that our grip was out of position. We would get a little lecture on the correct grip every time!!  I have played a lot of golf over the past 65 years. (we could not start playing golf until we were 6 at MGCC).  Today, when I take a lesson and the teacher says your grip is too weak and you need to get that left hand in a much stronger position, I can’t help but think about what your father would be saying!

I currently live in Houston.  I am a member of the Champions Golf Club.  The Club was founded by Jackie Burke Jr. and Jimmy Demaret.  Mr. Demaret passed away many years ago, but Mr. Burke passed away last January just a few days before his 101^st Birthday.  He was at the club most days and loved to talk to whomever about golf. I visited with him one day about your father.  I asked him if he had ever heard of Johnie Stapp.  He said “yes, I think I remember him”.  I told him about the time he spent with us as Juniors teaching us not only the swing/grip but how to act on a golf course.  He said consider yourself very fortunate to have had someone like that helping guide you.

**Yes, my father and Jackie Burke met in California after the war, most likely at the Bing Crosby Clam Bake.  He kept a picture of Jackie on the wall of the pro shop for decades.

You asked about the people I played with.  Scotty Jackson was a very close friend.  We remain close to his wife Leah who is coming to visit in a couple weeks. Scotty, Jackie Mann, Tim Schofield, Charlie Grayson, Steve Reneger, Jonya Stapp, Susie Wickham were people I remember playing with.  Mark Wojcik, the Painters, John Robinson Jr. were all older.

I lost contact with many people.  After college I spent time in Tulsa, transferred to Los Angeles, back to Tulsa and then ended up in Houston.  Had the opportunity to play golf along the way. I retired about 5 years ago.  Spent a lot of time traveling internationally with my job.  Today I try to play 3-4 times a week, and have 5 grand kids (10, 7, 5,4,2). Three of the grand kids like to play golf, so I am never too far from the game!!

Mom just turned 99!!  What a remarkable Lady!!  I try to get to OKC every couple of months to visit.  She played golf until a few years ago.  She would always tell me she was losing distance and there was one hole at the Greens where she could just not get her tee ball over the pond, but she was going to keep trying!!!

 

**Dear Readers, if you have stories to share please send them to me by June 15, 2024.  Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.  Letty