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| 1939 March, New Pro, Jack Guild |
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.
1939 January 1 MNR Charley Lewis, son of the Miami Country Club professional joined the hole-in-one club Friday afternoon at the expense of Bill Laffoon, playing with the local golfer at the time. Lewis' perfect shot, on the 165 yard No. 3, duplicated the performance of Glenn Scott, who accomplished the same thing last summer. These two linksmen are the only ones to register holes-in-one at the country club since the installation of grass greens.
1939 March 30 MNR Grist by Mac Bartlett A ringer tournament will be introduced soon for women players at the MCC course, if enough feminine golfers want it. New pro Jack Guild said the event can last for a month. The lady who gets in the most rounds of golf has the best chance of winning. If a woman gets a 6 on No. 1 hole, for instance, she will have several chances to beat that mark. When she does, the old number will be wiped out, and the new inserted.
Guild talked the deal over with Mrs. Bert Wall, Mrs. C.N. Harrell, and Mrs. Floyd Newton, and the three agreed it would be a good event.
1939 March 31 MDNR
Jack
Guild believes that the shortest way to the cup is down the middle of the
fairways. Not long tee shots, but straight. Most of his are good for
225 to 250 yards, through the center. He has won the State P.G.A. (at
Muskogee in 1926) and twice finished runner-up for the State open title
to Clarence Clark, the former Tulsa golf master, in 1929 and 1931.
1939 April 4 MNR Jack
Guild of Tulsa McFarlin club succeeds Frank Lewis, who moved from the
country club quarters today to a residence here.
Club officials disclosed they had hired Jack Veal, veteran greenskeeper at the Northridge club at Tulsa, and Mrs. Veal, who will become the cateress. Prior to his professional career at Tulsa, he was associated in a like capacity for ten years with the Oakhurst club of Tulsa.
A native of Scotland, Guild served his apprenticeship on the British Isles, becoming a professional after five years of training at Troon, Scotland. He came to the United States in 1924. The Tulsa linksman, the No.1 ranking PGA golfer in Oklahoma during 1935, was awarded second place recognition last year for his outstanding play in five tournaments. Paired with Joy Cole, Tulsa amateur champion, Guild copped first honors in the pro-amateur event at Oklahoma City in 1938.
1939 April 12 MNR Golfing with Guild. Jack Guild, Miami Country Club professional has followed golfing developments in Oklahoma for fourteen years. He has agreed to write some of his observations, gleaned from years of experience as a teacher and tournament player, for the Miami News-Record.1939 April 20 MNR Miami Country club is selected as scene of the Oklahoma PGA Tourney. Thirty professional golfers are slated to gather here May 24 and May 25. Miami's rolling nine-hole course was named as the most suitable layout for Oklahoma's siege guns of the fairways when Professional Jack Guild made his bid in conferences with Joe Dahlman of Tulsa, President of the State PGA.
Professionals over Oklahoma and instructors at Ft. Smith and Hot Springs are members of the state association, whose leading golfer of 1938 was George Whitehead, pro at Tulsa's Indian Hills Country club.
For the first time since 1930, Miami will be host. John F. Robinson, chairman, announced that the event will appeal to Miami amateurs as much as it will to visiting linksmen. Robinson disclosed plans for a larger pro-am field on May 24, opening day of the event. Three members will be drawn for foursomes in which the pros will become the fourth members. This plan will enable some 75-90 local players to compete. Guild estimates 25-30 pros will come here for the two day test. George Coleman, Jr, club president, has suggested that the Miami membership stage a big stag party on the eve of the pro-am, draw names of the amateurs with the pros and form a Calcutta pool. A percentage obtained from the pool will be used for cash prizes for the pros and merchandise for the "simon pures." (Men of financial means were sarcastically called 'Simon Pures' by the press or media. They were considered men who could play golf six days a week pick up a little cash, and call themselves amateurs.)"simon pures" described
1939 April 23 MNR The Grist from Mac Bartlett. A blazing 70 is the new course record at Miami Country Club. The two-under-par score was registered Friday afternoon by Charley Lewis. Playing with Jack Guild against George Coleman, Jr. and John F. Robinson. Charley went out in a 36 and came in with 34. In the par-breaking performance were five birdies.
Coleman shot a 75, Robinson came in with 76 and Guild finished with 77. (Par is 72.) One the second nine, three of the linksmen made birdies on the No. 1 par four hole, which is 331 yards in length. The same trio stormed into No. 9 with birdies.
1939 April 23 MNR John F. Robinson, chairman of the country club tournament committee, wants all members to write up their four lowest scores and turn 'em in before May 10. The handicaps must be set before the club tournament program can be launched.
1939 May 19 MNR Golf course is 6,560 yards in length.
1939 May 22 MNR Buddy Poteet, former amateur from Commerce, Oklahoma, who attended NEO and impressed people with his talents on the links the last few years at Miami, has since moved to Tulsa, Northridge where he is practicing his golf skills as an assistant professional. He will be returning to Miami to play in the upcoming State PGA. While as an assistant at the Miami course he shot an 18 hole sub par round of 67 on the sand greens. The greens are now grass greens and a challenge for the pros.
1939 May 24 MNR "Score of Links Wizards Eager for State P.G.A. "
Oklahoma's links wizardry, developed by men who send out booming drives and deadly putts for gold, was centered at the Miami Country club's nine-hole course today. A restless group of 23 professionals, ready to complete in a pro-am event this afternoon with 56 Miami amateurs, was looking forward to a heated battle tomorrow for the first honors in the annual State P.G.A. tournament. To the top three men go places in the National P.G.A. at Flushing, Long Island. To the champion goes a large part of $200 in cash and a silver trophy that Eddie Stanard has been polishing for a year down at Oklahoma City.
The pros were not hesitant to predict that "the guy who gets a 144 aggregate" for the 36 holes medalist play "will win this meet. "First to join in accord with that forecast, was PGA president, Joe Dahlman, defending champion. Jimmy Gullane, Bartlesville pro, piped up to second the motion. George Whitehead, the stylist from Tulsa's Indian Hills club and twice champion of the play-for-keeps boys, had about decided like the others. He shot a par 72 at the country club five weeks ago. The pros will be busy determining what they'll do about divvying up the gold. Dahlman said they'd make pairings for tomorrow's attraction. The experts will shoot 18 holes in the morning, then repeat the procedure in the afternoon.
The course was in excellent condition for the assault on the par. Greens and fairways glittered with greenness decidedly bright after recent rains. Mid-June weather conditions were in prospect as clearing early to presaged shirt sleeved golfers galore before this thing is completed last Thursday.
A gigantic stag dinner last night, attended by 150 players brushed fried chicken from around the corners of hungry mouths. In practice rounds yesterday, Jack Mann of the Shawnee Elks club shot a par-equaling 72. He was playing with Jimmy Gullane who shot 77, Gib Sellers shot 76 and Howard Estep a 74. It was Oklahoma vs Arkansas, and Oklahoma won 5 and 3. Sellers last week captured the Arkansas Open crown, while Estep finished runner-up. Both are eligible to play here since part of Arkansas is in a district with Oklahoma's state P.G.A. setup.
1939 May 25 MNR "Pro-Amateur Establishes Whitehead and Estep as State P.G.A. Favorites." Defending champion Ed Stanard of Oklahoma City faced the stiffest kind of opposition. On the basis of performance in the pro-am yesterday, George Whitehead of the Tulsa Indian Hills club, and Howard Estep, pro at Fort Smith's Hardscrabble course, were established as co-favorites to unseat the champion. Both shot sub-par 71's.
Gail Hutts, riding a 17-stroke handicap blasted he way to the pro-am low ball title yesterday, sharing the honor with Bob Mair, pro at Fort Sill. Their low ball score was 63. On the incoming nine, it was Hutts' excellent firing that bought the pro a place in the links spotlight. Gail turned on the heat to score a 39, without the use of his handicap, while Mair, who opened with a 39, slipped off to a 40. Tied for second and third places were Estep, R.O. (Hoot) Gibson, Horace Payne, and Mair. They bagged 65's. Next came Gib Sellers of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Dick Neel with a 32-35=67 (net), while George Whitehead and Carl Hilliard ploughed through with a like total.
Mair's pairing with Payne to tie for second was the first time in State P.G.A. history that a professional had teamed up with two amateurs to win more than one high place in the same event. In 1930, when Miami first played host to the PGA, Clarence Clark paired with Luther Sheldon, local amateur, to win the pro-am event with a low score of 65. Among the better scores for the pros yesterday, were several 74's by Buddy Poteet and Ed Stanard, Gib Sellers and Bill Witherspoon, pro at Tulsa's Southern Hills club. Jimmy Gullane, of Bartlesville, and Floyd Farley, the state PGA secretary, each turned in 75's. Jack Guild, local pro, was off his usual game. He scored a 40 on the first nine, then trimmed off three strokes on the second to get a 77.
John F. Robinson, local club members who will compete in the National Open at Philadelphia next month, and Charley Lewis, holder of the course record, a 69, both shot 73's. Joy Cole of Welch got a 75. Henry Ping, a Tulsa pro, was the highest scorer among the PGA members. He carded a 90. The pros competed for cash prizes totaling $100. First place brought $25 for Bob Mair. Other PGA pros playing are: Bill Witherspoon, Buddy Poteet, Floyd Farley, Harley Hicks, Jimmy Gullane, Sandy Francisco,George Whitehead, Bob Dunning, Marion Askew, and Harlan Brittain.
1939 May 26 MNR "Buddy Poteet Strokes Way to State P.G.A. Title With Sub-Par 142 Total"
From caddy to State P.G.A. champion in eight years. That is the enviable record of Buddy Poteet, the former Commerce boy, who splashed through a downpour to hang up a two-under-par 142 for 36 holes of medalist play at Miami County club Thursday. Poteet refused to buckle as he neared the end of his great performance. He sank a three-foot putt on No. 18 and a large crowd looking out from the east veranda of the clubhouse had difficulty seeing the shot that 10 minutes later was to give the Tulsa Northridge pro his first state championship.
Handsome Floyd Farley of Oklahoma City, the pace-setter at the three-quarter mark with a sizzling 104, saw his shotmaking wizardry fall apart on the last nine. He slipped over par on four consecutive holes, beginning with No. 13. He came in with a 39 and his 36-hole total of 143 was good for second money. Rains that had subsided after delaying play for more than an hour in the morning beat down upon the leaders as they finished their final nine.
Howard Estep, the sweet little stroker from Fort Smith, wound up in fourth place with a 145. George Whitehead, pro from Tulsa's Indian Hills club, was fifth with 146. First place brought Poteet $200 and the P.G.A. trophy.
Before leaving here last night, the professionals chorused that "This is the best tournament we've ever had." Smiling Floyd Farley, after shaking hands with Poteet and complimenting him on his great finish, said to a reporter: "Do something for me; tell them Miami has given us the best reception we ever received anywhere. I really mean that."
Joe Dahlman, the PGA president who hails from Tulsa's McFarlin club, agreed with Farley. "Yes, I want to say, too, that we have had a splendid time here. We'd like to come back to Miami every year."
1939 May 27 MNR Tulsa Country club is honored to be the host of the Trans-Mississippi
1939 August 16 MDNR "35
WOMEN VIE ON LINKS HERE" Mrs. Charles Larson of Baxter, one of the
most consistent feminine players in the district, captured low gross
honors at Miami Country club Tuesday afternoon in the monthly tourney of
the Tri-State Women's Golf association. She shot round of 48-43 for a
91. Next came Mrs. August Simeon of Pittsburg, who trailed by a stroke
with a 44-48 for a 92. Each received golf ball awards. Women from
Joplin, Webb City, Pittsburg, and Miami played and discussed plans for
the annual tourney to require a $1.00 entry fee. Golf ball awards Tuesday
afternoon were awarded to: Mrs. Floyd Newton of Miami for using the
least number of putts, 31; Mrs. O.S Moss of Joplin, who required the
most putts, 51;Mrs. Carl Drath of Joplin, who took only 25 strokes on
six blind holes; Mrs. J. Mohler of Pittsburg, highest number on blind
holes with 42 strokes, and Mrs. W..R. Martin of Joplin, high scorer of
the day, with rounds of 70-75 for a 145.
* For other stories about golf and Miami, Oklahoma please click on the link to my personal blog Literally Letty
For more information on the history of Miami, Oklahoma please refer to these links:
Coleman Theatre History, Route 66
