1940 March 13mdnr COUNTRY CLUB LUNCHEON
St.
Patrick's decorations, spring violets and an abundance of good food,
together with the hospitality extended by the three hostesses, Mesdames
H.B. Coban, Carl Britt and Lloyd Newton, made the ladies' day at Miami
Country club one of the outstanding of this season. Potted Shamrocks,
green tapers and crepe paper were used on the luncheon tables. High
score at the bridge was won by Mrs. A.C. Wallace. The sewing prize was
awarded to Mrs. Roy Green. The next luncheon will be served by the club
cateress and the hostesses on the occasion will be Mrs. L.A. Wetzel and
Mrs. Matt Connell. Members playing in foursomes are urged to have lunch
with the group and play at reserved tables afterwards. There will be no
additional charge for such reservations. Those in attendance were:
Mesdames M.C. Bagby, C.M. Bartlett, John Giffin, R.O. Gibson, J.B. Dyer,
M.M. DeArman, Melvin Hutts, Talbot Wright, Clarence Carselowey, Wiley
G. Chesnut, Homer E. Willim, B.Wright Shelton, Carl Peck, Paul Campbell,
S.E. Long, A.J. Polette, Gail Hutts, A.C. Wallace, R.S. Doenges, Roy
Green, C.A. Beck, C.W. Nicolson, Elmer Isern, W.I. Cooper, L.P
Hetherington, Clyde Lodge, C.N. Harrell, A.L. Commons, R. D. Dawson, W. L
Williams, and George L. Stein.
(Many of the names listed above were still active members through the 1950's and 1960's.)
*Note: through the 1930's and early 1940's the society page posted
articles on various women's groups. These groups appeared regularly:
Girl Scouts, Eastern Star, White Shrine, various 'Study Clubs' and
Sunday School Socials, Circle club, Townsend Auxiliary, Scissorette
Club, Child Study Club, Business and Professional Women's club. One full page of society news was very common.
1940. March 13 mdnr Stag Dinner
A
stag night dinner will be held at Miami Country club next Monday. W.L.
Bert Coleman, chairman of the entertainment committee, said dinner will
be served at 6:30 o'clock.
*During
the last 1930's and early 1940's the Miami Daily News Record and the
Miami News Record covered professional golf, state golfers from the PGA
and amateurs, national women golfers,
plus local and area golfers both men and women. I am proud that the
newspaper covered such a wide range of golf, baseball, football, track, boxing, wrestling, and fishing, not to mention the Wardogs, area high school teams in
football, basketball, and track. Wrestling was also a major sport in our
area at this time.
1940 March 25 mdnr Weather phenomenon
"Northern Lights" the Aurora Borealis, were reported to be visible by some over Miami last night. H.W. Winkle, wire chief for the SW Bell Telephone company said there was a "static phenomenon," which created some disturbance in the reception over the wires.
Jack Guild, reported that lightning struck the caddy house at the Miami Country Club Saturday night and damaged the frame of the structure. (This is the first reference to a caddy house. I have been told it stood to the right side of hole No. 1 after players cross the gravel road leading to the sheds for equipment storage. It was big enough for caddy's to store belongings. Benches were inside and out. As a child of the early 1950's I only remember one caddy. His name was Ernie. He had a small frame and rather hunched, as my mother described like the jockey's in California. He spent a lot of time around the golf shop in those days.)
1940 March The
Grand River Dam authority opened Grand Lake of the Cherokee's. This
boost in Northeastern Oklahoma can be seen in new advertisements for
motor boats. The lake also brought more people who followed Route 66 and
enjoyed playing golf as well.
1940 April 18 mdnr "Sport-o-Grams"
With a north wind whipping over the course, some forty golfers from
Tulsa and Miami teed off here this afternoon in the Tulsa District Golf
Association's first meet of the season.
Professional
Jack Guild said twenty Tulsa golfers had arrived here at 1:30 o'clock
and as many or more local players were scheduled to compete sometime
during the afternoon. Visiting professionals included Harold Nenninger,
Buddy Poteet, the State PGA champion; Joe Dahlman, state PGA President,
and Jimmy Gullane of Bartlesville. The course was in tip-top playing
condition.
1940 April 18 mdnr Notices:
Attention is called to all ladies of the Miami Country Club who are playing golf, to meet at 9:00 Tuesday morning at the clubhouse.
1940 April 18 mdnr advertisement
1940 May 26 mdnr "Grist" by Mac Bartlett
At
the Oklahoma City Country club tomorrow, George L. Coleman, Jr., and
John F. Robinson will be among 33 state golfers seeking qualifying
berths in the National Open, scheduled at the Canterbury club, near
Cleveland on June 6...Last year Robinson won one of the three places
with a fine qualifying score at Tulsa's Southern Hills course...Jack
Guild, local pro, had planned to enter the sectional test, but later
gave it up because of the approach of the State P.G.A. tournament here
on June 4 and 5...Sam Fullerton, one of the local club amateurs, will be
too buy selling bulls to compete in the pro-amateur event June 4. That
day some of the prize cows and bulls in the Fullerton Aberdeen-Angus
herd will be sold at auction at the fairgrounds.
1940 May 26 mdnr (Clips
like this can be found throughout the newspapers. They were used as
fillers and quite interesting to the readers.) During March 1940, 76,935
motor cars were produced compared with 60,504 during March of 1939.
War briefs from the global fighting were found between the front pages and as fillers.
1940 May 29 mdnr "Spring Formal for Dance Pupils"
Virginia
Lee Patrick, instructress of the Virginia Lee Patrick School of Dance,
will entertain pupils of her ballroom classes and their invited guests
at a spring formal tonight the Legion hall. Jimmy Ferguson and his
orchestra of Joplin will play for the evening of dancing from 9 to 12
o'clock. This affair is by invitation only. (Virginia Lee married Tom
Wilson and along with their two sons, played golf.)
1940 May 29 mdnr "Miami
Golfers Called to Register" The board of directors for the Miami
Country club decided at a luncheon meeting today that all club golfers
planning to play in the pro-amateur 18-hole low ball event next Tuesday
must register at the pro's shop by 5pm Sunday.
Pairings
for the pro-am with two club members playing with each visiting
linksman, will be made Sunday night. Jack Guild, club professional,
believes about seventy-five local players will participate. The state
PGA tournament coming to Miami for the second time in as many years, is
the outstanding golf event scheduled here this season. Some twenty-five
pros will compete for cash prizes totaling about $400.
1940 June 5mdnr "Sellers-Lewis Combination Wins Pro-Am Event" by Mac Bartlett
His booming drives placing him on the carpet on virtually every second shot, stocky Gib Sellers of Hot Springs, Ark., turned on the heat Tuesday to capture shares of the both first and second places in the annual state PGA pro-amateur event at the Miami Country Club layout.
Although his amazing distance off the tee made him the day's biggest gallery attraction, Sellers did no better than his able amateur partner, Charley Lewis, who also roared in with a 69. Their low ball count gave them a 60. Another Sellers' partner, George Windham, used a 10 stroke handicap to good advantage as they took second place with a low ball 63.
The gallery got a big kick out of watching Sellers slam his ball over the No. 6 bunker and over the trees shielding the No. 2 pin. "I'll just keep on powdering that ball over those trees," Sellers said as e prepared for the 36-hole medalist event. It calls for a tremendous carry, but the prodigious wallops by the husky Sellers seemingly clear the grove nicely on almost every effort.
Lewis, by virtue of sharing first honors, will select $50 worth of equipment from Pro Jack Guild's shop. Windham will get supplies worth #30 while the five amateurs deadlocked for third and last money will divvy up $20 in prizes.
1940 June 6 mdnr 'Sub-Par Round Here Makes Gib Sellers a Favorite in the State PGA Title Play'
In
the locker room at the Miami Country club today there were
carefully-guarded whispers saying that this may be Gib Sellers' year.
The pudgy, loquacious Hot Springs, Arkansas professional, third place
finisher in the Oklahoma PGA tournament here a year ago, loomed as a
"people's choice" as twenty of this state's and Arkansas' best linksmen
awaited the annual 36-hole medalist play.
The
tournament will be under way about 9am tomorrow with the play-for-keeps
blasters moving away from the first tee in foursomes. Sellers lent a
touch of color to the pre-tournament talk yesterday afternoon by
breezing around the 3,353 yard (nine hole) layout in a sub-par
performance that saw him shave two strokes off the old man's standard
figures in the last nine. He was out in 36, even par, and then lumbered
in, his face beaming, with a polished 34.
But Sellers isn't the only one who'll gain support from the golf
enthusiasts of this and neighboring cities of the Tri-State district.
They can't deal the cool, deadly consistent Buddy Poteet, the defending
champion, out of the running. He's up there to stay with the best of
'em in Oklahoma. While he did no better than a 40-37--77 in a practice
trail yesterday, the former Miami caddy wasn't particularly interested
in scoring.
Floyd
Farley of Oklahoma City is another popular choice for the crown. Floyd,
who cupped the title back in 1937, is at the peak of his game again. John F. Robinson, local amateur, turned in a 71 for the afternoon in preparation for today's event.
Sometime
late today, the pros were to meet with Joe Dahlman of Tulsa, their PGA
president, and Farley, secretary, to discuss how they'll divvy up the
$400 pot tomorrow. The big end, no doubt, will go to the champion.
1940 June 7 mdnr Dapper
Floyd Farley of Oklahoma City, runner-up to Buddy Poteet for the 1939
PGA golf title, shot himself out of the running the first nine holes
here this week.
The
capital linksman, who paced state qualifiers for the National Open
about ten days ago and then decided he wouldn't go to Cleveland after
all, was disgusted with his game when he left Miami Wednesday night. He
had finished the 36-hole medalist event at the Miami Country Club layout
with an aggregate of 153.
1940 June 9 mdnr
Frank
Higgins, holding the trophy, is one of the youngest players to ever win
the State P.G.A. golf championship. At 21, the assistant pro at the
Tulsa Oakhurst club won the plaudits of a big gallery at the Miami
County Club on Thursday after he defeated Gib Sellers of Hot Springs,
Arkansas by three strokes in an eighteen hole playoff. Sellers, at left,
flashed a broad smile as he congratulated his conqueror. Jack Guild,
Miami Country Club pro, served as referee and by the expression on his
face as this photo was taken indicated that he was glad the 'best man
had won.'
1940 June 9 mdnr Tee Shots by Mac Bartlett
A
few sidelights. John Swenski, who has held the world' junior
heavyweight mat title, was an interested spectator at the 36-hole
medalist event Wednesday, stopping off here en route to Tulsa from
Springfield...Leroy McGuirk, popular Oklahoma wrestler, recently claimed
Swenski's crown.
Three
Miami amateurs, George Coleman, Jr., Charley Lewis and John F.
Robinson, plan to compete in the state amateur meet at Tulsa's Oakhurst
club this week...Qualifying play will be Monday and Tuesday over the
tricky course which features narrow fairways...And probably the trio
will also participate in the Trans-Mississippi amateur tournament the
following week to be held at Tulsa's beautiful Southern Hills layout,
the toughest test for a golfer within Oklahoma.
At
the country club course Friday, the Women's Tri-State Golf association
moved in for a day of competition with 61 feminine golfers
participating. Mrs. W.D. Mardick of Joplin and Mrs. Lucille Simion of
Pittsburg, Kas, shot the day's lowest scores, both turning in 93's. Golf
ball awards went to other competitors: Mrs. Vernon Ham of Miami, Mrs.
P.L. Robeson of Galena and Mrs. Ray Cochran of Joplin won prizes for
having the lowest number of putts on 18 holes. Each required only 31
putts. Miami Country Club women hold membership in the association,
which promotes links interest through its monthly tourneys at various
cities.
1940 July 28 mdnr Links Title to St. Paul Player
Robert Clark, a 31-year-old St. Paul salesman of Scottish-Irish descent and the father of two boys, today won the nineteenth annual national public links golf championship with a smashing 8 and 6 victory over Mike Dietz of Detroit, an unemployed automobile worker. (This has nothing to do with Miami history, but it is a tell all for how sports writers garnered everyone's attention with their descriptions of the times.)
1940 July 28 mdnr St. Paul Open
Two dark horse veterans who long have been prospecting golf's tournament money trail filed join claim today on medal honors of the rich St. Paul Open Golf Championship. They were the quiet, 37-year-old Jim Foulis and the 34-year-old, effervescent Willie Goggin. Each had 36 hole total of 136 strokes as the tournament hit the halfway point of its 72-hole route. Coming in at 143, Miami, Oklahoma pro, Ky Laffoon. (The Miami Daily News Record continued to follow the golf tour through our local player, Ky Laffoon.)
* I have been unable to find records for August and September 1940 at this point. If and when I locate more information I will add it to the timeline.
1940 September 22 mdnr "Miamians Vie for State Link Title"
The Oklahoma State Golf association will stage its thirty-first annual open medal championship at Bartlesville next Sunday and several Miami linksmen are going to compete. Jack Guild, local professional, said any Miami Country club player is eligible to compete. The entry fee will be $5.00 and there will be around $400 for prizes.
Guild said John F. Robinson, and possibly Sam Fullerton and Buck Bagby will compete from Miami as amateurs. Guild also will play in the tourney.
1940 October 4 mdnr "Par is Buffeted"
It was more like the qualifying scene for a State Open championship than just another good place for an afternoon of golf at the Miami Country Club course yesterday afternoon.
Ky Laffoon, this city's best known golfer; George Coleman, Jr., Wood Laffoon, brother of Ky; Roy Klahr, assistance club pro; Buck Bagby and John F. Robinson made up the group.
One of those who followed the swingers said Coleman's drives were getting terrific length, as evidenced by his 71 score and an eagle on the 565-yard, par five No. 6 hole. The club president's second shot was on the green and he sank a comparatively short putt for his eagle.
Ky also was hitting his shots well, and Klahr was playing his usual good game.
1940 October 17 mdnr "Coleman to Meet Robinson for Golf Title of Eliminations in Country Club Championship Flight"
John F. Robinson and George Coleman, Jr, will meet in the 36-hole finals for the Miami Country club golf championship. No definite arrangements had been announced for the playing date this morning after the two swingers stroked their way to the finals by impressive victories Wednesday.
Coleman, starting where he left off the previous day in rolling to a three-hole advantage over Charley Lewis, defending champion, shot par golf for the next 14 holes to close out the match, 6 and 4. Lewis required 40 strokes on the third nine holes, while the victor, who shot a sub-par 70 for his lead at the halfway point, turned in a 36. Finishing out the last five holes in regulation figures, Coleman was two under par for the 36 with an aggregate of 142.
Robinson, who was one stroke over for 29 holes, eliminated Glenn Scott (nick named Scotty), 8 and 7, in a match played off Wednesday afternoon. After taking a 75 for the first 18, Robinson stepped up the pace on his third nine to hang up a slick 34. Scott eagled the 516-yard hole No. 9 at the three-quarters turn, but it was of little help, still leaving him seven holes behind.
The finalists indicated they would play this week-end, probably 18 holes one afternoon and the remainder the following day. Meantime, four other matches in various tourney flights were completed, one player received a default and two help one-up advantages over opponents at the end of nine holes.
In Class D, E.K. Scott, defeated John Speer, 3 and 2, and Ivan Fisher beat Eph Niday, 2up. Jim Campbell nosed Leon (Punk) Larimore, 1 up in a Class F duel.
W.E. Pilgrin shaded Noel Wyatt, 1 up, on the nineteenth hole of their Class E match. J.C. (Gob) Taylor advanced via the default route in Class B. (Writers note: many who remember the fireworks at the country club during the 1950's and 1960's will recall that Gob Taylor was our fireworks expert, and into the late 1960's a young boy named Jim Thompson would become his apprentice.)
Ted Stith held a one-up advantage over Dr. Robert E. Barron and Cecil Coop held the same lead over Bert Wall at the end of nine holes of play in a couple of Class B matches.
1940 October 17 mdnr "Women's Texas Open"
Medalist Elizabeth Hicks of Pasadena, Cal. and Mrs. Ernest Blanton of Enid, Okla, square off today in the opening match of the quarter-finals of the Texas Women's Open golf Tournament. Mrs. Helen Hicks of Long Island, N.Y. and Miss Helen Dettweiller of Washington, D.C., top the lower bracket matches. Mrs. George Zaharias (the Babe) of Los Angeles is pitted against Mrs. I.G. Pray of Washington. (*Note that the Helen Hicks and Babe Zaharias will go on to be part of the original players on the Women's Professional Golf Tour, to become the LPGA in the 1950's.)
*Note: Mrs. E.S. (Ernest) Blanton won the Oklahoma Women's State Amateur in 1931, 1932, 1947, 1948.
1940 October 21 mdnr "George Coleman, Jr., Wins Country Club Golf Title for Third time with Par-Shattering Round"
Shattering par by five strokes on the last 18 holes, George Coleman, Jr., won possession of the Miami Country Club golf trophy for the third time, defeating John F. Robinson after a spirited rally of 3 and 2. The match ended on the 34th hole, after Coleman, two down at the start of the final half of the match, had overtaken Robinson at the three-quarters turn with a sub-par 34.He went on to blister the course with one shot below par going into No 7 for the last nine, where both took part 4's to terminate the duel.
Robinson, who had taken a two-hole advantage during the 18 holes played Friday, was having trouble with his tee shots and his approaches yesterday. He was hooking his drives and shanking his iron shots. Despite this handicap, Robinson proved himself a "scrambler" coming in with a one-over par 73.
Meanwhile, the remaining six flight of the annual tournament saw some upsets and close matches, all played over the 18-hole route. Jack Myers, shooting a 76, ousted Jim Bowers, 3 and 2 in a Class A event. Sam Fullerton entered the semi-finals of the same division by eliminating M.C Buck Bagby. Fullerton's next opponent, outstroked Clarence Carselowey, 2 and 1. Myers will play Paul Wilson, victor over Luther Sheldon, in second round play, and the winner will meet Alderson Thompson, advancing by two forfeits, in the lower semi-final bracket.
J.C. Gob Taylor pulled the biggest upset of the day in Class B, defeating Carl Britt, 3 and 2 with a brand of par golf during the first 13 holes. Britt, who had driven all of "Sunday shots" in the morning while he negotiated 14 holes in par figures during a practice affair, couldn't get started in the afternoon tourney clash. R.C. Hoot Gibson blasted Joe Thompson, 7 and 6, in another Class B contest and next will meet Ted Stith, who got a second round default.
In Flight C, Lewis Bushner and H.E. McPhail are carded in a second round match, with Dee Watters bracketed with W.M. Williams in another. Dr. Matt Connell, recipient of the two forfeits, will meet the winner of the Ivan Estus-R. L. Longacre match in the lower half of the semi-final brackets.
Ward Settle pushed to the semi-finals of Class D with a 2-up victory over E.K. Scott and will meet the winner of the M.R. Flody-Frank Spencer battle. C.S. Whitney will meet Ivan Fisher and Paul Stauffer will collide with W.L. Cooper in other Class D jousts.
Joe Payton advanced to the semi-finals in class E, eliminating Wesley Bullock 1 up in a stirring 19-hole scrap. Lloyd Staton nipped L.A. Wetzel, 2 and 1, in another Class E affair. In Class F, Jim Campbell, four down at the halfway mark, came back strongly to defeat Nate Emery, 2 up.
1940 October 25 mdnr " Pairing in Golf Play"
Pro Jack Guild, urged that linksmen take advantage of favorable weather conditions and complete their rounds by Sunday.
In a Class A match yesterday, Jack Myers shot a 76 for a 4 and 2 triumph over Paul Wilson. Myers next will meet Alderson Thompson in the semi-finals.
Following are the pairing for the consolation events, only players who competed in the regular tourney being bracketed:
Class A: C.L. Crab Grayson vs George Windham; Horace Payne vs Jim Bowers; Luther Sheldon, bye.
Class B: Dr. Robert E. Baron vs Bert Wall; W.L. Williams vs Bill Neel; Wilton Taylor, bye, and Al White, bye.
Class C: M.K. Newell vs R.T. White; Phillip Peacock, bye.
Class D: W.J. Worley, bye; John Speer vs G.C. Niday; Eph Niday, bye.
Class E: J.H. Simon, bye; Noel Wyatt vx Rusty Bullock; L.A. Wetzel, bye.
40 October 30 mdnr "Women Golfers Play Here"
In a women's tournament at Miami Country club Tuesday, Mrs. Floyd Newton had the fewest putts, 14, for nine holes. Mrs. C.E. Stover had low putts in Class B with 17. Fifteen participated in yesterday's tourney. Prizes were awarded the winners of the two flights.
Next Tuesday the ladies will have another competitive event and the pairing will be announced in Sunday's issue of this newspaper.
40 November 17 mdnr "Awards Night will be Observed at the Country club with Stag Dinner"
The Championship trophy, offered by Hotel Miami, was taken again by George Coleman, Jr. His opponent in the finals, John F. Robinson, will get a pen set given by Simon's jewelry company. Other flight winners, runners-up and consolation claimants are :
Class A--Alderson Thompson, wrist watch from Simon's jewelry company; Sam Fullerton, a case of beer from Brown Stansell.
Class B--Ted Stith, radio from Settle's hardware; J.C. Gob Taylor, sweater from B&K store.
Class C--Lewis Bushner, prize to be given by Coleman-Hutts drug store; Bob Longacre, $5 worth of car washes from Neosho Motor Company; Phillip Peacock, case of soft drinks from Carl Hilliard.
Class D--Ivan Fisher, desk set from Dawson jewelry story; Frank Spencer, case of beer from Brown Stansell; Wilbur Worley, case of soft drinks from Carl Hilliard.
Class E--(Winner yet to be determined, probably today.) a travel set by Hub Clothing store to be awarded to titlist; three pair of hose from Charles Carselowey for runner-up.
Class F--Otto Witzansky, $5 cleaning credit from Grayson's Cleaners; Sam Long, runner-up a year's subscription of golf magazine, offered by City News Stand.
Norton-Elliott Motor Company has offered several consolation awards, but in several divisions no winners were determined.
1940 December 22 mdnr Social News
The young people of the Miami Country club are invited to the clubhouse at 3 o'clock this afternoon to help decorate the club and make arrangements for holiday festivities. Each person is asked to bring sandwiches and potato chips.
*For the sake of the “Timeline of the Miami Golf and 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.
