Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
The original clubhouse at Schifferdecker Golf Course.
The original clubhouse at Schifferdecker Golf Course.
Local golfers and Joplin residents were captivated following the Ryder Cup matches in April 1929.
And rightly so — they were cheering on two of their “favorite adopted sons.”
Both Horton Smith and Ed Dudley were playing in their first Ryder Cup.
Smith and Dudley also confronted a major equipment adjustment. At the time, wood shafted clubs were the only sanctioned club in Great Britain.
Smith and Dudley had to quickly forgo their steel-shafted clubs and adapt to hickory shafts. After hitting steel shafted clubs, the transition to hickory shafts had to be extremely challenging, but of course they were two of the best players in the world.
Smith and Dudley also played their matches with clean, white teeth thanks to a local tooth powder manufacturer.
The Joplin Globe reported that the USA Ryder Cup team received from Joplin Pycope 12 packages of tooth powder and 12 toothbrushes. In 1925 Pycope was established in Joplin by Dr. John Temples.
Pycope’s officials sent the tooth brushes and powder to “help Americans clean up during the invasion.” Even with brushed sparkling molars the American team lost 7-5 at the Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, England.
Following the Ryder Cup, the governing body, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, allowed players to use steel shafts. Some golf historians have found the timing most interesting to make their decision after the Ryder Cup?
Clearly, staying with the wooden shafted clubs favored the British Isles team.
One story version covering the abrupt equipment change occurred when the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII was presented a gift of steel shafted golf clubs and began using them.
Rather than disqualify the Prince of Wales for using illegal equipment, the Royal and Ancient officials adopted the usage of steel shafted golf clubs.
Back in the states, New York Yankee legend Babe Ruth reportedly drove a golf ball 325 yards. The Sultan of Swat swung his specially crafted 45-inch-long, 16 ounce “bludgeon” at St. Albans Golf Club in New York.
An avid golfer, Ruth was named the first president of the American Lefthanders Golf Association. Besides hitting monster drives and massive home runs, the Bronx Bomber was also known for colorful statements like, “I didn’t mean to hit the umpire with dirt, but I did mean to hit that bastard in the stands.”
Locally, Shifferdecker Golf Course was receiving good reviews from the public. A September 21, 1929, Globe article printed some praiseworthy statements from a Kansas City golfer.
He stated, “perhaps you fellows do not know it, but you have a course here that has got any municipal course in Kansas City beaten. Your greens right now are in better condition than those on any course in Kansas City except one.”
New rules were activated for the annual Tri-State golf tournament. “All balls driven into any drainage ditches must be played as is from there or can be lifted with a penalty stroke. Also, stymies will be played.”
A drainage ditch crossed the fairway on No. 2 (the dog-leg right par 4). A stymie is when Person A’s ball blocks the direct putting line to the hole of Person B’s ball. It is up to Person B to select his route. He must attempt to putt around or chip over A’s ball.
The Tri-State tourney entry fee was $2. At this time women golfers were also playing by competing in the lady’s division. One interesting male player in the 1929 Tri-State golf tournament was James Bowers.
The Globe wrote a story on Bowers. The 19-year-old hailed from Columbus, Kansas. He played in overhauls and his caddy brought a harmonica and played tunes between shots.
In addition to being an accomplished golfer, Bowers neither smoked, drank, nor dated girls. Besides winning the tournament, he possibly had his sights on another prize as well.
The Columbus Chamber of Commerce was awarding cash prizes to any Columbus boy who reached his 21st birthday without having smoked, drank or dated girls. It is unknown if he won the Chamber’s award, however Bowers would win the Tri-State tourney the following year in 1930.
The Globe reported some news concerning the newly constructed clubhouse at the Columbus Golf Club.
On August 15, 1923, 52 Columbus residents each agreed to purchase one share of stock for $100 to establish the Columbus Country Club. The 63 acres was originally owned by the Cherokee Nation, later purchased by the federal government, then sold to a railroad company
In February 1929 the new $12,000 clubhouse opened with a banquet and dance. One hundred and seventy-five attended.
Musical entertainment was provided by Herb McGhie and his Columbians. The Globe story praised the nine-hole sand green golf course and detailed a modern amenity “playgrounds have been provided for children to entertain themselves while mothers are wielding the mashie or niblick.”
Speaking of new clubhouses — construction began on a new Schifferdecker clubhouse in 1929.
Three years earlier a destructive fire damaged the original clubhouse. A building contract was awarded in September 1929 to Garrison & Jones, with a general bid of $13,064.65.
It was to be competed in 90 days. The building site was the original location of the former clubhouse. Joplin architects Smith and Van Pelt designed the building. They selected a modified colonial style.
The 88-by-65-foot structure offered two verandas — one on the east side and another facing the west. The window sills were made of cut limestone. Most of the stone facade was mined from Joplin quarries located off Shoal Creek.
The first floor was composed of a women’s and men’s locker rooms, showers, kitchen, dining room, business office and social room. The social room featured a variegated-marble fireplace and a quarry-tile floor from Joplin Marble & Tile Company.
Red leather upholstered chairs welcomed tired golfers following a challenging round of golf. In the basement, the heating plant (gas-fired vacuum steam system, note: no air conditioning), caretaker’s room, work shop, storage room for clubs and a caddie’s room. The men’s locker room had four showers and 112 steel lockers, while the lady’s locker room possessed two showers and 27 lockers.
A festive celebration was held in March 1930 for the grand opening of the clubhouse. More than one-half of the cost of the building and furnishings were provided by popular subscription.
Just like the course’s beginning in 1922, the public donated money to support a worthy effort. Public funds constructed the course and eight years later public donations built the golf course clubhouse. Golfers, residents and businesses donated from $5 to $100 to pay for the clubhouse construction.
Like many of the golf holes, much of the 1930 structure remains intact harkening back to another era.
However, one thing has never changed — the stories told inside.
The altered tales and the elaborated alibis replayed after a round are what makes this site so very special. Golf is an adventure into the interpretation of the “what ifs”, the “would haves”, “could haves” and “should haves.”
At the end of the day, the clubhouse provided the space to hear those colorful accounts of triumph and defeat.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.