Original articles relating to the History of Golf.
After an infamous round of golf on Del Monte No. 2 at Pebble Beach in April 1918, sports writer, humorist, and author, Charles E. Van Loan, said, “Never again, it is too dangerous a course.”
Van Loan found a very large garter snake next to his ball on the fifth hole, and then “encountered four prairie dogs, innumerable lizards, and three jackrabbits. Yes indeed it is a dangerous course.”
©2019 J.I.B. Jones/GolfHistoricalSociety
by J.I.B. Jones
Washington’s Birthday, February 22, 1919
One Hundred years ago, on Washington’s Birthday 1919, the excitement was high for the long-awaited opening of the new Del Monte Lodge at Pebble Beach.
Lewis Hobart was the Hotel Del Monte’s architect. He also designed the original Pebble Beach Lodge in 1909. Hobart was well known in San Francisco, where he designed many important buildings after the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, including the original California Academy of Sciences buildings in Golden Gate Park, the Grace Episcopal Cathedral, the Bohemian Club, and estates at Burlingame for William Crocker and Richard Tobin.
The new $200,000 Lodge had 55 sleeping rooms, an a-la-carte grill room, special children’s kitchen, tea rooms, lounging areas, parlors, locker rooms, showers, and an open plunge (outdoor swimming pool) for golfers.
The Hotel Del Monte was forced to build the new lodge after the old one was destroyed by fire, just two months before the new Del Monte No. 2 golf course at Pebble Beach was to open in February, 1918. The old log cabin lodge was the club house for the new golf course, which opened without one on March 30, 1918.
The observance of Washington’s birthday began with the planting of a cherry tree near the first tee of the remodeled golf course by 11-year old Edward Simpson, of a prominent Tacoma family, followed by the swearing-in of the golfer’s by Judge Flint, “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
Fifty Del Monte Golf and Country Club members turned out for the two day tournament. Douglas Grant won the low gross on day one, with 80, eight strokes over par, which was considered a good score after rain had made conditions slow, in addition to the local rules that were in effect due to the ongoing remodeling of the golf course.
On the second day the golfers played 18 holes of match play against par, and Douglas Grant won again, 2 down.
Jack Neville was conspicuous by his absence.
To be continued…
© 2019 J.I.B. Jones/GolfHistoricalSociety – All rights reserved.
“Yes.” he said. “they were the most brilliant players we ever had arrayed against us. I never saw such magnificent golf in my life. Their driving was almost incredible. Almost invariably they reached the green in one. And then their putting. Such marvelous putting I never saw. It was unique. You will never believe that such magnificent play is possible until you see them.” They listened to him, lost in wonder. “And how did your match go?” said one. “Oh,” he answered, modestly, “we beat them by four up and three to play.” (From Newcastle Leader) – July 4, 1902 – Golf Illustrated
In 1983, the 57th Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open returned to the 6638-yard Rancho Park Golf Course for one year, while Riviera Country Club hosted the PGA Championship.
The L.A. Open was played at Rancho from 1955 to 1972 (minus 1968 at Brookside Park), and most recently in 1983. The Rancho golf course has been home to three permanent golf clubs, and more than 100,000 local and visiting golfers, every year, since 1949. The excitement level of having the professionals at Rancho was always high, with so many of the spectators knowing the course from first hand experience, and the tournament having the full support of the community, and the city of Los Angeles, it isn’t hard to imagine that L.A. Open’s at Rancho were a big success!
In 1983, the pro-amateur featured former U.S. President Gerald Ford, Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, Mike Douglas, Robert Stack, Monty Hall, Dick Martin, Johnny Mathis, Foster Brooks, Scatman Crothers, Wayne Rodgers, Tommy Lasorda, and Steve Garvey, who all entertained the fans.
The professional competition included, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Craig Stadler, Dave Stockton, Jim Dent, Lee Trevino, Payne Stewart, Roger Dunn, Charlie Sifford, Jim Thorpe, Bobby Clampett, Roger Maltbie, Larry Mize, Bobbie Wadkins, Fuzzy Zoeller, Mac O’Grady, and others.
53-year old Arnold Palmer opened with a 66, and even led for five holes during the final round! Nowhere on tour has Arnie had more love and support than from his fans at Rancho! And he always deserved it!
Gil Morgan won the title, his second LA Open, scoring 270 over 72 holes.
Previous LA Open winner at Rancho, George Archer, scored a record 61 in the third round, making back to back eagles on No. 8 and 9 (#17 & #18).
“There is an old Scottish superstition that the person standing 2 up and 5 to play will never win out in a match, and it is also said to be bad luck to win the first hole — “winners, first; losers, last.”
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© J.I.B.Jones/GolfHistoricalSociety 2014-2018
Golf Historical Society
September 1914, Golf Illustrated. Read by jib jones, 2018.
Over 2500 fans turned out to see Bob Hope and Johnny Dawson lose their match to George Von Elm and Bruce McCormick at the opening of the city of Los Angeles’s new Rancho Municipal Golf Course on July 3, 1949.
According to the press, Hope was beaten, but not silenced!
Johnny Dawson and George Von Elm were advisors to William “Bill” Johnson and William P. “Billy” Bell in the design and construction of the new championship golf course, and the Nine hole Par 3 course. Both layouts were built on the site of W. Herbert Fowler’s 1921-1944, Hotel Ambassador/Rancho Golf Club course.
The most historic photo ever taken of Southern California legends!
Bell designed and built over 60 golf courses in California, Arizona and Hawaii.
Dawson a 5-time So Cal Amateur champion, course architect, and 1949 U.S. Walker Cup Team.
McCormick was 1937 U.S. Amateur Public Links, twice Cal State, three time So Cal Amateur champion, and 1949 Walker Cup Team.
Luxford was the Father of Celebrity golf, ran Crosby’s Clambake, S.C.G.A. President, L.A. Open fundraiser, and President of the L.A. Recreation and Parks Commission.
Johnson worked for Bell as Greenkeeper at: Royal Palms, L.A. Rec. and Parks Griffith Park, Architect with Bell and Billy Bell Junior.
Von Elm was multiple So Cal, Cal State, Trans Mississippi amateur champion. He beat his 1926 U.S. Walker Cup team mate, Bobby Jones, to win the 1926 U.S. Amateur, while playing for the Rancho Golf Club!
Hunter was the son of Henry Hunter, Royal Cinque Ports Greenkeeper/Professional, and nephew of Ramsey Hunter, designer of Royal St. Georges. He was 1921 British Amateur champion. Rancho Golf Club secretary and Von Elm partner in SCGA Team Play. Founder of the L.A. Open, and Riviera Country Club head professional for decades.
The Recreation and Park Department held their official municipal opening on Friday, July 8, 1949. The next day the new course hosted the 24th U.S.G.A. Public Links Championship ( July 9 to July 16).
The Rancho Golf Course opened to the general public on July 17, 1949.
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Golf Historical Society
Bob Thomas was the publisher, editor, writer, and historian, of the Southern California Golf Association’s, FORE magazine, and the SCGA‘s director of communication for over 25 years until his retirement in 2009.
Sadly, he passed away last week at only 72 years young. Rest in peace.
Bob was very kind to me in my early days of researching Rancho Golf Club, and George Von Elm, and he always had a good answer for my “green” questions, never once discouraging me.
I was very proud to have my photo taken with Bob at that inaugural SCGA Hall of Fame ceremony in 2007.
© 2018 golfhistoricalsociety.org & J.I.B. Jones.
The Virginia Country Club at Alamitos opened on April 30, 1910. The nine-hole golf course was designed and built by Los Angeles Country Club’s, Arthur Rigby of Carnoustie, who was hired as Virginia’s first golf instructor and course supervisor.
The Virginia Country Club was the idea of D.M. Linnard, the owner of the Hotel Virginia in Long Beach, and the Hotel Maryland in Pasadena, and had the support of the Long Beach city council, the Bixby family, the Alamitos Water Company, and members of the Long Beach chamber of commerce. Hotel Virginia manager, and avid golfer, Carl Stanley, made the club a reality.
Stanley went on to manage the Hotel Del Monte for 27 years and fathered the Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula golf courses for the Del Monte company.
The course was short, 5121 yards, when 18-holes were in play at Christmas 1912, but it was well loved.
At the end of the club’s ten year lease, in 1920, the golf course and club house were abandoned, and the Virginia Country Club moved to their present location, at the Bixby’s, Cerritos ranch.
The city of Long Beach quickly secured the old Virginia property, and has operated it as a municipal golf course (Recreation Park 18 Golf Course), with many alterations and additions, since 1920.
© 2018 golfhistoricalsociety.org & J.I.B. Jones.
Here is a group of Southern California golf legends posing on the 10th tee of the new Rancho golf course, on that magic day in 1949 when they first rated the course!
An article from the Los Angeles Times from March 24, 1949:
The new Rancho golf course received its baptism of fire yesterday when eight local links expert tested the course for the first time.
The purpose of their play was to give the course a handicap par rating and also to list the holes in order of difficulty for the score cards. The course will not be opened officially until it is the scene of the National Public Links championship July 11-16. The links will be available for public play following that time.
Wille Hunter, pro at Riviera, and Johnny Dawson, Lakeside amateur, scored 70s yesterday. Harold Dawson, executive secretary of the Southern California Golf Association, and a 7-handicap golfer, scored a 77. J.C. Cunningham, a public links official and a 12 handicapper, scored 82 and Bill Johnson, L.A. city golf course manager, a 16 handicapper, had 87.
Others in the group did not play full rounds. They were Maurie Luxford, president of the City Recreation and Park Commission; George Von Elm and Golf Architect Billy Bell.
Course Rated
Johnny Dawson gave the course a par rating of 70.9 and Harold Dawson rated it 70.7. The actual par will be 71. The second hole, 445-yard 4-par, was judged the most difficult and the 16th, a 179-yard 3-par, rated the easiest.
Rancho, at Pico Blvd. and Patricia Ave., is on the site of the old Rancho course, which has been closed for several years.
Transcribed by J.Jones, Rancho Park Golf Club historian.
1949 Rancho Golf Course Opening Score Card
© 2018 golfhistoricalsociety.org & J.I.B. Jones.