The flip side of
this postcard
shows an
incredible image
of the Fifth
hole at Southern
Pines, the same
Fifth hole we
play today.
Notice the type
print at the top
of the card
which reads, "
'The Fifth
Green' Country
Club Golf Links,
Southern Pines,
N.C."
EXHIBIT 3b:
So, in "EXHIBIT
3" we have an
artifact which,
combined with
the other
postcards,
places the
original design
back to 1908 and
proves that the
same course
still exists
today.
"EXHIBITS 4 and
5" are two
newspaper
clippings from
The Outlook,
December 1907.
They document a
match played
between a team
from Pinehurst
and a team from
Southern Pines.
"The recent
match was played
on the visitors'
grounds", the
grounds at
Southern Pines.
The match ended
in a tie and was
completed two
weeks later at
Pinehurst.
(Southern Pines
won. Go team.)
Take note that
Mr. Ward shot 57
for the nine
hole match which
established a
course record.
How freakin'
hard was this
course playing
for 57 to have
been a course
record?
EXHIBIT 4:
EXHIBIT 5:
"EXHIBITS 6a and
6b" are taken
from a marketing
brochure
published by the
town of Southern
Pines as an
advertisement
and enticement
to draw in
golfing
visitors. 6a
concerns the
"GOLF Season for
1912-1913" and
lists various
conmpetitions
scheduled. 6b is
another page
from the
brochure which
proves that the
first nine of
the golf course
was opened in
1906 and the
second nine no
later than 1912.
EXHIBIT 6a:
EXHIBIT 6b:
"EXHIBIT 7" is a
photograph,
documented again
by Susan
Pockmire, "circa
1907" which
depicts the
Bilyeau home
with the golf
course.
According to
page 91 of
Mandell's book,
the Bilyeau home
served as a
temporary
clubhouse prior
to the second
nine being
built.
EXHIBIT 7:
Taking all of this
evidence together,
and comparing the
images depicted
therein with the
course today, it
becomes clear that
the Southern Pines
Country Club golf
course came into
existence in 1906.
This
date is of
further
importance,
because, if the
course can be
connected to
Donald Ross as
its designer,
then Southern
Pines would be
able to claim,
as part of its
newfound
identity, that
it is the third
new golf course
ever designed by
Donald Ross (as
opposed to those
he remodelled,
such as
Pinehurst #1).
Mr. Ross's first
original design
was the front
nine of
Pinehurst #2.
His second
design (and
first full
eighteen hole
course) was the
Winchester
Country Club in
Mass., 1902.
Furthermore, if
Mr. Ross did
design SPCC for
a 1906 opening,
he did so before
he designed the
back nine of
Pinehurst #2,
which was opened
in 1907.
Therefore, were
the Southern
Pines course
designed by Mr.
Ross, it must be
considered, due
to its close
proximity to
Pinehurst, one
of the earliest
examples of the
signature style
of the Leonardo
DaVinci of golf
course
architecture.
MYSTERY #2:
DID
DONALD ROSS
DESIGN SOUTHERN
PINES COUNTRY
CLUB?
Ah, this is the
question which
has baffled
Sandhills Ross
disciples for
decades. While
it has come to
be accepted lore
that Donald Ross
designed
Southern Pines
Country Club,
what is there to
actually "prove"
with "concrete"
evidence that
the course was
created by him?
On Tuesday July
10th, 2007, I
woke up
determined to
continue the
search. But,
alas, it was not
to be. You see,
The Cuteness,
upon my waking
her that
morning, quickly
discerned that
we both just
happened to be
off on this day
and she insisted
I put the hunt
behind me and
take her to
Fayettville for
lunch and a
movie. One
cannot resist
the wily charms
of The Cuteness.
And here's where
things get very
weird. She and I
went to see the
1:20 PM showing
of "Nancy
Drew". It
was a fun little
flick, faithful
to the sleuthing
vibe of the old
books. As I sat
there happily
digesting my
buffalo style
quesadilla, Ms.
Drew had a
revelation that
a logo she
believed was an
"X" actually
turned out to be
two palm trees
crossed (think
about the "big
W" in "It's
a Mad Mad Mad
Mad World").
Ms. Drew runs to
her computer,
blasts away at
the search
engine, and then
reads back to
us, her captive
audience, the
list her search
reveals. And
when she says,
"Southern
Pines..." I
nearly fell out
of my chair.
There was no
escaping it. I
knew right then
and there, I had
to solve the
mystery of
Donald Ross and
Southern Pines.
I kid you not,
Southern Pines
is in that movie
out in theatres
right now.
The next day,
after returning
from the Given
Memorial
Library-Tufts
Archives, I
spent hours
sitting at the
computer. So
many false leads
and failed
connections left
me just about
busted.
But then, at
4:45 PM I
stumbled across
a web page for
the "Historylinks
Museum", a
museum dedicated
to the history
of Dornoch
parish in
Scotland, the
hometown of
Donald Ross.
Their
Donald Ross web
page
contains a
reference to
"EXHIBIT 8":
"A
valuable
artefact is a
copy of a pocket
size, 12 page
booklet 'Donald
J Ross
Associates Inc,
Golf Course
Construction'
which provides
"A partial list
of prominent
golf courses,
revised to 1930"
designed by
Donald Ross and
his associates
Walter B Hatch
and J B
McGovern."
The web page
features only
the cover page
to this utterly
intriguing
booklet.
It's important
to note that the
image provided
by this museum
only portrays
the front cover
and nothing
else. Indeed,
there is nothing
in that image
which backs up
the allegation
that the booklet
contains a
"partial list of
prominent golf
courses"
designed by
Donald Ross. But
until this
moment, I did
not know, nor
did it appear
from their
writings, that
any of the other
Ross researchers
were aware such
an important
list existed.
This list of
course becomes
more important
than any other
list of courses
designed by Mr.
Ross and
Associates
because this
list was
published,
according to the
allegation by
the Dornoch
museum, by Mr.
Ross and
Associates and
is accurate up
to 1930.
Furthermore,
since it is a "a
partial list of
prominent
courses", it
would establish,
from Mr. Ross
himself, a list
of courses he
valued very
much.
When I saw Ran
Morisette in the
pro shop later
that day, I
showed the image
and caption to
him. He was
astonished, and
admitted he'd
never seen or
heard of this
booklet before.
We then
discussed the
ramifications if
Southern Pines
Country Club
were not listed
in this
publication and
the
ramifications
were not good.
Of course,
since, by Mr.
Ross and
Associates own
choice of words,
ths list was
only "partial",
any course
claiming lineage
to Mr. Ross
would not
necessairly be
shut out, but to
be excluded from
a list created
by the master
himself... well
that would not
be good indeed.
Certainly, I
could just call
the museum, have
them open the
booklet and
confirm whether
the Southern
Pines Country
Club was listed
in this booklet.
Right? Wrong
(perhaps).
If you'll scroll
to the bottom of
the web page,
you'll find the
following
caption:
"Images of
the items
donated by
Elizabeth
Pippitt Shapiro
have been
included in a
'Donald Ross'
album which
forms part of
the slide shows
available on the
PC provided for
pubic access to
the museum
catalogue. The
newspaper and
magazine
cuttings and
other documents
have also been
produced in
portable
document format
and may be
viewed from an
index file
available on the
museum PC.
It says "images
of the items"
were donated,
not the items
themselves. I
began to panic.
It would be of
no use to call
them if all they
had were the
images on the
web page because
that image is
only of the
cover. Madness.
And in that
panic and
madness, I
didn't
comprehend the
rest of quote
above pertaining
to the "index
file".
And it's a
bloody damn good
thing I didn't
comprehend it
because, I
assure you, I
would have spent
my day trying to
bribe the
Dornoch
librarian with
some fine single
malt whisky.
But as confusion
clouded my
befuddled
cranium, I
thought the only
chance would be
the Tufts
Archives at the
Given Memorial
Library.
Indeed, a
longshot if
there ever was
one because
Richard Mandell,
Michael Fay, Ran
Morrisette and
probably
hundreds more
freaks just like
me had
scrutinzed every
square inch of
that place
looking for just
such a Holy
Grail list
emanating
straight from
the master's
mouth as it
were.
Still, the
images were
provided by
Elizabeth
Pippitt Shapiro,
the maestro's
grand-daughter.
So there was a
chance the
librarians could
point me in the
right direction.
It's important
to note here,
that the image
provided to the
Dornoch Museum
by Ms. Shapiro
does not contain
the alleged
quotes about the
booklet
containing a
list of Ross
courses. So, for
that quote to be
real, somebody
must have opened
the booklet and
taken that
information from
it.
Oh, to be able
to touch it,
feel it with
thine own hands
and read the
actual list.
So this morning
at 9:30 AM
sharp, I arrived
at the Given
Library, beeline
for the Tufts
archive and to
my horror
Melissa Bielby,
assistant to
Executive
Director Audrey
Moriarty,
informs me that
Audrey is away
on vacation for
the next two
weeks and Mr.
Root won't be in
until 2:00 PM.
Melissa
graciously
offers me her
assistance. When
I explain that
I'm trying to
authenticate
Southern Pines
Country Club as
a Donald Ross
design she
becomes
instantly
skeptical that I
will find any
such
documentation
here at the
Tufts Archives
and informs me
that, "Richard
Mandell and
Michael Fay have
spent days,
weeks even,
hunting through
everything we
have."
This of course
makes perfect
sense to me, but
she politely
agrees to take a
look at the
Dornoch web page
image of the
booklet just in
case and then
replies, "I've
never seen it."
I ask if I can
see the files of
Mr. Ross's
corresppondence
and she assures
me it is not in
there but is
happy to get the
file for me
anyway.
She looks
through it
briefly herself
before handing
it over, and
once again
assures me it is
not there. I
desperately
cling to the
folder as the
sad clown look
comes over me
and I know for
sure it's not in
there. I mean,
how could all of
those
researchers
overlook such a
valuable
artifact whilst
searching at the
one place you'd
expect to find
it?
It doesn't take
me long to
complete my
review of the
file. Melissa
was indeed
correct. The
booklet was not
in there. Now
I'm torn between
giving up or
getting my hands
dirty with a few
more years of
The Outlook.
Just when I'm
about to quit, I
think about old
Nancy Drew and
how I felt in
that movie
theatre. And I
decide, "Damn
it, I know I'm
going to find
the answer."
And just at that
moment, Melissa,
standing by the
locked glass
case which holds
various Donald
Ross memorabilia
on exhibit,
exclaims, "Wait
a minute." I
look up and she
says, "I think
it's right here
in the display
case."
I run over and
there it is,
sitting in the
middle of a
group of photos.
And I
discern
immediately why
nobody ever
found it. As the
Dornoch museum
so accurately
stated, it is
indeed "pocketsized",
perhaps three by
four inches and
it's very thin.
It also
does not say
anything about
it being a
booklet on the
cover and
sitting there in
the locked glass
cabinet where
nobody can pick
it up,
it looks
just like a
fancy business
card for Donald
Ross and
Associates...nothing
more.
Not having the
benefit of
having read the
Dornoch Museum's
obscure web
page, there is
absolutely no
reason why
anybody looking
at that tiny
booklet would
ever think it
was more than a
glorified
business card.
It does not look
like a booklet
at all, and
there's
certainly
NOTHING on its
face which would
alert a
researcher to
the treasures
found within.
Melissa had run
off to find the
keys as I began
pacing the floor
wondering if
Southern Pines
Country Club was
listed. She
eventually found
the key to the
cabinet, reached
in and simply
handed it to me
without opening
it, which I
thought was a
very classy
thing to do.
"EXHIBITS 9-11"
are blown up
scans of this
tiny booklet.
EXHIBIT 9:
And there it is,
the concrete,
undeniable
proof. A Donald
Ross publication
from 1930
wherein Mr. Ross
claims Southern
Pines Country
Club as his own.
Donald Ross
designed 36
holes at
Southern Pines
Country Club
before 1930,
including the
first nine, the
second nine
(which make the
original course
we still play
today) and the
abandoned nine
as well.
Furthermore, Mr.
Ross designed a
fourth nine
which was
apparently
never built
after the
depression hit
in 1929.
Mr. Ross
included
Southern Pines
Country Club in
this
booklet/brochure
of "Prominent
Golf Courses"
which was used
to promote
Donald Ross and
Associates to
the public. And
therefore, based
upon all the
evidence
presented, I
believe it is
fair to say that
Southern Pines
Country Club was
the third
original design
Donald Ross
completed and
therefore it
deserves it's
rightful place
in history as an
influence on all
that was to come
after it,
including the
back nine of
famed Pinehurst
#2.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Special thanks
to the Given
Memorial
Library,
especially
Melissa Bielby,
John Root and
Audrey Moriarty
of the Tufts
Archive. Thanks
also to Richard
Mandell for his
wonderful
passionate book,
and to Ran
Morrisette for
his equally
passionate
website. Thanks
to Michael Fay
and the Donald
Ross Society, C.
Jay Harris, Rob
Pilewski,
Avestra Golf,
Woody Davis,
Howard Cannon,
Rodney Russel,
Bill Baker, the
Bob Miller,
Charlotte at the
Elks Lodge,
Kevin Gallagher,
Mr. DeSandy, Mr.
Motsinger,
Dornoch
Historylinks
Museum, Susan
Pockmire and
Sarah from the
Moore County
Historical
Society, my
parents, The
Cuteness and
Donald Ross. God
bless you all.
