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Sean_Tully

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William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« on: February 07, 2007, 12:56:55 PM »
Anyone ever see a reference to his middle name? It is interesting considering the amount of work that he did and the areas that he covered that so little is known of him.

Tully
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 10:05:22 AM by Sean_Tully »
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Tommy_Naccarato

Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2007, 12:59:24 PM »
Tull,
 I've scoured the resources and have not found anything.
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Sean_Tully

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2007, 01:05:43 PM »
It should be interesting to note that his brother was James Watson a noted golf pro in the Northern California for years that also was involved in the construction of some courses as well. I will probably work on him and see what I can dig up.

Tully
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Mark_Fine

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2007, 01:08:19 PM »
Sean, Tommy and I have been spending a lot of time going back and forth on Watson and Hunter and having some fun with it.  We've been comparing notes and our findings and it is all very interesting.  As Sean said, there seems to be little out there and you have to look hard for it.

We have a challenge for everyone - find a photo for us of Willie Watson?  None of us can find one, so far.  By the way, the one in The Architects of Golf doesn't count as it is likely not of Willie  :o
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Tommy_Naccarato

Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2007, 01:09:58 PM »
Good find on James Watson. I haven't come across that one. Only that in 1899 he was working at the Hotel Green, fresh from St. Andrews.
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Tommy_Naccarato

Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2007, 01:13:41 PM »
So far nothing, but hopefully something at the City of Pasadena will turn up. (Historical Society)
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Mark_Fine

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2007, 11:24:41 AM »
I'm upping my offer to a round at Lehigh (and feel free to bring two guests with you) for the first one to find a decent photo of Willie Watson  ;D  

Someone out there must have come across something.  I will be at the Bancroft at UC-Berkeley this March and I have to believe something will turn up there (I hope).  
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Joe Hancock

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2007, 11:53:41 AM »
I hear tell that Mr. Watson was of southern descent...and that his family members reffered to him as "Billy Bob"

Billy Bob Watson, Golf Course Architect.......

That may or may not be totally factual......

Joe
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Dan Kelly

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2007, 01:07:40 PM »
I always thought it was "Tecumseh."
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Sean_Tully

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Re:William ______ Watson
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2007, 10:04:01 AM »
Well if you look long enough you're bound to find something. I have been lucky the last couple of days and came across some interesting things. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised to find a photo of Willie Watson, albeit small it is him. I have a couple pics of his brother, J.M.Watson and they look very similar. The photo was taken at Orinda CC and I found it in the Fairway Magazine. I have probably gone through the magazines close to three times and only yesterday saw this.

Then to top it all off, they also included his middle initial, something that comes in handy when there are over 200 returns on a search for W.W.

Gotta love his look. Considering that this is taken in 1928, it looks closer to 1900.

The photo is just a hair bigger than a quarter.


Tully
                                                           

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Scott Witter

Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2007, 10:31:53 AM »
Sean:

CONGRATULATIONS man :o you are the grand prize winner of an all expenses paid trip to Allentown, PA this season, courtesy of Mr. Fine to play Lehigh CC.

Good luck collecting from Mark...bring a big pry bar!
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Tommy_Naccarato

Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2007, 10:34:48 AM »
Great find Tull!

Send me the full resolution copy and I'll tightener' up.
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David Stamm

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2007, 11:13:45 AM »
Great find Tully! In case anybody hasn't seen this, here's a  link to Orinda CC's website.

http://www.orindacc.org/html/willie_watson.html
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Dan Moore

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2007, 11:26:10 AM »
Very cool Sean.

David thanks for the link.  That is one of the best course websites I've seen.  Tons of history and photos.  
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Sean_Tully

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2007, 11:26:46 AM »
David,

Some of their info doesn't jive with mine. I hope to get over there and sit down with someone over there to see what they have and where they got it from.

Watson was a very busy guy in the 1920's, his name is in a lot of places. He spent most of his time in SoCal, and did alot of work in NorCAl, and still went back East during the summer to work at Olympia and others including Belvedere. His wife would stay out West and handle his business while he was gone. There is alot to be learned about him.

Tully
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David Stamm

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2007, 11:31:24 AM »
Sean, I would check out what Hacienda GC might have as well, if Tommy hasn't done so already. In addition, I wonder if anybody can identify who all the gentlemen are in this photo. Could one of these be Watson? I recognize a couple of them.

http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/golf/torreypines/history_bells.html
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 11:32:48 AM by David Stamm »
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"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

John_Conley

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2007, 01:05:07 AM »
Sean, great contribution to the site.  Anyone interested in such matters surely appreciates your perspective as a historian.  I know how hard you work to unearth such arcane material.

Thoroughly enjoyed my day with you last fall.  Keep up the great work.
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Forrest Richardson

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2007, 10:42:51 AM »
I suppose you all know, by now, that Watson was later reincarnated as Desmond Muirhead. And, that in a small village in Madagascar — as we speak — a young chap named Fulfi is growing up as the reincarnated Muirhead.
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— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
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RJ_Daley

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2007, 06:53:47 PM »
David Stamm, that is a fairly well known photo taken at the first meeting of the ASGCA.  It appears on p153 of C&Ws book, and all the archies are named.

As for Willie Watson's middle name... I'm going to guess "Kidd".  Back in the first decade of American Golf, R/. Foulis brought Watson over to help him with laying out Minikahada.  Willie was the super there for several years and started splitting his time with winters in CA and summers back east, including Charlevoix, Belvedere.  The head pro at Mini for many years was Willie Kidd, also brought over at that time from Monefieth Scotland, near St Andrews, where they all seem to have spawned, under the tutelege of Old Tom.  I'm thinking it was a family affair and they all had some kissing cousin relationships.  "Kidd" could be a family sort of name... used in middle names as well.
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Mark_Fine

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #19 on: February 20, 2007, 07:04:30 PM »
Sean,
I just IMed you.  Great find.  I am sending you this message from the Ralph Miller Library (AAF) in LA.  I owe you and your two guests a round at Lehigh.  Of course you were welcome anytime (even before you found the photo)  ;D
Mark
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Bill_McBride

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2007, 07:13:10 PM »
Quote from: Forrest Richardson on February 17, 2007, 10:42:51 AM
I suppose you all know, by now, that Watson was later reincarnated as Desmond Muirhead. And, that in a small village in Madagascar — as we speak — a young chap named Fulfi is growing up as the reincarnated Muirhead.

Pretty funny, Forrest.  ;D

Interestingly enough, a young GCAer just sent me an IM about playing Pensacola CC with me during a family vacation.  When I apologized for not replying sooner, giving as an excuse my weekend trip to Puerto Penasco to play your (outstanding) Links at Las Palomas, he asked if you have ever mentioned the further tales of Foulpointe.

I replied that you are under threat of death if you continue that saga.  :o :o
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Forrest Richardson

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2007, 08:12:36 PM »
Sean — Which guy is Watson in the image you posted????
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— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
    www.golfgroupltd.com
    www.golframes.com

Sean_Tully

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #22 on: August 08, 2007, 09:27:53 AM »
Quote from: Forrest Richardson on August 07, 2007, 08:12:36 PM
Sean — Which guy is Watson in the image you posted????

The guy on the far right. I am not sure about the style back in the 1920's, but it seems to me that that collar is more common in the earlier part of the 1900's than the 1920's. Kinda says something about the man if that is the case.

Tully
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Forrest Richardson

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Re:William K. Watson----with picture goodness!
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2007, 11:27:51 AM »
Thanks. We assumed it was the guy on the right, but were not certain.
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— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
    www.golfgroupltd.com
    www.golframes.com
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