Sell the Horse?

[Bill Brightly]

So I was researching the architectural history of my course today ,looking to see if Raynor was involved, reading old minutes from 1926 when we hired Charles Banks, (and rejected Tillinghast's proposal, while Ross said he was too busy..) and I come across this entry:

"It is recommended that we accept the $50 offer for our horse. It is believed that with two tractors and a cart, we no longer need the horse."

I don't know about you, but I find it amazing that only 80 years ago they were using horses on golf courses!

[Kyle Harris]

Bill,

A lot of the older clubs around the country still have their horse keeping facilities. It's no coincidence that they can be called "Maintenance Barns."

The one at Huntingdon Valley is especially impressive and is still quite useful. I'd imagine your club still may have relics from that era.

Another thing to consider is how firm the courses had been kept to prevent the horseshoes from doing damage to the fairways and greens. Also, those gang mowers weren't light.

[Bill Brightly]

Kyle,

I just saw a beautiful old horse shed at Sleepy Hollow, complete with slate roofs and all. Just amazing!

But at Hackensack GC, the year we sold the horse is also the year we moved the club! So alas, no horse barn.

We left a 9-hole Bendelow course, sold that land in the city of Hackensack, bought more than twice as much land 5 miles north  which had a 9 hole course called the Kinderkamack Club with 50 members, and had plans to build 27 holes. We built 18 and were acquiring land, and then the depression hit...We never built the third nine and then sold off the excess land bit by bit over the years...

[Pat Brockwell]

Bill,
Mike Hurdzan, when not designing golf courses, teaches a wonderful course in the history of design and construction of golf course greens within the framework of the GCSAA Seminar offerrings.  Horses are involved, and integral to the design of many classic greens.  You can check with GCSAA on the next date and location of his seminar, maybe in Orlando this winter.

[JESII]

I heard recently, in a conversation about the Global Warning panic, that the comparable epidemic type concern 100 years ago was...if the population continues to expand at the then rate, what are we going to do with all the horse crap in the streets?

[Bill Brightly]

I should send him an old movie I have of the course being built, including the use of horses, and including the greens being built.

[Alfie]

Bill,

In the UK, we had special shoes (rubber, I think) that were fitted to the horses to try and prevent damage to the course.

Your thread brings to mind some research I was doing on a local course over here, Carnwath minutes circa 1920-30ish.

The committee had a dilemna. Their horse was getting too old and struggling to do the work required of it. Half of the committee thought they should try to sell it - the other half favoured the simpler option to - JUST SHOOT IT ! The dabate continued for many weeks but they failed to record what the fate of the old nag actually was ? Who knows, it's maybe lying at the bottom of one of their bunkers ?

Alfie.

[Kyle Harris]

Alfie,

Sounds like nature made their decision for them.

[Alfie]

Kyle,

I think the evolution of the tractor did it ?

The days of the horse had passed...... momentarily. Over here now, the fields are full of them again ! But not on the golf courses, thankfully.

Alfie.

[Kyle Harris]

Kyle,

I think the evolution of the tractor did it ?

The days of the horse had passed...... momentarily. Over here now, the fields are full of them again ! But not on the golf courses, thankfully.

Alfie.

I meant of that particular horse...  

[TEPaul]

At my club in the beginning (1919) we had a helluva team in the greenskeeper and his wife (the nominal cook and club manager) but they were into some pretty serious tippling and in a moment of indiscretion they sold the cow and pocketed the money and things went downhill from there for a considerable time.

[James Bennett]

Tom

when they sold the cow, did they buy any magic beans?

James B

 

[Mike McGuire]

Ron Prichard emailed me this comment

"During the recent restoration of Charlotte Country Club we found three old rusty horseshoes under three seperate greens."

[Mike McGuire]

The last time i played Apache Stonghold there were a few horseshoe prints in the 17th green

[BCrosby]

Is it too far OT to note that they discovered back in the '70's an old truck transmission box under the 8th green at Athens CC.

No one had the foggiest idea how it got there.

Bob

[John_Cullum]

Must of been a pretty good nag. I am surprised a horse would fetch $50.00 in 1926