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TEPaul

Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« on: August 03, 2008, 08:37:21 AM »
Interesting story here, on what apparently is a seminal lady in the history of the American women golf professional;

http://www.boston.com/sports/golf/articles/2005/08/04/linked_to_a_grand_lady

Some on here may say because this information is generated by her grandson that more is being made out of it than is really there, but it seems to me it's undeniable unless and until someone can find a women who preceded her in what she obviously did, that Georgina Campbell who survived her husband Willie by perhaps half a century, may have been the first in what she did in American golf.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 08:39:07 AM by TEPaul »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2008, 08:58:58 AM »
Thanks for sharing that...what a fascinating woman. I knew she took over at Franlin Park when Willie died but I didn't know the rest of that info. It is interesting to note that article clearly states Willie was the pro at Myopia, but for whatever reason the club history makes no mention of him.

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2008, 09:12:42 AM »
"It is interesting to note that article clearly states Willie was the pro at Myopia, but for whatever reason the club history makes no mention of him."



Mr. MacWood:

True enough, Myopia's records do not mention Willie Campbell as being their pro. My sense would be that a guy like Willie Campbell probably was used by all those clubs at that time, in and around 1896, and probably as a teaching professional since he may've been the best player around there then (he did do very well in the first US Opens). After all there were so few clubs there then and they were not particularly far apart, and the various records seem to indicate that Willie was at all of them in and around 1896 including laying out  Franklin Park and acting as its professional.

Assuming that one man cannot be at all those places exclusively at the same time I would assume he probably acted as a general professional teacher of golf amongst all those clubs at the same time. Given the minimal amount of golf and golfers in Boston at that time that may not have been as hard to do as some of us may think today.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 09:14:38 AM by TEPaul »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2008, 09:23:01 AM »
TE
The article says "DeLacey, whose painstaking research offers plenty of evidence to support the notion that Campbell was the first great club professional in the United States."

I agree with that assessment, but yet Edward Weeks, the author of the Myopia history, fails to mention this first great professional in the country was the pro at Myopia. You don't think the history is flawed?

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2008, 09:25:29 AM »
Mr. MacWood:

This is what the Myopia history book by Edward Weeks says about those emigrant Scottish pros like Willie Campbell in and around that very early time (the latter years of the 1890s) of golf and golfers in America and in Boston, Massachusetts. Given the facts of that early time what Weeks says about them rings historically true to me.

"This was to be the first Open (Myopia, 1898) requiring medal play of seventy two holes, and the favorites were the Scottish professionals, who had been attracted to the States as clubmakers and greenskeepers and whose teaching had so improved our amateurs. One cannot exaggerate the influence of such Scots as Fred and Alex Herd, Alex Smith, Gil Nicholls, Willie Campbell, and Willie Anderson; in their instruction and in their play they set a standard for the newly formed clubs, and they inculcated a respect for the famous links in Scotland that were to have an immediate effect on golf architecture in America."

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2008, 09:33:41 AM »
"I agree with that assessment, but yet Edward Weeks, the author of the Myopia history, fails to mention this first great professional in the country was the pro at Myopia. You don't think the history is flawed?"


Mr. MacWood:

I don't really wish to go over the same question and answer with you time and time again.

No, I do not believe the Myopia history is flawed regarding Willie Campbell. If he was exclusively Myopia's pro, seeing as how the club records seem quite specific to me, I believe Campbell probably taught golf to a number of early golfers in Boston at a number of clubs simultaneously (after all there were so few of them and they just aren't that far apart), probably including TCC, Franklin Park, Essex and Myopia.

Given that a number of accounts put Campbell at all these places essentially at the same time this seems the logical explanation given that one man cannot be at all those places EXCLUSIVELY at the same time!

I think you probably need to appreciate better how minimal things really were in that early time and place in American golf. 
 
 
 

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2008, 10:25:09 AM »

Mr. MacWood:

I don't really wish to go over the same question and answer with you time and time again.

No, I do not believe the Myopia history is flawed regarding Willie Campbell. If he was exclusively Myopia's pro, seeing as how the club records seem quite specific to me, I believe Campbell probably taught golf to a number of early golfers in Boston at a number of clubs simultaneously (after all there were so few of them and they just aren't that far apart), probably including TCC, Franklin Park, Essex and Myopia.

Given that a number of accounts put Campbell at all these places essentially at the same time this seems the logical explanation given that one man cannot be at all those places EXCLUSIVELY at the same time!

I think you probably need to appreciate better how minimal things really were in that early time and place in American golf. 
 

TE
I'm affraid you don't know what you are talking about. Campbell was not at any of those clubs simultaneously. He was at Myopia at least through the end of 1896. And while he did lay out Franklin Park in 1896, the earliest report of him being the superintendent is 1898.

Feel free to defend your club history with whatever inaccurate speculations you can come up with, but take my word for it the book is seriously flawed.

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2008, 10:37:33 AM »
edit

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2008, 10:40:58 AM »
Well, then Mr. MacWood, I guess you'll just have to produce some real direct evidence that Willie Campbell was Myopia's exclusive golf professional, won't you?

I certainly have no problem with finding that out and I can assure you Myopia certainly does not at this point (I spoke to them about this last week and they were interested in any evidence to that effect that's available and significant).

I've asked you for this a number of times on this website including on the Barker, Campbell, White thread but you seem to continue to ignore it. Why is that?

Let's see what you've got and let's hope it is something more than just some old newspaper article with some vague reference to this effect.

Maybe you think these clubs are willing to just take your word for these things but you will always find it doesn't exactly work that way.

Again, produce something solid and significant and we will all be grateful for it, including Myopia. I will also be willing to personally see you get the credit for the information as that seems to be your concern at this point.

Go ahead, produce it---I am sincerely hoping you both can and do. I believe Myopia will be very happy to know now that the club exclusively hired Willie Campbell as their pro once---if that is, in fact, the case.


Hmmmm. Would you mind explaining to me what "edit" means in the post above, Mr. MacWood?   ::)
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 10:43:15 AM by TEPaul »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2008, 10:45:35 AM »
TE
I would love to produce the documentation, unfortunately I made a pledge I would never help you or anyone associated with you. If you are interested in Campbell or the history of Myopia I would recommend doing some of you own research. If that isn't possible perhaps you could hire someone - the Campbell historian might be a good place to start.

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2008, 11:05:00 AM »
"TE
I would love to produce the documentation, unfortunately I made a pledge I would never help you or anyone associated with you."


Well, Mr. MacWood, at least thanks for that. I think that statement should be sufficient evidence of where you're coming from on the subject of a greater understanding of golf architecture and those responsible for it.

May I remind you that you have speculated on this website that Willie Campbell was Myopia's exclusive golf professional and that he was also responsible for laying out of Myopia's original golf holes?

If that's the case we all would like to see some significant and solid evidence of it. Unfortunately, I don't think some reference in some old newspaper article that may mean he taught golf to some Myopia golfers is going to do it.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 11:09:12 AM by TEPaul »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2008, 11:18:29 AM »
TE
Speculation would be something like "I believe" or "I think" or "he may have" or "its possible that".

I have said Campbell did lay out the original nine at Myopia and he was the professional at Myopia beginning at 1896. No maybes in those statements.

Mike_Cirba

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2008, 11:20:53 AM »
I kinda like the name "Willie Campbell".   It has a nice ring to it.

I even picture him being a nice man who is kind to dogs and children, an attractive man, a handsome man, and one who drove the golf ball with precision.

I'm saying that now right upfront.

I'm saying it because I don't want the debate in coming weeks to degrade into someone saying that I have something against Willie Campbell, that I somehow want to diminish his accomplishments, or that I'm being provincial in doing so (even though I erroneously credited him previously here with designing courses IN Philadelphia and south NJ...according to Tom M., that was a DIFFERENT Willie Campbell).

I also have to admit that I like Willie Campbell because as far as I see, he didn't have a young man-servant whimpering at his every command like that sweaty, servile, toad-like, son-in-law of CB Macdonald's, the insipid H.J. Whigham!  ;)

;D

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2008, 11:28:56 AM »
Mike
He was never involved in Philadlephia....there is absolutely no reason for Willie to be given the old Philly treatment. Mrs. Campbell, that may be a different story. I could see here being dragged over the coals on page 35 or 36 of a Cobbs Creek thread.

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2008, 11:36:38 AM »
"TE
Speculation would be something like "I believe" or "I think" or "he may have" or "its possible that".

I have said Campbell did lay out the original nine at Myopia and he was the professional at Myopia beginning at 1896. No maybes in those statements."


Mr. MacWood:

I can understand what you're saying there but you should understand that neither Myopia nor probably anyone else is willing to simply take your word for it. Like anyone else you'll pretty much need to produce some evidence that people other than just you believe to be both solid and significant. That's pretty much the way this stuff always goes.

These same kind of cat and mouse games you play on here this way with almost every subject you bring up are really getting pretty tiring for all, I'm sure. It just looks like all you're interested in is credit and some kind of one-upsmanship and frankly no one really has the time or the interest in that kind of thing.

Mike_Cirba

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2008, 11:41:51 AM »
Mrs. Campbell, that may be a different story. I could see here being dragged over the coals on page 35 or 36 of a Cobbs Creek thread.

Tom,

While I do appreciate every much-needed effort at injecting humor into these threads, I'm not sure I get that one, besides perhaps some needling of me about the length of the Cobb's Creek thread.   ???

On the other hand, in the new spirit we're trying to engender here I would sincerely say to you, "jolly good show man!   A veritable kneeslapper indeed!!"  ;)  ;D

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2008, 11:45:06 AM »
It looks to me like Georgina Campbell pretty much remainded around Boston and north in her seemingly long and fascinating life and times in early American golf. If so the reason probably was she seemed to be a busy women in golf in her chosen region.

Phil_the_Author

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2008, 12:14:40 PM »
After reading the article several times, I realized that the one thing it NEVER said was that Willie Campbell was the head professional golfer, or any professional golfer for that matter, at Myopia.

Tom Macwood stated in post #2 that, "It is interesting to note that article clearly states Willie was the pro at Myopia..." and that he was might very well be true, but that article never stated it nor did anything other than possibly HINT at it.

This is what was written:

"Campbell was lured to the United States in 1894 by influential members of The Country Club in Brookline, the salary of $300 a year too good to turn down... Assigned the task of building a golf course at The Country Club, Campbell achieved so much more." Now that doesn't state anything other than that Willie was hired by TCC for unspecified resons (meaning in the araticle) and that he was paid to build a golf course.

"the Willie Campbell tale is intriguing, from his duties at TCC, Essex County Club, and the Myopia Hunt Club..." It clearly states there that he had "duties" at Myopia, but it DOESN'T state what they were or that he was the golf professional there in specific. Isn't it just as likely, considering the time and his background, that while "building the golf course" at TCC he was the CLUBMAKER for both Essex and Myopia? That certainly would have been an expected task of his even as the club professional, so why wouldn't he have simply been paid to do that at the other two clubs while also working his main job at TCC?

Once again the article states in another passage that, "Georgina had been involved in the golf business back in Scotland, but it wasn't until Willie called upon her to follow him to America, two years after he had arrived, that it became her passion, too. By then, Willie Campbell had left behind his duties at TCC, Essex, and Myopia to settle into his commitment at Franklin Park..."

Here again the paragraph only refers to Willie's "duties" at Myopia.

There is NO OTHER mention of his work at Myopia in the article.

Now, once again, I have no idea if Willie was the pro at Myopia or not, but this article definitely does not say, as you clearly stated that it did, "Willie was the pro at Myopia."

Now since I am clearly not Tom Paul, and I readily would like some help from you on this one, can you tell me on this thread what proof you have that Willie was head pro at Myopia? I am quite certain that there are others out here who would like to know as well. That it helps TP in any way should be irrelevant... It's time to start going above the fray...


TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #18 on: August 03, 2008, 12:31:05 PM »
“Now since I am clearly not Tom Paul, and I readily would like some help from you on this one, can you tell me on this thread what proof you have that Willie was head pro at Myopia? I am quite certain that there are others out here who would like to know as well. That it helps TP in any way should be irrelevant... It's time to start going above the fray...”


Thanks for that my esteemed friend, Mr Philip Young:

I don’t want any credit for any of this. I’m just interested in knowing if Willie Campbell actually was the pro exclusively at Myopia, even for a brief time. And of course I certainly would like to know if he had anything to do with the design of the original holes (some of which seemingly remain in whole or in part to this day). And I most certainly do know Myopia would too.

 I can see Mr. MacWood doesn’t want to help me at all in this way but one might think he would want to help Myopia and just the general endeavor of accuracy of the history of American architecture and architects. Perhaps you may be able to get him to whisper in your ear what it is he thinks he’s got that's so solid about his statement about Campbell and Myopia.

If he won’t whisper it in your ear I would encourage him to consider doing what this following post offers that I put on here yesterday but which Mr. MacWood ignored:








“Tom MacWood:

Again, I'm very interested in what you may have on Willie Campbell and Myopia and I'm quite sure the club would be too if it really is of some significance. It's important that it is significant and not another trumped up expectation raising charade like this entire Merion/Macdonald/Barker thing or whatever the hell it was supposed to be.

Some of these people involved in this way from these clubs like Merion or Myopia are some pretty bright people and they know their stuff on their club and the details of its history a whole lot better and more comprehensively than you might imagine. The fact that you apparently know none of them may explain why you don't understand that. Believe me, I can appreciate that.

So consider carefully if whatever you have on Campbell and Myopia really is of some significance to the course's original architecture. You might also consider that when a history writer like Weeks who belonged to Myopia for years and was definitely no slouch with researching and writing as he was the editor of Atlantic Monthly, for God's Sake, writes that the original holes of Myopia were laid out by club members Appleton, Merrill and Gardner, it has to mean something significant as he was taking it right off the club's old contemporaneous board material. I don't think Myopia or me or anyone on here is going to go for some weak explanation such as they were all mistaken or glorifying themselves which seems to be your take on the best original club source material on Merion.

Nobody really buys that ridiculous rationale that the club totally lied about a Hugh Wilson or a Merrill, Appleton and Gardner so don't use an explanation like that to promote Campbell---nobody will buy it any more than Merion did. I really hate to say this on here but most of these people with these clubs are a whole lot more level-headed and logical about architectural information than some of the people on here are---eg I offer as an example the preposterous "tautology" argument offered apparently to keep the Merion charade going by its defensive author.

Believe me, nobody wants to go through another charade like that again. I know Myopia doesn't anymore that Merion did when they read that charade. They had pretty high expectations going in but their collective response once they read it was sort of like: "Are they kidding, who's going to buy this type of stretch and lack of logic?"

They are not hiding anything or glorifying anybody or anything so try not to use that weak rationale either---nobody will buy it. They don't want to waste time on an insignificant charade because someone they've never heard of is trying to make something out of nothing just to get noticed or make a name for himself. If only something solid and significant was offered but it never was and now clearly it is because there just never was anything significant anyway.

So, please, this time if you have something that you really believe is significant that doesn't involve you claiming everyone else is lying or glorifying or concealing except you, let's get on with it.

I understand you don't want to deal with me on this as you've said that on here already about five times. You don't have to deal with me. I don't want any credit for anything, I just want to see that the most accurate architectural history whatever it will be gets buttoned down someday.

So my suggestion is that you put whatever you have on Campbell and whatever he did architecturally at Myopia if you really do think it is of significance---eg a Boston Globe article or whatever on here under a Myopia thead (I suggest you start it yourself). I will see to it that they see it even if they might anyway. That way they can all see it came from you and you can get all the credit for it.

Believe me I certainly do understand that on here and some other places information, particularly solid and significant information on architecture, is real currency and those who provide it get respect for producing it. It's clear that's what you're into as you've said it yourself on here.

So just do it on here on a thread you start and let's see what you have. I think this site would like to see what it is instead of this constant cat and mouse game. I know I would and I know Myopia and the USGA would too.

So come on, let's see what you've got. Take all the credit for it, that's fine, but just produce it so it can be analyzed and considered. I don't know how any of us are going to explain the architectural significance of Appleton, Merrill and Gardner but that's a subject of another day. This is about Willie Campbell and Myopia and what if anything he did there architecturally.

If all you have is just a Boston Globe article let's also hope the reporter was good and pretty closely connected to Myopia!    ;)"

 


Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #19 on: August 03, 2008, 12:43:56 PM »
Mr. Paul,

If he indeed was working all three at the same time, would he have commuted by train, I presume. Essex and Myopia are close but TCC is a decent hike, no?

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #20 on: August 03, 2008, 01:33:29 PM »
Phil
You are a sly one.

Excellent observation and anlysis of the article. From what I understand Willie was quite good in the kitchen. Do you think the author may have been referring to his duties as the cook at TCC, Essex and Myopia?

Phil_the_Author

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #21 on: August 03, 2008, 01:45:00 PM »
Tom,

Good NON-answer!

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #22 on: August 03, 2008, 01:49:23 PM »
Mr. Leary:

Good question. I went to school up there for some years but since it was both many years ago and primarily because the school virtually imprisoned us (we never got out of it except to go home for about four vacations (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring and Summer)) I have just never been that familiar with where I am up there in relation to anywhere else. But when one gets familiar with those few early clubs and courses I guess most of them are not that far from one another in and around what might be termed the North Shore area of Boston. But yes, I think the train connections were pretty effective---matter of fact, far, far more effective and widely used back then than they are today.

One thing I believe we should appreciate better with that world back then and how small it was in size and how completely interconnected most of the people were who played it (ie Essex, Myopia, TCC) in those few years in the 1890s it probably wasn't even that necessary for Campbell to always go to the individual clubs----the players from them pretty much all seemed to know each other anyway (still today it's truly remarkable how many of them still do, believe me I know because I still know so many of them from those old generational Boston families who populated those clubs back then) and they may've just come to him in a larger part than some of us realize. If a club like Myopia paid him something to teach its members, say in 1896, it would not surprise me if they went to him as often or more than he came to them. Again, some of these reports put Campbell basically in a lot of different places at the same time and the man clearly could not have been at them all exclusively at the same time.

I think this is why it's so important to understand the way that world of very early golf and golfers was way back then in the beginning and how different it was from our own today.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 01:56:56 PM by TEPaul »

TEPaul

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #23 on: August 03, 2008, 02:00:06 PM »
"Tom,
Good NON-answer!"


My Esteemed friend, Mr. Philip Young:

Is there ever anything else? Rather incredible, isn't it?

Thomas MacWood

Re: Willie Campbell's wife, Georgina!
« Reply #24 on: August 03, 2008, 02:10:45 PM »
Mr. Leary:

Good question. I went to school up there for some years but since it was both many years ago and primarily because the school virtually imprisoned us (we never got out of it except to go home for about four vacations (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring and Summer)) I have just never been that familiar with where I am up there in relation to anywhere else. But when one gets familiar with those few early clubs and courses I guess most of them are not that far from one another in and around what might be termed the North Shore area of Boston. But yes, I think the train connections were pretty effective---matter of fact, far, far more effective and widely used back then than they are today.

One thing I believe we should appreciate better with that world back then and how small it was in size and how completely interconnected most of the people were who played it (ie Essex, Myopia, TCC) in those few years in the 1890s it probably wasn't even that necessary for Campbell to always go to the individual clubs----the players from them pretty much all seemed to know each other anyway (still today it's truly remarkable how many of them still do, believe me I know because I still know so many of them from those old generational Boston families who populated those clubs back then) and they may've just come to him in a larger part than some of us realize. If a club like Myopia paid him something to teach its members, say in 1896, it would not surprise me if they went to him as often or more than he came to them. Again, some of these reports put Campbell basically in a lot of different places at the same time and the man clearly could not have been at them all exclusively at the same time.

I think this is why it's so important to understand the way that world of very early golf and golfers was way back then in the beginning and how different it was from our own today.

TE
What a vivid imagination. Have you considered a career in Hollywood writing screenplays?