AWTs first writings on PV

[Joe Bausch]

Well, I think these were certainly his first writings on Pine Valley in a newspaper.  These are from his weekly contributions to The Philadelphia Record newspaper.

Below he mentions the site for the first time, published on January 12, 1913.  Tilly seemed to know from early on this site was special.





Then just about 2 months later, he reveals more on March 23:






Then still more on November 16, finishing with the statement "...I am astonished and delighted for the possibilities exceed any preconceived estimate":

[Deucie Bies]

Thanks Joe.  This was great reading!

[Mike_Cirba]

Joe,

I find it interesting that even though Crump was a rank amateur, as early as January 1913 Tillinghast seemed to have no doubt that he would do a great job, stating, "there exists not a doubt as to the excellence of the plans".

[Mike_Cirba]

It's also interesting how he speaks of another "inland" New Jersey course, Riverton CC, as having great advantages for winter golf, and then states that the Pine Valley course should have similar properties.

Incidentally, in Coincidence #6979, in the January 1913 American Golfer review of Merion by "Far and Sure", later in the article he writes;

The players have been taking advantage
of the fine weather and all of
the courses have been well patronized.
When real winter conditions prevail,
it is surprising to find Riverton in such
good shape. The Jersey soil quickly
takes up the moisture and play there
is open practically all winter. Many
of the Philadelphia golfers avail themselves
of the special winter membership
offered by the club and, as the
journey across the river to Riverton
is very short, the winter golf there is
exceedingly popular.

[Mike_Cirba]

Also incidentally...


I now have indisputable proof that "Far and Sure" was A. W. Tillinghast.

In his own words.

(See the "Tillinghast Articles in the Philadelphia Record" thread for the evidence.)

[Mike_Cirba]

Bump for anyone interested in PV's origins who might have missed this yesterday afternoon.

[TEPaul]

MikeC:

These articles are interesting in that they may've become far more accessible for whatever reasons recently but it seems to me I've seen them all. The reason for that is they're obviously all in Pine Valley's archives where they may've been reposited just about the day they were written and have been there ever since.

Most of the content in those articles posted here today were part of the lengthy discussions on a few comprehensive threads on Pine Valley and Colt and Crump which are somewhere in the back pages now from a few years ago.

There was one interesting difference for me though. In one of those Tilly articles he did mention where it seems a first iteration of the 7th hole was going (seemingly over a gorge and right off the original property) and I don't see that mentioned in the articles Joe just posted even if some of them are a bit tough to read clearly.

[Phil_the_Author]

Tom,

You're correct about the first iteration over the gorge. I'll see if I can find it. You may remember bringing it up in the topic way back discussing how Pine Valley was designed with Tom Macwood. In fact, if memory serves me correctly you brought it up to make a point to him...

[TEPaul]

"You may remember bringing it up in the topic way back discussing how Pine Valley was designed with Tom Macwood. In fact, if memory serves me correctly you brought it up to make a point to him..."


Phil:

Yes I did. It was to make a point to Tom MacWood----eg a point, by the way, he didn't accept or seem to understand at all but basically dismissed as either Tilly being misinformed or my spending the night in a Holiday Inn Express or something. God only knows how many times he responded with that automatic and hackneyed refrain!

I even distinctly remember why he said that---eg because he (MacWood) thought that would have to mean that Crump was essentially routing that iteration of #7 right off the property he had bought (183 acres).

But what MacWood did not understand and apparently refused to appreciate or consider is that even though Crump initially bought 183 acres of Sumner Ireland's land there, Ireland owned about a thousand acreas right there and obviously Crump could've bought as much of it as he wanted to. That was proven by the fact that within four years Crump did exactly that---he bought another 400 acres of Sumner Ireland's land.

The fact is where that iteration of the 7th hole was going (over that gorge and in the opposite direction today's 7th hole goes) is on the way to what is now Pine Valley's "Short Course."

It's all right there in the back pages in those PV threads from a few years ago.

[TEPaul]

Phil:

I do realize that at some point (perhaps in the 1930s) Tilly did write an article or so that was a compilation of some of his earlier articles contemporaneous to the initial happens at PV in the early teens. That is right, isn't it? How many articles did he write in the 1930s that were essentially reminiscences of goings-on decades early such as the Lesley Cup when he played in it? I can check the Tillinghast site or my own files but it's just easier to ask you. 

[Phil_the_Author]

There were quite a few Golf Illustrated articles in the early '30's that were reminiscence types. he also wrote some for the Pacific Coast Golfer in the late '30's that also had early anecdotes recalled in them.

How many? Wish I could say off-hand, but probably at least half-a-dozen in Golf Illustrated if not more...

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