The Knoll is a great golf course.
The architecture is unique, and at 7,000 yards, par 70, all the challenge you could want.
On two occassions, my home club in NJ tried to swap clubs.
Prior to that, a group of Knoll members, that I knew, tried to buy the club from Joe Aiello's daughter, but there were bad feelings between the two factions and a deal that would have preserved the club as a private club never happened. Why Bloomfield College bought the club is still a mystery to me.
Years later, when the town owned the club, I offered my services to the Mayor, gratis, to restore the course.
Unfortunately, I believe the Mayor went on a forced vacation and nothing ever came of it.
I love the Knoll.
George Bahto wrote a book about the club which anyone interested in architecture and history should obtain.
There's a lot more to the Knoll's history that George and I are aware of, but that will have to remain for private conversations.
The clubhouse was elegant and Mr Aiello's ran the club "his" way.
I love dogs, especially big dogs.
Mr Aiello's had a pet boxer and he took the dog everywhere with him, including inside the clubhouse.
I used to play with the dog and Mr Aiello's liked that.
One day a new member was at the club and Mr Aiello and a number of members who enjoyed "most favored nation" status were sitting in the back area of the men's locker room having drinks, chatting and having fun. Mr Aiello's boxer is there by his side and gets up and wanders off into the other area of the men's locker.
The new member sees the dog wandering around the locker room and approaches the famous locker man, Freddie, and states complaining bitterly and loudly about the dog.
Mr Aiello hears the commotion and gets up and goes to where Freddy and the new member are engaged and says, what's the problem.
The new member goes on a tirade about the dog in the locker room.
Mr Aiello listens patiently to the rant, which is non-stop.
What kind of club is this ?
I should call the board of health, etc, etc..
Finally, Mr Aiello says words to the effect, do you know what that dog is going to do that you can't do ?
The guy says, "what?"
Mr Aiello says, he's going to see and roam in this locker room again, and you aren't.
Clear out your locker and you'll have your check in the morning.
Now back to Freddie, the locker man. He was "wild", crazy.
He'd throw cherry bombs in the shower room
One day there's a tournament.
One of the members, a handsome but tough as nails guy nobody messed with, comes to the 18th hole needing par to win a lot of money and get his name up on a board. He three putts and loses. Freddie gets on the P.A., blows a whistle, like in the navy, and announces, over the P.A. To the whole club, "now hear this, now here this, he blew it on the 18th green. He choked and 3 putted to lose it all. Now hear this, now hear this, ________ choked and blew it all"
the guy, fuming and humiliated comes into the locker room and says, "where's Freddie ?"
Everyone now fears for Freddie's life.
No one will tell him where Freddie is.
Finally Freddie can hide no longer and appears in the Men's locker room.
The guy approaches him and says, "I got something for you"
Everybody in the locker room is quiet as a mouse and fearful that this may be Freddie's last day at the club and on this earth.
the guy reaches in his pocket and now guys are ducking for cover.
He pulls out a one hundred dollar bill and says, "here's a "C" note for you, had I won I was going to give you a "G"
Now in those days, $ 100 was a lot of money.
Like in "caddy shack" Freddie. Used to grind and ruin shoes if he didn't like the guy.
But, he enjoyed most favored nation status with Mr Aiello.
On the golf course they used to play "a dime a yard", with carry overs.
In the 40's and 50's that was a lot of money.
Matt wrote a nice article
If a GCA.com get together is held there, you should make every effort to attend.
George and I talked about a combo event and even thought of including Essex County which is nearby.
Great job George and great job Matt.