Tom MacWood and the whereabouts of his archive?

[Tony_Muldoon]

ON August the 12 it will be four years since Tom’s early passing. I do feel his presence here is missed and the fact that History of courses features much less than it used to.  I once was unwise enough to challenge the description of a photo he posted. A couple of years later I went to the club in question where the same photo hung on the wall. Whoops. Tom had a huge library of information on courses and loved to share that and maybe create a little controversy.

I recently heard from Jess Stiles who is a long time lurker here and was a most entertaining speaker for us at the Buda Cup we held at his home course Liphook.  Jess is a student of Simpson’s work and since then I’ve had the pleasure of playing the course with him. When time allows I hope to do a photo tour with Jess explaining some of the many subtle features that make the course so beguiling.


Jess wrote.

“There are plans afoot for alterations to Liphook Golf Club and one of these involves relocation of the 15th tee so that golfers do not have to pass along the narrow path between the road and the railroad bridge. 
 
There were plans in the 1930s (?) to widen the A3, and Tom Simpson prepared a revised course layout.  Thomas MacWood sent me a copy of the text describing this layout a number of years ago but it did not include the map.   
 
I understand that Thomas died a few years ago, and I wonder if any of your contacts in Golf Atlas might know where "his things" went.  Surely, someone rescued these.  He seems to have a wonderful archive, and he sent me other things about Tom Simpson as well. 
 
Would you possibly contact some of your contacts to see if there may some way of getting a copy of the map.?”


It’s a question I’ve IM’d to a few people, but so far no luck. Anyone know any more?

There were some nice words about Tom here.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=53167.0;wap2 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Tony, I hope you get somewhere with this. It must be a great archive.

[Rich Goodale]

ON August the 12 it will be four years since Tom’s early passing. I do feel his presence here is missed and the fact that History of courses features much less than it used to.  I once was unwise enough to challenge the description of a photo he posted. A couple of years later I went to the club in question where the same photo hung on the wall. Whoops. Tom had a huge library of information on courses and loved to share that and maybe create a little controversy.

I recently heard from Jess Stiles who is a long time lurker here and was a most entertaining speaker for us at the Buda Cup we held at his home course Liphook.  Jess is a student of Simpson’s work and since then I’ve had the pleasure of playing the course with him. When time allows I hope to do a photo tour with Jess explaining some of the many subtle features that make the course so beguiling.


Jess wrote.

“There are plans afoot for alterations to Liphook Golf Club and one of these involves relocation of the 15th tee so that golfers do not have to pass along the narrow path between the road and the railroad bridge. 
 
There were plans in the 1930s (?) to widen the A3, and Tom Simpson prepared a revised course layout.  Thomas MacWood sent me a copy of the text describing this layout a number of years ago but it did not include the map.   
 
I understand that Thomas died a few years ago, and I wonder if any of your contacts in Golf Atlas might know where "his things" went.  Surely, someone rescued these.  He seems to have a wonderful archive, and he sent me other things about Tom Simpson as well. 
 
Would you possibly contact some of your contacts to see if there may some way of getting a copy of the map.?”


It’s a question I’ve IM’d to a few people, but so far no luck. Anyone know any more?

There were some nice words about Tom here.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=53167.0;wap2

Tony


My memory tells me that Tom MacWood didn't have an archive per se, but rather relied upon his access to Michael Kurzdan's archive for his research.  Of course, I could be wrong....


Hope all is well


Rich

[Adam Lawrence]

ON August the 12 it will be four years since Tom’s early passing. I do feel his presence here is missed and the fact that History of courses features much less than it used to.  I once was unwise enough to challenge the description of a photo he posted. A couple of years later I went to the club in question where the same photo hung on the wall. Whoops. Tom had a huge library of information on courses and loved to share that and maybe create a little controversy.

I recently heard from Jess Stiles who is a long time lurker here and was a most entertaining speaker for us at the Buda Cup we held at his home course Liphook.  Jess is a student of Simpson’s work and since then I’ve had the pleasure of playing the course with him. When time allows I hope to do a photo tour with Jess explaining some of the many subtle features that make the course so beguiling.


Jess wrote.

“There are plans afoot for alterations to Liphook Golf Club and one of these involves relocation of the 15th tee so that golfers do not have to pass along the narrow path between the road and the railroad bridge. 
 
There were plans in the 1930s (?) to widen the A3, and Tom Simpson prepared a revised course layout.  Thomas MacWood sent me a copy of the text describing this layout a number of years ago but it did not include the map.   
 
I understand that Thomas died a few years ago, and I wonder if any of your contacts in Golf Atlas might know where "his things" went.  Surely, someone rescued these.  He seems to have a wonderful archive, and he sent me other things about Tom Simpson as well. 
 
Would you possibly contact some of your contacts to see if there may some way of getting a copy of the map.?”


It’s a question I’ve IM’d to a few people, but so far no luck. Anyone know any more?

There were some nice words about Tom here.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=53167.0;wap2

Tony


My memory tells me that Tom MacWood didn't have an archive per se, but rather relied upon his access to Michael Kurzdan's archive for his research.  Of course, I could be wrong....


Hope all is well


Rich

Hurdzan

[Sven Nilsen]

Rich:

You couldn't be more wrong.  Tom had files on numerous courses and architects, most of it gleaned from old golf publications and newspaper reports.

The amount of time he spent on this passion was inestimable.

Sven

[Tim_Weiman]

Sven,


Just to be clear, did you actually see Tom's collection.

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven,


Just to be clear, did you actually see Tom's collection.

Tim:

No.  But if you paid attention to his posts, what he did and had was evident. 

Sven

[Niall C]

Like Rich I think Michael Hurdzans library was a rich source of info for Tom.

However whether Tom gleaned his info from Michael Hurdzans library or from other sources, he still had to go digging for the info and then collate and catalogue it into some sort of order. Having done a degree of that myself I take my hat off to his efforts and also the energy he had to then write and post on here about it.

The question of what you then do with it is a good one. Tom obviously shared a lot of stuff on here but I don't know whether he then shared the info on clubs with those particular clubs. Clubs in the US seem to be more interested in their history than clubs in the UK however I sense that changing now as more clubs here have woken up to their history beyond who won the club championship back in 1923.

Niall

[Rich Goodale]

ON August the 12 it will be four years since Tom’s early passing. I do feel his presence here is missed and the fact that History of courses features much less than it used to.  I once was unwise enough to challenge the description of a photo he posted. A couple of years later I went to the club in question where the same photo hung on the wall. Whoops. Tom had a huge library of information on courses and loved to share that and maybe create a little controversy.

I recently heard from Jess Stiles who is a long time lurker here and was a most entertaining speaker for us at the Buda Cup we held at his home course Liphook.  Jess is a student of Simpson’s work and since then I’ve had the pleasure of playing the course with him. When time allows I hope to do a photo tour with Jess explaining some of the many subtle features that make the course so beguiling.


Jess wrote.

“There are plans afoot for alterations to Liphook Golf Club and one of these involves relocation of the 15th tee so that golfers do not have to pass along the narrow path between the road and the railroad bridge. 
 
There were plans in the 1930s (?) to widen the A3, and Tom Simpson prepared a revised course layout.  Thomas MacWood sent me a copy of the text describing this layout a number of years ago but it did not include the map.   
 
I understand that Thomas died a few years ago, and I wonder if any of your contacts in Golf Atlas might know where "his things" went.  Surely, someone rescued these.  He seems to have a wonderful archive, and he sent me other things about Tom Simpson as well. 
 
Would you possibly contact some of your contacts to see if there may some way of getting a copy of the map.?”


It’s a question I’ve IM’d to a few people, but so far no luck. Anyone know any more?

There were some nice words about Tom here.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=53167.0;wap2

Tony


My memory tells me that Tom MacWood didn't have an archive per se, but rather relied upon his access to Michael Kurzdan's archive for his research.  Of course, I could be wrong....


Hope all is well


Rich

Hurdzan

Mea culpa Adam, but in my defense my love for the Kurds goes back more than 35 years when I was commissioned to write an essay on their national game, Three-ball Batenga......


Rich


PS--great interview.


Sven--Niall gets it, as should you.  Even Melvin Morrow doesn't have archives.  Melvin, The four Toms (MacWood, Paul, Naccarato, and Doak), me, you etc. etc. have footnotes of varied volume and authenticity on various ODG's notes which he (or she) has found or been given by somebody else who has "archived" the material (e.g. Hurdzan, LAAC, USGA, etc.).  Tom MacW most probably archived some of his own thoughts on the ODG materials he viewed, and hopefully they will surface somehow and somewhere, but it is up to his family to decide as to where or when.


Rich

[Sven Nilsen]

Rich:

I have over 35,000 digital images relating to the history of american golf architecture saved and catalogued on my hard drive. Is that not an archive?

Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

Tony:

It is my understanding that after Tom MacWood passed away, efforts were made to contact his family to gain access to his files.  What became of that attempt I do not know.

Sven

[Rich Goodale]

Rich:

I have over 35,000 digital images relating to the history of american golf architecture saved and catalogued on my hard drive. Is that not an archive?

Sven

By definition, Sven, what you have is a collection of images of real things which, when collected, could constitute part of an archive of images of real things.  If one owns an original document signed by say, HH Barker which says that he did the first routing of Merion East, that document is part of the owner's archive.  If the owner lets you take a picture of that document, it is part of your collection of such images of real things.  That's all.  IMHO.


Rich

[Sven Nilsen]

First definition that popped up:

"a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people."

When you dig a bit deeper:

"a collection of digital data stored in this way."

By definition (to borrow your language), both Tom and I had/have an archive.

[Rich Goodale]

First definition that popped up:

"a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people."

When you dig a bit deeper:

"a collection of digital data stored in this way."

By definition (to borrow your language), both Tom and I had/have an archive.

Thanks, Sven, by your definition so do I!


But that being said, whoever finds mine after I die will be very disappointed, whereas whoever finds Tom's archive will be anointed on this forum.  I'd love to see Tom's archives as much as you, but I'd be very surprised if and when they ooze up from the slime that is GCA scholarship that anybody will be overwhelmed by their intellectual beauty....



Rich

[Greg Chambers]

A poignantly pessimistic post, rihc

[Sven Nilsen]

First definition that popped up:

"a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people."

When you dig a bit deeper:

"a collection of digital data stored in this way."

By definition (to borrow your language), both Tom and I had/have an archive.

Thanks, Sven, by your definition so do I!


But that being said, whoever finds mine after I die will be very disappointed, whereas whoever finds Tom's archive will be anointed on this forum.  I'd love to see Tom's archives as much as you, but I'd be very surprised if and when they ooze up from the slime that is GCA scholarship that anybody will be overwhelmed by their intellectual beauty....



Rich

Rich:

If you were only able to collect the items he posted on this site, it would be worth it.  But perhaps my interests are different than yours, as would be our judgments of value.

Sven

[Anthony Gholz]

Tony/Sven/Adam etal:


I've been lucky enough to spend several days over the past two years in Mike's "archive."  I could easily use the words museum, archive, office, den, gallery, library, home, nirvana, and other tributes to describe what Mike has both at home and at work.  Just what is in his head would be worth the trip.


Regarding Tom M's "archive,"  which I have not seen (but also would love to):


In my last communication with Mike, he noted that the family "when ready" intends to donate Tom's "files" to the USGA Museum.  I think that's as good as the information can be at this time.


IMO if you are doing research on almost any topic in golf history and have not been to the USGA Museum, you are doing yourself a dis-service.  Electronic is good, the real thing is better,
Anthony