Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-23

editor Of the Herald. G. J.
Murphy. one Of Grand Forks nos
enthusiastic golfers. has prepared
q history Of the great game in
Grand Forks. The following arti- r.
Gle Was prepared by Mr.. Murphy
for the Herald.
The first golf coure in Grand Forks
was esta blished near the University
Of North Dakota more than IS years
ago. This orga ni1atton was known
as the waawahkiakum Golf club.
Later the club procured a ten-vear
lea 81 OF the present site. More than
100000 were spent improving the
grounds, erecting club houses, etc. =
u In .those days prominent and we'll
to-do residents Of the city all belong
valued at 800 per share. and owner
ship Of at least one share was necee-
sary to membership. Many Of, the
enthusiasts of those days owned sev-
eral shares. The annual dues were $40
for residents and a, special rate Of
$25 was given to travelling men and
others who were more or less trans
lent. .'N.
AT the time the present course was
started the leading members and
boosters were such men as George B..
Clifford. John Bukholz. w. X. Nash.
William NJ. Rand, Alvin Robinson.
Will Currie and many others. All Of
these mcn have since moved to Min
! neapolis. -sa 49,
he called the Father of. Golf" in
J course was first leased he devoted A
large portion Of his time to supervis-
ing the work and preaching the ad-
vantages Of golf as an advertisement
to the city and from the standpoint Of
sport and health. While he remained
in the city he never permitted interest
to lag and he had the happy faculty of
inducing the leading men of the city
to stand behind the game.
$50 to 1t5 Members
The membership Of the club at that
time was between $50 and ITS. men.
but the enthusiasts with a punch"
left Grand Forks. the trek. COM
mencins about Is years ago: and con m.
none. of the live golfers were left.
A few faithful -modrners. day lab
orers in the vineyard of the Lord 'and
golf hung on. paying the eSpense OF
keeping the game alive in the city. to
the detriment. in. some instances per
haps, of>their srocer. tailor n other
parasites Of tho middle~man class.
! HtS edut VI Udppt UaICSES edNllE
the end of their tether some s or q
years ago when happily a park com
mission was organized. and it was
the desire of that body to acquire the
land upon which the curse was locat-
ed. The property was purchased by
the commission, the golf club assign
inE it's rights under the lease for the
unexpired- term. and since then Grand
Forks has had golf through the grace
~ 4hN nsrIr' ran, m eein1 r. hoS heer
lucky. indeed for Grand Forks that 4
park commission with the right
slant" on sports as we'll as an ap-
probation of an institution such as the
golf club was on the Job. Rut for that
body we would have been minus "A
golf course in this city. for 10 these
many years.
Game to Be Self Sustaining
The park commission has made ar
arrangements with the golf club proper
to take charge of the course and pay
for the upkeep, With the understand
ling that the game shall be self-sus-
ltaininS. and that the. golfers shall pay
all expenses and save the public from
Eextra taxation on account Of Golf. This
tof course. is as it should be. and the
1Icontract. with-the park commission has
been carried out, and will be observed
as long as the present arrangement
continues.
Golf is the great American game.
It is ~supplanting other sports every
where in this country. Europe. Asia
n even in darkest Africa. To those
who play the game the reason is OBJ
vious. AS to those who have not en-
tered the valley of light" it Is hoped
that they may soon wake up. see the
truth and tina the truth shall make
them free from all such foolish ideas
that we hear expressed now and Their
to the effect that golf is an old mans
game-somethinE to be taken up wher
one foot is on mother earth n the
other in Charon's SUMMARIZE; or thai
it is a. molly Goodies game not intend.
ed for he-men Of virile habits, etc.
Golf has been one OF the big .ad
vertisinE features Of the city for owe
20 years. For many years Crane
Forks was the only city in North Da
kota or in the northwest, west Of tn
Twin Cities. that had a golf club. Golf
ers from the large centers who cAm'
here carried the message back to thei'
homes thai Grand Forks was a rea
live town, and We became known a.
an enterprizing. up-to-date city.
We have perhaps failed to full.
appreciate eolf as an advertising as
set, and more of our prominent mel
have heen devotirE their efforts t,
boosting in other lines. which are no
near as effective. For several year
it has been the constant effort Of tn
few do1lar-a-year golfers left i,
Grand Forks to, get the business mel
interested IN the game and to sup
port It. While the results have heel
at ttfnes rather discouraEtng. upo,
the whole we have kept the sport OF