The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-28
Tee, Faiirway and Green
By CHICK EVANS
THE FIRST AMERICAN GOLF Where WAS the first cnIf nla Ned


 Where was the first golf played in the United States?
 This has been an interesting ques- tion fer golfers and various claims have been made. Now the great state of Iowa steps forward for still fur ther distinction with the assertions of T. A. (Andy) Bell that he brought the first golf clubs into the United States that ever passed through the customs, and that he played on the first golf holes this country ever knew The "course" comprised four holes in Burlington. la.
 This course was laid out. Mir. Bell says, in 1883. Regarding this pioneer golf links. Mir Bell says:
 When I had finished my first year at Edinborough university I left Eng land for the United States. I was so infatuated with golf, although 1 had never had any encouragement or ad vice, that I clung to my golf sticks and brought them through the then unbrLken timber and pasture land of New York, New Jersey. Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana and Illinois into the father. in the wholesale dry goods business, owned parcel of property in Burlington. Ia. It was on that easily acquired land that the first golf course in the United States was laid out, consisting of four holes and upon which played in 1883. I played the game then, as l play it now. l love it and prefer it to any other pastime.
 Prominent GOlfePs.
 | Tn the year 1897 I came to Chicago where I soon became acquainted with the prominent golfers of that day ! Pop Tweedie. Albert Gates. Alan Reid, Jarvis Hunt, Robert Lincoln. Judge Payne. Sam Duggar and Tcm ! f-.. I,kt io kind to me and introduced me to the | professional colony, through whose kind invitation I was able to play at most every course in or near Chicago. II was the first American ever ad- mitted to membership in British Golf club, which l held while at tending lectures at the Edinbt rough university during the years 1880 to | 1893, joining the Haddington Golf club, located II miles from Edinbor- | ough, in East Lothian. We had no golf bags in those days; leather | strap to bind the heads and one for | the grips to hold the clubs together being the proper thing. I recall so many of the old country courses and | links which are indelibly marked on my memory by beauty and inviting camouflage that only led to trouble with whins and thistles to snare or hide the ball.
 Won Handicap.
 II won the first handicap event | ever entered at Haddington in May, 1881, the prize being three golf balls the first prize ever won at British l golf on a Scotch course by an Amer | ican born player. thus blazing the way for the successes achieved years later by Walter Travis taking the | amateur title and later Walter Ha- gen capturing the open
 "I also claim to have brought the | first set of golf clubs through the | United States customs house, for which no duty was charged; the offi- cials not knowing what they were. The clubs l purchased of Willie Park, the professional and club maker at Musselbortugh, except highly prized butter present from the fla nous golfer, Mir. Freddie Taite, under whose father I studied at the uni versity.
 | II feel justified in claiming that golf and it's paraphernalia was brought to and established in the Uni .Ad States by . native son of Bur