Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-05
The Once Over
THE GREAT PUTTING-GREEN ROBBERY
BY II. 1. PHILLIPS

III PUTTING-GREEN b
AN entire green on the North Hills. L. /, Golf Club
course was dug up and stolen last night."-News item
"well, speak upl What now2" demanded Holmes
as he beheld Watson standing in the doorway, white
and trembling.
Another one stolen. sir" said Watson.
"Another?" repeated Holmes.
The eleventh hole. sir" explained Watson, clearly
upset. The famous eleventh. sir"
The p~rettiest green on the last nine" muttered
Holmes. refilling his pipe and frowning. Its the
heaviest loss SO far. When was the theft committed"
1T was discovered this morning by a threesome.
When they came within 40 yards and got ready for
the approach there was no green there at all, sir. 1t
was quite distressing"
Was the entire green gomez
The whole thing" said Watson. 1T was removed
as clearly as you would cut a Rembrandt from a
frame. They even took the cup and flag
"Damnablel" exclaimed Holmes, under his breath.
Clearly the work of professional putting-green
thieves. No amateurs would work like that. It's the
famous Grass Mooney gang again"
Il thought you broke up that gang. sir. when you
caught Mooney as he was boarding the express train
with the fifth green from Lakeview under his arm"
said Watson.
$50 did T." admitted Holmes. But a week later,
with Mooney In prison. Red McFeenks and Stats
Rothbaum robbed the Great Meadow links. When I
caught them at a flying field with the entire loot
three $1,000 green's and $4,000 worth of bunkers and
sandtraps-I thought surely there would be no further
depredations, but again I was wrong"
THE gang is still at 1t, sir." observed Watson, shak-
ing his head.
Evidently" agreed Holmes. And we'll never stop
this footing Of golf courses until we get at the real
root of the thing"
Whats the real root Of 1t, sirl'
THE fences" explained Holmes. The men who
receive the stolen golf courses. This buying stolen
green's. traps. ~etcetera, from robbers and reSelling them
at low prices has grown into a big industry. A cor
poration starting a new golf club today just goes to
one Of the fences and buys a complete links at low
rates. Remember those three entire fairways stolen
last month from the Great Neck Country club?"
Il do, sir. Three fairways and a daddy house, TO
be exact"
well, I have just located them at Cedarcrest." said
Holmes. They had been changed a bit but were
easily recognized as those stolen from Great Neck"
you will pardon me. sir" said Watson. but / am
wondering II the thefts are all the work OF thieves"
What do you meanP" asked Holmes, refnling his
pipe.
us it not possible that some golfer, sore and dis
gusted at his inability to do anything on a putting
green, has com to regard it as a public duty TO dig
up and destroy as many as ~possible?"
That's an idea admitted Holmes. "but ...."
At this moment Holmes was interrupted when a
caddy-master burst into the room, flushed with ex-
element.
What now?" asked Holmes.
Another theft!" cried the caddy-master.
what did they steal this time?" asked Holmes.
The water hole on the fifteenth" moaned the
That damned hole with l65-yard carry to the
small. trapped greene" asked Holmes.
Yes" sighed the caddy-master.
"Goodl" snapped Holmes. who had never been able
10 get across ii in fewer than seven strokes.