Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-16

tommy Ryan was III LOWLl
for the inaugural parade
Woodrow Wilson'S, that is
when he visited a young golf
pro buddy Of his and wound
up with a job at the old Town
and Country Club when it was
in the 1900 block of Georgia
avenue.
That wasn't exactly yester-
day. But that's how Tom first
came to Washington. Another
of Toms most memorable days
here should be tomorrow when
the Belle Haven Country Club
members honor their golf pro
of more than 80 years with .
testimonial dinner.
The genial Irishman was
saying the other day that last
Saturday was the first in about
Is years that he hadn't put in
a full day in the golf shop. He
didn't know what to do with
himself. and before the day
was over he was at the club, to
make sure it was still there.
Ryan was retired as the
clubs pro a couple Of weeks
ago. His new job is supervisor
Of construction of the clubs
three new holes, plus other
projects that will follow.
Tommy is SO years old, and
had intended to boss the golf
shop a few more seasons. But
he has been having rather
serious trouble with varicose
veins, and those long week
ends on his feet were not what
the doctor ordered.
4 \ a
So Tommy was pleased with
the challenge of supervising
the construction Of the new
holes, and besides he knows
the pro shop will be in good
hands. His successor is his
assistant of the past II years,
Charley Muck. To the day of
his boss retirement Charley
still called him "Mr. Ryan"
I'D have left here long ago
if it hadn't been for Mr..
Ryan," Charley was saying.
But he's done a lot for me.
and always persuaded me to
stick around"
Tommy started about like
any other golf pro, looking
here and there before settling
down. He was at the High
land Club at Marion. Conn.,,
when he came here for Will
sons Inauguration, and then
stayed a short time at Town
and Country.
Highland coaxed him back,
and then he went into the
Navy as a machinist's mate.
After World War /, Tom came
back here to Town and Coun-
try, and supervised construc-
ton of the new course in Be-
thesda, which was named
Woodmont.
He left there for a Job in
Norfolk. and then went to Belle
Haven as pro and greenskeeper
at the 9-hole course in Alex
andria. A couple of years later
| he went to Winchester Country
Club for a short while. but
soon came back to Belle Haven,
for good. He's been there 81
years, in all.
y \ +
Ryan was the last of the
combination pro-greenskeepers
in this area. But the combined
jobs finally became too big for
him about nine years ago, and
Tommy kept the pro end.
THE intricate equipment
and the new grasses. etc., made
it too much of a job for one
man." Tom was saying. "A
SUPERINTENDENT is a full-time
Job. and so is being a golf pro.
Tom named several of his bud
dies who held both jobs. Carroll
Manchester, Ivan Gantz, Reds
Giddings. Bill Schneider, and
others. but all split the jobs be-
fore Ryan.
Something has to suffer
when you're pro and green's
keeper. and in Tommy's life
it was his golf game. He won
several of the Pro-Superin-
tendent's championships. and
finished in the money one year
in the Virginia Open, but he
usually was too busy to work
on his game, or play much.
Longevity in the golf pro-
fession runs in the Ryan family
An older brother, Joe, recently
was retired as superintendent
at the Rolling Green Club in
Springfield, Pa. with pension
for life and membership in the
club.
Andy Clarke. former club
president and a long time close
personal friend of Tommy, is
chairman of tomorrow nights
testimonial.
Tom Ryan is an affable Irish