Chris Dortch
For all you serious golfers and students of the game, especially as it relates to Tennessee, allow me to recommend one of your Christmas presents.
Gene Pearce, a good friend and perhaps the most dogged reporter I know, has spent the better part of two years writing the definitive History of Tennessee Golf. Having served as one of the book’s editors, I can attest to the thoroughness of Gene’s book. He left no stone unturned as he tracked the histories of every course, every good player—pro or amateur—and significant others, such as Tennessee Golf Association executive director Dick Horton and David Stone, the respected greens superintendent at The Honors Course. Gene conducted hundreds of interviews and spent countless hours in libraries across the state, scanning miles of microfilm to uncover tidbits that no one else could have.
Chattanooga golf and its many great players are well documented in the book, which will be published in November and available through the TGA. The book is huge (definitely in the coffee table category) and won’t be cheap. But if you love Tennessee golf, you need to have a copy in your collection.
I recently talked with Gene and asked him to offer some of his fondest memories in researching the book. Here’s his list:
1. "Finding a letter of recommendation written for Jimmie Dickson, the second golf pro at Cherokee, signed by Tom Morris. Tom Morris was a noted club maker, along with being an accomplished player. In the first ten Opens (British Open championships), beginning in 1860, Old Tom Morris won four championships and finished second four other times."
2. "Listening to Mason Rudolph tell about his relationship with Buck White. Mason, I think, is the most popular golf personality in Tennessee history. He's my kind of guy. He's a great interview. He goes out of his way to talk about others and how they helped him. There were many. Buck White and Curtis Person Sr. are at the top of the list."
3. "Learning that four Memphians (Jack Wenzler, Chasteen Harris, Nelson Giddens, and Frank Dyer) played in the semifinals of the 1924 Southern Amateur in Louisville. Wenzler, the winner, and Harris and Giddens were members at Colonial."
4. "Reading that in the 1930 Southern Amateur at Belle Meade, Chasteen Harris made eagle 3 at the 14th hole and a hole-in-one at the par 4 15th to give him a score of five-under on two holes. It bettered the mark of four-under on two holes accomplished by Jock Hutchinson in 1921 in the British Open. He was given a plaque commemorating this feat. Hopefully his daughter, Judy Pulliam of Columbia, will allow Golf House to display the plaque permanently."
5. "Having the son of Emmett Spicer, who won five State Amateurs, find me. Stuart Spicer and his two sisters do not play golf, but they saw the movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance. The Spicer children knew their father, like fictional hero Rannalph Junah, had competed against Bobby Jones. They wanted to know more about their father's golf career. Stuart found me through the Internet and the Tennessee Golf Association. Had [we not met] we would not have had a picture of him to use in the book."
6. "Learning how the Tennessee Golf Association was formed in 1914 and finding the names of all of its presidents. The TGA's minutes only go back to 1940."
7. " Finding the history of the formation of the Women's Tennessee Golf Association in 1916 and all of its presidents."
8. "Also finding a photograph made on the front porch of Nashville Golf and Country Club of all of the participants in the 1912 Women's Southern Amateur."
9. "Discovering that the first Southern Golf Association president was A. W. Grimes of Chattanooga and the first president of the Women's Southern Golf Association was Mrs. George Harrington of Atlanta, the former Kathleen Brown of Nashville."
10. "How did golf get to Tennessee? It probably started in the early 1890s in Memphis. Cotton buyers from Scotland and England brought it there. The first crude golf course was built in the area called the "commons" on Peabody Avenue near present day Crump Stadium. Several clubs were formed in Memphis before Memphis Country Club in 1905.
"The first golf club organized that is still in existence is the Country Club of Bristol. It started in 1894, but it was not chartered until 1900. Chattanooga Golf and Country Club was organized in 1896 and its members are still playing on the same site.
"Nashville Golf and Country Club was organized in 1901. It relocated to its present location in 1915 and changed its name to Belle Meade Country Club in 1920. Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville was organized in 1907 and Jackson Country Club in 1914. There was a Jackson Golf Club in 1900, but it is not known if this was the same club that was chartered in 1914.
"However, Tennessee's oldest country club, considering its original roots, is Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin. The Standard Club was an "association of gentlemen" as the charter of March 19, 1883, read, for the 'purpose of serving as a social club and to include a gymnasium and gymnastics.'"
(Chris Dortch covered Tennessee golf for 20 years while working at three state newspapers. Most recently, he was the golf writer for the Chattanooga Times, where he covered 13 major championships, the NCAA men's championships, the Curtis Cup and numerous state and local tournaments. His work has been published in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golf Illustrated.
Chris is currently the editor and publisher of two highly popular annual college sports books, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook. Both are available by calling 800-ALLBOOK.)
Contact Chris Dortch at Chris Dortch