Rob Mohr - Golf in Denver

First and foremost, we are grateful to Dan Hogan for sharing his stories and opening up his wonderful collection of golf photographs and memorabilia to us. Ed Mate, executive director of the Colorado Golf Association, deserves the highest praise and sincere thanks for his support, patience, and immense help. The Colorado Golf Association and the Colorado Womens Golf Association allowed us access to their records, photographs, and repeated use of their space.

Tom Woodard allowed us access to his private collection of photographs, guided topics in this book, and shared his and his contemporaries experiences so we could accurately document the struggles of minorities to gain equality and respect on the course. We thank Coi Drummond-Gehrig at the Denver Public Library and Jennifer Vega at the Colorado Historical Society, both of whom were patient and great to work with. Thanks also go to Wendel Cox, Bruce Hanson, and Roger Dudley at Denver Public Library.

Joyce Mohr, Matt Krupa, Mark Barnhouse, and Jeff Mohr helped foster the idea for this book. We love you all. We also wish to thank Ed Cronin, Ted Patterson, Debbie and Mike Krupa, Jennie Harmon, Larry Epstein, Dr. Tom Noel, Geoff Moses, Kevin Dwyer, Loretta Lohman, Jerry Roberts, and Brent, Steve R., and Steve V. at Barringer High Country Marketing for their support.

Finally, the local golf organizations and individuals who accommodated our requests and helped gather these stories include: Cherry Hills Country Club; Columbine Country Club; Laura Cisco Quintana and Green Gables Country Club; Lakewood Country Club; Meghan McGinnes and Hiwan Homestead Museum; Jamie Melissa Wilms and Lakewood Heritage Center; Dr. Jeanne Abrams, director of Beck Archives at the University of Denver; Wendy Hall and the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder, Colorado; Stuart Bendelow, John Gardner II, Scott Rethlake, and the City and County of Denver, which includes the following municipal courses: Wellshire, Willis Case, City Park, Overland, John F. Kennedy, Harvard Gulch, and Evergreen; Belmar Museum; Jefferson County Historical Society; Estes Park Museum; University of Colorado Athletic Department; and United States Golf Association.

Common courtesy abbreviations are Colorado Historical Society (CHS); Denver Public Library (DPL); Lakewood Country Club (LCC); Cherry Hills Country Club (CHCC); Green Gables Country Club (GGCC); Colorado Golf Association (CGA); Columbine Country Club (CCC); Jefferson County Historical Society (JCHS); Denver Municipal Facts (DMF); Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder, Colorado (CBLLHBC); City Park Golf Course (CPGC); United States Golf Association (USGA); and Colorado School of Mines (CUS-CSM).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bonniwell, Charles C., and David Fridtjof Halaas. The History of the Denver Country Club, 18872006 . Denver: Ocean View Books, 2004.

Gibson, Barbara. The City Club of Denver, 19221997 . Denver: City Club of Denver, 1999.

Labbance, Bob, and Brian Siplo. The Vardon Invasion: Harrys Triumphant 1900 American Tour . Ann Arbor, MI: Sports Media Group, 2008.

Meister, George E. Trajectory of a Tragedy: Denver Area Flood, June 16th17th, 1965 . Denver: Hotchkiss, 1965.

Norman, Cathleen M. Lakewood Country Club: A Colorado Classic 100 Years in the Making . Virginia Beach: Donning Company, 2008.

Snow, Shawn M. Denvers City Park and Whittier Neighborhoods . Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2009.

Vallier, Myron. Historic Photos of Denver . Nashville: Turner Publishing Company, 2007.

Vaughan, Roger. Golf, The Womans Game . New York: Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2000.

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ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

1

THE EARLY YEARS 18851919

DENVER CLUB AT SEVENTEENTH STREET AND GLENARM PLACE. Founded in 1880, the Denver Club was the impetus for the Overland Park Club and, eventually, the Denver Country Club. Denvers wealthiest businessmen met in the statuesque clubhouse at Seventeenth Street and Glenarm Place, making lucrative deals with the hope of increasing Denvers national appeal as an investment capital. The Denver Club mansion was replaced with a high-rise in 1953, although the club continued to lease space in the new building. (CHS, J3680, Scan 20103680.)

HENRY WOLCOTT PORTRAIT. Henry Wolcott came west in 1869, destination California, when his plan was derailed by a dental emergency. Broke, Wolcott landed in Blackhawk, Colorado, and found work with Nathanial P. Hill. Wolcott worked his way up in Hills varied mining businesses and invested heavily in the mining industry. Wolcott was instrumental in starting up the Denver Club and developing Overland Park. By 1905, Wolcott had disengaged from his Colorado interests and had moved to New York. (CHS, F-12 139, Scan 10038325.)

GOLFERS IN THE SANFORD CUP, 1897, OVERLAND PARK. The Overland Country Club clubhouse, shown here during the Sanford Cup in 1897, was built in 1889 and featured a bar running the full length of the building. Henry Wolcott laid out a nine-hole golf course in and around an oval racetrack in 1896. The clubhouse burned to the ground in 1903, after the departure of the Overland Country Club. (DPL, X-27650.)

FRANK WOODWARD AND WOMEN, 1898. In this 1898 photograph from Overland Country Club, Frank Woodward talks with a group of women as a boy identified as Earl Ellis looks on. Woodward dressed in the golf fashion made popular by Harry Vardon, the premier English professional of the time: plus fours (the bottom of the pants ended 4 inches below the knee) a long-sleeve shirt with vest, and a necktie. (DPL, X-19872.)

WOMEN CONTESTANTS AT THE SANFORD CUP, 1897. Contestants in the Sanford Cup pose on a ledge along a dry water canal at Overland Park in 1897. High scores in the first Sanford Cup tournament were attributable to women having just been introduced to the game, and also to the restrictive clothing of the time. Stylish womens clothing designed for physical activity would not appear until the late teen years of the 20th century. (DPL, X-19864.)