The Cycle of Life

A couple of milestones in golf occurred in the last couple of days.  There's nothing to link the two stories except for the fact that they're emblematic of the deep roots of our game.

Errie Ball died earlier this week at the ripe old age of 103.  You're not likely to know the name, but John Strege fills us in:

Errie Ball, the last surviving player from the field in the first Masters (then known as the Augusta National Invitational) in 1934, died Wednesday morning. He was 103.

 John also provides this background on Errie:

Ball was a native of Wales, who at 15 played in the British Open in 1926. He came to the U.S. to work for his uncle, Frank Ball, at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Dave Kindred wrote this in a 2006 Golf Digest story on Ball:

Ball's victory in the 1931 Southeastern PGA tournament established him as

another notable Great Britain import to American golf. At the time and for four summers, he lived near East Lake as a de facto brother to Charlie Yates, a Jones acolyte and future British Amateur champion. Naturally, Ball and Yates were invited to the Jones shindig in 1934.

"I knew he was trying something in Augusta," says Ball, then a club pro in Mobile, Ala. "But I didn't think too much of it -- until I got the invitation, and that was exciting."

Ball remembers Augusta 1934 as "more a social event, a party" than a golf tournament, "corn liquor everywhere."

People have forgotten what a modest little event the Augusta National Invitation was at inception, and how it's prominence was more happenstance than planned.  But we've lost our last link to that little get-together with Ball's death.  As the PGA of America noted in it's tribute to Ball:

Errie's amazing career spans the legends of the game -- from Harry Vardon through Tiger Woods. His longevity, according to those who knew him best, was founded upon a love of people. Each day, like each step he took on the course, was spent with purpose. We will miss him dearly, but his legacy continues to shine through the many PGA Professionals he inspired to grow our game."

Vardon to Woods is quite the eloquent way of expressing the span of his life, so kudos to ted Bishop (a frequent prop of mine) for that.

For those who desire more, Shackelford helpfully links to this Scott Rude video and this Tom Bedell piece from about three years ago, though updated in the interim.

The second item guaranteed to make you feel young comes via Shack as well, linking us to this wonderful Laurie Anderson piece on the Eden Course in St. Andrews that has just celebrated its centennial.  Here's the background on why the course was built:

St Andrews boasted great golf, sea views and a plethora of hotels to cater for tourism.

However the Links only had a finite number of hours that it could be played upon and demand was pushing disgruntled residents off the course. In 1895, the New Course was opened, followed quickly by the Jubilee in 1897. This took some of the pressure off the ancient course but demand still exceeded supply and in 1913 construction would begin on a new course following the St Andrews Extension and Links Order.

 Of course it was a simpler time, as this excerpt indicates:

H.S. Colt

The land for the course was owned in part and leased from Mr Cheape of Strathtyrum House. The Town Council leased two fields adjoining the Goods Railway Station, where the sheds on the 17th are today plus three fields to the north of Pilmour Cottage and on the northside of the railway. The final agreement which was set out in writing on papers dated the 7th and 10th of November 1913, was to last for 25 years. For the land the Council paid Cheape £130 per annum.

As part of the agreement Cheape and his tenants were allowed to graze their sheep on the course. He also reserved the rights to shoot for game, be it rabbit or hares, ‘subject to the shooting being exercised in such a way as shall not interfere with the use of the fields for purposes of a golf course.’

Sounds like something out of Dickens, doesn't it?  But one does see the need for the hunting to be kept separate from the golf...

And see if you think they got good value:

For the construction, the Town Council set aside £3,000. Mr C.D Harris of Sunningdale was taken on to manage the construction but as part of his contract he had to employ local labour. Golf course architect Mr Harry S. Colt was a member of the R&A and was deemed the right man for the job. 

The Eden officially opened on 2 July 1914 after storm clouds cleared away in time for the opening ceremony. All the local dignitaries including Provost Herkless were there and course designer Harry Colt. The Provost spoke first saying that golf had been played in St Andrews for centuries and that the Old Course remained the first and greatest of courses in the world. His words were greeted with applause.

 Now, only eleven of Colt's original holes remain in play, but that's eleven Harry Colt holes.  Colt may be the least known of the great designers of the Golden Age, but look here for a listing of courses he either designed or remodeled.  Colt is somebody I'd like to write on in depth at some point, se we'll see if I get to it.