An Earlier HISTORY of The Delmarva Peninsula Golf  Association                     

1929-1979

       The 1920s were fabulous years. Charles Lindberg had flown alone to Paris in the "Spirit of St. Louis"; Sears-Roebuck & Co. had published their new catalog containing 1100 pages and "35,000 Bargains". Chevies and Henry Ford's Model "T", and Model "A" were the popular cars. Hollywood was in its heyday with Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino. In 1927 Al Jolson starred in the first big talking picture, "The Jazz Singer". There were radios, and televisions were yet to come. Babe Ruth set his record of 60 homeruns helping the Yankees to build a huge new stadium, "The House That Ruth Built."

        Many of the 1920 years were "Coolidge Prosperity" years. America was fast becoming the leading nation in the world. Coolidge was president, having succeeded Warren Harding, and times were good, really good. On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crash brought an end to the good times. The next ten years were the depression years, with unemployment, bank failures and bankruptcies. It was not the time to start a golf club or a golf association.

        Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., (“Bobby" Jones), a handsome young lawyer from Atlanta, Georgia was being saluted as a national hero, a gentleman of unwavering courtesy and consideration for other people, an international golf champion. A hero in Scotland and England, he was to remain a champion for many years, an all-time great. His personality plus his great ability had Americans wanting to try the new game of golf.

        Fortunately for the future of golf on our Peninsula, members from the first clubs, Talbot Country Club, Easton, Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Green Hill Yacht and Country Club, Salisbury, Mapledale Country Club, Dover, Northampton Country Club, Cape Charles, Chester River Yacht & Country Club, Chestertown and Cambridge Country Club believed an organization was needed to bring the clubs together, arrange schedules for team matches that had already begun between the clubs, and promote golf from the northern part to Cape Charles in the South.

        In 1929 an association was formed by the original seven clubs. "The Peninsula Golf League" was a popular choice for a name. DPGA records are not available but I have been able with the help of many good friends such as Don Falls, Chester River and Porter Matthews, Talbot, to learn much about our early history. Don, twice a president of our DPGA, searched the records of the "Enterprise", a Chestertown weekly newspaper, to give us much valuable early history that had been written for that newspaper by Harry Russell.

        Talbot possibly started it all by writing to Russell in November, 1927 suggesting team matches. Claude Truslow of Chester River was named chairman to get the matches going. The new organization was to be called "The Peninsula Golf League". In 1928 matches were played between Talbot, Chester River, Mapledale, Green Hill and Rehoboth. On April 3, 1929, Russell wrote that the league was reorganized under the name of The Peninsula Golf Association and Dr. Charles F. Smith, Salisbury, was elected the first president, with Claude Truslow, Chester River, as vice president. Rehoboth had won the team championship in1929, Chester River won in 1930. Older members of Cape Charles and Cambridge tell me that their records show their clubs, beginning in 1928, had team play in 1929, and were in "the first association in 1929". We can, therefore, from all reports and my personal contacts and other information, believe our present association was first organized in 1929, and that the original clubs were Talbot, Green Hill, Chester River, Mapledale, Rehoboth, Northampton, and Cambridge.

             The Talbot Country Club, Easton, founded in 1910, was not only the first club on the Shore, but the first club in Maryland outside Baltimore City. Porter Matthews has graciously helped this history with a pictorial report he produced in 1939. From his report of Talbot in 1962 he writes, "Its modest beginning, a field leased from John M. Elliott, a little $2,600 clubhouse, and nine holes laid out on the forty acres plus of land, became the center for a sport destined to become one of America's most popular". Porter and I, along with our mutual good friend Melvin Hartenstine of Perryville ware at NTS Bainbridge where we helped the Navy win World War II. My first DPGA experience began at Talbot at an annual meeting in 1951 in the pavilion there. Harry Russell was president that year. I remember well a lengthy debate that night, that ended peacefully, between Harry and Fred Whitney of Georgetown.

        Rehoboth started in 1926 with 200 members, according to Mr. Howard Callaway a founder, and presently, at age 99, Seaford's oldest member. He had played 18 holes at Caroline the day I talked to him.

         Mr. Louis W. Gunby was the founder of Green Hill when he bought the land for the course in 1926-27; the club was formed in 1928. The first president was Jack Gunby, his son. Another son, Joseph Y. Gunby, is an active member of the club now.

        James ("Jimmy” Jackson says Mapledale started in 1927, beginning on farms named Mapledale Farms owned by Senator Daniel Hastings. Jackson started golf as a caddy, later was president of DPGA, and an excellent golfer for many years. Hayes Wilson and Alden Richardson were two of Mapledale's great golfers. Jimmy tells of a match with him and Hayes Wilson against Joe Schiller and John Roane in 1941; they split, each twosome winning at their home course.

         Northampton was built and donated to Cape Charles by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1928. Paul Watson and W. A. Dickinson say George Curtis was their first president. Their Dick Warren won a DPGA championship in "about 1935". Paul told me.

        Cambridge began in 1928 with Mr. Hobart Phillips as president. Their club is located on the banks of one of Maryland's most beautiful rivers, the Choptank, scene of James A. Michener's "Chesapeake". Charles ("Red") Rider has dedicated much of his time, travel and hard work, for many years, to our Association.

        Chester River started in 1928. Circuit Court Judge Stephen Collins was their first president and a founder. Harry Russell's name is associated with the DPGA's history and for more them 25 years he was a leader a very good golfer, along with Don Falls, Ed Strong, Bob Fleetwood, Dr. Joe McLain, president of Washington College; all these and many more at Chestertown have bean strong supporters of our DPGA.

        The original philosophy and format have changed only slightly in fifty years, usually only to add new programs. At the annual meeting a new president is elected by means of a rotation of clubs; a secretary-treasurer from the same club; a first and second vice-president; two executive committee members from the north and south, one from each area so that the entire shore is represented; a northern and a southern junior chairman. A paid administrative assistant was added a few years ago.

        The first preamble to the DPA remains: "In the belief that golfing activities can be promoted through organized effort on the Delmarva Peninsula and that these activities will foster a spirit of fellowship and good will, as well as mutual understanding among the citizens of the communities of the Delmarva Peninsula, there is established this Association." Never interfering with the operation and policies of member clubs, the Association continues its policy of acting only as a clearing agent for schedules, sponsoring an Amateur championship, as well as junior, senior and other projects. Member clubs support DPGA by annual dues that are used mainly to support various golf and scholastic programs.

          Golf in the twenties and thirties was played on courses newly constructed, greens were often only a good grade of lawn grass closely cut. Narrow fairways and hazards demanded accurate shots rather than the long hitting of today. Each golfer carried his own golf bag with fewer clubs than today, or, hopefully found a caddy. Pull carts came along in the late thirties and forties, a few gasoline carts came in the early fifties with big tires that cut up the fairways and finally the electric or battery carts that have now almost; limited caddies. A Number 2 wood was called a brassie, a Number 3 wood a spoon, a Number 4 wood a cleek, a Number 8 iron a pitcher, a Nine iron a niblick, some of the names given clubs years ago.        

             The handicap chairman had a key job more so then than now because there were no computers to do the calculating; the pros usually helped having  seen everyone hit it many times. Harvey Marriner, Elks and later Seaford; teamed with Alec Taylor, Elks pro, to have many fewer arguments, as I recall,  than with computers available now. The DPGA had all clubs rated a few years  ago toward having handicaps more uniform among member clubs.         

            In the thirties team matches were scheduled between clubs, and north and south divisions were formed. Matches were match play twelve men on a team. Good fellowship resulted from the matches; similar play continued through the early sixties. Junior team play today follows the original team play format of the thirties. Lunch was at 12:00 noon (“Dutch treat"), 3 point nassau, 36 points per team. Getting results in of the matches was a real chore, according to Hayes Wilson, Jimmy Jackson, Roy Moors and others.         

            An annual DPGA championship (“Amateur") came in the late thirties. Some older members spoke of a "championship" in the early thirties but the exact format was not recorded. The format that was followed for many years had entrants having to qualify to be eligible for a three-day series of matches, match play, held over the Labor Day weekend. I played in one at Cambridge and lost to Dick Underhill, Green Hill. To become champion the winner had to win an eighteen hole match in the morning of the third day and the same again in the afternoon. Joe Schiller thinks Jack Stenger, Chester River was the first champion. No dates nor names are available for these first matches.        

            According to Porter Matthews, Billy Shannahan, Talbot, won the annual championship no less than five times, an unsurpassed record. Green Hill's Joe Schiller, first playing at the Elks and later Green Hill, won it four times. Playing "only a few holes now and then" at Ocean City Joe recently recalled the old days, matches with John Roane. Green Hill, Harry Russell, Billy Shannahan, Rufus Bowland, Seaford, and Dr. Phil Insley, Green Hill. His greatest match, he says, was when he had to go to the final 36th hole to win at Mapledale over Jimmy Jackson. In a letter to Harry Russell Sept. 14, 1951, Joe gave results of possibly the first junior tournament held by the DPGA. His letter gives results as to financial details but lacks names of the winners. He had won the Seniors in 1949.

         I cannot compile a history of Shore golf without mentioning Joe's daughter, Jane, now Jane Mason, and their two sons, both junior team players. Jane won the Ladies Maryland Championship three times. She continues today to be one of the state's best lady golfers. Willis Johnson, pro at Green Hill, told me recently that "Jane is one of the best I have ever seen, professionals, amateurs, men and women included in keeping the ball in play, shot after shot". The DPGA held a ladies championship in the early years until 1952, but records of the winners are not available. A junior girl championship has been held at the one day DPGA junior championship for many years.       

             Jack Slayton golf professional at the Elks Club for more than 20 years, won the Amateur, all shore tournaments at that time at least once, except one and you guessed it -- his own Elks Invitational. "Daddy Jack", as B. T. Twigg, well-known radio and sports figure, named him, was one of the few selected as earning the right in 1974 to have the title of Class "A" Master Professional in the entire United States. Robert Sutton, Mapledale, won the Amateur three times, 1960, 1961, and 1962. Sheldon Blades, Porter Matthews and Jim Homey, Talbot, Alden Richardson, Denny Waiters, Mapledale, Rufus Bowlcmd, Seaford, were some of our great golfers to win the Amateur.

        Two-day invitationals, scheduled annually at the DPGA meeting, in the late fifties became the most popular competition, changing the Amateur to a two-day stroke play event, eventually becoming poorly attended because of the many two-day invitationals. This year's president, Nolan C. (“Pud") Owens, did a great job, particularly in promotion, excellent awards, good publicity, resulting in 88 entries at his home club, the Elks Club - easily the most to enter in several years. Dr. Robert Oblinger, Cambridge, won this one, in 1979, to help us celebrate the DPGA's fiftieth anniversary. The Amateur is held each year at the current DPGA president's club.        

            One of the most popular DPGA projects is the annual one-day Seniors Championship, the event being awarded as other DPGA events are, at the annual meeting. The oldest available record is a letter dated October 9, 1950, from Ben Courtryht (this is how he spelled it) Mapledale, to Harry Offutt Talbot, secretary-treasurer. describing the first Seniors in which 83 played. It was won by Judge Tarry, later governor of Delaware, Mr. Courtryht has been called the "father" of the senior program. An excellent letter, with results and senior format dated September 26, 1956, is in file from Harry Keenan, Cambridge, 73 payed $5.00 entry fee included one dinner. Harry Russell won it with a 79, Ben Courtryht won "over 60" with an 85. My old friend Bill Young, Elks, won one of the age groups. The entry poster had a great Eastern Shore line, "Wives sweetheart’s cordially invited, extra dinner per plate $2.50". Seaford in hosting the 79 Seniors provided their usual good food and great fellowship, which the event is all about. Gus Duranti, Chester River, won it with a 74 round, Ed Strong, same club was defending champion and missed winning again this year by only one stroke; he had won it several previous years.

         Having been a junior chairman for many years, and a thorough booster of our junior program, a scholarship project that I had tried to have the DPGA buy finally was accepted. In 1976 we had some extra money and with Charlie Rider helping as usual, we got it started. As our first winner in 1976 we selected Robert Rementer, Caroline Country Club, an outstanding scholar who later was graduated from Gettysburg College, an excellent golfer. President Owens made great progress this year with this program having made it his number one goal. All clubs are asked to support with funds from DPGA and other activities. This year awards were made to Ricky Holt, Seaford, and Guy Weber, Jr., Rehoboth.

        Two more DPGA events, the Two-Ball and Parent-Child, are well attended each year. The Two-Ball usually attracts the lower handicap golfers. The Parent- Child has parents teaming with juniors, usually of all ages both boys and girls. Dad has this opportunity to show junior how it is done; most of the time it is junior showing Dad.

        The largest DPGA project in dollars spent and actual participation is the junior program. A general meeting is held each spring to arrange play, dates, rules. Team play has been the main competition for several years, there being a north and south division and a final playoff that Mapledale has won the past eight years. Billy Shannahan was an early sponsor, donating an excellent trophy to be awarded each year that was destroyed by fire at Mapledale a few years ago. Avery Smith has worked hard for the juniors; I have been southern chairman since about 1955, Don Falls a few years later and currently the northern chairman. A writer in a national golf magazine wrote recently "A golf club without a good junior program is like a house or building without a good foundation".                                 The DPGA is very proud of former juniors Randy Olinger, Tommy Smack, Ocean City, Roger Simpkins, Chester River; Charlie Houts, Nassawango; Scott Beach and Greg Shrieves, Elks Club; all successful golf professionals now. Gary Watson, David, Allen, Mitchell Pote, great grandsons of Mr. Monroe Pote beloved Delmar baseball coach, Seaford; Dan Parker and Art Whaley, Mark Brueckman, Ocean City; the Hayes brothers Barry, Kevin, and Brian. E. C. Jones, and David Started of the Elks, and Bob Rementer, Caroline, Billy Falls, Chester River, are only a few of hundreds of junior graduates, including many outstanding girl golfers.

        Starting with seven clubs fifty years ago, we now have 19, and with the Mart Ingham Golf Club coming in this year we have 20 clubs as follows:

Cambridge Country Club, Cambridge, Chester River Yacht & Country Club, Chestertown, Caroline Country Club, Denton, Eastern Shore Country Club, Onancock, Elks Golf Club, Salisbury, Garrison Lake Country Club, Smyrna, Green Hill Yacht & Country Club, Salisbury, Mapledale Country Club, Dover, Mart Ingham Country Club, St. Michaels, Nassawango Country Club, Snow Hill, Northampton Country Club, Cape Charles, Ocean City Yacht & Country Club, Ocean City,  Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club, Ocean City,  Old Landing Golf Club, Rehoboth Beach,  Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford Golf & Country Club, Seaford, Shawnee Country Club, Milford,  Sussex Pines Country Club, Georgetown, Talbot Country Club, Easton, Winter Quarters Country Club, Pocomoke.

         Our special thanks go to the Seaford Country Club where all annual meetings, and many others, have been held since 1955. Thanks to the many officers through the years, and to the many great golf folks like Ross Collins. Seaford, Mrs. Bowen Quillen, Ocean City, a great sponsor of junior golf, "Be" Quillen, same club, Mr. and Mrs. Alec Taylor (Elks - 1950s great people), my sister-in-law Sara Freeman Long who has helped me with this, "Mus" Olinger and his wife Gladys, who gets my vote for "Mrs. Congeniality" among all golf people. Ocean City, my brother Dick Long, Green Hill and the Elks several years ago, Ed and David Wyatt, Harry Miller, Bill Grant, Elks and Nassawango, Phil Elliott, Elks and Nassawango also, Torchy Outten. Elks, and many others like Fred Foltz who have helped with our juniors - transportation, teaching, patience.

        Present officers of DPGA are: Nolan C. Owens, president, Elks, Edward Basara, 1st vice president, Sussex Pines; 2nd vice president Jerry Medd, Rehoboth; James Linn, Elks, secretary-treasurer, Charles Rider and Jay Dougherty, Mapledale, Executive Committee; Bill Long and Don Falls, junior chairmen; and Charles Haddock, Seaford, administrative assistant.

        Despite history's most disastrous depression, and wars, our DPGA in 1979 is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Today in 1979 the dollar value of golf club real estate has increased to fantastic figures, clubs have expanded and new clubs are about to begin operation. Golf tourists to our Peninsula can hardly believe the beauty and character of our clubs and courses. Our DPGA has definitely been a good idea, helped us enjoy more good will, good fellowship on the "Good Old Eastern Shore" so named by Dale Wimbrow in his song back in the twenties and thirties when those very thoughtful gentlemen decided to get this Association started.

        We will have another two hour or so meeting in November, a few differences, always easily resolved, ready for another big year of golf. May it be the Delmarva Peninsula Golf Association's privilege to be of service for another fifty years.

 Compiled and edited by William P. Long, Elks Golf Club, Salisbury, Md. 21801