Apple Tree Gang

719 Words3 Pages
Charles “Ryan” Trego History Of Golf PE107 Week2 Homework “Apple Tree Gang” Due 1/22/2013 Apple Tree Gang The so-called "father of golf in America" was an immigrant from Scotland by the name of John Reid. Reid had enjoyed success as an executive with an iron works in Mott Haven, New York and was seeking a way to spend his leisure time. Being a Scot he obviously knew of golf so he asked a good friend, Robert Lockhart, another well-to-do Scot living in New York to do him a favor. Lockhart was about to embark on a trip back to Great Britain so Reid asked if he would make a purchase for him of golf clubs and balls. Well, Lockhart did his job well as he traveled to St. Andrews in Scotland and went to the golf shop of Old Tom Morris, the then famous clubmaker, golfer and champion of the first Open. Lockhart asked Morris to ship two dozen gutta-percha balls (molded from the sap of a tree); three wooden clubs; a driver, brassie and spoon; plus three iron clubs, a cleek, sand iron and putter. The package arrived in February, 1888. When warm weather returned in March, Reid and his chums returned to play the three hole pasture course. By April they had moved on to another property on Broadway in Yonkers which gave them room for six holes. After a full summer of golfing Reid invited four of his closest friends to dinner at his home in November of 1888 with the purpose of discussing their future plans for golf. It was decided that they formalize their endeavor and formed the St. Andrews Golf Club. Reid was elected president. This is now considered the first permanent site golf club in America that endured. They continued at the Broadway site until April of 1892 when it was learned that a public road was to be built through their course property. This time they laid out another six hole course in a nearby apple orchard. A large apple tree with spreading limbs next
Open Document