Ear on Chicago; Tam O'Shanter Golf Tourney

This is Hugh Hill speaking from Tamo Shatter Country Club, where today, Aaron Chicago is telling the story of the Tamo Shatter famous golf tournaments, the All -America and the World. This is the first day of the All -America tournament. It will conclude on Sunday. The World Tournament will start next Thursday and conclude on the following Sunday. Of course both tournaments will lengthen one day, or perhaps two, if there is a playoff. You're listening to a threesome go -off right now. Lou Strong is sitting right next to me. He's the home professional. Lou, who is that threesome that went off? That was Gardiner Dickinson, Bruce Crampton and Henry Ransom. Lou, we're going to come back to you in just a few moments, but first of all, we have to go up to the office of George S. May and talk to him just briefly about the history and the background of the tournament and something about this year's tournament. And we'll be back it down here in the first tee and see you in just a minute, and I'd like for you to describe the golf course to us. So we'll see you in just a few minutes. Thank you. We have come to the office of George S. May now, and Mr. May, tell us first of all some of the background in the history of the

All -America and the World Tournaments. When did it start? It started in 1940, really in 1941. We went down to Cleveland to a tournament and they charged $3 .5 to walk around. And I didn't like that. So we came home. We had a chance to have the third Chicago Open, the Chicago District Golf Association. So it's for $5 ,000 and we made a little money. We never made any sense on any of them, but we made it on the first one, see. So next year, I think the prize was $11 ,000. We didn't lose much. So here we are. It's just like one of those things you can't stop. This is our 17th one, Consecuties. You played during the Warriors then? Yes, and we were the only tournaments that allowed to play the Chicago District Golf Association and us, and we only got permissions in Secretary of War Patterson then at that time because you had to buy a war bond to get in. So you did? That's what we did. So we went straight through the Warriors without a break. Out of all those years, Mr. May,

what would you say would be the greatest finish? The one not so many years ago when the victory was made on the last hole? Well, you can't ever live that down. Unquestionably, that's the most thrilling finish. They can be others as great, but they'll never be any greater. I noticed that up here in your office, you can probably hear it in the background right now. You have a little monitor system. You know, at all times, what's going on? Yeah, I don't have to go out there to find out. Some days it's a lot more comfortable in here, like today, for instance. It's about 12 degrees cooler in here, and it's right outside the window there. Yes, it's awfully warm out there, and here it's very nice and air -conditioned, so this would be a good spot to watch the tournament from, if you could. Well, I do. A lot. Well, you're the one who can, I might add. Yeah, well, if I stay up here, I don't have to answer a lot of questions. It's a little strong, sitting over there, and Matt and Eason and Chet Boston could answer. You know, I've got a model on who can do this better than I can. That sounds good, but the real truth of it is, who can do it instead of me, just for propaganda purposes.

Well, now, Mr. May, is this the richest tournament of all? Sure is. How much are you giving away to the golfers this year? Well, it's 153 ,000 without counting the exhibition fund, which would make it 50 ,000 more. To the winner, of course. To the winner. Now, the only winner that you take on the tour is the one that wins the world. That's right. We've had four of them. Well, the first one we had was Little Worshima and then Bob Toskey, Julius Boris and Ted Crow. Ted put in 87 exhibitions for us this year. I kind of warmed down. 87 exhibitions. And he gets what? A grand apiece? No. I hired him by the year because I thought that would be a little better. And he thought it would, too, at least he was sure of 50 ,000 dollars. But 87 is a full year's worth. But where could he get 50 ,000 any other way? And have so much fun doing it. And all these expenses. Well, now, we're going to take a little tour of the premises here, Mr. May. If you don't mind, going around with Mr. Neeson and Lou Strong, talk about the golf course itself and about some of the facilities that you have

out here for the patrons and for the golfers. So we'll talk to you a little bit later, all right? Yes. Now, we've come out to the first tee and we're going to talk to Lou Strong, who is the home professional here at Tammel Shatter. Lou is going to tee off himself in just about a half an hour from now. He's entered in this auto -America tournament. Lou, I'd like to talk to you about the golf course now. And I think the best way to do it is for you to take the scorecard you have in your hand and start with the first hole and give us the length and the description of the hole and move on through the 18. All right, here, the first hole is 415 yards, the slight dog leg to the right. There's water right in front of the tees and a group of evergreens to the right on a sloping hill where many balls ends up. But this is not considered one of the harder holes. It's a pretty good starting hole. Number two comes out of the woods in a far corner, coming south, 495 yards. There's out of bounds to the right, trees to the left, and water all the way across the fairway in front of the green. Many birdies are made

here, but it requires two good shots to reach the green. The third hole is 160 yards. It's part three. It's the green sits on a peninsula. It's surrounded by water on three sides. And it's a birdie hole for some and five for others. The fourth hole is one of the most difficult, 445 yards. It's a blind shot from the tee. It's a dog leg to the left with a rolling fairway, rolling very sharply in front of the green, requiring the second shot to be carried almost all the way into the green, or to the extreme right -hand corner where it will get a satisfactory bounce to the green. The rough is very heavy out here this year. It's three or four inches long, and the ball nestles down into it, making it very difficult to get the blade on the ball. It's usually cushioned with a lot of grass, and as a result, the ball squirts sideways, and the distance is cut down considerably. The fifth hole is a birdie hole, 300 yards. However, it requires a very straight tee shot, because there's trees on both sides, particularly on the left with low -hanging branches, which

make a second shot difficult, because there's a tremendous trap along the left side and into the front of the green. It's an underlating green, and the pin placement in the back sometimes it's a difficult four. The sixth hole, 445 yards, dog leg to the left of the rolling fairway, out of bounds to the left, all the way down. Trees to the right. There is a gully to the right that most players shoot for, keeping the drive a little short for a direct approach into the green. All the greens that Tamishan are large, they're underlating with several rolls, making pin placements change the course from day to day. The pin placements can make the course hard, or they can make the course easy. The seventh hole is 415 yards, it's a sharp dog leg to the left. We have trees sticking out, and most drives are hit over the trees, otherwise it requires a hook around the trees. There are two greens, one to the left, a high elevated green, small, and one to the right, a rolling long,

large green. With a decent drive, this hole doesn't pose too much of a problem. The eighth hole, one of the hardest holes on the course, 250 yards. The ball must be carried almost all the way to the green, unless hit at the left edge of the green, in front and it will get a satisfactory bounce to the green. But it's a long hard hole, 250, par three. The ninth hole, 520, many birdies are made on this hole, but the fairway is very narrow, particularly this year, where the rough has been allowed to grow in from the right -hand side, and the rough on this hole is extremely heavy. And a ball, not in the fairway, there is no possibility of the player reaching the green in two for a birdie. Lou, before you go into that back nine, you think we should wait, it looks like there's a threesome getting ready. Do you have enough time to go through the back nine, do you think? No, we'll wait, but we'll finish the ninth hole there, Hugh, because down at the left side, there's water, parallel water hazard, and there's a bunker about 50 yards from the green on the left side, in the fairway, which makes a placement of the second shot

important. And the green itself is an elevated green, and it's one of the difficult putting greens. But that's the first nine, Hugh. All right, we'll talk about the second nine after this threesome tees off. Lou, that threesome is gone now, and we can go through that back nine. Well, here we're on the 10th tee now, and this hole is straight away 475 yards. It's by far the easiest par on the Tamashanter Country Club golf course. As J .A. Barr said yesterday, when we were playing the hole, if you don't walk off this hole with a four, you sure feel bad because you know many players have made three. The 11th hole is 150 yards, and the green has a huge roll in the middle, a trap across in front of it, which actually makes it a double green placement. And the green is shallow going into it from the tee, and many balls are either over or short of the green. Many threes are made, but a few fours too. The 12th hole starts the old flat holes, as the boys said, but now they call them the three tough holes, 12, 13, and 14. 12 is 440 yards with a very slight dog leg to the right,

with a nice bunker down the right hand side to catch a short drive that slides a little, trees to the right and left, with a big green, though this is the easiest of the three holes. The 13th hole has a dog leg to the right. The trees have grown up here considerably, the fairway is narrow, and the rough is heavy. It requires two straight shots to make the par. The 14th hole, the hardest hole on the golf course, hardest par, and the hardest hole to play. 445 yards, strategic placement of bunkers in the fairway on the right, and in the fairway on the left, make the tee shot most difficult to place. It should be to the right to enter the green from the proper angle, but a line of stakes going down there, marking an out of bounds, make most players play to the left. There's a huge trap coming to the left side of the green and out in front of the green, making the second shot important that it be carried in or played short to the right. Over the green is out of bounds also. The 15th hole, 515 yards, has out of

bounds to the left, about 250 yards, and parallel water hazard, almost the entire length of the hole. Out of bounds to the right, the entire length of the hole. Many birdies are made here, but it requires two straight long shots to reach the green, or it requires a good approach or put to make the birdie. One fine player made nine on the hole yesterday, and others will make high scores during a tournament there also. The 16th hole is the second hardest hole on the course. 215 yards, you have a long tee situated back into the trees, water winding in front of the tee, and to the left of the green and in behind. A ball that misses the green on the left side, hits the sloping bank, will go into the river, almost 95 % of the times. Players play this hole, try to hit the ball from left to right, and try to make sure that they get the turn there, and if they miss the green at all, to miss it into the huge trap to the right, where they have a chance to blast out for one putt, and make their three, or take the four if necessary.

17th hole, 375 yards, the long tee situated well back in, to the trees, has a very narrow opening to the green. Ever greens down the left side require that the ball be faded from left to right, if hit more than 225 yards. Trees down the right hand side, make it necessary that the ball be in the fairway at all times to have a fair shot at the green. Many birdies are made here with good tee shots. The 18th hole, 410, it's almost straight away. This hole has many long drives hit. For some reason, you can watch play during the first two days, and you'll see the drives back there, where the players are using five, six, seven, eights iron. And as the tempo of the tournament increases, all players seem to have their reflexes speed up. They hit the ball farther and longer, and on the final day of either tournament, you'll see most players down there approaching this 410 yard hole with the pitching wedge or a nine iron. The green is guarded by trees on either side, making a very narrow opening.

It's necessary that the ball players watch the pin placement on this hole, because if the pin is on the right, then they should be in the left side of 18 fairway, or even over into 17 fairway, for a straight -in shot without having the trees to contend with. If the pin is on the left, then naturally the player should try to have his ball on the right, so that he can have a direct approach into the green. There's a line of stakes to the right of the 18th fairway and the rough there, which denote out of bounds. The green, the Chicago River, North Branch, the Chicago River, is right in front of the green. It's an elevated green. It's the greatest finishing hole in golf, and it's one that the spectators certainly enjoy, sitting around and watching the players shoot their second shots and play out. Well, Lou, I certainly appreciate you going through the entire 18 holes here, and giving us a description of the holes and the greens, and certainly the people that are listening into this program know that they've just heard a man who knows this course like the palm of his hand. Thank you very much, you. A lot of luck to you, pal. I know you have to hurry away and

good luck in the tournament. Thanks a lot. Now we're going to talk to Matt Niesen, who is the general chairman of this tournament. You just heard Lou Strong talk about the beauty of the 18th green, where the spectators gather around to see the finish of the tournament. Certainly it is a beautiful sight to see with the North Branch of the Chicago River right down below the green, and we have come up to a booth right now in the stands directly behind the green. We're going to watch now and talk to Matt Niesen, watch as some of the goffers are approaching this green. Can you make out who that is out there, Matt? It's not too important that we know until they get here, really, but I thought maybe you might know. No, yes, now I recognize it. That's Mike Dietz, Trevor Wilkes from South Africa, and Paul Harnie. Paul Harnie is this sensational player that's certainly sensational in the last six or eight weeks. I believe he's won two tournaments in the last eight weeks. Matt, let's talk a little bit about the upkeep of the golf

course during the tournament. Now you have thousands and thousands of spectators out here. First of all, how do you police the thing? We have Pinkerton men who police it as far as the galleries are concerned, but beyond that, just a cleanup crew that hits it early in the morning. Other than that, there's nothing unusual about the way we do it. Well, a golf gallery is never a rowdy crowd at all, is it? No, it is not. I wouldn't say never, but certainly they haven't been in Chicago here because with 17 tournaments, the galleries have gotten to know how we would like to have it handled, and they go along because they know that we have designed it in such a way for their convenience, rather than for ours. Now let's talk a little bit about this immediate area that we are in, and first of all, around the 18th green, let me just say that there are some stands off to the right as we look out over the green and into the fairway. Some stands over here just immediately to our left, and then these booths, one of which we're sitting in, up above us is a radio booth, and then there

are some to the right and to the left, and then of course there's a spectator's booth right down here below us. This particular booth is open, and although there's not much of a crowd out here at the moment, you may be able to hear as Matt and I talk a little later, some of the crowd noise as the golfers approach the green and some of them put out. That's the description of the area that we're in. Now to the left over here, as I, again, once again, let me say that I'm looking out over the green into the 18th fairway, over to my left is the famous Tamashanter clubhouse, which I guess Matt is one of the finest in the world, isn't it? For many things I have ever seen, and certainly I would say the largest in a golf club that I've ever heard of. We can see as many as 1 ,200 people on both floors. Now inside of that golf clubhouse, of course is the approach shop. It's downstairs, is it not? Yes, it's on the ground level, just off to the right or the east of the first tee. And incidentally, I don't know how many golf shops you have had occasion to see, but I have visited golf clubs all over this

country, and there's not a pro shop that is more beautiful than the one they have at Tamashanter, and it's just about two years old now. I think Matt that anybody that has seen the Tamashanter pro shop will certainly agree with that. I know I do. I've been out here on many, many occasions. So matter of fact, the last time I was out here, it was for something a little bit different than golf. You had a professional boxing champion training out here. Do you recall that? Yes, that's just the boy from the West Coast. That fought Sugar Ray Robinson. He was the former, Jean Fulmer. He was the middleweight champion of the world at that time, and Jean was training out at Tamashanter, and we came out here to the press conference and made some interviews with Jean, and Ray Robinson was here, and a lot of that gang that travels around with the boxers. Now this threesome is up on the green here. The balls have been moved away. Now the boys are, the boy is moving up to a whole mistake for one of the golfers who has about a 15. I can't make it up. You mentioned that the balls have been moved away. May I explain that we are playing a rule

today because of the early start, where the players are allowed to lift, mark, and clean the ball on the putting surface, and that throwing of the ball was the player throwing into his caddy to wipe it off on a towel that he has hanging on the bag. You'll notice there's one ball still on the green. That's Mike Deeds, and he's now going to putt. About a 15 footer or so, maybe a little longer. Oh no, he's a good 30 feet from not knowing the angle. It's hard to tell really if you're here. I know what, and it was a good 30 feet, and it's hitly, it's within three inches of the cup. Yeah, it was a nice spot. Nice spot, very nice spot. Now the other golfer, of course, is putting his ball down where it was marked. Well, man, I thought they all could mark their ball all the way through both tournaments because I've seen them do it. Well, it all depends on what the prevailing rule is for the particular tournament. We have to have a rule allowing them to lift and clean their ball because it wouldn't be fair to the early morning golfers. And incidentally, we went off at 5 .30 this morning if we did not have that rule

because there's always a lot of extra mud that would accumulate on the ball because of an early morning start. Yes, you know, when I read that in the paper that you were teeing off at 5 .30, I couldn't believe it because it seems such an early hour to tee off, but I suppose that you have so many golfers that you have to do that, don't you? Today, we have 237 entered in the field. They started at 5 .30 and the last one will tee off at 3 .44. They're at eight minute intervals and believe it or not. When I left the tee about 20 minutes ago, we are running 12 minutes ahead of tee times. So we've had no difficulty handing them and with the good Lord giving us nice weather through the day, we'll come out and they'll all finish in a very fine shape. Well, so much money riding on this tournament and also on the world tournament, there certainly is some understanding as to why the players turn out for it. Now, I think that this is true, Matt, isn't it? That this is actually, you have more golfers in this tournament than at any other golf tournament in the country. Well, that's right, particularly in the beginning of it and it's because we have four tournaments within the one tournament. There's

the men's professional division, the women's professional division, the men's amateur division and the women's amateur division. And we keep them separated. There's prizes, schedule, separate prizes for each one of the divisions. So with that kind of representation, we're bound to have a big field, particularly as the first day is going. Now, we will have this large field again tomorrow, but then on Friday night, tomorrow night, after two rounds, we cut the pro field to the low 76 and ties. The women professionals are cut from 31 to 24 and the men's amateur and the women's amateur continue on as they are 18 and 26 respectively through the Saturday and Sunday. There is really no golf tournament that you can compare to the Tamushandr tournaments. Is there, Matt? I mean, now the national open takes in men and professional and amateurs, but they don't have women. They have the PGA and you have only the professional men golfers in that one. There is no tournament which includes all amateurs, all professionals, including both men and women. That's right, this is the only one designed

this way. And when you say world tournament, speaking of the one that's coming up next week, you really mean it, there are golf pros here from all over the world. We have 13 foreign men professionals right now and we have foreign women professionals and foreign men amateurs and a couple of foreign women amateurs. Now in operating the tournament itself, Matt, you say they tee off at 5 .30 in the morning and you're 12 minutes ahead. Now, you tee off about every seven minutes, I think you say. Every eight minutes. Matt, there's a threesome coming up now, just approached the green. Who are they? Well, at young men in the yellow trousers there, that's one of our assistant pros. Joe Zalazni and Bob Grant from Springfield, Illinois and the former PGA champion, Jim Ternisa, of the famous Ternisa family out at Elmsport, New York. That is a famous golfing family, isn't it? Yes, indeed. Matt, let's get away from the actual playing of the tournament for just a minute because many, many people who are listening to this broadcast are wondering about the Tamashanter Golf tournament about the crowds that come out and how to get here and what facilities you

have at the tournament itself. So why don't you just tell us what facilities you do have out here, the clubhouse, for example? Well, they're very unusual. You and I would like to, if the public doesn't know about, I'd like to alert them on. For one thing, I believe that we are the only big tournament in the country or in the world where we allow the general public, everybody that enters our gates to go in and out of the clubhouse at will. Our parking facilities here at the club are adequate under most normal conditions. And if a person might want to try it, not you come with their car, they can take the Peterson Avenue bus to the end of the line and we have our own buses that meet the bus there and there's no charge to come up to the sea of tournaments. And another thing I might mention about our tournaments, the admission price is $3, including tax. And there is no other high -class tournament comparable to ours that has a admission fee as low as that. It's the lowest that there is

of any big tournament anywhere in the country. Let's give them the location of Tamil Shatter and a couple of good ways to get here, Matt. Well, it's Route 14, U .S. 14, it takes you right by the door. We're exactly, our main entrance is exactly at the corner of Howard Avenue and Calwell Avenue. Calwell Avenue is the north and south extension of the East and West Street Peterson Avenue. One just continues on into the other for driving purposes. And of course, as I mentioned for the bus transportation, you just take the Peterson Avenue bus to the end of the line and our own buses will meet them there. Well, I won't have much trouble getting here, if that's the case then. No, and it's 30 minutes from the loop at the most if you're driving. You know, you and I mentioned a pro shop and I wanted to go over there, Matt, and take a look. But actually, I don't think we have enough time and for purposes of enjoyment, I'd rather sit here in the cool of this booth here and watch these boys approach this green. But I think we ought to describe it a little bit and I'm going to let you do that so that they'll know just what kind of a pro shop you have here.

Well, of course, it was really newly designed, I should say. Just here two years ago, Lou Strong, the home pro, the merchandise, the kind of merchandise that he carries in there is the most colorful and very fine I might mention, of all types of shirts, slacks, swimming suits, shorts, wonderful sweaters, imported sweaters and casual sweaters and certainly golf clubs of all descriptions and all makes and kinds and all weights and all colors. And included in the pro shop is a very important part of the function of it for our membership and that is a rack room and a repair department that is second to none that I know of anywhere around and any of the country clubs and well, just less include the Chicago area. Matt, in just a moment, we're going to have to go back into George S. May's office. I want to be sure and go in and thank him for letting us come out here and take a look

at the Tamishanter Golf Tournament and the facilities they have out here. And the final few minutes that you and I have, I'd like to talk about something that of course is the most important part of this tournament that players themselves. We've done very little talking about who is in the tournament with the exception of mentioning a few of the three sums that we have seen either T -Off or approach this 18th green. Let's take a look at this line up here and perhaps I'll let you do this Matt take a look at the players and give us some of the most famous players that you have going off here in the tournament. Well, I will mention them as I think I'm not necessarily and they're important, but Sam Sneed, Jimmy DeMarit, Dick Mayer, Jackie Burke, Dow Finster Wald, Paul Harnie, this new sensation, George Bear, the long -hitting player, and the women's pro, there's Patty's, Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Betty Hicks, Betty Jamison, Faith Crocker, Jackie Pong, every top name that you can think of in professional golf are here and will be in the field for the two both tournaments, both this week and next week to the World's Championship. Matt, it's certainly been a pleasure sitting here kicking it around with you.

I've enjoyed it very, very much. I want to congratulate you and Mr. May and all of the officials connected with Tammel Shatter on the fine tournaments that you put on here every year for the people of the Chicago area. You know, we brag a lot in Chicago about the fine sports we have, racing, the professional football teams, the professional baseball teams, and among the outstanding sporting events of the year are the Tammel Shatter Golf tournaments. I want to thank you again, Matt, for telling us about it. Been real nice to talk to you and you call on me anytime. Now, Matt, we've got to go up and see Mr. George S. May once again. We are now back at the office of George S. May and Mr. May, I want to thank you very much for a very interesting tour that you've allowed us to take out here at Tammel Shatter. It certainly has been a pleasure to see the grounds and to talk to Lou Strong and Matt Neeson about the tournament. Well, we usually charge $2 for a tour like we gave you today, but since Freddie Harm just sets a good friend of mine, I'll cancel the bill. Freddie Harm, who is Freddie Harm? He hasn't anything to do with me,

and I think I know who you're talking about, so I'm not going to go on any longer. He's a little fellow who goes around here wearing a coat all the time, hot weather. That's all I know. But once again, Mr. May, thank you very much for allowing us to come out and tell the story of Tammel Shatter's great golf tournaments through all America and the world. Glad to have you. And as I've often told Freddie, WBBN is my favorite station. Thank you very much, Mr. May, and that's the story of the Tammel Shatter golf tournaments, and this is Hugh Hill speaking.