Monroe Miller is a retired course superintendent. He spent 36 years as superintendent at Biackhawk Country Ciub THE MONROE DOCTRINE in Madison, Wis. Miller can be reached at [email protected].

WE NEED A MUSEUM uring my youngest daughter's who initiated the TIC project and kept the century mark in America (121 kindergarten career (she's 29 it going in its early days. years) and accurately telling the story Dnow), each student was asked What we don't have, in a single site, becomes more difficult, although not to stand and tell about her family. is a museum. We have impossible, as time moves away from Christie's report was short and simple: individual collections, mostly small, 1888. "My mom likes to shop and my dad and some company collections. A few It would be a very formidable likes dead people." institutions have some pieces, and I undertaking, given the physical size of It was from the mouth of a babe - have seen small displays at the old Golf golf course equipment. It would take she meant that many of the trips we House Museum (equipment mostly a big building to house pickup trucks, took and conversations we had were loaned or donated by Mel Lucas). The tractors, gang mowers, F-6s and Park- about the past. Family reunions, cem- GCSAA has some small equipment at masters, and even sickle mowers. etery visits, museum trips, old books, its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan. Dr. My meager imagination races antique collecting and nearly anything Ken Payne and Michigan State have when I think about displays tracing else connected with days gone by are had antique pieces on display at the the course aerification, the things that interest me. GCSAA conference in the past, and irrigation and spraying. We could National historical sites are spread they were very interesting to see. have mockups of golf course shops all across America, and many small from 1900,1950 and 2000. Wouldn't towns have their own local museums, it be cool to trace the history of cup frequently hosted by a core of volun- Wouldn't it be cool cutting, and to have a collection teers whose local pride inspires them. to trace the history of flags and sticks from around the Sports museums are of tremendous of cup cutting, country? Bunker raking, from hand interest to Americans, and I have have a collection of rakes to the Stan Clarke Power Rake, been to most of them - Cooper- flags and sticks from on through the hydraulic machines of stown, Springfield, Canton, South today and back to hand raking would Bend (college football) and Newport be instructive. (tennis). USGA Golf House and the Each year we could have a summer have huge But I believe there would be great field day with demonstrations of older appeal to those of us involved in this value and interest in consolidating all equipment. The events would involve great game. Also, in the world of of these collections at a central site, competitions in mowing, sod cutting, golf history, I love the small upstairs under the management of a trained cup cutting and championship racing museum at the Foxburg , the and experienced curator. Done care- with Cushmans and Red Ryders and Museum and the Wake fully, this could be a destination visit other old trucksters. Forest Collection of Arnold Palmer for many involved in golf - players Who is going to do this? I don't memorabilia. and professional staff - as well as the know. Where? I don't know this, But there's a huge hole in the pre- public in general. either. Maybe the GCSAA or the sentation of golf's history, a gap made And a case could be made for acting USGA or the World Golf Hall of Fame. even more evident after my visit to soon. A lot of the equipment from Maybe it will take a consortium of or- the Turfgrass Information Center in the middle part of the last century is ganizations. We could all contribute, Michigan this summer. being scrapped for lack of space and though, of our time, our resources The TIC has done a wonderful job resources, both on the part of golf and even some of our personal golf preserving the literature and science courses and distributors. Some is course treasures. I know one gal who of golf turf and turfgrasses. It's a col- parked outside to rust in the weeds would be extremely happy to see our lection that boggles the mind when and weather. basement and our garage emptied and you see it in person. We all have ac- The passing of time also sees the donated to a world-class golf course cess to it, and more is available online passing of superintendents and green- museum - the American Museum of every day. keepers who can tell the stories of Golf Course Management. I'm grateful for the vision of the the early years in golf course manage- I wonder if I'll live long enough to USGA, turf faculty and other leaders ment in our country. Golf is well over see it. GCI