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Romey Ortb's Wisconsin Golf Course Museum: Conclusion I~By Monroe S

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Romey Ortb's Wisconsin Golf Course Museum: Conclusion I~By Monroe S Tales From The Back Nine Romey Ortb's Wisconsin Golf Course Museum: Conclusion I~By Monroe S. Miller r Romey opened the double glass The shock of what we were experi- "I didn't," he said with a broad doors to the museum, took Betty with encing was wearing off. smile. his right arm and led the way in. The The first rows of equipment were Next to the Model T was a 1931 Orth boys were next with their fami- pickup trucks. It is unlikely there has Chevrolet pickup. It was the first year lies, and the throngs pushed close ever been a golf course superinten- Chevy offered a complete factory-built behind. I had muscled my way so dent who hadn't had a pickup truck, truck. ''They have always been behind that I was right behind the Orths. at least since the time of the Ford Ford," Tom mused as we looked the Large healthy indoor potted plants Model T. old truck over closely. This one had a filled either side of the vestibule area Romey's trucks were stunning. "Stovebolt" six-cylinder 194 cubic and another set of double glass The first one was, in fact, a Ford inch, 50 horsepower mill for power doors opened to the museum. I Model T, the beloved Tin Lizzie that and solid steel wheels and bed box, stepped through them and, literally, is so much a part of American histo- an advance over the wood that had gasped. ry. This one was a 1925 Runabout. It been used in the 1925 Ford Model T. On either side, as if to greet us, had a louvered hood, a canvas top Romey had it painted in the authentic were full size cut outs of Old Tom that folded down and a trusty Ford factory colors of "Blue Bell" blue and Morris (at the left) and Arnold Palmer four-cylinder engine. The bed of the black and accented with precise gold on the right, heroes of everybody box was maple wood, left with a pin striping. It also had a canvas top. who would ever walk through the clear finish. Romey even had the Next in line was another Ford, this museum doors. toolbox on the passenger running one a 1935 model, right out of the You were taken by the brightness board filled with tools of the time-a depression. It was black, too, but the inside the central area of the muse- ball pein hammer, a pipe wrench, a 16-spoke wire wheels were painted um. The height was formidable-I'd pliers and a couple of wooden han- bright red with chrome hubcaps. guess something over 25 feet at the dled screwdrivers. The vehicle had a They were beautiful accents. The center. Obviously Romey had installed shiny, deep black finish. tires were whitewalls. Romey had the high intensity fluorescent lamps so we Somebody said to Romey as he driver's side half of the hood up, wouldn't miss anything. Several large walked through the crowd, "Don't tell showing the 88 horsepower, 221 ceiling fans turned lazily. us you painted these, Romey!" (Continued on page 32) Equipment took up the central area of the floor. At the perimeter were a number of rooms, on both sides and across the back. Those across the back were open to the floor area. Above them was a mezza- nine with a stair case at each end of the four comers. ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS FOR I looked at Tom Morris and Bogey Calhoun. Calhoun was speechless- THE GOLF SUPERINTENDENT a rare moment-and I thought Tom • Disposal of pesticides, fungicides, and hazardous wastes was going to pass out. In fact, I was a little light headed myself. There • Free cost analysis for disposal of waste inventory were rows and rows and rows of • Lab analysis for unknown substances bright, shiny, perfectly restored equip- • Turnkey waste disposal includes waste profiles, labels, manifests, ment. I didn't know where to start packaging, and transportation exploring. The big speakers in each comer of • RCRA and DOT compliance the building gave forth soothing clas- • 25+ years in the hazardous waste industry sical music. I guessed it was Dvorak's New World Symphony, per- Liesch Environmental Services, Inc. fect for our rural surrounds. It was 6000 Gisholt Drive, Suite 203· Madison, WI 53713 quiet; guys were talking with one (60B) 223-1532 • Fax (60B) 223-1534 another, but only in hushed tones. 31 (Continued from page 31) grill and stylish side-mounted spare Like the Studebaker and the '35 cubic inch V-8 engine. It was painted tire all spelled elegance (if there is Ford, this one also had whitewall tires. a soft linden green. The fabulous elegance in a plckupl}. It was pow- The hubcaps were chrome and had paint job was highlighted by chrome ered by a six-cylinder engine. I want- the famous Ford winged logo. Romey trimmed headlights, a gracefully slop- ed to hop in, start it and drive it had it painted up in the original village ing front grill and a unique "V-8" away. green with Tacoma cream trim. The emblem on the grill. I'd never once seen any of these spare was mounted at the side of the J looked around, wondering if I trucks, nor had I heard Romey (or box and the fuel filler cap was was the only one looking at the pick- Jim, for that matter) talk about them. chrome, a nice touch for a great truck. up trucks. I wasn't, but the crowd of Half an hour had gone by and I had "Hey, Tom, look at this one," I said superintendents had dispersed over only looked at four of them. There to Tom Morris as we went down the the floor of the building; some of the were several to go before I even got line. "I'll bet each of us has driven guys were even upstairs by now. Jim to the grass machinery and tractor this truck before." Orth came by, put his hand on my displays. "You're right," he said as we shoulder and said, "Well, Boss, what Ford's 1942 pickup was intro- leaned on the fender of a 1953 do you think?" duced in December 1941 just as the Chevy 3100. It was a common site "I'm almost speechless, Jim. This war broke out. It was the last pickup when we were growing up in the is beyond words." Jim was, I could Ford would produce until after the 1950s and 1960s. Romey's was tell, proud of his father. war; car and light truck production green and had the standard Parked next to the '35 Ford was a gave way to the manufacture of war "Thriftmaster" six-cylinder engine stunning vehicle, one I'd not seen equipment. I loved this old truck; I under the hood. The curved windows very often despite my 50 years of remembered the model from my farm at each rear corner of the cab were age and rural upbringing that includ- youth when they were actually quite what I liked best about the appear- ed lots of trucks. It was a deep, rich common in the 1950s. The sheet ance of this truck. cardinal red 1937 Studebaker pickup. metal from the cab forward was dis- The first truck I drove was a 1954 It was the first year that Studebaker tinguished by its unique waterfall grill Ford F-100; Romey had a 1956 F- made a pickup and this one was and squared-off, flat front profile. It 100 that was very similar. It was fin- strikingly good looking. It had a was the first in Romey's collection of ished in cardinal red, an original smooth round design, whitewall tires trucks that had the headlights mount- color. Romey did everything authenti- and chrome hubcaps. The chrome ed inside the fender. cally, I was discovering. It had a For Your Fall Projects Check With ~r:c!!Jj!~"t;,nPlus wflftc ./ AE RI F YIN G.P5A Calcined Diatomaceous Earth MEQUON NEW BERLIN , " ,~. ./ FERrI LIZI N G.Green,Tee, fairway & Rough Fe~ilizer , i , ,; s ,..+ ,, ./ SEED IN G-Seed, PennMuJch, Terra-Sorb Seedcoot Gel j =-~ I , '0 ! ./ SNOW MOLD .PCNBGranular & AowabJe ~J.--"'':::;->-- "., ,-~. "_."., ,\ cALLJORDAN SENS/BAR -'-""""'"",FId //.-.# "W'f," qOLF COURSE SALES MANAqQ ~ 11020 Buntrock Ave. 16600 W. Rogers Dr. CAR...·'·"18-9101. 'AIJF1/ ...·'· 318-"280 242-9100 789-9550 fax: (414) 242-2117 fax: (4/4) 789-9509 (lRV·~;i:.JI PrlzeLAWN penoMY!5!iV ~ AW"'NU" ._,_ Application Sl'readen; PETET!S FINELAWN ~... £AMES' ~ACCUF"R" ~2o-20 ~ La",n & GaTd£n Thob 32 wrap around front windshield and the Superintendents, at least those which were also gray), an 8N and a rear window wrapped around both my age, like tractors almost as 9N (both had red "bellies" and were rear corners. It was cool. The truck much as they like trucks. For much from the 1940s, a 1953 Golden grill had the classic widow's peak of our careers, tractors were the Jubilee NAA, and all red Model 640 motif, and the bed box was back to a power sources for large area mow- Workmaster, and a 1961 861 with a wooden floor, obviously because of ing equipment; it seemed for me Select-O-Speed transmission. experience with rust. I'd hauled a lot only yesterday we were mowing Those trannies were a disaster on of loads of grain to the grist mill in roughs and fairways with tractors goof lurf," Tom said as we passed by my hometown in a truck almost like and gang mowers, and tractors were the 861.
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