AT ST E M O GOLF N A T S N S O A O I N CIAT A 1917-2017 ATE M ST TATE M O S O N GOLF GOLF A N A T S N S N A T S IO S O N O T A O I CIA N CIAT A A th 1917-2017 100Anniversary 1. 2. M TATE O S N GOLF T A A S N S IO N OCIAT A Caleb Stetzner 2017 STATE AM CHAMPIONS Teigan Avery REFLECTING ON 100 YEARS OF MONTANA STATE GOLF JIM OPITZ, MSGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR In 1917, Butte, Montana was the birthplace for the Montana State Golf Association. The same year, Butte and its citizens suffered a horrendous tragedy with mine explosions and numerous deaths. Still, the spirit of Butte and the love of golf endured. Tournaments were held, champions were crowned and golf was at the center of rejuvenation and joy. The MSGA was joined later as golf grew in popularity in the state with the good stewards of women’s golf establishing the MSWGA. Names like Sarsfield, Barnett, Jones, Cook and Hedge have dominated the men’s amateur. Just as impressive are the names of Tremper, Anderson and Schneider in the women’s amateur. These are players who inspired amateur golfers throughout Montana. We all wanted to be like Gene or Helen didn’t we? As the golfers names have changed so has the MSGA/MSWGA role in all of this. Besides putting on annual championships, the associations have been busy rating courses, administering handicaps, encouraging junior programs and in general -- promoting the game we all love. This project, to capture some of the history of Montana Golf, is a major undertaking. A great deal of gratitude is given to George Geise for embracing this task. As we read the text of his work, most of us will have vivid memories of watching these players “do their thing” and coming away amazed. At the same time, all players who have volunteered to host a junior event, or to work at a state event have added their own contribution to the promotion of golf in Montana. You are to be thanked for your generous support. It is the spirit of the game that keeps us coming back, even after having one of those challenging days on the links. With the help of all of you who support the MSGA/MSWGA, we will continue our mission to promote and grow the game of golf in Montana. CARLA BERG, MSWGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR As I write this forward, I am watching the 117th U.S. Open Championship. I pause to reflect that just 17 years after the first U.S. Open Championship our state association held their first Men’s and Women’s State Amateur Championships. Golf in America was in the infant stages and so too, it was in Montana. Your state associations share the common mission “to preserve and protect the game of golf.” George has done a very good job trying to compile some important history of Montana Golf and our championships. Over the past 100 years, we have seen many changes in the development of equipment and courses. Science has played an important role in the agronomy of courses with turf grass research and water use. Equipment and ball technology have changed the game more rapidly than we ever thought possible. The old method of pacing yardage is gone forever. The game that one time was considered for the elite, is now for everyone. Our state golf associations have been the “guardians” of the game in our state for the past century. Under their guidance and tutelage, the game has flourished for everyone. The state associations operate independently from the USGA and rely primarily on its volunteers and members. Because of these shared goals and the relationship of the members and the state associations for the past 100 years, the game of golf has grown in Montana—all “for the good of the game.” In this modern 21st century it is important to remember and remain grounded in these golf traditions, with the time honored value of volunteerism. Please continue to support the work and mission of the MSGA & the MSWGA with your membership. Obtaining your handicap, purchasing state golf license plates and supporting the junior grants program through raffles and fundraising efforts will permanently secure golf’s future in Montana for those who will learn the game as we have – under the Big Sky. We must all thank those volunteers who came before us for their wisdom and their dedication to the game. With the continuing dedication of our state associations, I do believe the game we love is in good hands for our future generations. BY GEORGE GEISE MSGA BOARD MEMBER Any organization or business that manages to operate successfully for 100 years must be doing something right, and we happen to believe that the Montana State Golf Association has done quite a few things right over the past century. To celebrate ten decades of service to the game of golf in the Treasure State, we are taking a long look back at the good old days, beginning in 1917 when the MSGA sponsored its first state tournament. We discovered quite a few things about our association -- and our sport -- that we wanted to share with the state golf community. We also reinforced the notion that hundreds of dedicated volunteers – men and women -- have served the game of golf extremely well in our great state. To be sure, the goal of our project wasn’t to write a comprehensive history of golf in Montana. While that is a noble ambition, it’s a target that exceeds our modest research resources. However, since this is the 100th anniversary of the Montana State Golf Association – and its vital partner, the Montana State Women’s Golf Association -- we believe there is no better time to examine the role of our groups in the development of golf in Montana, and also to look at the role we ought to play in growing the sport in the future. We feel quite comfortable reporting most of the data published in these pages. For example, it’s a matter of public record that E.J. “Ted” Barker of Butte won the first seven men’s amateur tournaments conducted, on his way to a record nine titles. We also can report in full confidence that Helen Schroeder Tremper of Missoula was the dominant player of her era, winning 15 championships in a 20-year period beginning in 1955. However, we are far less comfortable reporting the scores that Barker shot while winning his first championship 100 years ago, and we can’t accurately tell you what brand of golf clubs Tremper used in 1975 to earn her final state title. But we’re going to give 6 7 it our best shot, and we hope this text serves as a template for In the formative years of Treasure State golf, the game was discussions that lead to an even more definitive history of golf in contested on “sand” greens, a surface that would be oiled, then the Treasure State. smoothed with rakes. The first “grass” green didn’t arrive in THE EARLY YEARS (1917-1936) Montana until 1931, when the Missoula Country Club built one on the site of its current 16th hole. The seeds of golf in Montana were planted in Butte, which was the largest city in the state a For the first few decades – actually, for the first 48 years – match century ago, an industrial center powered by play was used to determine state champions. The men and women copper mining and related businesses. The usually had qualifying rounds of medal play, followed by two or Butte Country Club was formed in the early three days of match play. The men generally determined their part of the 20th century, and the first State champion with a 36-hole final match, while the women went 18 Amateur Tournament was contested there holes. in 1917. As you might expect, Butte golfers E.J. “Ted” Barker and Mrs. I.M. Wheeler The earliest state tournaments were come-one, come-all affairs, won the inaugural men’s and women’s with adult men and women, junior boys and girls, senior men and championships. sometimes even professionals competing during the same week. And those events weren’t restricted to Montana golfers only; That was the first of seven straight titles in the third men’s State for Barker – who won a record nine overall Amateur in 1919, Barker in 11 years – and it was the first of three defeated a Salt Lake City, consecutive crowns for Mrs. Wheeler. Utah player in the final match. Butte played host to the first four state tournaments, before clubs in Helena and The youngest men’s then Anaconda took their turns. champion in Treasure State history was 17-year- old Rudy Merhar of Butte, Those a former caddy who won communities his first title in 1932. Two were joined years later at the Billings as a host site Golf and Country Club, by Great Falls Rudy shot a 6-under-par (Meadow Lark 62 in a qualifying round, Country Club) but he failed to win the in 1924, but it wasn’t until championship. 1934 that a state meet was played in Billings. Kalispell didn’t host the tourney until 1947, and Missoula didn’t join the rotation until 1950. 8 9 BEFORE AND AFTER WORLD WAR II (1937-1956) The game of golf obviously was popular in cents per club member from each member club – in addition to Montana in the years following the Great the club fees, which ranged from $15 to $100 annually, depending Depression.