No. 117

“GOLFING AT THE STONE HARBOR COUNTRY CLUB”.  Here are 2 images that are rather identical: one is a photograph discovered in the Stone Harbor Museum archives while the second uses the same scene as the subject for a vintage post card that was postmarked and mailed on May 19, 1913.  The caption on the post card reads as follows: “Enjoying a game of golf on the course of the Stone Harbor Country Club, located directly opposite Stone Harbor on the mainland and reached in a few minutes by auto, motor boat or cars”.  In addition, we know that the Country Club had forty-five acres devoted to golf, tennis, trap-shooting and other sports. 

This scene depicts 5 men playing a round of golf and a woman who appears to be carrying a set of golf clubs.  The flag in the hole on the green, if we can call it a green, is visible on the right portion of this image. It would appear that playing on this golf course would not be easy as the so-called fairway and what would be considered the green look rather rough and nothing like the well-manicured golf courses that are common today.  While there are no bunkers or sand traps visible on this course, it would nevertheless seem that the very uneven and coarse patchy ground shown in this image presented more than enough hazards and challenges for golfers.  So the term that might best apply to golfers playing on this particular course might definitely be to shout the cautionary word “Fore” as such a term would be advised and used by a golfer to warn anyone within range of the probable line of flight of a golf ball.  In other words “heads up” or “watch out”.  As they say, “better to be safe than sorry”!