高尔夫球场历史

“前!" This expression echoed through the hills of Rochester long before anybody dreamed of the existence of 卡特-考辛斯高尔夫球场. 感谢约翰·道奇对这项运动的热爱, golf has been a tradition at the Meadow Brook estate since the early 1900s.

Dodge was a fun loving, earthy, practical, hard-working, ingenious and quick-tempered man. He also was an entrepreneur and had his own way of doing things in business as well as in his personal recreation. Legend has it that he was "excused" from a few public golf courses for his salty language. 他很幸运, 他有办法创造一个个性化的, nine-hole golf course in the backyard of his Rochester farmhouse, 配有会所. 不管他的动机是什么, there is no question that Dodge built a uniquely challenging course for himself.

"John took his golf game quite seriously," said Bill Rogers, long time OU golf and managing director. “那时候的柏忌和今天的标准杆是一样的, 所以他的柏忌37是一个具有挑战性的九洞."

拥有自己的私人球场有明显的优势. It was a time when the young game of golf was an increasingly popular pastime for local businessmen, 在周末和节假日，球场变得越来越拥挤. The privacy of the Dodge course allowed Dodge and his friends to play a leisurely round of golf without the congested conditions of public courses. Stepping out the front door of his farmhouse, Dodge met with the conveniently placed first tee. He and his guests never needed to request permission to play throughout. 3,081-yard course was designed with crossing fairways and could only accommodate one group at a time.

Similarities still remain between the Dodge and Katke-Cousins course. 根据罗杰斯的说法, the second green and the ninth hole of the Dodge course appear to sit very close to where Katke-Cousins' second green and ninth hole sit today. 当道奇在1919年赛季关闭球场时, little did he know that the next round of golf would not be played on the Meadow Brook grounds until 1977.

Dodge died of influenza on January 14, 1920, while on a trip to New York. 他死后, his wife Matilda kept the farm running for the children's sake, 但她告诉农场经理, 约翰•克莱因, “让高尔夫球场躺着”, 但别让它毁了. 让羊在高尔夫球场上奔跑吧." Matilda's wishes were carried out, and the Dodge golf course became grazing land.

直到1976年，高尔夫才再次被提及, 当马文·卡特克, 自十大菠菜台子成立以来一直是该校的支持者, had the foresight to perceive a golf course as a beneficial investment for the university. 卡特克提议建一个18洞的球场, offering to donate funds to build the front nine holes and find a financial backer to support the construction of the back nine holes. 十大菠菜台子 welcomed the idea and pursued Katke's vision by hiring Robert Beard to design the course.

而前九洞正在建设中, 卡特克找来了他的好朋友兼隔壁邻居, 哈罗德的表亲, 捐款兴建后九洞. 令人惊讶的是, 在Katke-Cousins建造期间, the Dodge golf tradition was uncovered when galvanized pipe used to irrigate the original greens was found on the site. Prior to that, there had been no visible signs of the old Dodge course.

The dedication of 卡特-考辛斯高尔夫球场 took place in the fall of 1976 when the front nine holes were completed. In the spring of 1977, the course opened its doors for business with the additional nine holes.

The 72-par course includes points of interest on the 草地溪厅 grounds. The bridge on the 15th hole is believed to have provided access to John Dodge's pumping station. The 17th and 18th holes offer a magnificent view of 草地溪厅 while challenging the best of players. These historical highlights are enhanced by the course's natural beauty and abundant wildlife lingering in the wooded roughs and bubbling streams.

It has been close to 100 years since the first divot flew at Meadow Brook. 今天, Katke-Cousins is rated among Michigan’s most challenging courses by professionals and amateurs alike. Increasing golfer demand combined with the interest in attracting new university partnerships, 18洞R杆&S Sharf高尔夫球场于2000年开业. Golf Digest ranked the Sharf course 21st among Michigan’s 855 golf courses.

“R&S Sharf is pleasing because of the natural, wooded habitat,” Rogers said. 高尔夫球手可以被它的美丽所吸引.”

但是，不要让它愚弄了你. Its elevated tees and undulating greens make it worthy of even the most seasoned veterans. 自开业以来，R&S Sharf has attracted well-known golf professionals including Lee Janzen, 弗兰克·利克利特二世, 罗科·梅迪德和菲尔·米克尔森.

R&S Sharf高尔夫球场, 由著名的高尔夫球场建筑师和教师里克·史密斯设计, is hailed as a course rivaling those of old-style golf architecture often found in Europe. 史密斯将他的设计项目的数量限制在少数几个. 决定与奥克兰合作, 他说, “大学致力于发展高质量的设施, their belief in the life lessons golf provides and the raw potential of the site were all big factors for me in pursuing this project.”

奥克兰最新课程的赞助人, 斯蒂芬和丽塔·夏普, 是奥克兰超过25年的忠实朋友吗. Stephan Sharf is a former OU Board of Trustees member and an OU Foundation Board of Directors member. 丽塔Sharf, 谁在2001年4月去世了, served as a member of the Advisory Board to 梅多布鲁克剧院.

当球场建成时, 斯蒂芬·夏普说, “We wanted to encourage Oakland to strengthen its partnerships and ties to the community. We hope our gift will inspire even more program growth and provide creative new opportunities for students in the future, 在这所大学近年来成功的基础上."

The passion for golf has meant more than simply carrying on a tradition, more than just a game. The course represents an investment in the university's future and cultural programs. 这是约翰·道奇永远无法预见的景象.

(Excerpts taken from "The Dodge Golf Tradition Continues" by Lynn Elliott, 查理·格林格纪念馆, 梅多布鲁克高尔夫经典项目, 1993)