Temperatures have climbed and Cleveland’s glorious roster of golf courses public and private are welcoming golfers back for the season. While it feels like not much has changed on the landscape recently, that’s hardly true for decades past. These vintage shots show not only how courses like Firestone that we know and love (to watch on TV) looked years ago but also some courses that have closed and some golfers, amateur and otherwise, who duffed it around Northeast Ohio.
All photos and captions courtesy the Cleveland Memory Project.
Spectators and participants in the 1933 Womens’ City Golf Championship, held at the Country Club in Pepper Pike. “Monday afternoon in fourth day of annual city golf club tournament for Women’s Golf Championship, July 26, 1933.” –photo verso. The tournament was won by Edith Begg of the Canterbury Golf Club.“Ambassador West Golf Studio. 11901 Berea Road, Cleveland, Ohio. Phone 941-4449. Eighteen hole golf course – Driving nets – private and class lessons – Golf supplies – Open year around.”–card verso.“Tire kings and future tire kings out for a round of winter golf, on the Miami Beach Bayshore Golf course. Left to right: Leonard Firestone, Harvey S. Firestone Jr., Harvey Sr., Raymond Firestone and J. W. Thomas; vice president of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.” — photo caption, 1927.“Golf practice helped these steel strikers pass the time of day as they stood picket duty at the W. Third Street entrance to Republic Steel Corp. blast furnace plant.” -photo verso, 1959.“Geneva-on-the-Lake – Golf pro Harry Orsuto instructs Mrs. Jeanette Catano, watching – Mrs. Dorothy Pasqualone, ” Bernice Volpone – Geneva-on-the-Lake – General” – photo verso, 1961.Lithograph by artist H. C. Summersett of Brecksville Golf Course Club House, Brecksville, Ohio.Photo shows the Tudor Revival Euclid Golf Club clubhouse which was constructed around 1900. A circular driveway lined with small trees is shown to the right of the clubhouse as is a flagpole flying the American flag. Written at the bottom of the front of the postcard is, “I often wonder how you and — Donald S. are enjoying life and each other’s society. J. G. A.” 2510-2568 Derbyshire Road, Cleveland Heights, OH
The back of the postcard reads “POSTCARD; D 1866a, The Rotograph Co., N.Y., City. (Germany); SOL-ART PRINTS; The R CO.; Photo. only, Copyright 1905 by the Rotograph Co.” A one cent postage stamp is postmarked March 14, 1910. The card is addressed to Mrs. John Morrison in Napoleon, Ohio.Postcard of the Aquamarine Resort & Country Club Golf Course, 1970s to 1980sThe layout of the Country Club golf course in Pepper Pike, host of the 1935 National Amateur Tournament. Photo is marked by Press staffers for publication, showing the location of each of the courses’s 18 holes, including the distance from tee to cup.“Orange Village, Ohio: Cleveland Mayor Ralph Locher [right] gets a tip from Ed Furgol, one of the pros participating in the Cleveland Open Pro-Am tournament here today.” –photo caption, 1963. The tournament was won by the team of amateur Mason Rudolph and pro golfer Jack Nicklaus.Youngsters enjoying a game of miniature golf at Euclid Beach Park in Cleveland, Ohio, 1970s.“Forest Hills – Rockefeller Estate – old golf course” – photo verso, 1928.Lithograph by artist H.C. Summersett of Highland Park Golf Course, Cleveland, OhioIndoor miniature golf course in Shaker Heights’ Thornton Park recreation center, 1968.“Inspection bench at Worthington Ball Company” — photo verso. Company is most likely in Elyria, Ohio. 1946Lakewood minature golf course is located in Kaufmann Park, 15450 Detroit Ave. Undated photo“Tom Weiskopf (L) and Jack Nicklaus, all serious as they walk to the 9th green at Firestone CC in a World Series of Golf practice round.” –photo verso, 1977.State amateur golf tournament at the Portage Country Club in Akron, Ohio on July 16, 1932.”Bob Hope Hope Crosby match at Acacia” –photo verso.“Studying score and before beginning championship matches at Acacia Country Club. Acacia Country Club Women golfers, including (left to right) Mrs. A. L. Davey Jr., Mrs. Edward E. Hein and Mrs. Horace T. Gates, have little time for housekeeping –not with the club championship hanging in the balance. The new owner of the woman’s silver trophy will be decided by Friday morning. That noon the winner, runnersup [sic], player with low score an the losers’ will be feted at a cocktail party and luncheon.” –photo verso, 1951”L-R Mrs. John Bradner Mrs. Bert Davey chairman for field day … Joan Bradner Acacia Country Club – Annual Field Day … Davey, Albert I. JR., Mrs.” –photo verso, 1962.”4th hole at acacia” –photo verso.A golfer addresses the ball at a Golfomat facility. The Golfomat system projects the image of famous golf courses on a screen a few feet from the golfer, who hits the ball directly into the screen. A computer analyses the trajectory and impact of the shot and changes the projected image accordingly. This facility, at 25021 Rockside Rd. in Bedford Heights, was the first, and perhaps only, Golfomat in northeastern Ohio. 1974James Dailey gives golf lessons to Lakewood High School students Barbara Berry and James Bartholomew at the new Winterhurst Recreation Center, 14740 Lakewood Heights Blvd. 1966Scene on the 18th green at Portage Country Club in Akron, Ohio on July 16, 1936.The completed clubhouse of the Firestone Country Club in 1960.The Country Club and its members, 11405 Lake Shore Blvd., Bratenahl. The club’s headquarters was located at the Lake Shore Blvd. address from 1908 to 1930. This photograph is heavily marked by Cleveland Press staffers, and shows considerable wear and tear.A view of the Firestone Country Club clubhouse from the ninth hole in 1981.Paul Ducharne and Melan S. Kapel hang a painting at the Berkshire Hills Country Club. Gene Hersh creator. 1964“Sleepy Hollow’s Charlie Sifford, the first Black PGA pro, tries to coax in a birdie on the 9th hole. He settled for a par.” — photo verso.“Charlie Sifford, golfer, hitting over the Stadium scoreboard. Did not make it.” — photo verso, 1975.Indians’ owner Ted Bonda believed a 5 iron could clear the scoreboard in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, so he and Sleepy Hollow’s Charlie Sifford, the PGA’s first touring African-American pro, tried, but came up short. 1975“Miniature golf at Parmadale-Sister Columbiere.” 1961Putting green maintained by vocational horticulture students at West Technical High School, Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program, Cleveland, Ohio. 1968Thomas Cooper Barrow (1884-1955) was a hotel manager and parking lot owner in downtown Cleveland who at some point constructed a driving range on the NE corner of East 30th and Euclid Avenue, on property now the site of WEWS-Channel 5 TV. In some of the five photos of this range are visible some of surviving manisions on the old Millionaires Row and Tom’s range was on the site of Samuel Andrews’ former home. 1940sThomas Cooper Barrow (1884-1955) was a hotel manager and parking lot owner in downtown Cleveland who at some point constructed a driving range on the NE corner of East 30th and Euclid Avenue, on property now the site of WEWS-Channel 5 TV. In some of the five photos of this range are visible some of surviving mansions on the old Millionaires Row and Tom’s range was on the site of Samuel Andrews’ former home. 1940sThomas Cooper Barrow (1884-1955) was a hotel manager and parking lot owner in downtown Cleveland who at some point constructed a driving range on the NE corner of East 30th and Euclid Avenue, on property now the site of WEWS-Channel 5 TV. In some of the five photos of this range are visible some of surviving manisions on the old Millionaires Row and Tom’s range was on the site of Samuel Andrews’ former home. 1940s“Canterbury Club. One of the beautiful clubhouses in our Shaker Heights community. A Shaker View: One of a series produced by Shaker Savings Association, 16808 Kinsman Rd. – 12927 Shaker Blvd.
Circa 1950
