Jim Meehan: Downriver celebrates 100 years
There’s probably nobody on the planet that has played Downriver as often as McGuire, who first put a peg into the city course’s grass in the early 1950s. Same goes for some of his buddies, known as the FOF or Jackson Brown group.
FOF?
“Fine old farts,” offered Bill Verstelle, longtime playing partner and passenger in McGuire’s cart.
“Friendly old farts,” McGuire added.
“Famous old fuddy-duddies,” someone else chimed in.
Dare we ask: Why Jackson Brown?
“The reason why we did that, we took turns getting tee times and then you had to call all the members to tell them what the times were,” McGuire said. “As members called in, they didn’t know who was getting a tee time so they didn’t know who to ask for. We got a name, Jackson Brown, so when somebody called in for the time they knew what it was.”
The FOF had their regular 9 a.m. tee time Friday – they also play Mondays and Wednesdays – but took a few minutes before heading out to the first tee to reminisce about Downriver. Head pro Steve Conner distributed some old photographs, one of the old stone clubhouse, another with knickers-clad men on the practice green, another showing a gentleman teeing off with a Model T nearby.
“Oh, there’s Downriver Golf Course,” the 95-year-old McGuire deadpanned. Laughter all around. No one seated around the table was safe from barbs. No one was able to suppress their amusement.
“Know what’s missing in all those pictures?” McGuire said. “Never see any golf carts. That was before carts.”
Downriver is clearly deep-rooted with the FOF and the community, and has much to celebrate in its centennial season.
“We’ve been thinking about what we wanted to do for it, something that we could handle and would be fun for everybody,” Conner said.
Hence, the Hit ’Em with the Hickory Tournament on July 29-30. Participants will be provided with hickory clubs and replica golf balls. A Downriver men’s club member found a company in Seattle that provides the clubs and another that manufacturers specialty golf balls.
“There’s actually a hickory golf association out there, and they get together and play with the clubs,” Conner said. Skilled players will lose some driving distance, obviously, but still can reach 240-250 yards.
Downriver has had a few revisions through the decades – the sixth hole was previously an uphill par 3, and McGuire recalled where railroad tracks used to be located along No. 1 – but it remains the same well-maintained, scenic course that encourages repeat customers.
“It’s just a great community course,” Conner said. “The beauty is its challenging enough for the really good players but it’s forgiving enough for the mid-handicapper and people that are just starting out. Not a lot of sand, no water. Pretty much what you’re looking at is tree-lined fairways.”
Added Verstelle: “It’s very old and we appreciate that. It’s a beautiful course, very old, very staid. It’s just a joy to play it.”
For celebrities, too. Downriver was the site of a 1946 benefit match involving iconic entertainers Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. They were paired with Downriver pro Neil Christian and Spokane’s Bud Ward. Followed by a crowd of 2,500, Hope shot a 74, Christian a 69, Crosby a 76 and Ward a 71.
The Jackson Brown group – yes, it reads Jackson Brown on the tee sheet – has as many as four tee times, usually fivesomes, and they play 18 holes “by the rules,” McGuire said. “No gimmies or anything like that.
“What I like is the group of people, the guys we play with,” McGuire said. “They come from all walks of life.”
The conversation quickly returns to story-telling, quips and chuckles. Old photographs provide ample material.
“See this picture?” begins Verstelle, displaying a photo of a large group surrounding a green. “This was the crowd that gathered when Mac finally made a putt on No. 1. They couldn’t believe it.”
McGuire was soon negotiating strokes with another regular in the group, never mind that a broken wrist has temporarily kept him off the course. He hopes to be back playing next week.
At Downriver, of course.