It’s still a couple of months until the opening of the Longshore golf course.
But the other day, alert “06880” reader Phil Bancroft spotted an interesting item on an online auction site: A score card for that very course, signed by Babe Ruth.
Nearly 7 years ago, I wrote about that week in 1946 the Bambino spent at the River Lane home of Dr. Vito Caselnova, a longtime friend. The doctor was chairman of the golf committee at Longshore, at the time a private club.
Ruth played on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon with Caselnova; Ruth’s physician Dr. George Irwin; Norwalk police commissioner Thomas Murphy, and club pro George Buck. The Sultan of Swat shot a 79, highlighted by a 35-foot eagle putt on the 12th hole.
Babe Ruth at Longshore. (Photo courtesy of Norwalk Hour)
The next day, Hour sports editor Williard Williams wrote that Ruth “did not dub a shot. His drive was good, his approach shots excellent, and his putting almost perfect.
“In between his golf, he shook hands with scores of persons introduced to him on the course and took care of autographs for the youngsters who swarmed all over him. The Babe was as gracious as ever and seemed to enjoy it all.”
Ruth played several more times at Longshore that week. His partners included US Senator Brien McMahon.
Babe Ruth autographs a baseball for George “Nookie” Powers. Powers’ fiancee looks on.
Ruth also visited Norwalk Hospital, where he met Westport firefighters injured in a horrific Post Road truck blaze. He signed baseballs for — among others — brothers Nookie and Chick Powers. Both had been legendary athletes at Staples.
Just 2 years later, Ruth was dead from cancer. It started in his throat, and moved to his brain.
Caselnova’s son, Vito Jr., told Albano:
When he stayed with us he used to complain about headaches. He would come downstairs in the morning, go right to the refrigerator, and pull out a can of beer. Not to drink it, but to rub the cold can over his head. He said it made him feel better.
He said he was going to come back next year, but he never made it. He said he was going to bring another player with him, a guy named Joe DiMaggio.
Bancroft remembered all that. But he was fascinated by something more: the score card itself.
The hole numbers, distances and pars were different from today’s course. He was confused too by some of the rules.
So Bancroft went sleuthing. Comparing a 1934 aerial view (below) with one from 1965, he determined that although none of the yardages are the same, identifying the par 3s and par 5s seems to fit — if today’s 17th hole is made into the original hole number 1, and today’s 16th is the original 18th.
A1934 aerial photo. Longshore is at the center; Compo Beach at the bottom of the image.
He adds, “Rules regarding balls on the then 2nd and 3rd holes have similar rules to today’s 18th and 1st. And the roads mentioned related to then holes 13 and 17 would be today’s 11th and 15th holes.”
Bancroft concludes that when Babe Ruth played Longshore, the road ran to the left of today’s 11th hole. Today it runs down the right hand side. Today’s 11th and 12th holes would have been “oceanfront,” with 12 having an “over-ocean tee shot at high tide, and mud at low tide.”
Fore!
The holes that Babe Ruth played.
That’s very cool Dan now let’s build a new clubhouse and put that up on the wall
Fascinating history. So was the course designed and built when Longshore was a private estate? I’m asking only because the original 18th hole seems relatively far from the clubhouse (which would seem unusual). And, if so, was the course reconfigured to make it more in sync with traditional country club courses where you wind up your round right by the 19th hole?
Hi Fred, I was wondering the same thing. The starter and the 19th hole may be been at what looks like a beach club where today’s Longshore pools are. I was only working off the scorecard and local rules noted at the time and trying to fit them with the course we know today. I would love to know more myself. (Link to 1934 aerial photos provided.)
It linked in my name on the previous comment. Provided again:
http://cdm15019.contentdm.oclc.org/ui/custom/default/collection/coll_p4005coll10/resources/custompages/maps/maps_1934_westport.html
Great story – and such a suave Longshore pamphlet, too. Today it would likely feature that goofy, child-like melted “W” logo that’s being affixed to everything like a creepy cult. And be executed in what we all just learned are Westport’s new “brand colors”; blue and orange.
I was wonder why nobody bought it to donate to the WHS and I figured I would do so. Then I found out this site sells these things in the $60,000 range. Nevermind.
Probably just as well. Provided the Westport Historic Grievance Society didn’t reject it as a relic of dead, white patriarchy, it would likely put this item behind its infamous 40 dollar an hour paywall. And then throw it away.
Richie bobo Romano caddied in that group. He had told me several times about it. I also believe he signed a scorecard for him.
Great story Dan! Thanks for sharing!🏌️♀️
I have pictures of Babe Ruth when he played golf at Longshore. One of him with a group of golfers, one with me ( I was 3 yrs old) and one with my Mother and two of my aunts. My father, Jim Reardon, was a club champion ( I still have the silver bowl from 1948! My father also played golf with Babe Ruth,and the Cassanovas’ were family friends.
Really so interesting! Thank you!
Dan, you’re amazing! Such a fount of interesting Westport-related info!! Thank you.
Awesome Dan! Love these “fun” stories on Westport history!