BOB CORBETT'S FOREST PARK JOURNALS

Hey, all you old-time Forest Park golf ball hunters

August 9 2003
By Bob Corbett

This may be a "guy" post, I don't recall many girls doing golf ball hunting in the park.

Today when I was riding I was thinking about three particular holes on the OLD 18 hole course. The first was # 3. It went from the foot of the steep hill, just east of Grand Basin, to a green right up on Art Hill.

The other was # 4, which crossed the whole of Art Hill and the green was up and over the top of the hill. My dad taught me the art of golf ball hunting on that hole and assured me of a moral principle I had to observe: no ball is lost when it is still rolling.

The last is # 17, which used to go completely across the north side of Grand Basin. On my mother's 50th birthday my dad got us all up early and mom, dad and we three sons all went over to # 17 at about 6 AM. Mom was terribly worried about becoming 50 (yikes a mere child to me now), and she teed up and drove her first drive into the Grand Basin. She broke down sobbing that she was now so old and over the hill. Dad would have none of it. "Louise," he sort of barked, as much as he could ever have been said to bark, "here's another ball. Put it on the green." And she did, like a pro, a short putt to the pin. She was so elated and mom and dad continued to play golf many times a week for nearly 20 more years.

Okay, none of those are holes any longer and they are grown over with weeks.

All abandoned.

Each has some woods, 2 and 3 a fair amount, # 17, admitted not a great deal.

I would propose for us old golf ball hunters to assemble one Saturday or Sunday and go over there and be that LAST HUNTERS to find golf balls at the remains of those holes. WE could even put a $1 apiece into a pot for each hole and the first person who found a ball would win the pot. Or we could just hunt balls and reminisce and have a good time.

After the hunt a beer or two at the boathouse or clubhouse of the new golf course would be in order.

Any hunters up for this expedition into the back yard?

Your local tour guide, Bob Corbett


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