125 YEARS OF FAIRWAYS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDSHIPS

A FOURSOME FOR THE AGES!

The seeds of Webhannet Golf Club were planted in rolling land adjacent to “the sea road” where Holstein cows grazed in the afternoon sun. The year was 1901, the beginning of the new century, and visitors “from away” braved toe-numbing dips at Kennebunk Beach, then sipped “Remember the Maine” cocktails at shingled cottages as the sun settled over Strawberry Island. 

But they also wanted to play a game called GOLF that was burgeoning across America, capturing the imagination of summer and year ‘round residents alike. So in a pasture next to the old Wentworth Hotel, a primitive course was laid out in which players used hickory-shafted clubs to hit gutta percha balls aimed at  targets of metal cans and jars.

That was 125 years ago.

Over the weekend of July 24-25, members of Webhannet celebrated the founding of their club with a turn-of-the-century golf tournament and gala dinner dance under an enormous sparkling white tent.

ERIC HIGGINS, THE HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL AT WEBHANNET GOLF CLUB, DRESSED TO THE NINES.

The golf tournament featured the original nine holes that had once been the old cow pasture. Many members dressed in 1920’s golf attire — men in plus fours and argyle socks, ladies in long skirts and straw hats. They used persimmon-shafted brassies, mashies and niblicks to hit gutta percha golf balls. “These are so weird!”opinions were muttered more than once.

On Saturday evening, 275 people arrived at the flower-bedecked tent for the party. They were dressed “with a dash of any decade” — in flapper frocks, Great Gatsby white dinner jackets, straw boaters, red polka-dotted dresses from the ‘40s, even ’60’s PeaceNik attire. They enjoyed a plated feast and heard several short remarks commemorating the event. The happy crowd applauded and gave standing ovations to almost every sentence spoken. 

After dinner, everyone headed to the Clubhouse where the spacious upstairs had been converted to an authentic Speakeasy (password of “1901” opened doors!), where guests enjoyed vintage drinks of Manhattans and Old Fashioneds as Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra music filled the night air.  There was even a beautiful Cigarette Girl in skimpy attire, walking through the room carrying a box filled with candy cigarettes. 

SEVERAL LADIES ENJOYED SMOKING “CANDY CIGARETTES” WHILE SIPPING VINTAGE COCKTAILS.

Today at Webhannet, roving robotic lawn mowers that look like gigantic tortoises roam through and cut the rough. Computerized tee times are secured on line. Golfers play with Big Bertha drivers, graphite-shafted hybrids and TaylorMade Spider TourX putters.But during one nostalgic weekend, we were right back at the beginning of it all.

It was an event to remember and savor — and we certainly will. 

TWO OLD DUFFERS ENJOYING THE CHALLENGE OF HICKORY-SHAFTED CLUBS AND “WEIRD” BALLS.