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that the document conveying the land to Mr. Walsh was personally signed by President James <br /> Buchanan. <br /> The late Frank Walsh, son of Edward F. Walsh, decided to sell the property, but failing to find <br /> a buyer for the entire tract decided to plat the acreage into lots. This was done and the plat was <br /> dated March 14,1924. <br /> What germ of thought grew into Orono Golf Course? It was brought about by friends who <br /> pressured me for a chance to play at Woodhill Country Club. As Greens keeper, I was not in a <br /> position where I could invite my friends to play golf there. Even the members who brought <br /> guests to play at Woodhill were required to pay green fees: employees were given playing <br /> privileges but hardly the right to bring in "guests"to play for free! The only public golf courses at <br /> that time were Glenwood (now Theodore Wirth) and Columbia, both Minneapolis municipal <br /> courses, and both having sand greens. <br /> It was obvious that a public golf course was in <br /> demand in the area, but it was not until the winter of <br /> I. �; =t���� , �a tip _. 1923-24 that it occurred to me that I would be <br /> � -' ""`�,,,. involved in the matter. By no means certain that I <br /> 1�►, �, , � ,\{$ would devote my life to greens keeping, the decision <br /> 1\11 l ' was made to ask the Woodhill people for a three <br /> 1 ' \i v month leave of absence to be used for travel and <br /> study. Orono golfers owe a debt of gratitude to the <br /> ? ``' then Woodhill officials who granted the request, for <br /> 11 among the many places visited on that journey were a <br /> i <br /> number of golf courses in the Pacific Coast states. <br /> , <br /> Public golf was getting quite popular in the Los <br /> ';,jAngeles area, and it didn't require a great deal of <br /> { Alinsight to understand that golf was going to be a most <br /> tie <br /> ry , popular game for people of all economic <br /> a .1 circumstances. <br /> of <br /> --1:t. If agolf course for the public in Orono was to be <br /> r� � tt�i, fi my doings, it would have to be a bit unusual in more <br /> ' ways than one The idea was very interesting, <br /> Cr% <br /> however, and I returned home in early March of 1924 <br /> determined to fully investigate the possibility and act if <br /> Leo Feser-Founder of Orono Golf at all possible. <br /> Course 1923 - 1924. Photo from Most of the land where the golf course now is was hay <br /> the 1916 Wayzata High School and pastureland in the early 1920s. My youngest <br /> Annual Yearbook. brother, the late Karl Feser had taken quite an interest <br /> in golf, but was not one of those who asked <br /> permission to play at Woodhill Armed with a shovel <br /> and a few tomato cans he "borrowed" some of Mr. <br /> Walsh's pasture, planted the tomato cans in the most likely spots and shared his so called <br /> "Woodpile" country club with his friends and the cows. All hazards on the "Woodpile" course <br /> were strictly natural. <br /> It was Karl who dreamed up the possibilities of a golf course on this land As pointed out <br /> earlier, the property had been platted, mapped and registered, and was advertised for sale by a <br /> Minneapolis real estate company, Olson and Berdan. Response to the advertising was very <br /> weak. Walsh, Olson, and Berdan were becoming quite concerned when I approached them with <br /> a proposition. Would they consider letting me buy a lot at a time over a period years, in the <br /> meantime letting me use whatever lots were needed to start a golf course They agreed <br /> With Karl's help I laid out the golf course. It was not what is there today, though roughly, and I <br /> do mean roughly, it followed the same general pattern. On a day in late April of 1924, a man <br />