WAVERLEY - Key Persons
In October of 1913, arguably the two most famous golfers in the world�Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, both from the island of Jersey in Great Britain�played Harry Davis and Chandler Egan in an exhibition match at Waverley. �In those days, golf professionals were modestly paid and were generally considered second-class citizens, even in the clubs where they were professionals. �To augment their income, Vardon and Ray played a series of exhibition matches in the U.S. during the summer and fall of 1913.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Green Committee, Was Given Permission to Plant 25 Flowering Plumbs Along the Polo Field and in the Grass Strips Between Parking Areas
Clarke Miller, Chairman of the Green Committee, was given permission to plant 25 flowering plumbs along the Polo Field and in the grass strips between parking areas.
On a rain swept Saturday in April 1896, Waverley Country Club was founded at the office of Robert Livingstone, thus becoming one of the oldest country clubs in the United States and the second oldest regulation golf course West of the Mississippi. Robert Livingstone was duly elected Waverley's first President at a meeting of the founding members. Those charter members included Robert Livingstone, Robert Miller, Walter Burns, William MacMaster, Herbert C. Cambell, W.J. Honeyman, William R. McKenzie, J.I. Dunlap, S. Graham Bowley, W.J. Curtis and Charles E. Swigert. As the "Oregonian" mentions, most of the first members of Waverley were old country Scots and English who had played golf before coming to the Northwest.
The Waverly Golf Club came into being that day at Mr. Livingstone's office. Originally known as The Club and then Portland Golf Club, it eventually gained the name Waverly. The "Oregonian" had called the club Portland Golf Club up to October 17, 1896 when the headline in that day's edition stated "Handicap Tournament Begins at Waverly Links." This name appealed to the Scots since it is the name of Sir Walter Scott's famous historical novels, the first of which is entitled "Waverley". Interestingly, in the novel, Mr. Waverley is an Englishman. Later the spelling was changed to Waverley.
Job Titles:
- President of the Waverley Board
Outgoing President W.W. Cotton recommends inexpensive, but warm cottages along the River which would be for rent to members
William Howard Taft was the first golf-loving president. �Even though he was a very large man, he often played and played well. ��The beauty of golf,� Taft once said, �is that you cannot play if you permit yourself to think of anything else.� �Taft�s predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt, had advised him against participating in such a �sissy� sport, even though he too played some golf. �Taft�s golf games were well covered by the nation�s press. The public learned that Taft was fond of yelling at his ball for misbehaving and that the 300-pound president was a poor putter. �On October 2 1909, Taft arrives by train from San Francisco. He is hosted by Waverley for a round of golf that afternoon.
Job Titles:
- Head
- First Golf Course Superintendent
William Junor, head of a golfing family, came to America in 1905. �Along with his wife and ten children, the Junors traveled from their home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland to Portland. �His brother George had come to America and to Waverley in 1904. William, after his arrival, was hired by Waverley and became Waverley�s first official greenkeeper. His sons Donald and, later, Hugh Junor became Waverley�s greenkeepers in succession until Hugh retired in 1949.After leaving Waverley, Donald became the greenkeeper at Portland Golf Club, where his son Harvey, who retired in 1985, succeeded him. George Junor is credited with building the Tualatin Country Club golf course and was greenkeeper at Alderwood. �John Junor, after serving as Waverley�s first official caddy master, went on to become the head golf professional at Eastmoreland, Tualatin Country Club and Portland Golf Club.
The July 19, 1942 �Oregon Journal� stated of William Junor �He started in the days when a band of sheep used to mow the greens and fairways. Shortly thereafter, a horse was purchased to mow the fairways and haul water with which to sprinkle the greens.� �Remembered were the days when Waverley members rode horse and carriage across the old Sellwood Ferry. Part of the duties of the Junor Family was to care for the horses while members enjoyed an afternoon on the links. Dedicated to golf and service, the Junor Family exemplified the tradition of a great golfing family. The Waverley-Junor relationship positively impacted the success of other private clubs and golf courses across the region.
William Junor died February 17th, 1916. ��A long line of horse drawn vehicles made up the funeral cortege of William Junor. �He had frequently expressed the desire that automobiles not be used at his funeral. �He is buried in Milwaukie Cemetery, which is adjacent to the golf course.��� Sellwood Bee
Born in Silverdale, England 1858 of Scottish Parents and was educated in Scotland. �In 1880 he was sent to Iowa by the Dundee Land Company to plat and sell 10,000 acres of land; he was then sent to Portland to take care of his firm�s large holdings here in the Pacific Northwest. �In 1889 he returned to Edinburgh to marry Annie Jeffrie Fender in 1890, the couple then returned to Portland
He joined other Scottish golfers on a nine hole links created in the neighborhood known now and then as �Waverly� in 1896. �The property is north of Powell Boulevard around 27th street. They played at the Waverly course for about three years before moving the links to the current location of Waverley Country Club. Throughout the early 1900�s MacMasters had been the President of Waverley Country Club (1900, 1903, 1908-1913, Vice President in 1920, and President again in 1921).