Famous for fox-hunting and polo, the Meadow Brook country club had also earned a place in golf history.
According to one account, the “old and exciting Scotch game” caught on in America in 1892, after a young lady brought a full set of clubs with her on a visit from the Old World and began teaching her hosts. “Golf promises to become a formidable rival to lawn tennis and other outdoor sports in this country,” predicted the New York Sun. From the earnestness with which the Long Islanders have taken hold of the game there is ground for belief that it will spread rapidly to other portions of the United States.”
The members of the Meadow Brook club laid out a course on their grounds in the spring of 1895. One of the club’s first events was a competition between the women members for a silver powder puff, “beautifully engraved.” That fall, the club was the scene of the first national women’s championship tournament.
When not practicing polo, Marion Hollins spent time on the Meadow Brook links. Team captain Louise Hitchcock, who had been a spectator at the inaugural tournament, was also an expert golfer. The nine-hole course was “of an undulating character,” featuring a wide variety of hazards—quite unlike the one Marion had practically grown up on. Stretching over two miles of countryside, it favored golfers with strong tee shots—her specialty.
The Westbrook Country Club, also established in 1895, had been carved out of the private estates of a Wall Street banker and one of the Vanderbilt heirs. “The ground is perfectly level,” noted one sports columnist, “and devoid of natural features favorable to golf, but it is nevertheless very picturesque.”
Marion’s parents, Harry B. and Evelina Knapp Hollins, were among the founding members of the Westbrook club. When Thomas Hitchcock offered a silver chafing dish as a prize for the best score posted in October, Mr. Hollins finished a close second.
Golf was the favorite sport of the Hollins youngsters—four boys and Marion, the baby of the family. The oldest son, Harry Jr., showed off considerable skills as a teenager. Competing in an open competition in 1896, he bested a field of older rivals. Among the losers was his father, “who protested that thereafter his identity was gone and he must resign himself to be known as the father of a golf player.”
Harry Jr. attended Harvard, where he continued to excel as a member of the college team. Younger brothers Gerald Vanderbilt and McKim were also considered top-notch amateurs. The fourth brother, however, preferred tennis.
In May 1912, Marion decided to try her hand at tournament play. One of the most important events on the women’s golf calendar was the championship of the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association, featuring several national champions. Moving ahead in an elimination competition at a New Jersey country club, the “forceful young player” bested several veteran players. In a hard-fought semi-final match, her clutch performance impressed observers. “When Miss Hollins found it was do or die, she developed great steadiness and made the contest a seesaw affair till the home green was reached. There she won by a carefulness and poise of play that greatly pleased her friends.”
Facing a local favorite in the finals, it became apparent the “Miss Hollins was not playing her usual brilliant game.” Although her drives carried well, she had trouble sinking putts. It turned out that she was suffering from a peculiar accident—a blade of grass had lodged in her throat, preventing her from sleeping. Playing despite intense pain, “she showed flashes of her usual form, but she was beaten.” In spite of the outcome it had been a successful debut and the sporting press predicted “a bright golf future for her.”
(To be continued.)
