Golf, Tournament of the Gardens Open

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Description:

Photograph of professional golfer, Abel "Al" Espinosa, giving amateur golfer and club member, Edward F. Mayberry, advice on how to hold his club. Espinosa was there to compete in the Tournament of the Gardens Open that was hosted by the Wappoo Country Club (now the Country Club of Charleston) located at the club's present site. Paine notes on reverse, "Al Espinoza [sic] Gives Mayberry points. Mch 1934 Gardens Tournement [sic] Photo by M.B. Paine."

Tournament of the Gardens Open was a short lived golf tournament on the PGA tour held at the Country Club of Charleston from 1933 to 1937. Paul Runyan won the tournament in 1934.

In 1922, after the club purchased approximately 225 acres of high land from McLeod and Frampton Plantations, they hired Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of the Olmsted Brothers landscape design firm to plan the clubhouse, golf course, tennis course and the Country Club I neighborhood. William Bell Marquis became the lead designer and two years later on May 16, 1925 they formally opened Wappo Links with a tournament played for silver trophies, one for the men's match and one for the women's match.