2010 May Newsletter
Toledo Traditions of Golf – Toledo Golf Trail
Take advantage now of this special offer to play Collins Park Golf Course, Detwiler Park Golf Course, Ottawa Park Golf Course, and South Toledo Golf Club for an unbelievable price of $75. Golfers will receive one (1) 18 Hole Round of golf at Collins Park, Detwiler, Ottawa Park, and South Toledo Golf Club. That's 72 Holes of Golf For ONLY $75. Cart rate included in this special offer. Stop in today to play Toledo's Golf Trail.
Toledo Golf Trail passes will be available for purchase starting June 12, 2010 at all four courses. Passes expire 12/31/10.
Statue Dedication Ceremony at Ottawa Park Golf Course
Local golfers' lucky charm returns Saturday
Replica of Jermain statue to be dedicated
By SARAH MERVOSH
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Golfers at Ottawa Park Golf Course will get their good-luck charm back today after playing countless rounds of golf without it.
The sculpture of Sylvanus P. Jermain, who played an instrumental role in developing several golf courses and parks in the area, was "the centerpiece of the golf course" before it was stolen four years ago, general manager Nick Szymanski said.
Golfers traditionally rubbed the statue before heading out onto the first tee and in its absence, hosted an outing to raise money to replace it, Mr. Szymanski said.
A replication of the 1928 statue will be returned to Ottawa Park Golf Course in a ceremony today at noon. The new statue was unveiled last year when the statue was completed, but it was returned to storage until its permanent location behind the club house was finalized.
"The sculpture looks pretty much exactly the same as it did, although it's not the original," said Dan Hernandez, arts in public places coordinator for the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo.
The bronze statue shows Jermain in position to hit a golf ball and the shaft of the golf club is a sun dial.
Robert Reifert, president of the Friends of S.P. Jermain, said Jermain (1859-1935) is considered among the most influential people in Toledo history.
"He founded Riverside Park, Collins Park, Ottawa Park. He was the original founder of all these parks back in the late 1800s. Then he became a golf administrator and he created Ottawa Park and Inverness Park."
Ottawa Park was the first public golf course in the United States when it was established in 1898.
Mr. Reifert said the statue had a history of being stolen.
"It had gone missing at least six times since it was first put up in 1928. It always returned mysteriously," he said. "We figured that it went for scrap metal the last time it got stolen. Somebody stole an $11,000 statue for $200 worth of scrap metal."
Mr. Hernandez said Ottawa Park Golf Course has taken steps to protect the new statue from theft.
The original statue was at the front of the clubhouse in a highly visible location. The new statue will be moved to the back of the club house, where it cannot be seen from the parking lot. The sculpture also will be strategically placed in a security camera's line of sight.
"We hope that it won't be stolen again," Mr. Hernandez said. "But that's part of the life of public art, unfortunately, to either take it for fun or take it to recycle."
Mr. Szymanski said he expects a crowd for today's ceremony.
"They had an outing last year here in order to raise some funds in order to put that statue back up," he said. "I would think they would do a lot of promotion with those same people."
Mr. Hernandez said he expects an enthusiastic response.
"Everywhere I've gone, people ask, 'When is S.P. coming back?' It's an important sculpture to the city and an iconic figure in the city."