Editorial

June 17th, 1936

 

Now comes word that our esteemed townsman and benefactor, Mr. Alexander H. Copley, of Boston, will furnished the clubhouse at the Copley Country Club. The furnishings will include equipment enough to serve banquets and to care for 100 guest. This Country Club is located in one of the most beautiful spots in Morrisville, affording the visitors a clear view of Camels Hump, Mt. Mansfield, the Sterling Range and Elmore Mountain. It is up to the local people to show their appreciation to Mr. Copley for this beautiful gift to the Village by joining the Country Club. This club has the lowest fee of any similiar club in the country. 100 more members are needed to fill out the quota.Its worth the membership price of $ 5.00 a year to have the privilege of using the porch of the club house to associate with some of the best people in town if you do not care to play golf.

 

June 24, 1936

Copley Airport and Golf Course-Morrisville gets Space in State Paper.

(From the Free Press)

Any day now when you want a little golf you can hop into your plane (if you have a plane), fly over to the Copley Country Club at Morrisville and land right on the fairway. No, not next to the golf course, right on it.

So far as is known, Morrisville has the only combined airport and golf course anywhere, the only municipally owned course in the state and the lowest membership fee in the country, a season membership that includes use of the course and clubhouse, costing only five dollars.

Made possible through the generosity of Morrisville's philanthropically minded native son, A.H. Copley of Boston, who is also responsible for the new Peoples Academy and the Copley Hospital, the club house, golf course and landing field were laid out and built last fall and are being completed this spring. The cost of the entire project has amounted to $ 21,000 of which $ 9,000 are federal funds allotted toward the construction of the airport through PWA aside from this Morrisville has, an own expense built a road and installed the water, light and sewerage systems.

The nine-hole course is slightly less than regulation distance, covering 2,154 yards. However, it has been described by a golfer who has played on more than 1,000 courses as presenting one of the most beautiful panoramic views of any course in this country. From the club house one can turn in any direction and see in the distance mountain peak rising majestically toward the skies. Jay Peak, Mt. Mansfield Camel's Hump, Elmore Mountain all is visible from this point.

The club house itself is a beautiful one story structure with its large club room, which can be divided by sliding partitions into three separate rooms fireplace, kitchenette, and men's and women's lockers and shower rooms.

The construction of the course was placed by Mr. Copley in the hands of James M. Kelly of Morrisville, who with L.M. Munson, president of the board of village trustees, has ably supervised the laying out and building of the house and course. George Clewes of Randolph has already been hired as pro and greens keeper and has taken up his duties. Although not yet officially opened, the club already has more than 100 members and hopes to enroll 250 before the summer is over, the number being necessary to conduct the club on a sell paying basis.

The management of the course has been placed by the Village fathers in the hands of a board of directors, consisting of C.H. A. Slayton, A.B. Limoge, Dr. Phillip Goddard, C.F. Higginbotham and Hammond Barnes. The officers of the club are President, W.D. Jones; Vice President J.M. Kelly; Secretary C. Russell Graves; Treasurer, L Morris White.

The construction of the course makes available the third within three miles of each other, these being the course at Hyde Park, the Samoset course and the Copley Country Club course.

 

September 8th 1938

The Lamoille Valley as a Playground

In as much as Morrisville does not seem to attract any new manufacturing concerns to locate here, although with our low electric power rates, never failing water supply and railroad accommodations should be an inducement, the nest best thing for the people of this vicinity to do is to develop this valley into a summer and winter playground.

Greens fees received at the Copley Country Club golf course this year have more than tripled over last year's receipts, and one hears nothing but words of praise from our visitors, proving that as a summer country playground this section has started in the right direction.

One of the most loyal good will ambassadors Morrisville ever had, our good friend and neighbor, James M. Kelley, who has spent a few winters in Florida, conceived the idea that Morrisville should be the very first place in the state to have a bowling green, such as he had seen and played on in Florida. Florida, Kelley started working, and with full cooperation of the village trustees, and the master workmanship of Frank Strong, the first game of bowling on the green in the State of Vermont was held at Morrisville on Sunday, Sept. 4, a group of our summer residents at Samoset, headed by Paul Goelz, and two local men, Mr. Kelley and Mr. Strong, playing the first game. The green is 125 feet long and 75 feet wide, is covered with a carpet of soft, green grass, and is perfectly level. It is located to the left of the highway just behind the pro house on the Copley golf course, and makes a valuable addition to attract more summer visitors in future years. This bowling green, dear r eaders, must be credited to James M. Kelley, who has devoted every hour he was awake during the summer to its construction and completion, in addition to donating many dollars from his own pocket.