I've debated about making this post as I no longer do pictures and posts of my finds outings, but I've decided to as it may trigger a few of you into checking on possible city golf course hunting opportunities in your various locals. Some golf courses can be pretty special hunting opportunities.
Not every golf course will have the varying kinds of treasure these two in my local had.. Both, prior to becoming golf courses had previous activity in the forum of Civil War. But, some courses may have been something else before becoming a golf course. One I had a brief window of opportunity on, as an example, had been a race track before becoming a 9 hole golf course. In its own right, it had good age having been built in the 1920's. In 1994 Atalanta, was preparing for the 1996 Summer Olympics and gave some of the surrounding towns, like Columbus, some of the games. Columbus, was given soft ball and to accommodate the games bulldozed the golf course and made softball diamonds and fields. Several of us hunted on the moved ground over a ten day or so period whenever we could and we all found some nice old coins including Barbers, V nickels and I H cents.
The city in my local closed this first golf course in Jan of 2020 and began a major renovation. The nine hole course was opened in 1906 and was part of a 342 acre park that opened in 1901, but as mentioned, had seen prior activity. Two of us, however, in the winter months had been hunting on the golf course for several years. During the winter months the course closed two days a week and on incumbent weather days and holidays. We kept a low profile, hunted on closed days and left little or no signs holes were being dug. I must admit, even I am surprised, along with my hunting buddy, that we got by with hunting it as long as we did.
Over the span of about five winters, we each amassed a nice bunch of old coins and various relics. I recovered a sandwich bag full Civil War bullets and several U S Eagle buttons and horse tack. Each of us recovered some "firsts," both coins and relics. My one good relic was a beautiful Eagle breast plate. My first and still my only one. My coins firsts were 2 half dimes. My 1st first was a pretty nice 1840o Seated and the second was a 1831 holed Capped Bust. At the time, the 1831 was my oldest coin and my first (and only) Capped Bust. My other first was a beautiful 1844o Seated quarter. I had found 2 Seated halves over the years, but never a quarter. One other outing is still pretty memorable and it came about on a misty morning of woods hunting along one portion of the golf course. I had ventured out of the woods onto the ruff of a fairway and pretty promptly got a nice high tone and high reading on my F 75. I cut a nice round plug, flipped over the moist clod and found myself starring at the reeded edges of 3 large silvers. All, Walking Liberty halves. And yes, I did check for more.
One evening in Sept 2021, I heard a blurb on the evening news about a city golf course that was closing the 1st of Oct. to undergo a major renovation. I was familiar with the spot as it was across the road from a inner city park that a couple of my buddies and I had hunted a few times. I did a quick Google search and found out it had opened in 1935 and thus was old enough to harbor some older coins. I alerted two of my hunting buddies and we made plans to hook up on the 1st and we each vowed to keep our mouths shut. We hoped that few fellow hunters had heard about the course closing. As fate would have it, only one other hunter ever showed up at the spot and he didn't stick around to long.
We arrived at the site that first morning and drove through the gate to the maintenance building. The gate to the club house was locked. The whole 18 hole site was fenced, these two gates were the only way in. I parked along side a half dozen other vehicles. We didn't notice any other fellow hunters anywhere around, so figured the vehicles were probably for workers and site staff. About a half dozen workers were heading off with shovels in tow, but didn't seem to be paying us any mind, so we all geared up and headed out to a fairway that was void of workers and machinery. I was wondering how long it might be before we were confronted?
An hour or so later we all got together to compare finds and that's when I noticed two guys heading in our direction in a golf cart. As they pulled up the little older of the two asked if we had found anything and also introduced himself as "Ed," the construction site manager. We told him not much besides a few modern coins and 1 1957 silver dime. He reached into his pocket and said if you find any of these I would be pleased to get a couple. He open his hand and there laid a 69 cal 3 ringer, which, one of his workers had spotted in the dirt when digging out around a sprinkler head. Ed said he had three grandsons and would like to have a bullet for each. Near the last time I hunted the spot back in June, I presented Ed with with the second jug of Jack, I had given him one for Christmas, and three small display cases with 6 Civil War bullets in each to take home with him when the job was finished. He and the Co he worked for were out of Fl.
Not sure of the numbers of my buddies, but in total I recovered 121 silver coins from the golf course. Over all, I had 3 more firsts. The 1st was a 1819 half reale. My oldest coin and 1st reale. My second was a U S 1855 Large cent. I went on to find 2 more. My 3rd first beat out my 1st first. It was a 1791 half reale. Which, became my oldest ever coin. The site also yielded me another half dime, a 1848.
One thing about hunting golf courses, treasure can be found about anywhere. Oh, coins are concentrated a little more around tee's, greens and the club house, but every fairway and piece of woods has the potential for treasure. Particularly, if the spot has seen 160 or so years of activity.
About a month ago I heard about the 3rd city golf course that is to be renovated and will be closing this Nov. It only been open since 1951, but who knows what may have been going on there 100 or so years before. How about those in your local? HH Jim Tn
Not every golf course will have the varying kinds of treasure these two in my local had.. Both, prior to becoming golf courses had previous activity in the forum of Civil War. But, some courses may have been something else before becoming a golf course. One I had a brief window of opportunity on, as an example, had been a race track before becoming a 9 hole golf course. In its own right, it had good age having been built in the 1920's. In 1994 Atalanta, was preparing for the 1996 Summer Olympics and gave some of the surrounding towns, like Columbus, some of the games. Columbus, was given soft ball and to accommodate the games bulldozed the golf course and made softball diamonds and fields. Several of us hunted on the moved ground over a ten day or so period whenever we could and we all found some nice old coins including Barbers, V nickels and I H cents.
The city in my local closed this first golf course in Jan of 2020 and began a major renovation. The nine hole course was opened in 1906 and was part of a 342 acre park that opened in 1901, but as mentioned, had seen prior activity. Two of us, however, in the winter months had been hunting on the golf course for several years. During the winter months the course closed two days a week and on incumbent weather days and holidays. We kept a low profile, hunted on closed days and left little or no signs holes were being dug. I must admit, even I am surprised, along with my hunting buddy, that we got by with hunting it as long as we did.
Over the span of about five winters, we each amassed a nice bunch of old coins and various relics. I recovered a sandwich bag full Civil War bullets and several U S Eagle buttons and horse tack. Each of us recovered some "firsts," both coins and relics. My one good relic was a beautiful Eagle breast plate. My first and still my only one. My coins firsts were 2 half dimes. My 1st first was a pretty nice 1840o Seated and the second was a 1831 holed Capped Bust. At the time, the 1831 was my oldest coin and my first (and only) Capped Bust. My other first was a beautiful 1844o Seated quarter. I had found 2 Seated halves over the years, but never a quarter. One other outing is still pretty memorable and it came about on a misty morning of woods hunting along one portion of the golf course. I had ventured out of the woods onto the ruff of a fairway and pretty promptly got a nice high tone and high reading on my F 75. I cut a nice round plug, flipped over the moist clod and found myself starring at the reeded edges of 3 large silvers. All, Walking Liberty halves. And yes, I did check for more.
One evening in Sept 2021, I heard a blurb on the evening news about a city golf course that was closing the 1st of Oct. to undergo a major renovation. I was familiar with the spot as it was across the road from a inner city park that a couple of my buddies and I had hunted a few times. I did a quick Google search and found out it had opened in 1935 and thus was old enough to harbor some older coins. I alerted two of my hunting buddies and we made plans to hook up on the 1st and we each vowed to keep our mouths shut. We hoped that few fellow hunters had heard about the course closing. As fate would have it, only one other hunter ever showed up at the spot and he didn't stick around to long.
We arrived at the site that first morning and drove through the gate to the maintenance building. The gate to the club house was locked. The whole 18 hole site was fenced, these two gates were the only way in. I parked along side a half dozen other vehicles. We didn't notice any other fellow hunters anywhere around, so figured the vehicles were probably for workers and site staff. About a half dozen workers were heading off with shovels in tow, but didn't seem to be paying us any mind, so we all geared up and headed out to a fairway that was void of workers and machinery. I was wondering how long it might be before we were confronted?
An hour or so later we all got together to compare finds and that's when I noticed two guys heading in our direction in a golf cart. As they pulled up the little older of the two asked if we had found anything and also introduced himself as "Ed," the construction site manager. We told him not much besides a few modern coins and 1 1957 silver dime. He reached into his pocket and said if you find any of these I would be pleased to get a couple. He open his hand and there laid a 69 cal 3 ringer, which, one of his workers had spotted in the dirt when digging out around a sprinkler head. Ed said he had three grandsons and would like to have a bullet for each. Near the last time I hunted the spot back in June, I presented Ed with with the second jug of Jack, I had given him one for Christmas, and three small display cases with 6 Civil War bullets in each to take home with him when the job was finished. He and the Co he worked for were out of Fl.
Not sure of the numbers of my buddies, but in total I recovered 121 silver coins from the golf course. Over all, I had 3 more firsts. The 1st was a 1819 half reale. My oldest coin and 1st reale. My second was a U S 1855 Large cent. I went on to find 2 more. My 3rd first beat out my 1st first. It was a 1791 half reale. Which, became my oldest ever coin. The site also yielded me another half dime, a 1848.
One thing about hunting golf courses, treasure can be found about anywhere. Oh, coins are concentrated a little more around tee's, greens and the club house, but every fairway and piece of woods has the potential for treasure. Particularly, if the spot has seen 160 or so years of activity.
About a month ago I heard about the 3rd city golf course that is to be renovated and will be closing this Nov. It only been open since 1951, but who knows what may have been going on there 100 or so years before. How about those in your local? HH Jim Tn
