Who: William R. Smeal, 64, retired Allis-Chalmers engineer, grandfather of four and golf enthusiast.

        On display: A number of golf souvenirs from the 1940s and '50s.

William R. Smeal and the set of golf clubs refurbished by his father. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Where: In the den of the Loveland home he shares with Patricia, his wife of 38 years.

        Fore! Mr. Smeal's father, William D. Smeal, worked for the MacGregor Golf Company for 50 years (from 1918-1968).

        Galaxy of stars: According to Mr. Smeal, during the 1940sand 1950s, many top golf professionals played with MacGregor equipment. Players who served on the company's advisory staff included: Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Jack Burke Jr., Tommy Armour, Lionel Hebert, Mike Souchak, Frank Stranahan, and Bob Toski. Later members were Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf.

        "As a child growing up in Dayton and here in Cincinnati,” Mr. Smeal says, “I had the opportunity to be around some of these great players either at the MacGregor factory, or at local golf tournaments.”

        Childhood memories: “At the time,” he admits, “I was too young to appreciate this rare opportunity.”

        Mr. Smeal has saved a number of mementos from those days. They include: A group photograph taken at the MacGregor factory in the mid 1940s of a young Bing Crosby surrounded by pro and club designer Tony Penna, and pros: Nelson, Demaret and Ben Hogan. He also owns an autographed sweat-stained visor, worn by Mr. Nelson when he won the Air City Open at the Dayton Country Club in August 1943.

        “I was 5 years old,” Mr. Smeal says. “This was just a year after Mr. Nelson won his second Masters and two years before his famous record streak when he won 11 consecutive PGA tournaments in 1945.”

        Ski nose: Mr. Smeal's father often made clubs for sports and entertainment celebrities. Once, after making a set of clubs for Bob Hope, Mr. Hope sent him a set of cuff links and a tie bar with Mr. Hope's famous ski nose profile on them. They are now a treasured part of Mr. Smeal's collection.

        Personal connection: Celebrity artifacts make great conversation pieces, but Mr. Smeal's favorite golf item is personal.

        “When my father was dying of cancer,” he recalls, “he refurbished the clubs he played with for many years, knowing he would never be using them again. Since his death in 1969, I have kept the clubs covered in the basement, never used and in the exact mint condition in which he left them.”

        “Golf is more than a game to me,” he muses. “It is how my dad made his living. It put food on the table and helped me get through school. It's much more than a game, that's for sure.”
       Share your prize possessions with Marsie Hall Newbold by mail: c/o The Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202; e-mail; marsolete@aol.com.

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