1906 Pinehurst Tin Whistles Stag Horn Trophy - Impressive
The Tin Whistles were founded in Pinehurst, NC in 1904. It was formed by a group of male golfers, with various accounts of its origin. One had it that a tin whistle was blown in the village street to call the players to the links.
Another had it that the group caused a "springhouse" to be built over a natural spring adjacent to the 10th hole (or maybe 12th hole) of the No. 1 course at the Pinehurst Country Club, and arranged for an attendant to stand by during the winter golfing season. At the sound of a tin whistle, the attendant would emerge with scotch and a carafe of freshly drawn spring water. A third account is that a group of New Yorkers were
vacationing at the Holly Inn, dividing their time equally between the links and socializing. They organized a
tournament, with the prizes two bottles of Scotch to be opened and shared at the finish. The Boss, by Alfred
Henry Lewis, was in print at about this time, depicting Tammany Hall and a hoodlum gang known as the Tin
Whistles who were summoned to their duty of breaking up polling places which were unfriendly to Tammany by the blowing of a whistle. For some reason, the founders adopted the name as their own.
The stated objectives of the organization were: "To promote a golfing fellowship at Pinehurst and to
maintain there a neutral zone for a choice and chosen few from outside organizations to which it will be
pleasant to return year by year." And "It shall be the duty of each member to suppress the incipient conceit of any fellow member who thinks he is in line for the United North and South Amateur Championship."
In recent years, the Constitution has been amended to "it is formed for social purposes and to promote an interest in the game of golf at Pinehurst, North Carolina." The Tin Whistles continues to exist as a golf and civic organization in Pinehurst. A sister organization for women, the Silver Foils, was founded in 1909.Awarded just 2 years after the founding of the Tin Whistles organization this pewter and copper 6 ½ x 9 ½ “
trophy is engraved “ Tin-Whistles, Pinehurst . N. C., H. W. Priest . Cup, February 21, 1906”
Per an article in the Feb 24 1906 Pinehurst Outlook The Harry W. Priest Cup in the Tin Whistle handicap was
offered for the best net score. This cup was won by I.C. B. Dana of Great Barrington with an 85-7 net 77.
The prominent stag horn handles are nicely intact and really set this trophy apart. It retains its all original
untouched patina This trophy probably belongs in the Pinehurst Golf club’s
or Pinehurst Tuft’s Archives. Presented here is a rare opportunity to acquire an item from the early days of the
oldest continuous golfing society in the United States for the purpose of promoting the game of golf.
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