The weather was most cooperative today. The skies were covered with clouds until I walked off my third golf course of the day and when the sun came out, so did the heat.
I began the day with a good breakfast at a typical Route 66 diner in Sullivan, MO before heading out to Sullivan Country Club. After a quick round, I took a leisurely 21 mile drive down Route 66 to Cuba, MO where I spent some time checking out the sites before playing the nine hole Cuba Lakes Country Club. The nine hole Miner Course at Missouri S&T College in Rolla, MO was next after 26 more miles down Route 66. Finally I drove 72 miles to Lebanon, MO where I am staying at one of the most iconic Route 66 motels, The Munger Moss Motel. Dinner was at Gary Dowd's Catfish and BBQ restaurant.
I began the day with a good breakfast at a typical Route 66 diner in Sullivan, MO before heading out to Sullivan Country Club. After a quick round, I took a leisurely 21 mile drive down Route 66 to Cuba, MO where I spent some time checking out the sites before playing the nine hole Cuba Lakes Country Club. The nine hole Miner Course at Missouri S&T College in Rolla, MO was next after 26 more miles down Route 66. Finally I drove 72 miles to Lebanon, MO where I am staying at one of the most iconic Route 66 motels, The Munger Moss Motel. Dinner was at Gary Dowd's Catfish and BBQ restaurant.
The Du Kum Inn Restaurant was only a tenth of a mile from my motel and I started the day with a basic breakfast and coffee.
Sullivan Country Club was a mere five minutes from the restaurant and as I sat in the parking lot waiting for the pro shop to open, another golfer pulled into the parking lot.
Sullivan Country Club was a mere five minutes from the restaurant and as I sat in the parking lot waiting for the pro shop to open, another golfer pulled into the parking lot.
Brad Struttmann and his family were camping at Meramec State Park just a few miles from Sullivan Country Club and Brad got up early to get in a round of golf.
We made small talk and hit a few putts on the practice green until Sullivan's Director of Golf, Myles Beckett, arrived to open up the Pro Shop. I was dismayed to find out Sullivan CC was out of logo golf balls but Myles told me he would spend some time looking for one.
Brad and I headed out to the first tee and although Brad had only played five rounds of golf in 2016, it was evident he had game.
As we made our was around the course, I learned Brad is a supervisor at the Callaway County Nuclear Plant near Jefferson City, MO where he has worked for close to thirty years. And then Brad shared his one claim to fame. He was a teammate of John Daly in the early 80's on the golf team at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, MO. Brad shared they won the Missouri State Golf Championship in 1983. He said the Helias Golf Team was already very good when they found out a new kid (I think he was a sophomore) was joining the team. He remembers the first time they saw Daly play, he topped his drive off the first tee
We made small talk and hit a few putts on the practice green until Sullivan's Director of Golf, Myles Beckett, arrived to open up the Pro Shop. I was dismayed to find out Sullivan CC was out of logo golf balls but Myles told me he would spend some time looking for one.
Brad and I headed out to the first tee and although Brad had only played five rounds of golf in 2016, it was evident he had game.
As we made our was around the course, I learned Brad is a supervisor at the Callaway County Nuclear Plant near Jefferson City, MO where he has worked for close to thirty years. And then Brad shared his one claim to fame. He was a teammate of John Daly in the early 80's on the golf team at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, MO. Brad shared they won the Missouri State Golf Championship in 1983. He said the Helias Golf Team was already very good when they found out a new kid (I think he was a sophomore) was joining the team. He remembers the first time they saw Daly play, he topped his drive off the first tee
Something's In the Water! Nearing the ninth green, we noticed it was Junior Golfer day at the course. We found out there were 26 little golfers on the course that day. Now that's a way to grow the game.
During the round, Myles came out to the course and handed me a logo golf ball that he had found in his office. So that took the logo ball count on the trip to eleven for seventeen.
Brad and I completed the round and as he headed back to Meramec State Park, I began a leisurely journey to Cuba, MO.
Missouri is every bit as good as Illinois in marking the Route 66 route. I had little trouble following the Mother Road. About eight miles down the road, I noticed a big tower lurking over the city of Bourbon. I couldn't resist pulling alongside the road and taking a picture. What do you think is inside that tower?
As I drove into Cuba, I noticed the city is known as the Route 66 Mural City as there are twelve murals spread out across the town. The first one I saw was above Cuba's Newspaper Building. It depicts the time in 1948 when Academy Award actress Bette Davis and her husband arrived in Cuba in a Packard station wagon at the Southern Hotel. A newspaper reporter asked for a picture and when he was refused, he snapped one anyway. He was chased by Davis' husband but got away and the photo appeared in the Cuba News and Review.
During the round, Myles came out to the course and handed me a logo golf ball that he had found in his office. So that took the logo ball count on the trip to eleven for seventeen.
Brad and I completed the round and as he headed back to Meramec State Park, I began a leisurely journey to Cuba, MO.
Missouri is every bit as good as Illinois in marking the Route 66 route. I had little trouble following the Mother Road. About eight miles down the road, I noticed a big tower lurking over the city of Bourbon. I couldn't resist pulling alongside the road and taking a picture. What do you think is inside that tower?
As I drove into Cuba, I noticed the city is known as the Route 66 Mural City as there are twelve murals spread out across the town. The first one I saw was above Cuba's Newspaper Building. It depicts the time in 1948 when Academy Award actress Bette Davis and her husband arrived in Cuba in a Packard station wagon at the Southern Hotel. A newspaper reporter asked for a picture and when he was refused, he snapped one anyway. He was chased by Davis' husband but got away and the photo appeared in the Cuba News and Review.
The golf course in Cuba is the only one on my trip that isn't actually on Route 66 but it's one I always wanted to play in honor of a town which has done a fabulous job of embracing its position on Route 66.
The course has quite an interesting history. Owner Brad Voss shared that William Recklein, a successful banker and veteran of the Spanish-American War from St. Louis bought a farm a mile or so south of Cuba in 1906. He and his wife built a beautiful home that has exchanged hands a few times and now serves as the clubhouse and restaurant.
The well-manicured nine hole course has two lakes and many tree-lined fairways. Although Cuba Lakes was out of logo balls, Brad's wife Renee had told him I was coming and Brad very generously gave me on older version of Cuba Lakes' logo ball. So now the tally stands at twelve for eighteen.
The course has quite an interesting history. Owner Brad Voss shared that William Recklein, a successful banker and veteran of the Spanish-American War from St. Louis bought a farm a mile or so south of Cuba in 1906. He and his wife built a beautiful home that has exchanged hands a few times and now serves as the clubhouse and restaurant.
The well-manicured nine hole course has two lakes and many tree-lined fairways. Although Cuba Lakes was out of logo balls, Brad's wife Renee had told him I was coming and Brad very generously gave me on older version of Cuba Lakes' logo ball. So now the tally stands at twelve for eighteen.
Cuba Lakes' Periscope at #2 Tee I have always been interested in golf course periscopes. Periscopes are used on golf courses when there is a blind tee shot so that the golfers teeing off do not inadvertently hit into the group ahead. Some courses have bells that the golfers in the group ahead ring when they are out of range.
I've only seen a couple of periscopes in all my travels and interestingly, one of them is at the sixth tee of my home course, Coyote Creek, in Fort Wayne, IN.
Yesterday when I was talking to Randy Wolff at Birch Creek, he told me about the periscope at the tee of the second hole and Brad reminded me about it again today. I tried to use it and it does work although it could use some maintenance.
One of the stories I plan on doing in the future is on periscopes at golf courses. If you know of any throughout the United States, get in touch with me so I can add them to my list.
After the round, I drove back into Cuba where I did some more exploring. One of the special old motels on Route 66 is the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba that dates back to 1934. It has been totally renovated and has beautiful stand-alone motel rooms on the property and the remnants of an old Standard Oil gas station.
I've only seen a couple of periscopes in all my travels and interestingly, one of them is at the sixth tee of my home course, Coyote Creek, in Fort Wayne, IN.
Yesterday when I was talking to Randy Wolff at Birch Creek, he told me about the periscope at the tee of the second hole and Brad reminded me about it again today. I tried to use it and it does work although it could use some maintenance.
One of the stories I plan on doing in the future is on periscopes at golf courses. If you know of any throughout the United States, get in touch with me so I can add them to my list.
After the round, I drove back into Cuba where I did some more exploring. One of the special old motels on Route 66 is the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba that dates back to 1934. It has been totally renovated and has beautiful stand-alone motel rooms on the property and the remnants of an old Standard Oil gas station.
 Old Standard Oil Station at the Wagon Wheel Motel |  Wagon Wheel Motel Rooms |
Upon leaving Cuba, I continued my leisurely drive through Fanning, Rosati, and Dillon before arriving at the nine hole Missouri S&T Minor Golf Course in Rolla.
The greens at the course are well manicured but I guess you can say most of the rest of the course is some sort of creeping grass that is kept very high off the fairways. It was tough finding the ball when out of the fairway.
The course had a stack of logo balls at the counter and the total at the end of today is thirteen for nineteen.
The greens at the course are well manicured but I guess you can say most of the rest of the course is some sort of creeping grass that is kept very high off the fairways. It was tough finding the ball when out of the fairway.
The course had a stack of logo balls at the counter and the total at the end of today is thirteen for nineteen.
My longest drive of the day was the 72 mile jaunt from Rolla to Lebanon where I would be staying at the famous Munger Moss Motel with a slogan of "Your Home Away From Home."
The Motel was built in 1946 by a married couple, Nellie Munger and Emmitt Moss. In 1971, it was purchased by Bob and Ramona Lehman who moved to Lebanon from Northeast Iowa and raised their family on the property.
Ramona was there to greet me when I checked in late afternoon. The rooms are simple but have everything you need and the price is right. Each room has a theme and has been personally decorated by Ramona.
The neon sign in front of the motel received a cost share grant and the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee, the Route 66 Association of Missouri and the National Park Service all helped restore the sign which was officially re-lit in November, 2010.
There are also two interesting sign sculptures on the property depicting miles and direction of cities and key spots on Route 66.
I asked Ramona for a dinner suggestion and she recommended Gary Dowd's Catfish and BBQ restaurant. I had a plate of spicy fried catfish along with hush puppies and a brew. Excellent!
The Motel was built in 1946 by a married couple, Nellie Munger and Emmitt Moss. In 1971, it was purchased by Bob and Ramona Lehman who moved to Lebanon from Northeast Iowa and raised their family on the property.
Ramona was there to greet me when I checked in late afternoon. The rooms are simple but have everything you need and the price is right. Each room has a theme and has been personally decorated by Ramona.
The neon sign in front of the motel received a cost share grant and the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee, the Route 66 Association of Missouri and the National Park Service all helped restore the sign which was officially re-lit in November, 2010.
There are also two interesting sign sculptures on the property depicting miles and direction of cities and key spots on Route 66.
I asked Ramona for a dinner suggestion and she recommended Gary Dowd's Catfish and BBQ restaurant. I had a plate of spicy fried catfish along with hush puppies and a brew. Excellent!
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Tomorrow will take me another 115 miles down Route 66 where I'll end up at the Boots Court Motel in Carthage, MO. Along the way I'll play Whispering Oaks Golf Club in Marshfield (this is the course that does not have tee times on the weekends) and Deer Lake Golf Course in Springfield, MO. Stay tuned.
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