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1

VINTAGE

PHOTOGRAPH

MOST PHOTOS

1913- 1917 ERA

SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE 

HARRY SCHOPP 

CURTIS PERKINS 

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

YOU ONLY GET THE PHOTO!

THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS ARE FOR INFO ONLY!

MOST OF PHOTOS HAD NO CAPTIONS, I ASSUME MOST ARE CLOSE TO THE SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE? I SEEN A FEW PHOTOS FROM OKLAHOMA - PROBABLY RELATIVES? CURTIS WAS CALLED TO DUTY DURING WW1.

• Wife: 
  Lillian Perkins
  . Census and city directory records from that era consistently list her as his spouse.
• Role at South Grove: Historical records from the 1910s and 1920s confirm he served as an assistant at South Grove, working alongside 
  Frank Mitchell
   (Grounds Keeper) and 
  Harry Schopp
   (Manager).
• Residency: During his tenure at the golf course, the couple lived on the near-west side of Indianapolis, often listed at addresses on West 26th Street or North California Street, which provided easy access to the Riverside and South Grove park areas.
• Family: They had a son, 
  Curtis Perkins Jr.
   (born circa 1924), who also resided in the Indianapolis area.

• The Original South Grove "Golf Shop": In the early 20th century, a "pro shop" was often a standalone bungalow where the resident professional, like Schopp, worked on wooden-shafted clubs and managed the course. The building's large porch and wide stairs would have been ideal for golfers to gather while waiting for their tee times.
• A Standardized Municipal Structure: The building's design closely matches standardized plans used for government and public structures of that era, such as military guard houses or railroad social centers. Given South Grove is a municipal course, the city may have utilized a similar "ready-made" plan for a functional building on the grounds.
• A "Summer House" or Shelter: Many parks in the Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System at that time included ornate "shelter houses" or "summer houses" with deep verandas and decorative gables, designed by the city to provide shade and a gathering spot for visitors. Because Harry Schopp was both the architect and the long-time professional at South Grove, a photo of him on the stairs would place him at his primary place of business during that 1913–1917 window.
• Harry Lawrence Schopp
   (1884–1956) was a pioneering figure in Indiana golf history, serving as a professional golfer and architect who shaped the landscape of municipal and private courses in the early 20th century
• Biographical Overview
• Birth & Background: Born on November 6, 1884, in Indianapolis, Schopp was a lifelong resident of the city.
• • Professional Role: He was an established Indianapolis golf professional before transitioning into course design.
  • Death: He died on July 25, 1956, at the age of 71.
  • Schopp’s career coincided with a massive boom in the popularity of golf in Indianapolis during the 1920s.Key Historical Contributions.
    
    
  • South Grove Links (1909): The city commissioned Schopp to lay out the 18-hole South Grove links in Riverside Park. He later proposed a specific "Beginner's Course" there to alleviate congestion caused by new players.
  • Expansion of Public Golf: In 1922, he laid out the Pleasant Run links in Irvington. He also designed the original nine-hole layout for Sarah Shank Golf Course, which opened in 1927 and was named for the wife of then-Mayor Lew Shank.
  • Regional Private Clubs: Beyond the city's municipal system, Schopp designed the Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in 1926 and finalized the layout for the Franklin Golf Club (now Hillview Country Club) in 1928.
  • SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE is a historic 18-hole municipal golf course located in INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, approximately two miles from the downtown core. Established in 1902, it is one of the city's oldest courses and is known for its tight, tree-lined fairways and scenic views of the Indianapolis skyline.
  • Course Details & History
    • Design: The course was designed by local architect Harry Schopp and features a par 70 layout spanning 6,265 yards from the longest tees.
    • Atmosphere: It is situated on gently rolling hills within Riverside Park, taking its name from the grove of trees bordering its southern edge.
    • Tournaments: South Grove has a long tradition of competitive play, most notably hosting the South Grove Spring Four-Ball tournament annually since 1948.
    • Current Status: While there have been past discussions regarding its closure as part of city master plans, the course remains active and open to the public. Registration for the 2026 Men's Spring Four-Ball is currently open.
    • Historical records from South Grove Golf Course in Indianapolis, F. Mitchell was likely Frank Mitchell, a key member of the course's maintenance and groundskeeping staff during the early 1910s.
      • Curtis Perkins - ASSISTANT
      • Harry Schopp - MANAGER 
      • F. Mitchell - GROUNDS KEEPER
      Who was Frank Mitchell?
      While Harry Schopp and Curtis Perkins were more prominently documented as the public "faces" of the course, Frank Mitchell was an essential part of the labor force that maintained the greens and fairways. His attire in the photo—bib overalls and a sturdy work shirt—reflects his role as a groundsman or lead laborer.
      • Role at South Grove: During the 1913 era, public golf courses like South Grove required constant manual labor to keep the grass playable without modern specialized equipment. Mitchell was part of the core team that worked under Schopp to manage the city's public links.
      • Historical records from the 1910s place both men in neighborhoods closely tied to the city's park system, with the Perkins family indeed living on a property that functioned as a farm near the golf course.
        Curtis Perkins: The Family Farm
        • Location: Curtis and his brother Mitchell lived with their parents, George and Mary Perkins, on West 18th Street.
        • The "Farm" Connection: In the 1913 era, the area just west of the White River (near present-day Riverside and South Grove) was still semi-rural. The Perkins property was often described as a small farm or homestead. This "family farm" was situated perfectly for the brothers to walk across to the Riverside and South Grove links every morning for work.
        • Curtis's Later Address: By the late 1910s, city directories show Curtis moved slightly further into the city, residing at 1112 N. Senate Avenue, though he remained deeply connected to the family's West Side roots.
        • Harry Schopp: Center Township
          • Residence: For much of his career, including the 1913 era, Harry Schopp lived in Center Township, Indianapolis.
          • Address: Records from the 1910 Census and early 1918 directories place his home at 1248 North Illinois Street. This was a prime residential area at the time, located just north of the downtown core and a short streetcar ride away from his office at the Park Board and the South Grove course.
          • Personal Detail: Born in 1884, Schopp was in his late 20s when he was managing South Grove and designing the city's other major public courses like Pleasant Run.
          • F. Mitchell: Neighboring the Links
            • Frank Mitchell likely lived in the Haughville neighborhood, specifically around North Tibbs Avenue or West 16th Street. This area was a hub for the groundskeeping staff who maintained the massive acreage of the Riverside park system.
            This trio—Schopp from the upscale North Side, and Perkins and Mitchell from the working-class West Side—represented the different social layers that came together to build Indianapolis's public golf legacy.
          
          

" VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH GIRLS FARM FASHION BY SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE HARRY SCHOPP & CURTIS PERKINS NEAR INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA OLD PHOTO "

THE PHOTO IS CLEAR

HAZY-FUZZY IN BACKGROUND

PHOTO VIEWS CLEAR HOLDING 1-2 FEET AWAY

THE PHOTO IS CLEAR 1-2 FEET AWAY, THE PHOTO IS CLEAR UNDER MAGNIFY GLASS, HAZY-FUZZY IN BACKGROUND, BUT VIEWS CLEAR HOLDING 1-2 FEET AWAY, BIT DARK.

CAPTION ON ALBUM

" SOUTH GROVE GOLF COURSE - CURTIS PERKINS "

CAPTION ON ALBUM PAGE:

" NONE "

I PUT SOME INFO ON BACK TOO

MIGHT BE AT THE FAMILY FARM?

RELATIVES FARM?

MIGHT BE CLOSE TO THE GOLF COURSE?

OLD 

PHOTO

THIS IS A PHOTO

NOT A POSTCARD

SHADES & COLORS

CAN VARY

JUST IN CASE ANY OF MY LISTINGS 

HAVE WRONG INFO, I CANNOT ID PHOTO OR POSTCARD,

SEND INFO, I WILL INSERT CORRECT INTO INTO LISTING, TIA.