The golf course at James River Country Club in Newport News was understandably all but deserted . Well , there was one lonely young lady who was trudging to the parking lot , stocking cap pulled low over her ears , bag slung across her back , apparently prepping for the day she would compete in a British Open .

Deserted , too , was one of the world ’ s greatest sports treasures : the golf museum at James River CC . That ’ s not hyperbole . Want to see the world ’ s oldest identifiable club , a Simon Cossar putter from 1790 ? One of the oldest golf balls ? A longnosed putter made by Old Tom Morris ? The putter used by Horace Rawlins to win the first U . S . Open in 1895 , or the clubs and bag used by Harry Vardon when he won that same event five years later ?

They ’ re all housed at the museum , a shrine that costs nothing to enter .

How the museum came to be is almost as interesting as some of the artifacts .

Around 1930 , philanthropist Archer M . Huntington , then principal owner of

Early golf balls are among the artifacts displayed at the James River Country

Club museum .

Newport News Shipyard , worked with Homer L . Ferguson to build the city ’ s Mariners Museum . At the same time . Huntington offered to build a country club for some businessmen . They declined .

Huntington countered by offering to build a museum at the club . When his offer was accepted , Huntington dispatched an employee of Scottish descent back to his home country , tasking him to return with as many items as he could purchase .

“ At that time , people didn ’ t collect golf artifacts ,” explained Ray Suttle , one of seven trustees for the 501 ( c )( 3 ) and tour guide this day . “ So , the guy got what he could get . And that ’ s really why our collection goes from about 1860 to the early ‘ 30s .”

After that , club and ball manufacturing began evolving from handcrafted to more mass-produced . Besides , how was the museum going to top displaying the brassie ( 2-wood ) Bobby Jones used to win the Grand Slam ? Or the world ’ s oldest book referencing golf , a 1566 volume of Scottish laws called The Black Acts . It ’ s one of more than 1,000 volumes in their possession . Or the 12-foot-long relief map of St . Andrews that rests against the museum ’ s back wall ?

The closest you ’ ll come to Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus are photos that provide the backdrop for club displays .

It ’ s impossible to estimate the number of people who visit the museum in any given year . The 1,800-square foot room is ideal for gatherings of 50 or so , and there are many , intimate wedding receptions included . Then there are those people who come to play golf and slip in and out of the room unaccompanied .

But the most recent guest book at the entrance speaks to an exhibit with wide geographic appeal . Signing in were visitors from Seattle , Massachusetts , Florida , Indiana , Hawaii , Texas , North Dakota , Montana , Canada , and Johannesburg , South Africa .

A retired doctor from Pittsburgh , who made furniture as a hobby , decided to start making replicas of pre-modern clubs . He contacted the museum and spent time measuring and photographing parts of its inventory .

“ You ’ d be amazed at who knows about it ,” Suttle said . “ It ’ s just a very small group .”

It ’ s not from lack of effort . Suttle reached out to Golf Channel when it first came to Williamsburg for the LPGA tournament . For some odd reason — this should be right up their alley — nothing materialized .

Likewise , he ’ s contacted the LPGA about bringing players for a visit / event . It ’ s hasn ’ t happened . One possible explanation is that there are too many activities that week at Kingsmill to squeeze in one more .

The museum has lent artifacts to Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg — comforted that Colonial Williamsburg would protect the treasures .

Someday , perhaps , a traveling exhibit will be commissioned so that many more folks can experience a taste of an extraordinary collection . But there are many issues to be solved first , and no one should be surprised if it never happens .

Best to play it safe and come see it for yourself .

Please call the club at ( 757 ) 595-3327 before visiting to ensure the museum is open and not being used for a function .

CHRIS LANG