Here is the article from 1933 that goes with the pictures, I just finished re-typing it.
SOMETHING NEW IN GOLF
Read This Story of the Hob Nob Hill Golf Club
At Salisbury, Connecticut, and You Will Find It
By INNIS BROWN
Up in the extreme Northwest corner of the state, in the foothills of the Berkshires, lies Salisbury, Connecticut, and in Salisbury is the Hob Nob Hill Golf Club. It is a new club, and likely you have never heard of it; that is, unless you happen to be familiar with this particular community, or else happen to be a personal friend of Mr. I Kent Fulton. In either case, you have doubtless had an invitation to play it, and perhaps you already know the story. Even so, you are in a small minority, and the story is distinctly worth broadcasting.
For some years, Mr. Fulton has owned a tract of more than three hundred acres of rolling terrain largely wooded, partly with fine old trees, arboreal patriarchs, and partly with newer growth of white birch, pine, hemlock, dogwood and laurel, which has sprung up over what was once farmland under cultivation. In the back of his mind, he had for some time held a purpose of building a country home on this tract, the plan including landscaping of a large part of the acreage. Also he is an enthusiast on golf, imbued with an enthusiasm which goes further than his own personal activities in the way of pursuing pars and birdies.
Contemplation of these two interests led to his formulating a definite plan. The house he would build; why not build a golf course also, with the dual purpose of having it provide facilities for his favorite outdoor game and also blend in with the purpose of landscaping the property? Indeed, why not?
Emmet, Emmet and Tull, well-known golf architects, were called in for a consultation. They made a study of the property, and Mr. Devereux Emmet, senior member of the firm, and long an outstanding member of his proffesion, sat back, settled himself comfortably, and indulged in a wide infectious grin. Here was an architects dream come true. More than three hundred acres of land, rolling in contour, with wonderful soil underlaid with sandy limestone gravel, and abundantly wooded, to work with, and no restrictions other than that he should design a modern up-to-date course, and at the same time make use to the best advantage of the fine material at hand in producing also an attractive landscaping job as well.
This was back in the summer of 1931. Plans were submitted and the architects and builders (The Grading Company Inc.) were instructed to get busy at once. But there was one further consideration. It was stipulated that all labor used in the construction job from first to last was to be drawn from among local workers. In fact, one of the impelling purposes in persuading Mr. Fulton to have the work started at that time was to help solve the unemployment situation as it affected Salisbury and vicinity. So the contract provided that not more than six men were to be brought in to do the work; the rest to be done by residents of Salisbury.
The course was completed and opened for play on July 4th of this year. From the time that work was begun, there was a full co-ordination of efforts to give Mr. Fulton just what he wanted, Landscape experts and foresters co-operated with the architects in achieving the best results possible in the removal of such trees and other growth as was necessary in actually designing and building the eighteen golf holes. As soon as the tees, fairways and putting greens were outlined and cleared, the foresters cleared and landscaped adjoining areas.
There is a variation in elevations of the terrain over which the course is built of some two hundred feet. Advantage of the higher elevations in affording some attractive views of the nearby hills and mountains was taken wherever possible. And the careful process of selection in making the clearings left many of the fine old trees to decorate attractively the views in many places. On many of holes, players are completely screened from the view of players on all other holes.
Meantime an oddly attractive club house has been built quite close to the first tee and ninth green. It has an exterior of stone and split shingles with an interior of old beams and white pine paneling salvaged from an old barn on the place Local Norwegian timbermen who double in ski jumping in their leisure time, did most of this clubhouse construction.
At the official opening, Mr. Fulton invited a hundred or more of his friends to play the course. The unanimous verdict of the field was that it was a most excellent golf course, and that the purpose of having the course add to the scenic beauty of the landscape had been abundantly achieved.
And one other thing. There are no greens fees. All of Mr. Fulton’s friends are welcome to play the course whenever they like free of charge at all, and this includes about all of the people in the community. That’s why Hob Nob Hill is something new in golf clubs. It is not Mr. Fultons private course even though he owns it lock, stock and barrel. It is a course for his friends and the term takes in its widest significance in its interpretation of those who may play.
Efforts to have him talk of his purpose and the result are unavailing, except to the extent that he is pleased with the job and gratified that his friends are delighted at his generous gesture. He is far too self-effacing to add anything further.