Tuscumbia

[SL_Solow]

I saw a notice in the Auctionmart section of the Chicago Tribune that the Tuscumbia Country Club in Green Lake Wisconsin will be sold at auction along with various homesites etc.  Tuscumbia is a 6300 yard course which purports to have opened in 1893.  Cornish and Whitten credit the course to Bendelow.  Green Lake is a nice summer resort community servicing Chicago and Milwaukee.  Does anyone know anything about the course?  I confess I have not seen it.  Calling RJ Daley, Dan Moore, Shivas.  Worth seeing?  Worth saving?  Interestingly the ad neglected to name an auction date.  It might reappear in tomorrow's edition.

[RJ_Daley]

Shel, unfortunately I haven't made the effort to really go there and examine it.  I've seen it on more or less a drive by, and from afar, I wasn't too stimulated to stop and look and play.  Perhaps the next time I'm at Lawsonia, I will take a few hours to really look. 

I've been aware of it being one of the first courses in the US from the first decade that golf was really played here.  There must be something about it that would be historically illuminating.  I'd bet money if there is anything historically significant and enduring about it, Dan Moore could ferret it out. 

[Brendan Dolan]

I've played it maybe 4 or 5 times, and it is an ok golf course.  The course is extremely tight, so there is not much strategy off the tee, except hit it striaght or else you will be punching out for your second.  If I remember correctly there are a couple of blind tee shots as well.  The greens for the most part are really small, flatish or back to front tilted, and pretty well bunkered.  The hole that I liked the most was the 10th.  It's a long par three with a punchbowl type green.

Brendan       

[Dan Moore]

I recently came across information that James Foulis was engaged for three days in 1897 to lay-out a links in Green Lake, Wisconsin.  From the context of the article it would appear this would have been the first golf links in the area.  No name was given for the course.  The course was located between Oakwood and Sherwood forests. 

[Tim Nugent]

I did a little work there a few years ago. It started off by the fact that a nice new log style clubhouse was constructed on the site of the old practice green and the owner (who I had worked with on another project) called me in to build a temporary putting green and design a new perminant one.
One thing lead to another and eventually he asked me to review the entire course to determine if he could do something to get  more rounds.  I determined that the course corridors we too  tight and  that someone had built circa 1980's cape and bay bunkers that narrowed the already narrow fairway even more.  Interestingly, I  found that, due to the sandy nature of the site, the original bunkers were still there - just grassed in and about 2-3 rows back into the trees.
In talking with a player at the bar, he told me his grandfather used to mow the course when he was young.  One week they would more N/S and the next E/W.  Then American Elm trees were planted to separate the holes.  In the 60's - early 70's Dutch elm disease wiped out most of the Elms.  The "cure" was to plant a boatload of various conifers and decidious trees to replacethe Elms.  Usually useing 5 or 6 small trees for one Elm.  Now after 40 yrs, those saplings are fullly mature in size.
I identified around 1,000 trees that needed to be removed and we spent a winter a couple of yrs ago doing that on the front nine.  I had the vision of opening the hole corridors up enough to restore and bring into play the old bunkers.
A number of the greens were old square Pad greens that, over the years had been mowed into smaller circles.  The fronts were near grade but the backs dropped of 6'-8'.  I also wanted to restore the putting surfaces to there original dimensions.
However, the owner began developing some condo's on the second hole and became distracted by that endeavor and the course restoration was abondoned.
Claiming to be the oldest 18-hole course in Wisconsin and having such a close proximety to Lawsonia - which is dry (alcoholwise), I feel that a nicely restore Tuscumbia would be a fitting afternoon round to a Lawsonia morning round.  Classic golf one two old ladies.  What could be better.

[Tim Nugent]

Almost forgot, new irrigation system as well.

[J_ Crisham]

SL,
       I saw the same advertisement in the Trib. The course is right down the road from the Heidel House. It is a sporty little course,very tight. Not a course to drive a long way for but in the Fall it is gorgeous when the foliage is changing. Another course in the area is Mascoutin and the 2 at Green Lake. They would be superior in my experience to Tuscumbia.
The piece of property that is Tuscumbia is slightly rolling and would be prime for development good to see that there is a chance it will remain a golf course.

[RJ_Daley]

Nice reporting Tim, thanks. 

Shel or Jack, was that a Sheldon Good Auction?  I'm going to look on their website to see if there is info on the auction and description of what's on the block.

[SL_Solow]

Wasn't in today.  I don't think it was a Sheldon Good.  If it is I can probably get some additional info.

[RJ_Daley]

Nothing on SG website.  I did explore a few of their golf course auctions in the past...

[J_ Crisham]

RJ
     I have seen it in the Trib twice but I apologize I didn't pay close enough attention as to the realtor. Did not see it today though. It was in the business section on Weds. 

[Phil McDade]

I don't have too much to add -- it has a clubhouse that would feel right at home in Rhinelander or Minocqua or Eagle River;  a real log-cabin, Northwoods feel to it. And so does the course -- it stands in severe contrast to nearby Lawsonia, where the greens are large, playing corridors are wide-open for the most part, and trees have been reduced. Tuscumbia is tight, with small greens, and somewhat one-dimensional in how to play it. It sits right in the middle of Green Lake; you can walk there from the Heidel House. A few courses in Wisconsin lay claim to being the oldest in the state, and Tuscumbia may be one of them. (Janesville CC, a private club that started with nine holes, also makes the claim; Tuscumbia may be the oldest 18-hole intact course in the state). I'm pretty sure it's been verified as a Bendelow, although I haven't seen original documents. The course entry, a long road through some tall pines, is one of the best in Wisconsin; some of the towering trees on the course surely have been there since its inception.

Given the state of golf in Wisconsin, it's interesting such a long-established course is up for auction. The land is probably worth a mint, although perhaps not maintained as a course.