Bogota Golf Club (Columbia) - Van Kleek - Anyone?? Anyone??

[Michael Moore]

Tonight I had the unususal experience of running into a Wayne Stiles fanatic at the pub.

At one point I asked him if there were any solo John Van Kleek designs.

"Bogota! Bogota! Went down there seven years in a row!"

Does anyone know anything about this course? About Van Kleek?

[ForkaB]

Michael

Tell me about the pubs in Maine!

Rich

[Mike_Sweeney]

I would suggest trying to make it to Canada first!

[T_MacWood]

I don't know much about Bogota...I'm not even sure its a Van Kleek, Charles Banks' name has also been attached to it.

If you are looking for solo work by Van Kleek NYC is the place. He designed and redesigned most of the public courses for the city in the 30s. Split Rock and La Tourette are couple that have been discussed on here.

[Gary Daughters]

A contributor mentioned in an IM the other day that he may have read somewhere that Van Kleek was Stiles's "southern associate," and seemed to suggest that Van Kleek was at work alone on certain ventures in the South, though both names were attatched to the end products.  Does that ring a bell with anyone?

[Brad Tufts]

I was the contributor Gary mentions above...I don't know if this is true, but it seems that the "S/VK" courses here in MA do not always mentions both partners.  I think I saw it somewhere concerning a Florida course or two that the firm designed....maybe in one of Wexler's books?

Obviously b/c VK did several courses around NYC, he did not work exclusively in the South, although some of them could have been when he was no longer with Stiles.

[T_MacWood]

That would make sense since Van Kleek lived in Florida in the 20s and early 30s (Stiles lived in Massachusetts). Although there is a famous photo of Stiles on site in Florida with Walter Hagen. Hagen collaborated on one or more projects with S&VK.

You are right VK was on his own when he did the work around NYC...I think he was employed by the city or the metro park system.

[Chris_Blakely]

When the firm of Stile and Van Kleek dissolved after the depression, John Van Kleek took a job from Robert Mosses in the NYC Parks department renovating the existing courses and adding additional 9's or new courses.  Here is a list of the ones he worked on in NYC:

Bronx

Pelham Bay Park - Pelham Course (added 9 holes, renovated 9)
Pelham Bay Park - Splitrock Course (18 new holes)
Mosholu GC (I believe Van Kleek expanded this course to 18 holes, but construction of the Major Deegan and Mosholu Parkway eliminated 9 holes, I believe what is there now has been redone by Stephen Kay)

Brooklyn

Dyker Beach GC (either 18 new holes or renovated 9 and added 9 new)

Queens

Kissena Park GC (18 new holes - not a regulation course par 64)
Forest Park GC (renovated 9 holes, added 9 holes)

Staten Island

LaTourette GC (renovated 9 holes, added 9 holes)
Silver Lake GC (18 new holes)

Here are some of the courses he did solo in New York State:

New York State

Heritage CC (Johnson City, NY formerly known as IBM CC 27 holes)
Whiteface Inn GC (Lake Placid, NY)

[Craig Van Egmond]

"Our first stop was in Bogota to check the columbian fields...
  The natives smile and pass it along, a sample of their yield.."


All right so it has nothing to do about GCA.