Raynor in Vermont

[Mike_Sweeney]

From a lurker:



Lurking again and noticed a thread on VT and Raynor.  I seem to remember that the bio of Travis mentioned that Raynor and MacDonald we asked by Ekwanok to look at their property before Travis got involved.  Maybe I'm senile but I think that's the answer.

If not, there's a host of old small courses I'd look at including Crown Point, Barre, Woodstock, Dorset Field, Mt Anthony, St Catherine that all from the right era.

[wsmorrison]

Tom MacWood,

Please resend.  I don't recall ever receiving the material and if Tom Paul ever had it, I doubt he'd find it.  Thank you.
Best,
Wayne

[Brad Tufts]

Mike,

I would think the Ekwanok story would be the likely answer, considering the qualties of their membership.  They were important enough to earn/bring the US Am up to Manchester, VT, as well as no doubt belonging to many other well-known Northeast clubs.

I will check my Travis bio for the aforementioned passage about Mac/Raynor.

As for the others mentioned....

Crown Point was built in the late 40s/early 50s by a combination of members and William Mitchell.  Played it once, about a month ago.

Barre has an old 9 and new 9, the first by Stiles & Van Kleek in 1924, the second by Michael Hurdzan.  Never played here.

Brattleboro is a combination of a Wayne Stiles 9 and a William Mitchell 9 built much later.  I imagine the course has been further modified since then after looking at the pics on their website.

Woodstock has been touched by many designers since its incorporation in the 1890's.   Responsible for the routing are William Tucker in 1906 (Travis remodel in 1912) and Wayne Stiles in 1924.  Ross lended another remodel in 1938. and , who are responsible for The current course features (and newly refurbished and slightly jagged-edged bunker style) are attributable combination of RTJ Sr. (1963) and Rulewich (recent).  Played it twice this fall.

Dorset founders built 9 in 1886, and their new nine was built by Vermont's own Steve Durkee, opening 1999-2001.  It's high on my wish list.

I know less about Lake St. Catherine and Mt. Anthony, but I've driven by them several times.  LSCC at least is an old 9/new 9 (early 90s) combination.  Mt. Anthony has been in existence in its location since 1905.

-Brad

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Mike and Lurker:

Construction for Ekwanok began in 1900 so it is doubtful that Macdonald was involved and impossible for Raynor to be involved since the two had not met yet. In the history of Ekwanok there are some cools shots of Travis and Macdonald playing shortly after the course opened.

I just looked into my crystal golf ball and saw that Links magazine will have a wonderfully written piece on Ekwanok in its next issue.

Anthony
 

[BCrosby]

Tom MacW -

Does the Raynor obit mention a course he did in Augusta?

Bob

[TEPaul]

Ian Andrews said;

"Interestingly I talked to the owner this summer about restoration of the course. There is some information there, but not quite what you would hope for. The course is quite facinating with the amount of wild rolls in the open lands, the quirky sunken greens and the amount of blindness; but it is not what people would expect from the "typical" Raynor course.'

Ian:

That's interesting what you said about Thousand Islands. Why isn't it what people would expect from a typical Raynor course? Do you think the course has been altered much over the years? I think the guy who told me about it said he thought it may've been a little bit let-go over the years and that the owner did know much about Raynor, apparently calling him rayNOR.

[Brad Tufts]

I've looked through the Ekwanok 75-yr anniversary book, Bob Labbance's biography of Travis (although lacking an index), and The Evangelist, finding no evidence of the duo in VT.  

Perhaps Mr. Bahto himself is the guy to ask?

MacDonald was connected to Ekwanok through a relationship with Travis, and also he was a good friend of Robert Todd Lincoln (son of Abe), a founding member of NGLA and club president at Ekwanok from 1904-1926.  

Mac played an exhibition with Travis at Ekwanok in 1900, and won the Presidents Cup, a prominent amateur event, in 1901 over the layout.

Ekwanok was constructed over 1898-1899, which seems to be before Mac and Raynor's relationship began.

So where does this lead?  The reference is to somewhere else....?  

Note:  Designers edited in post above.

[T_MacWood]

Bob
It was Macdonald's obit. I don't recall finding any mention of Raynor at Augusta CC, other than what's in C&W and George's book.

[Mike_Cirba]

Lake St. Catherine's first nine holes were designed by original members and drivers Frank Hicks and George Williams around 1924.

Former Vermont governor Ray Keyser built the new nine in 1996.

Pretty place up there and a generally fun, funky course.

[mike_malone]

 I was a member of Burlington in the early 80's. I have played there since the changes. I doubt that I will go back. The greens have changed dramatcally to ones with more slopes that remind me of a typical resort course. I loved the simplicity of the course before.