Feature Interview with Stuart Bendelow is posted

[Ran Morrissett]

Perhaps I just happen not to own the right ones but very few of my golf architecture books dwell on Tom Bendelow. This fact never much registered with me until last fall when I spent a day at Olympia Fields and got to see his design work on the South course. There was much to like and it prompted me to make a post regarding the course in particular and Bendelow in general.

Much to my delight, I received an email from Stuart Bendelow shortly thereafter. Stuart is the grandson of Tom Bendelow (1868-1936) and Stuart credits the interests of Medinah Country Club, prior to the 1999 PGA Tournament, for providing him with the motivation to begin work on a biography regarding his grandfather.

Though Stuart is just in the middle stages of gathering information on Bendelow's life, career and achievements, GolfClubAtlas.com is delighted to post this Feature Interview regarding a figure who may well deserve more credit than many realize.

Stuart's contact details are included within and hopefully, those with a similar interest in his grandfather's work will share their own information/insights with Stuart.

We all wish him the very best with his research efforts and we look forward to the end result of his work in the year to come.

Cheers,

[RJ_Daley]

Stuart, I believe Ron Whitten had stated that he found a number of papers and personal effects of William Langford in the basement of one of Langford's Chicago residences. Surely, there must be some record of those men communicating ideas.  I find it very interesting in the similarity displayed by Bendelow's design of "knoll holes" to those of Langford''s and those men's similarity to design of Raynor's "plateau" or "double plateau" holes.  The Quic Qui Oc golf club in Sheboygan County Wisconsin has a front 9 for certain by Bende, and I would bet anything, a back 9 by Langford.  The seemless design style is remarkable.  I haven't been there in a year, and Bob Lohmann is scheduled to do more remodelling (only a rumor) so one ought to study it while it is still generally intact.  The 9th par 3 is one of the "sportiest" holes I can remember.  The whole front side is a museum piece that I have well photographed.  I hope that the only think ever done to that front side is a good tree trimming.

Stuart, do you have many papers and artifacts of Bende's?

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Ran,
I wanted to bring this back up for everyone who has not read it, to do so.

Secondly, I found the credit of Rosedale to be rather interesting.  The current Rosedale is a product of Donald Ross/Bob Cupp/Doug Carrick, but Rosedale had two locations prior to that.  I will have to make sure I have my history right, but I am keen to know the style of the old Rosedale.

Also, Royal Ottawa is such a hodge-podge of design, I am keen to look into that further as well.

Ben

[Jeff Mingay]

Ben,

Rosedale was at a different location originally. But, if I'm not mistaken, the first course on the club's present-day property was laid-out by Bendelow with subsequent revisions by Ross, et.al.

As for Royal Ottawa, I visited the course two summers ago and found it to have tremendous potential to capitalize on its classic early 1900s architecture (Benedelow). But, you're right, as it exists presently, the course is messy, comprised of a hodge-podge of design styles.

There are some big square fillpads at Royal Ottawa that are really neat, but the putting surfaces that occupy those fillpads are tiny and circular. Many of the greens have shrunken significantly over the years, and have lost there original geometric shape. Others have been rebuilt in a modern-style and contrast the originals. The course also features remnants of some really cool cross-bunkers, and a few neat old "trench" bunkers behind greens.

All in all, there are some really interesting old-style holes at Royal Ottawa. With its classic clubhouse overlooking the 18th green, the course has tremendous potential to capitalize on its history by restoring some classic early 1900s golf architecture. And, as I understand, the club is very proud of its history.

Willie Park, Jr's Ottawa Hunt Club course was completely rebuilt by Tom McBroom a few years ago, and has lost its distinctiveness. Ottawa Hunt now resembles a typical 1990s era golf course. In contrast, what better way for Royal Ottawa to differentiate itself from other courses in the area, and other courses in Canada for that matter, than to restore that classic 1900s architecture that's out there, just hidden at present? Wouldn't that be neat!  

[George Pazin]

Is there any easy way for someone to post a list of courses & their areas so I can start trying to find one close by? I'm located in western PA but I'm willing to drive a good ways.

[WilliamWang]

george- try the advanced search at golfcourse.com.  you search under the name of the architect.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Jeff,
Neat might be an understatement.

I am thinking of going up to RO is a few weeks.

Many people I trust feel that the work at Ottawa Hunt was the most distasteful they have seen.  I cannot remember the original (only played it once), but the new course leaves something to be desired.  

Interesting to learn that about Rosedale, I am interested to hear more about that.