Vardon - how many courses?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I've started on my next golf club centenary book - that of Sandy Lodge.  It's a Vardon course, although C&W don't list it (in the old edition I have).  They also list Brocton Hall, Ganton, Letchworth, Little Aston, Moore Place, Oxhey, Saffron Walden, South Herts, West Herts, Woodhall Spa, Bundoran, Kingussie, Kington, Llandrindod Wells, and remodelling of RCD.  Does anyone know of any more Vardon courses?

[Adrian_Stiff]

Mark- Here are the ones I have; Might not be 100% accurate obviously different people credit diff architects.

LITTLE ASTON
CITY OF NEWCASTLE
ABERYSTWYTH
SOUTH HERTS
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE
SANDY LODGE
BROCTON HALL
BOLDON
THE MENDIP
LOOE
LETCHWORTH
SALTFORD
ST NEOTS
CONSETT & DISTRICT
ABERSOCH
BALMORE
KINGUSSIE
KNIGHTON
LLANDRINDOD WELLS
WORLEBURY

My info says West Herts was an 1890 Tom Morris, alt by MacKenzie. Woodhall Spa Hotckin; Bundoran ive no nfo is it Ireland? Safron Walden he would have just done 9, because the second nine came on early 70s I think Grant Aitken did the routing. I have a mr D Allen for Moore Place c 1926. Ganton I have Vardon, Braid, Colt and Dunn. I also have him down as making strong contributions to Hexham (Caird making some alterations) and also to Coventry (Hawtree making some alterations).

Worlebury has had a few changes since, but largely I think the course is still intact, the old par 3 16th has gone replaced with a hole now 11th by Hawtree (78?). Mendip I think would have been a 9 that HV would have done, its gone through quite a few changes, there are a few great holes still there that would have formed the original routing one of which is the 16th (absolute great architecture). Saltford is barely intact as a Vardon, the 3rd, 4th and 5th are new (1992) the old drop 17 has gone (1996) the old uphill 11th went in about 1974, they have also rebuilt much of the front nine, old 6 and 7 have been made into 1 long five, the double green of 4 & 10 has gone, maybe 12-16 are still relatively complete.

If you need any more info I might be able to help.

Adrian

[Andrew Mitchell]

Mark

My home club Northcliffe states that the course was a Vardon/Braid partnership. I've never seen any documentation etc regarding the course history but I'm due to join the club committee in March and hope to able to do some research with a view to writing a "My Home Course" piece for this website.

[Ulrich Mayring]

Hardelot, les Pins.

Yes, everyone including the club itself counts it as a Simpson design. But he only remodelled Vardon's layout.

Ulrich

[Tony_Muldoon]

A search on here also suggests the following:

Northenden
Heswall
Frilford Heath
Copt Heath


and I gave up after looking at the first 171 found items!

[Jason McNamara]

What about the 9-holer at Mundesley?

[Ed Tilley]

A search on here also suggests the following:

Northenden
Heswall
Frilford Heath
Copt Heath


and I gave up after looking at the first 171 found items!

Mark,

I had always thought that Harry Vardon designed the original 9 holes at Frilford Heath - there's a great black and white picture of him 'on site' in the clubhouse. These holes are the holes over the road on the Green course - holes 5-13. However, there is no mention of him on the club's website - credit is given to J.H. Taylor.

Ed

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thank you, indeed, for all this cause for thought and further research.  I have until 2010 to get it right!