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ANTHONYPIOPPI

Dyker Golf club
« on: November 10, 2007, 10:59:10 AM »
While looking for information on George Strath in conjunction with his redesigning a 9-hole course on Fishers Island in 1901 that later became Hay Harbor, I came across a piece about Dyker Golf club (Later Dyker Meadow Golf Club) on the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Website. (Capitalization follows original text) dated December of 1896. Strath laid out Dyker in December as well. (Architects of Golf gives credit for Dyker Beach and Dyker Meadow to Tom Bendelow.) Strath was busy at this point, laying out a course for the Crescent Athletic Club in Brooklyn the same month.

According to the article, “The course is situated on a stretch of property lying between Fort Hamilton and Bath Beach, and bounded on the east by Eighty-sixth street and on the west by Gravesend Bay.

No 1: 335 yards
No. 2: 168 yards
No. 3: 310 yards “sixty yards in front of the tee there is a sand face fifteen feet high…”
No. 4: 286 yards
No. 5: 360 yards “The ground is very good until near the hole, when a steep hill fifty feet high has to be mounted.”
No. 6: 330 yards
No. 7: 400 yards
No. 8: 280 yards
No. 9: no yardage given; “Hole No. 9 is on the summit of the highest hill on the links, eighty feet. In reaching it to the right is the road, and to get there means a face of seventy-five feet of sand to play up to the putting ground. As the hole is neared if the player is too strong, he will get beyond the fence, and then have to play back, but does not lose his stroke.”
Bogey was 42 or 45 depending on which story you read.

"Mr. Strath spoke in the highest terms of the location. 'Why,' he said, 'the putting greens are the only natural ones in this neighborhood. In all the other areas it has been necessary - and that is not living up to the rules of this field sport.'"

At the opening of the course in 1897, the Eagle quoted Strath again: "'I've seen all the links in the United States," he went on with growing enthusiasm as he puffed furiously at his pipe, "but I tell you there is nothing in America to beat this.'"



Anthony
« Last Edit: November 10, 2007, 05:35:21 PM by Anthony Pioppi »

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2007, 01:43:33 PM »
Tony,

I know that parts of the course that is Dyker Beach GC today was known as Marine & Field GC when it was originally built.  

I don't have the details in front of me but recall looking it up some years back.   Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about Dyker Golf club and Strath.

AWESOME to hear that you've discovered the architect of Hay Harbor..   ;D

I never played there but we stopped by to look at it and it looked tremendously fun!  

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2007, 01:50:44 PM »
Tony,

It sure looks like the location of today's Dyker Beach GC to me.  

http://tinyurl.com/yw9258

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2007, 03:18:05 PM »
MP:

The credit for discovering the architect of Hay Harbor goes to Pierce Rafferty, the head of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum out of Fishers.

Now if there is ever a sequel of To the Nines I have enough information to include HH, although there appears to be at least two routings prior the Strath design.

Anthony

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2007, 05:36:07 PM »
Found some more information about the course that I added to the original post, the bogey was 42, and Strath thought it the best design in America.

Anthony
« Last Edit: November 10, 2007, 05:36:38 PM by Anthony Pioppi »

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2007, 11:18:23 PM »
Tony,

Interesting stuff.

I'll see if I can dig up anything else on Marine & Field, which is supposedly Bendelow at or near the same location.

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2007, 11:43:45 PM »
Tony,

It seems that Strath also laid out the first course at Wee Burn in Connecticut.  

Interesting back-to-back entries in a 1900 periodical;

CRESCENT ATHLETIC CLUB (B. C.)—At Bay Ridge, which overlooks
the upper bay. Post office address, Brooklyn, N. Y. City. Organized,
January, 1886. Incorporated February, 1888. Entrance fee, $25. Annual
dues, $50. Membership, 1,500. Golf is mly one of the attractions of this
popular club, about two hundred members taking part in the game. The
eightcen-hole course was laid out by George Strath in 1897 and 1898, and
this is open during the summer and autumn months. Nine holes are open
all the winter. President, James H. Oliphant; vice-president, S. E. Vcrnon;
secretary, A. Wallace Higgins, 99 Cedar street, New York; chairman of
house committee, Carl G. Rasmus, 59 Cedar street, New York; treasurer,
H. L. Langhaar. Governing committee: J. IT. Oliphant, H. L. Langhaar,
A. W. Higgins, C. M. Bull, A. E. Smylie, Howard Horton, C. J. Maguire,
C. C. Rasmus, C. B. Van Brunt, C. A. Morse, Jr., J. PL Bagg, C. M. Englis,
Philip Ruxton, W. F. Smith, E. C. Broun and C. C. Adams. Greenkeeper,
James Laing.

DYKER MEADOW GOLF CLUB (B. C.)—The course is at Fort Hamilton
and is reached from the Brooklyn Bridge by trolley. Post office address.
Seventh avenue and 92CI street, Brooklyn, N. Y. Organized 1895. Entrance
fee, $25. Annual dues, $25. Membership, 225, with a waiting list at all
times. The club is not only one of the most accessible from New York and
Brooklyn, but is delightfully situated within full view of the ocean. One or
two of the holes are close to the water's edge, and in 'he opinion of the editor
of the GOLF GUIDE there is scarcely a more desirable nine-hole course in the
United States. The turf is composed of a close wiry grass particularly suitable
for golf, and every yard of the course is kept in good condition the year
round. The greens are smooth and rolling and of good size. The club
house is located on the highest portion of the property, and has now been
enlarged to suitable dimensions for the increased membership. There is
probably scarcely a golf club anywhere with fewer non-playing members.
The distances read as follows : 1, 431, 5 ; 2, ]88, 4; 3, 310, 5 ; 4, 320, 5 ; 5,
283, 4; 6, 370, 5; 7, 5, 17, 6; 8, 289, 4; 9, 295, 4. Prominent players are:
D. Chauncy, 96 Broadway, New York ; A. L. Norris, 20 Broad street; U.S.
Dike, 31 Nassau street; J. C. Powers, 212 Church street; Duncan Edwards,
31 Nassau street; A. P. Clapp, 109 Worth street; W. K. Fowler, 20 Broad
street; W. B. Crittenden, 253 Broadway, New York. President, Norman
S. Dike; vice-president, Wm, A Putnam; secretary, Edw. L. Kalbfleisch,
Jr., 56 Pine street; chairman of house committee, Carl H. de Silver;
captain, Daniel Chauncey; treasurer, James K. Merritt. Board of Governors
: The officers and Charles Adams, Graham F. Blandy, Daniel Chauncey,
Wm. B, Crittenden, Duncan Edwards, F. Coit Johnson, Albert G. Jennings,
Fred'k J. Phillips, Wyllys Terry and Wm. C. Wallace. Grecnkeeper,
George Low.

Rich Goodale

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2007, 07:04:35 AM »
Mike

To follow on...

George Low was from Carnousite and Dyker Meadow was his first job in the US.  Came in second in the 1899 US Open and went on to one heck of a career after that, including helping Ross and then Strong on some GCA.

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2007, 10:06:07 AM »
Mike,

Brooklyn Daily Eagle site has information on Marine and Field.

Anthony

Phil_the_Author

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2007, 10:20:48 AM »
Tony,

The evolution of courses and clubs become fascinating the more one learns. You mention the Crescent Club in Brooklyn. Because of the crowded conditions both in Brooklyn and the neighborhoods where many of the members lived, they sold the course and the property and bought the Rainey Estate in Huntington.

On this estate existed an original Tillinghast 9-hole Lilliputt Links design. They hired Devereaux Emmet (?) who tore it up and built an 18-hole course for the members that is known today as the Huntington Crescent Club.

In your sequal it would be interesting if you could bring to life 9-hole courses that died so that an 18-hole could come to life in it's place...

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2007, 10:29:22 AM »
Phil,

Thanks for that information. OK, that will be the third book, "To the Lost Nines."

In one story on the Crescent Athletic Club football team it talked about how they were getting a former Princeton lineman named Beef Wheeler.

Anthony


Brian Brown

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2007, 08:54:30 PM »
Today’s current Dyker Beach GC was designed in 1923 by Jon Van Kleek.  The course is great fun and in amazing shape for the most played course in America.  The course has great views of the Verrazano Bridge and at the same time is a complete oasis in the middle of Brooklyn.

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2007, 09:02:02 PM »
Today’s current Dyker Beach GC was designed in 1923 by Jon Van Kleek.  The course is great fun and in amazing shape for the most played course in America.  The course has great views of the Verrazano Bridge and at the same time is a complete oasis in the middle of Brooklyn.

Brian,

I like Dyker Beach a great deal, as well, but could you tell us the source of your information re: Van Kleek in 1923?

Thanks!
Mike

JMorgan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2007, 09:12:34 PM »
Tony,

The evolution of courses and clubs become fascinating the more one learns. You mention the Crescent Club in Brooklyn. Because of the crowded conditions both in Brooklyn and the neighborhoods where many of the members lived, they sold the course and the property and bought the Rainey Estate in Huntington.

On this estate existed an original Tillinghast 9-hole Lilliputt Links design. They hired Devereaux Emmet (?) who tore it up and built an 18-hole course for the members that is known today as the Huntington Crescent Club.

In your sequal it would be interesting if you could bring to life 9-hole courses that died so that an 18-hole could come to life in it's place...

Actually, Phil, Emmet designed two 18-holers at HCC, and he buried that 9-hole course only because Tillinghast was going around telling everyone he came up with the original Reef Hole.  ;D

Brian Brown

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2007, 09:14:58 PM »
The course is a NYC owned course and is run by American Golf Corp.  They have it listed on their website as a Van Kleek course from 1930.  I have tried to find out more about it but have had no luck.  I will check with the pro tommorow to see if he has more info.  The clubhouse is currently under renovation so no old photos or drawing are hanging.

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2007, 09:31:05 PM »
Thanks, Brian...

The current course iteration at Dyker is indeed mostly Van Kleek, who basically was hired by NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (I believe) to update all of the city courses as part of Depression-era WPA projects.

However, golf has been played on that site since the late 1800's, and it seems likely that at least two different clubs/courses (i.e. Dyker Meadow & Marine Field Club) occupied parts of the current property, only with holes stretching down to the oceanside in the case of the former.

It also seems from accounts of the time that the Dyker Meadow course was possibly the best pre-Shinnecock course that existed prior to 1900.

Brian Brown

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2007, 09:45:31 PM »


This is a picture from American golfs website of the tenth green looking towards the Verrazano Bridge.

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2007, 12:30:49 AM »
I'll check with Bob Labbance, who knows all things Van Kleek, to see what he has to say about Dyker.

Brian,
That is a great photo.

Anthony


ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2007, 12:32:37 PM »
Bob Labbance confirmed that Van Kleek had lots to do with Dyker, and every other course owned by New York City, even though that fact was left out of a recent article about the courses in Met Golfer.

Anthony
« Last Edit: November 14, 2007, 12:31:52 PM by Anthony Pioppi »

Mike_Cirba

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #19 on: November 13, 2007, 03:25:46 PM »
Bob Labbance confirmed that Van Kleek had nots to do with Dyker, and every other course owned by New York City, even though that fact was left out of a recent article about the courses in Met Golfer.

Anthony


Tony,

I think you may have inadvertedly done a tyop, unless "nots to do with" is one of those quaint New England Yankee phrases.  ;)

Jeff Loh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2007, 03:42:11 PM »
yikes!   then who designed Split Rock? the next Bethpage...

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #21 on: November 14, 2007, 12:34:15 PM »
Mike,

The typo has been corrected.

Jeff,

Bob Labbance sent me a passage from the book he is writing on Van Kleek showing that Van Kleek did the work and that Bobby Jones visited the layout in an unofficial capacity shortly after construction and raved about it.

Anthony

JMorgan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #22 on: November 14, 2007, 01:12:30 PM »
By the way, it's pronounced “Dike-ah” for the uninitiated.

ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re:Dyker Golf club
« Reply #23 on: November 14, 2007, 05:45:39 PM »
James:

Thanks for that information. Correct pronunciation of a golf course is very important.

Anthony


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