bendelow and Alison at Port Huron Golf Club Michigan (USA)

[Anthony Gholz]

Under In My Opinion, Ran has just posted my piece on Port Huron Golf Club. Here's the key part: I'm convinced that it is a Charles Alison original!

The search started with Cornish & Whitten’s 1981 The Golf Course and their 1993 follow-up: The Architects of Golf.  It continued with the resurfacing in 1995 of a former member’s reminiscence letter of 1968.  After that the search went below ground: club files in the basement, library files in the basement, county records in the basement, newspaper files in the basement, photo archives in the basement, shoeboxes in the basement, etc.   Contrary to a popular 1960s song, the basement is “where it’s at.” 

Where it’s at is the recent discovery of seven original Charles Alison drawings and multiple C&A letters.  Along with newspaper articles, county sales records, and long hours communicating with golf architects and historians around the world, came confirmation of that elderly member’s assertion that Port Huron Golf Club’s course is a Colt & Alison (specifically Charles Alison) original.  Additionally we learn that Alison’s efforts were added to and built over a Tom Bendelow 9-hole course designed in 1909 and constructed in 1912. 

The In My Opinion piece is the result of this 33-year search.  Please read it and don't hesitate to contact me directly with any thoughts/comments/corrections at agholz@aol.com.  I am obviously interested in feedback from Colt/Alison aficionados and to discuss how/why this undiscovered gem has never received its proper accreditation before now as an Alison original.

Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to review my effort.
Anthony "Tony" Gholz 

[RJ_Daley]

An excellent offering, well written, Mr. Gholz.

[Frank Pont]

In this time and age where we mostly have to lament the loss of yet another Colt green, bunker or hole it is great to see that we sometimes are lucky enough to get a "lost" Colt/Alsion course back.

Congratulations Anthony on all the good work unearthing the true history, great work!

Now, please be very careful with what you do with your new found wealth.....  good luck.

[Sven Nilsen]

Anthony:

Excellent piece, well researched and presented in a very clear manner.

I think the most impressive part of your work is the amount of time you were willing to spend digging into forgotten corners, and that it paid off.  I have to imagine your membership is thrilled to have recaptured its history.

Sven

[Jud_T]

Has to be one of the best first posts in the history of GCA.  Congrats!

[Neil_Crafter]

Tony, nice research and an interesting IMO piece. A small point, when Alison came to Port Huron first in 1921 it would have been under the banner of the firm Colt Mackenzie and Alison, a partnership having been formed in 1919 between the three architects. By early 1923 the partnership had broken up with Mackenzie's departure. After which they were Colt and Alison until John Morrison became the new partner.
cheers Neil

[Anthony Gholz]

Thanks to Neil and all who have responded including many to my direct e-mail. 

I agree on the CMA partnership start in 1919, but have never seen a date when it dissolved.  It seems to me that it dissolved the first time Mackenzie took work on his own and didn't send Colt his share of the gate.  Did the English partnership translate to America?  Did it ever get changed in England until the Morrison addition.  Alison and Morrison seemed very particular about Colt's share and keeping in touch.  Mackenzie's personality doesn't seem to have held Colt in that same high regard.

The local Port Huron newspaper of the time just refers to Capt. Alison with no reference to the firm, so no help there, but my digging will continue after the Michigan golf season ends.  Our later C&A club letters refer to Captain Alison returning to Europe in September of 1928 and "was not expected back this fall" so he definitely didn't do all his communication via letters.   A letter as late as November 16th of 1928 has Morrison listed as a partner, but the masthead still says Colt & Alison.  Maybe, as we did in my architectural practice, use up the stationary on hand no matter when the names changed.

Thanks again for your comments and I would like to hear more from all about C&A, especially Alison in North America. 
Anthony Gholz

[SBendelow]

Tony,
You have successfully rolled back the Huron fog to reveal the true history of PHGC.  Great job, Well done.
Stuart

[Neil_Crafter]

Tony I have an early US advert for CMA that I will post when I get back home next Monday as I'm away currently. There is no known 'official' date for the partnership split. By around mid 1923 there was an announcement in one of the golf magazines and Mackenzie put out a brochure for his new firm. Clearly there were tensions well before this in the partnership and there are instances of Colt and Mackenzie competing for the same job while they were partners ! How the partnership worked financially is anyone's guess! I'll post more when I'm back home.

[Paul_Turner]

Fantastic find!  Particularly the drawings.  I haven't seen Port Huron listed by "Colt and Alison" anywhere.   Did the course ever have a different name?

As Neil stated Mackenzie was definitely solo by 1923 and the masthead becomes "Colt and Alison".  It was a very strange arrangement and didn't always make sense geographically i.e. Colt was doing some work in the North of England and Mackenzie did some work in the South at the same time.  So they weren't simply divvying up the work based on their location.

Note Alison never lived in Japan, just traveled there.

[Anthony Gholz]

Paul:

Port Huron Golf Club started under that name in 1899.  Per Harper's GG (USGA Library) only 21 golf clubs in Michigan at that time.  In 1921 when Alison came to town the excitement was all about obtaining 300' of lake front property where the Windermere Hotel had burned down the year before.  The club changed its name to Port Huron Golf and Country Club (sometimes "and Beach Club" in the local press) when the existing clubhouse was moved to the lakefront.  That lasted until the beachfront was foreclosed during the depression. There's a complexity regarding ownership from 1935 thru the 60s, but suffice it to say the name reverted back to Port Huron Golf Club in 1935 and has been that way ever since. 

PHGC has never been listed anywhere as a C&A course.  Part of my frustration is getting no response from the Colt Association, or other (inter)national groups/individuals to my findings.  I'm hoping this GCA posting will help to move that recognition along. 

Per Hawtree's book it sounds like MacKenzie wasn't removed from the corporation papers until Morrison was added in 1928.  So much for paperwork and reality coinciding.  Thanks again to all for comments and correction please keep them coming.  Anthony Gholz

[Paul_Turner]

Anthony

Lots wrong in Hawtree's book,  Mack was definitely off the company masthead and ads by 1923/4.

Colt Association is dead but it never had much anyway.

[Neil_Crafter]

Tony, here is the advert for Colt, Mackenzie & Alison that I mentioned, this is from Golf Illustrated (US) from June 1923. Interestingly none of the 'Europe' courses listed are Mackenzie's.

[Neil_Crafter]

I also have this letter from C H Alison on the Colt, Mackenzie & Alison letterhead written in February 1921. Mackenzie has some of his courses listed by Alison in the letter :-)

[Paul_Turner]

Nice letter Neil.  I'll check but I think it predates any of the docs I have of the firm in the US after WW1.  

Alison obviously working on establishing the newly formed firm in America after the long gap due to the war. (Colt's last visit April 1914).

Interesting J Sweeney as a reference, the same J Sweeney in Anthony's essay.  I assume that Alison is looking for reference for the firm's (Colt's) work at  Country Club of Detroit rather than Lochhmoor?  I don't think Colt worked at Lochmoor.

[Anthony Gholz]

Neil:  Thanks so much for these posts.   The GI I will look up.  Thought I had seen "everything" in GI relating to CHA that's online.  Probably a combination of hubris and poor eyesight. The letter is wonderful.  For me it establishes the Penobscot office as Fall 1920 and as the American headquarters from the beginning.  It also registers the planned date for his return to Detroit as March 18th.  The local paper, dated March 22, 1921, indicated he arrived in PH the day before or both.  Mr Seeney must have been very persuasive as the trip up to PH happened quickly after his return from Europe even if he got back a little earlier.  PH was staked and chalked on the ground by Alison along with his green sketches.  That wouldn't have been possible last spring when we had snow under trees well into May!  The Lochmoor reference is good too.  Sweeney and other several other Grosse Pointers were members of both clubs or switched clubs at times.  I've seen references to Alison redoing Lochmoor in 1920.  Our 1915 member's letter indicates Sweeney as a member of The CCD at the time of Alison's PH work.  There are other Detroit District references that cover him at either club or both.  Suffice it to say I believe it was the ongoing efforts at The CCD based, of course, on Colt's US Am course in laid out in 1913 or 14.  Anyway thanks.  I will definitely note both these items.   Tony

[Niall Hay]

I also have this letter from C H Alison on the Colt, Mackenzie & Alison letterhead written in February 1921. Mackenzie has some of his courses listed by Alison in the letter :-)

Such as "the New Course, Troon" - which was 100% MacKenzie. Never seen mention of Colt or Alison despite the firm CMA being active at that time. The New Course at Troon is now the Portland Course at Royal Troon.

Also interesting that Detroit Country Club has changed to Country Club of Detroit. Perhaps to avoid confusion with Detroit Golf Club.

"Among the courses designed by us on this side of the Atlantic were those at Pine Valley, the Detroit Country Club. the Toronto Golf Club, and the Hamilton Golf & Country Club; and that among those designed in Europe were the Eden Course, St. Andrews; Turnberry; the New Course, Troon; Hopwood, Manchester; Allwoodley, Leeds; Handsworth, Birmimgham, Stoke Poges; Swinley Forest; Addington; St. George;’s Hill, Weybridge; St. Cloud, Paris; and Knocke, Belgium.

[Sven Nilsen]

Anthony:

Is there any record of Reid and/or Connellan doing any work at the club whatsoever?  If not, do you think this was just a case of guys who had worked in the area getting credit as no better explanation was available?

Sven

[Niall Hay]

I also have this letter from C H Alison on the Colt, Mackenzie & Alison letterhead written in February 1921. Mackenzie has some of his courses listed by Alison in the letter :-)

That is an interesting letter from Alison; particularly the timing of it. By that I mean he had been involved with Pine Valley right around that time (late 1920 and early 1921) essentially creating for them a hole by hole master plan to finish off the course and improve a number of greens (about 5-6 in all). I call it the "1921 Advisory Committee" and Alison was apparently even a member of it. Perhaps the most vocal member of it was W.C. Fownes. Hugh Wilson had met with Alison in late 1920 and the Committee met in early March 1921 at Pine Valley and created a list from Alison's plan of work approved, to be considered for later, and the remainder as not approved. The committee mentioned it would be best to do the work as quickly as possible if it could be done under the direction of Alison but that it probably wouldn't be possible as he might not have the time. Apparently he didn't have the time as he mentioned in that letter you posted he would be back in Detroit ready for business on March 18.

It seems like William Flynn and the greenskeeper Jim Govan did the work perhaps in conjunction with some other members such as Hugh Wilson and George Thomas. Flynn was also a member of PV, by the way, as was his present or future partner, Howard Toomey.

In some of those "agronomy letters" Hugh Wilson mentions to Piper of the US Dept of Agriculture that Hugh Alison was an awfully attractive person and he asked Piper about a contract in Washington D.C. that Alison was interested in. I seem to recall Flynn got it.

Also around this time, Hugh Alison actually suggested that he and Flynn go into business together but Hugh Wilson mentioned that he didn't think that would be necessary for Flynn.

« Last Edit: December 09, 2009, 10:52:40 PM by TEPaul »

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42474.0.html

[Anthony Gholz]

Sven:  For me, the Reid story started with Ron Whitten's book(s) where he gave credit for both Black River CC and Port Huron Golf Club to R&C.  When I called Ron in '95 in Topeka he said that his info came from William Zmistowski, Reid's grandson.  I actually met with Bill in Colorado and he was very helpful, giving me what he had on his Grandfather. This included a copy of Reid's stationary, where he lists his courses down the left side and all his professional triumphs down the right.  Under the heading of "new" courses is listed Port Huron, Mich.  That doesn't say Port Huron Golf Club or Mueller Golf & CC, which is what Black River's original name was at the time.  Bill Z had nothing further.  It wasn't until I did the local paper day by day for the years when construction could have occurred that I found the article announcing that "Plans and specifications for the course were drawn by Wilfred [Wilfrid] Reid, Detroit, Golf Architect."  As an architect myself I thought "specifications" was a nice touch for the daily paper in 1927.  I have not been able to tie Connellan into either club although he built courses for both Reid and Alison (Orchard Lake originally) at different times and even when Reid & Connellan were partners.  Because of BR's ties with Mueller Brass it is unlikely, and I have found no reference, that Connellan built BR. I believe MB people built BR. The company used BR as a testing lab for their new "Muellermist" watering system and Fred Riggin claims it to be the first "automatic" golf course watering system in the US. That claim is made many times although, of course, The NGL had a watering system long before 1927.  It is possible that Connellan built PH, but I have yet to find any contractor mentioned, other than the superintendent at the time, involved in PH's construction.  Wilfrid Reid was definitely not part of PHGC.  This entire story, R&C yes or no, is covered in a chapter my BR book.  I have an ongoing interest in Connellan and would be delighted to hear from anyone who has anything that connects him with Port Huron at either club.  Thanks for your question. Tony

[Anthony Gholz]

Happy New Year!

A bump of my old post regarding Bendelow and Alison at Port Huron Golf Club. 

This photo was taken in October after I had trimmed all the scrub from around the blowout bunkers to the right and off the original Alison tee from which the picture is taken.  The two pines on the hill right of the green have also been trimmed up to allow the dune shape to "read" through and allow for views across the course to the east (right). 

Alison designed the 6th as a 215-235 yard par-3 in 1921.  Hagen played the course twice in 1928 and called the hole "the best par 3" he'd played in Michigan.  Thus we're calling this the "Hagen Tee" on our new Master Plan with the idea we could bring it back for occasional use.  The hole was changed to a par-4 (tee to the left) when we lost holes in 1949 due to a County Road coming thru Alison's original first and eighteenth.  The MP calls for re-opening up the dune and creating a continuity of the blowout bunkers.  They are visible from the tee and frame the long view to a landing area in the swale that is not visible from the tee.  The pot bunker visible to the left front of the green is an Alison original.  When a par-3 the hole called for a running hook (with a spoon or driver) aimed at the right edge of the green.  The ball would catch the mounds to the right and be able to bounce onto the green. A shot left of center would die in the bank or bounce into the left bunker.  For those who know Rosses work in Michigan, the hole plays similar to Rosses 18th at Grosse Ile.

acg

[Jeff Bergeron]

Sounds very similar to Allison's 16th at Orchard Lake (now the 7th).