Fred Pickering - the "King of All Golf Course Constructors"

[Mike_Cirba]

If anyone is the unheralded "forgotten man" who certainly deserves more credit for his role in early American golf, I'm beginning to believe that it's Fred Pickering.

Consider the following accounts:

"As soon as Bendelow arrives he will get to work arranging for the course. 
After he has finished his part of the work he will be succeeded by Mr. Pickering, another golf expert, who had charge of the actual work of building some 390 golf links.  After Mr. Pickering has completed his task, the links will be ready for play.    The eighteen-hole golf course at East Lake, when completed, will be one of the best in the country.   The location was highly praised by Alex Findley, one of the world's recognized golf experts, when he was in Atlanta some time ago."  - Atlanta Constitution 1905

"Mr. Pickering has charge of all the work of construction and has been busily engaged for some time past in acting as  master of ceremonies.   He has been interested in all the work, but his special delight is to talk about the course.   Its unrivaled opportunities, its location, its natural advantages, and the thousand and one things which he is satisfied will within a short space of years make Atlanta  more noted as a golf center than as a city of skyscrapers."

"On second thought there is no need to take your golf friend to the course. Just find Mr. Pickering, this veteran in the art of constructing courses, who has a record in this work longer than the string of victories of the New York National League club, and when you have found him ask him what he thinks of the East Lake club links.   He will hand you out a dizzying line of Atlanta boosting golf that would make you believe that he had been born in the Gate City. "

""All you need to do," said he, "is just to give one tournament and get the cracks of the country to come here and look at the course and then await developments.   Nothing to it.   You won't be able to keep them away.   Guns and constables could not keep them out.   Yellow fever would not scare them off.   They will come, and come to stay just as long as the season can be prolonged."" - Atlanta Constitution 1906

"His latest achievement far surpasses anything he has ever done in the construction of golf links."  - News account 1912 reporting on his work at Merion

"Mr. Findlay will send here (Pittsburgh Field Club) Fred Pickering, the king of all golf course constructors, and he will guarantee a course and 18 perfect putting greens of the most undulating kind to be in perfect shape on the first day of June 1915.   Should he fail, it would be the first time in his very long golfing career."  - Pittsburgh Dispatch 1914 (as reported by Bob Labbance in "From Cricket to Golf")

[Eric Smith]

"Though I appreciate the warm sentiment, I must state that I'm just a man, same as you." - Fred Pickering

[Mike_Cirba]

"Golf is of course a feature.  A new course has been laid out over an old pasture abounding in natural hazards, including creeks, ditches, ponds, and sand traps.   The course is 2820 yards in length, and the hotel company is preparing to add nine more to the present nine holes during the season of 1913.   The holes are scientifically laid out and the putting greens are exceptionally large and quite undulating, which meets with the approval of all lovers of the tricky putt.   The course was arranged and laid out by the well-known golfer, A.H. Findlay, and the expert grass grower, F. G. Pickering, each of whom predicts a great future for the game in the lovely Grenbrier Valley."  - USGA Bulletin 1912 reporting on the opening of the course at Greenbrier (Old White)

[Dan Herrmann]

Mike - how important do you feel the 'constructor' is in today's designs?   We've recently uncovered some construction errors.  Things like subsurface putting green drains leading to clay barriers and ever-sinking sprinklerheads.  The original constructor correced the defects gratis.

Do you think Pickering was like today's 'shaper', or did he do it all?

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike - thanks.

This brings a question I have into focus. When it comes to these early days of American golf course architecture, I tend to divide the folks who knew what they were doing into two camps, i.e. the constructors and the conceptualizers -- the ones who focused (by choice or station) on actually shaping the earth and the ones who conceived of the holes themselves, their challenges and options and strategic principles as (somtimes) manifested in the great golf holes in the UK and a few American courses. Both diciplines/talents/tasks developed over the years, and at some point you got architects who were both the constructors and the conceptualizers; but in the early days those functions seemed to be separate. To put my question simply (simplistically) - is that an accurate description and an accurate 'dividing line'? Did someone like Mr. Pickering blur that line or confirm it? (I note the reference to the "art of constructing courses"...but maybe they were using "art" differently than I would today. But I also note the division of labour between Findlay "the well-known" golfer and Pickering the "grass-grower"). What am I to make of this?

Thanks
Peter

Edit - I've just seen Dan's post. He puts it better than I did, though from a different angle.

[Thomas MacWood]

Mike
That is very interesting info. Pickering must have been Findlay's right hand man, and for a number of years. I suspect Findlay had something to do with Pickering's (and Flynn's)involvement at Merion.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tom

It seems he worked for Bendelow and Ross as well prior to 1910.

Hugh Wilson also used him at Seaview.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike - I didn't realize that you'd provided references that were newly-discovered or little known. If I had, my first question might've been more to the point, which might be "390 courses?! By 1905?! I didn't know there were that many courses around, let alone so many "Bendelows" and "Findlays" for a constructioin man like Pickering to have helped." 

Is that what was going on? Did that surprise you as well? What can I draw from that?

Thanks
Peter

[Mike_Cirba]

Peter,

I found those numbers astounding.   

I'm not sure the total number of courses in this country by then but even the math would be dubious if you figure that courses didn't really start getting built until about 15 years prior.

While the number may be hyperbole, it also seems that Pickering was involved with many of the most important courses before 1910, and it also seems Findlay, Ross, Bendelow, and Wilson all had considerable confidence in his abilities.

This leaves me with the obvious question that I don't know the answer to.   

Where was Pickering born and if it was in the old country, did he construct courses there?

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks, Mike - yes. And another question that occurs to me (probably unaswerable, or close to it): "What did he teach Findlay, Ross, Bendelow, and Wilson, and what did he learn from them...and when?"

Like I wanted to mention in the Flynn thread, the increasing 'sophistication' in golf course DESIGN (leaving the construction side alone for a while) is something I don't understand. By sophistication I mean that sense of ease and maturity and mastery that I sense (from pictures only) in much of Ross' work or later Flynn work and certainly the work of a few other (later) designers. In some of the Flynn work, it's like his courses simply fit the land instead of overtly or self-consciously "Fitting The Land"; or they offer strategic options and nuance without obviously providing "Various Shot Tests". In short, he didn't try too hard...which strikes me as a trait of an old pro more than a young pup.

I'm probably not explaining myself well, but I hope you know what I mean. To put it simply, the "art" of golf course architecture seemed to evolve quite rapidly in those two decades, say from 1905 to 1925.  I won't even say matured or improved, because I'll allow that this is a value judgement; but it certainly evolved.

And what was the impetus of that evolution? Rightly or wrongly, I equate "influence" with this impetus...and hence my question about Pickering (and similar question about Flynn's influences).

No need to even try to answer, Mike - I'm just thinking out loud.

Peter

[Andy Hughes]

Mike, I am amazed by that. I have to admit to never having heard of Pickering until the late lamented Merion threads. 

Didn't Merion have agronomy issues early on?  Without pointing fingers in any way, why do you suppose Hugh Wilson needed to have such a sustained and ongoing relationship with Piper and Oakley?

Do you read it that the 'constructing' and the 'growing of grass' were separate areas--the quotes don't seem to support that reading to me.

[TEPaul]

It's unclear (at least to me) exactly when Pickering came on board with Merion East but it seems it probably wasn't during the six months (spring 1911-Sept 1911) when the course was originally done and then allowed to "grow-in" for a year (Sept 1911-Sept 1912). During those six months of original construction Pickering's name is not mentioned. Initially the contractors hired to construct the course were known as Johnson Contractors. Unless Pickering had something to do with them he was probably not involved at this point.

How did Pickering get involved with Merion East? I don't really know but it may've been Flynn that was responsible for recommending him. Did Pickering and Flynn have an architecture relationship going back to Heartwellville, Vermont around 1909?

ahughes:

Pickering is mentioned in those Wilson/Piper and Oakley agronomy letters but not until later. According to Wilson, Pickering was very good but unfortunately he had a major-league problem with the sauce. On the West course project (1913) he was fired and replaced as construction foreman by Flynn.



Trivia:

Even though it's probably a real coincidence of names, one of the original forebears of the Boston Brahmin Gardner family was 18th and 19th century's Samuel Pickering Gardner!   

Flynn married a Gardner and Pickering married Flynn's sister!   

[DMoriarty]

Findlay and Pickering did a course that opened for play in the spring of 1909 in Attleboro, MA, called Highland Country Club.

[Dan Herrmann]

Fred - the Highland CC website states:
"Highland was first founded in 1892 and has been listed, by the USGA, as one of the first 100 clubs established in the U.S. The course was architected by Pettis in 1901. There are additional tees that can be used when playing an eighteen hole round. The par for eighteen holes is 70 playing at 6,130 yards. "

(This was from http://www.highlandcountryclubattleboro.com/GolfCourse.asp )

[TEPaul]

"the Highland CC website states:
"Highland was first founded in 1892 and has been listed, by the USGA, as one of the first 100 clubs established in the U.S. The course was architected by Pettis in 1901. There are additional tees that can be used when playing an eighteen hole round. The par for eighteen holes is 70 playing at 6,130 yards. "


Daniel:

Well, what the hell difference does it make what the club says about who originally designed their course?

As we have seen for quite some time now we have two new expert research eagles on board GOLFCLUBATLAS.com now and if they say someone else designed any of these courses then that just damn well means the club and their records are wrong and perhaps they've even been lying all these years attempting to create some local "legends" or whatever.

But if you're actually trying to imply perhaps those two self-admitted expert research eagles might be the ones who're wrong----do us all a favor and break that news to them ultra- gently, would you please? They seem to get insulted incredibly easily if anyone questions them and their illogical assumptions and exaggerations.

[Mike_Cirba]

Pickering also worked with Ross in 1909, and with Bendelow prior to then.

It seems he was generally known to all the archies as the construction and grow-in guy.

He evidently also made a hell of a clay tennis court, which seemed to be another of his in-demand skills.

One newspaper account from Waterloo, IA no less credits Pickering for laying out Merion right after Merion opened in 1912.   

It first lists Wilson and the members of the construction committee and then mentions Pickering and says he work there far transcends what he ever did on any of his previous courses.

I quoted a snippet of it in my first post on this thread.

[DMoriarty]

Fred - the Highland CC website states:
"Highland was first founded in 1892 and has been listed, by the USGA, as one of the first 100 clubs established in the U.S. The course was architected by Pettis in 1901. There are additional tees that can be used when playing an eighteen hole round. The par for eighteen holes is 70 playing at 6,130 yards. "

(This was from http://www.highlandcountryclubattleboro.com/GolfCourse.asp )

Dan, 

Well the website appears to contradict the Boston Journal, which in March of 1909 reported that Attleboro would have one of the finest courses in the Mass. when it opened the next month with a tournament, and that the course had been put into condition under the direction of Pickering and Alex Findlay.  (They got Pickering's first name wrong, but I am not aware of another "expert" named Pickering who worked with Findlay.)

Perhaps Pettis "architected" an earlier course and Findlay redesigned it in 1908. 

[Dan Herrmann]

David,
Perhaps you should contact Highland CC and ask them for their BOD minutes from that era.

[TEPaul]

Jeeesus Christ Almighty, some of these total wackos on here are trying to imply that the BODers of golf clubs need to rely on newspaper articles to inform them of the accuracy of what they are actually doing with their golf courses?!?

And these couple of people on here have the nuts to imply they are researchers?!?

[Thomas MacWood]

Pickering was a very interesting guy. In the 1890s he was one of the premier cricketers in the country. For more than a decade he was the professional of the Boston Cricket Club at Franklin Field. I suspect his greenkeeping skill were developed overseeing the cricket grounds. As has been stated he built a number of courses prior to and after Merion.

I've always thought Wayne and TE were way too hard on him, their complete focus was the apparent troubles he had with the drink at Merion and Seaview (according to one letter). They left you with the impression he was some kind of derelict, but Wilson engaged him after Merion at Seaview, and he was working and buiding golf courses in the years following those 'troubles'. Ironically he ended his career being the long time greenkeeper at Myopia Hunt. I presume they thought he had his act together.

[TEPaul]

Mr. MacWood:

Too bad you've never read the Wilson/Piper and Oakley "agronomy" letters. If you had you wouldn't have said what you just did.

They're available, you know, and not that hard to get. What's your problem? Why haven't you gotten them and read them? Why do you have to constantly depend on us for that information? You claim you're this great researcher, right, so what's your problem?

[Thomas MacWood]

TE
Regarding Pickering its a matter of perspective, trying to keep everything in perspective.

I have many of those letters, although none dealing with Pickering.

[DMoriarty]

David,
Perhaps you should contact Highland CC and ask them for their BOD minutes from that era.

Dan, I can tell you are upset.   Could you please tell me specifically what has you so upset?   Was it the tone of my posts about Highlands?   Or the content?

Because I am just putting the information on the table.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike - you mentioned him working with Ross. This is from a 1909 Golf Illustrated:

"On Saturday, Oct. 16, the Belmont Spring Country Club had a preliminary opening, nine holes of the course being ready for play and several lawn tennis courts. A large number of visitors were astonished at the progress made in the golf links under the direction of Donald J. Ross, the Oakley professional, F. G. Pickering the old cricketer and green-keeper, and Mr. Joseph DeCamp, the artist, who recently has taken great interest in the work.  The links take in a wonderful piece of country, offering the most superb views in the vicinity of Boston and the course in its ultimate layout will be one of the best in Massachusetts. The club house has been furnished and the locker room and all its accommodations have the finish and the atmosphere of a country house rather than of a hotel. On the opening day Donald J. Ross, Alex Ross, Mr. Joseph DeCamp and Mr. G. C. Dutton played an exhibition match, and crack lawn tennis players came over from Longwood and played a set or two."

What the heck was going on in 1909 - artists just showing up at golf courses and taking a great interest in the work? Quite the sophisticates, huh?

Hey, maybe I just answered my own question, i.e. maybe it was Mr. DeCamp who put the "art" in architecture! (just kidding) Edit: I brushed off Mr. DeCamp too lightly, apparently. I went to see if I could find something else, and here was something from a 1918 Golf Illustrated:

"The Wollaston Golf Club of Montclair, Mass., adopted a plan at its recent annual meeting which possibly is not original, but which is something new for Greater Boston courses in a number of years. Criticism was made, at the annual meeting, about the lack of development of the course, which has remained in pretty nearly the same state for years. Mr. Joseph DeCamp suggested that an advisory committee to the green committee be appointed, this committee to study the course and make suggestions to the green committee for alterations and improvements when the club has the funds to make such changes. His motion for an advisory committee of six was carried and he was named as chairman of the committee."

Peter

[Dan Herrmann]

David,
I'm not upset at all. 

Simply stated, your research into Highland CC obviously contradicts the club's history.   I thought that you could use the BOD minutes from Highland to help determine if you're correct. 

Peter - good info and a good story.  That must've been an interesting day 99 years ago!