Schuylkill CC early attribution

[Joe Bausch]

I've read the earlier threads about Schuylkill CC and it seems many people feel Willie Park was involved with the early version of the course.  I was asked months ago to be on the lookout for any article suggesting an attribution, and today I stumbled upon one.  Sure looks like Willie Park was the man.  This is a from the November 11, 1916 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

[Willie_Dow]

Joe

Another great find !  'Played up there many times in the late 50's and early 60's when I was with Alcoa & had a lot to do with the Cressona plant.

I'm sure the article meant Willie Park, Jr. who was just back in the States from Scotland, according to Cornish & Whidden.

                   

[Mike_Cirba]

Joe,

This is awesome.   

They will be absolutely THRILLED up there to find this out...Jim Rattigan has been doing a marvelous job of sprucing up the place with Ron Prichard's plans, and with his interest in the history of the course, a Willie Park first nine followed by a Donald Ross second nine is about as good as it gets!

No wonder the course is so much fun.

This also validates Kyle Harris' theory that it was Park but I won't tell him if you don't.   

I also just got your email about this evening.   Long story...I swear we're cursed in trying to schedule this.   

[Mike_Cirba]

What's interesting is that we also know that Frank James constructed the course and J. Franklin Meehan was involved, as well, probably from an agronomic standpoint.

[Joe Bausch]

I also just got your email about this evening.   Long story...I swear we're cursed in trying to schedule this.   

Too bad you could not make it, as it was awesome as always. 

Plus, do you remember back in the early days of the Cobb's Creek thread when I said I was hot on the trail of some real good info?  Well, get ready for the sequel as it applies to the early golf courses of Philadelphia.  I've struck gold Jerry.  Gold!

Sincerely,
Kenny Bania
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[Tom Yost]

Just a few miles up the road from the Schuykill CC is the small town of McKeansburg where 4 generations of my Yost ancestors lived and died.  I would like to visit the area someday.

[Mike_Cirba]

Joe,

You are the MAN, my friend!

Is it the gold that Kyle knows about?

[Joe Bausch]

Is it the gold that Kyle knows about?

Yes.

[Thomas MacWood]

For some reason WPII did not list this course as one of his designs. I wonder if he ultimately was the person who laid it out.

[Mike_Cirba]

He may not even have known it got built.

The article is from late 1916 and the course didn't open until after WWI in 1921.

[Mike_Cirba]

I'm on the road but it might be worthwhile for someone to bump the original thread on Schulkill by Kyle.

[Dave Maberry]

Mike,
 Here's one of Schuylkill threads:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?board=1%3Baction=display%3Bthreadid=26161
Dave