Seeking information about Orrin E. Smith

[Scott Smith]

I'm researching the history of our local golf course, Longshore Club Park in Westport, CT. It's celebrating its 50th anniversary as a municipally-owned facility this spring, having been purchased by the town in April, 1960. The course was established with the formation of Longshore Beach and Country Club in 1929. Orrin E. Smith is credited with the design; the first nine holes were opened in 1930 and the second nine by 1931, according to newspaper reports at the time. We're trying to find more information about Smith (no relation, by the way) and, specifically, his work on Longshore. Appreciate any insights or leads this group may be able to provide.
Thanks,
Scott Smith

[Mike Sweeney]

Scott,

You might want to contact someone at http://www.rivervalecc.com/ They had a debate back in the day of Ross vs Smith. It was under different management so I am not sure who to contact.

Here is Brad Klein's writeup: http://cgi.cnnsi.com/golfonline/travel/architects/smith.html

Since he is closely tied with Ross, you might try to contact The Ross Society:

http://www.donaldross.org/

By the way, who did your bunker renovation. It looks good.

[TEPaul]

Scott:

Have you checked with CT's Anthony Pioppi yet? He sure seems good to me on CT research of all kinds on GCA.

[Scott Smith]

Thanks. We'll follow up on both leads. Three years ago, Longshore received a two-year, $2 million renovation by John Harvey, who leveled all of the tee boxes, expanded others and added forward tees to several holes. He also redid virtually all of the greenside bunkers, and added a few fairway bunkers -- taking care to craft them in the same style as Longshore's signature fairway-bunker complexes -- craggy, fairly deep and enveloped by fescues. He also took out nearly 100 trees, mostly white pines that had been added in the 1960s and 1970s. Longshore's golfers (the men's golf association has 500+ members, making it one of the largest such groups in the state) are just thrilled with Harvey's work. Course superintendent Dan Rackliffe is doing a fine job maintaining the course and its improvements, despite an ever-tighter budget. (The course, which for the past couple of years has been open to non-resident play, with some restrictions, is operated on a break-even basis and entirely funded by town-handpass fees and greens fees...)
  I spoke with Geoffrey Cornish about Longshore and Smith a couple months ago. Cornish had developed a redesign of a couple holes on Longshore's back nine back in the 1980s (which were never done), and said he knew Smith and was aware of his work on Longshore. Cornish said Smith was a good man with a steam shovel ... which Longshore's fairway bunkers would seem to be evidence of. Based on aerial photos form the 1930s, it appears that all of our greens are still original, though there's been some slight rerouting over the years of a couple holes (1 and 18 and 9 and 14).
  Interestingly, and frustratingly so, a day-by-day search of the newspapers of the day hasn't turned up any news of Smith being on-site, steam shovel or not -- despite some pretty detailed accounts of other goings-on at Longshore Beach & Country Club, which was established by Col. Patrick Powers, a silent-movie producer and "talkie" pioneer who brought out many show-biz pals and high-society types to Longshore in the years.
  Anyway, thanks for these comments, and our Longshore 50th Anniversary Committee looks forward to hearing from more GolfClubAtlas members.

[Nick Campanelli]

Scott,

I don't know much about Longshore's history, but played there in High School (1999-2002) competing in the Chappa Invitational Tournament held every Spring for High School teams.  I have only good things to say about the layout and conditioning, and considered the annual trip to Longshore a highlight for the golf team back then.  I hope the next 50 years are as promising as the last.  Best of luck with your research.

Nick 

[V. Kmetz]

Hi Scott (and all)

I live in Danbury and have played Longshore a few times.  I never knew that Smith designed it. 

I don't know if it will advance your inquiries any further but the Stamford club I worked at for many years has a unique architectural history involving Orrin Smith.

Rockrimmon CC is usually credited as a RTJ design, which is essentially true as RTJ designed and built the first nine holes of the course in 1949 and left a master plan for an additional nine holes in a forest valley, which were executed in 1953.

The "original" nine holes were a grouping that played over and across the rolling plains that comprise todays #1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.  The plan was always to expand with into a forest valley and create an outer clockwise loop and an inner loop of holes that went back and forth for another trip into and out of that valley.

While that general character is retained, the odd thing is that Orrin Smith was the actual supervising architect for the additional nine holes and substantially varied from Jones' master plan, creating new water hazard designs on the 4th and 15th and changing the current 5th, 6th and 7th holes in both "par" and essential layout.

Though I have full access and examined many archival materials of the course's evolution, there isn't a wealth of items regarding RTJ-Smith communication or documents corresponding to the club about Smith's variations.  So, I do not know how much any of this helps you discover something about Longshore or smith, except that to see what's there from what was planned is in itself an education of contrast.

***Sadly, Smith's changes to RTJ's plan necessitated the elimination of a unique feature that RTJ had designed specifically for the hilly terrain of Rockrimmon.  A second railroad carriage intended to transport players up a steep hill between the 6th and 16th green and 7th and 17th green.  "Second, you say?"  Yes, second.  Rockrimmon actually DID have and use a railroad carriage to take players up the steep 100 yard climb from #9 green to today's 10th tee.  This tram car was an 8x10 flatbed with a steel patio frame covered by a canvas awning.  It was very charming and a big part of the club's character (it appeared on the club's logo until the late 90s) to the extent that the false legend was promulgated that it was the "Shortest Interstate Railroad in the Country."  Rockrimmon is indeed divided by the NY/CT line, but the state border is about 40 yards further north from the where the nearest terminus of the ol' Tram stopped.  So, the legend is and was always false.  In the summer of 2003, while work was being down on the pulley winch, the parking brake was disengaged and the tram went hurtling free down the tracks.  We estimate it was doing 40 mph when it hit the upturn rail barrier at the bottom, cartwheeling in a fantastic explosion of wood and twisted steel.  Frustratingly, no members were claimed in the incident.  The club elected not to replace the tram due to high modern insurance costs for such an anachronistic element, but it was a great loss for many of us.