George,
I've scoured the whole area around the location that was written in the article and there are no Raynor courses to be found.
The old Meadowbrook GC, now Brookfield CC, was built in 1927. Not a Raynor, but they did hire Lighthorse Harry Cooper as their Pro in 1928. He beat out Long Jim Barnes who had also applied for the job.
Thanks for the image. What more can you tell me about the 9 holes on the east side of Shimmerville Road? The current Brookfield Country Club is the left half of the picture (design credit to William E. Harries - the most prolific designer in Western New York). However, the 9 holes on the upper right 1/2 of the photo (northeast) no longer exist. Can you tell me what years the Northeast 9 disappeared from aerial photos (was not there as of 1958 per HistoricAerials)?
When I look up Harries' design credits, Brookfield is listed, but there is no reference to 27 holes or any portion having been eliminated.
From your newspaper references, the NLE 9 holes appeared to have been the ones constructed in 1922. This makes sense, as the original article refers to the ability to build 36 holes on two separate plots of land. Also, Ron's searches reference people who belonged to "Glen Acres Country Club"
The current course may have been part of the expansion of the "Glen Acres" Country Club. Alternatively, perhaps the larger project fell through, and Meadowbrook (later named Brookfield) was formed as a separate entity in 1927.
I'm not sure if Harries was involved prior to 1927, so perhaps the 1922 work was someone else's. However, I know that Harries was involved in the construction of Cherry Hill Country Club (Travis design just over the border), which was built in 1923-24, so he was in the area at the time.
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FYI, Here is an excerpt from the current Brookfield Country Club Website:
History
Founded in 1927 as the Meadowbrook Club, Brookfield has a rich heritage. The name change occurred in 1943 when 28 members financed the purchase of the Meadowbrook Club and its equipment. For the past 60 years, Brookfield has enjoyed an active, steady membership and continuous expansion of the club's facilities and amenities.
Located in Clarence, New York, Brookfield Country Club was established in 1927 and has served as host to such prestigious events as the 1948 Western Open won by Mr. Ben Hogan, and the 1985 USGA Junior Boys Championship won by Mr. Charles Rymer.
Designed by Canadian Architect, William Harries, the golf course spreads over approximately 170 acres and can be described as a traditional layout, with subtle elevation change, mature tree lined fairways and small to medium sized greens. I find the lack of any reference to the old 9 holes to be interesting - which leads me to believe they were separate entities with separate designers.
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Any insight on the 1922 vs 1927 courses would be greatly appreciated.