Medinah 1930s changes

[Tony Dear]

Can anyone tell me who carried out the redesign of Medinah #3 in the 1930s after Harry Cooper had humiliated Tom Bendelow's original  layout with a 63 in the Medinah Open. Was it Bendelow himself?
Thanks.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Tim Cronin can, as he covered it in his Spirit of Medinah book.  If I recall, it was really Bendelow again, not someone else.  And, the 63 was a bit of a cover story.  In reality, the founders had made No. 3 a short course, leaving much land open for real estate development that only they would profit from.  Lawsuits threatened by members, big kerfuffel, and eventually, all land was given over to use for the course we know today.

[JR Potts]

It was Bendelow.  Medinah #3 was one of the last courses he worked on before his death.

After Bendelow's death, there is ample evidence that Langford performed some work in the 40s-50s-60s, most notably on the 12th hole.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Of course, when Langford did it, it was 16.  My friend's Dad made the first eagle there back in the 1960's.

I recall that Killian and Nugent redid the 6th and 10th greens there, and added some fw bunkers on 10.  Maybe a few more greens, but didn't change the character.

We know Rulewhich did a short lived version of the new par 3, replacing 14.  I think Roger Packard extended 15 to a par 5 and 18.

And, of course, Rees Jones has done one or two renovations for the PGA and Ryder Cup, completely changing the style of the course.  Now, some would say it had no real style before hand, so maybe no big whoop to some.

All that said, it was the first course I played, so I am more fond of it than most.

[JR Potts]

Of course, when Langford did it, it was 16.  My friend's Dad made the first eagle there back in the 1960's.

I recall that Killian and Nugent redid the 6th and 10th greens there, and added some fw bunkers on 10.  Maybe a few more greens, but didn't change the character.

We know Rulewhich did a short lived version of the new par 3, replacing 14.  I think Roger Packard extended 15 to a par 5 and 18.

And, of course, Rees Jones has done one or two renovations for the PGA and Ryder Cup, completely changing the style of the course.  Now, some would say it had no real style before hand, so maybe no big whoop to some.

All that said, it was the first course I played, so I am more fond of it than most.

Funny, I was watching the 1999 PGA Championship the other day and I was really taken by how much the style was, in fact, changed.  Besides the second hole, I think by and large the style change was an improvement - but it really does have a completely different look today.

Plus, wait until you see how many trees were taken out.

[Jeff_Brauer]

JR,

Its a tweener for me.  I mean, when I look at what the original Bendelow design had become(again, look at Tim's book, and it was actually quite nice originally) which was bunker left, bunker right at greens, and trees left trees right in the fw, and it wasn't much, other than hard.

While I don't like the Rees style - maybe just seeing too much of it - I can say that most every change probably made the course play better both for tourneys and members.  His changes all make sense, but of course, affect the karma of the place for me and my memories.

I will say that one thing that impressed as a 12 year old was how deep some of those greenside bunkers used to be, on 7 in particular.  There and on 4 he raised them a bit.  I actually found that a bit sad.  At one time, I was going to build courses with fewer, but Medinah like deeper bunkers.  Somehow, that idea went the way of the dodo bird.......

[JR Potts]

And Tony, to support Jeff's comments, here is the information on the 1930 and 1935 Medinah Open.  As you can see, Course #3 was redesigned after 1930 by Bendelow and significant yardage was added to the course. 

http://heritage.medinahcc.org/collectiongallery.aspx?CollectionGalleryCategoryid=4382
"September 22, 1930
 
It was during the Great Depression, and Medinah’s Championship Course No. 3 had been open for two years. That summer, Abe Espinosa, Medinah’s head professional, had scored a 65 on the par 70 course. Medinah’s membership had already accepted Thomas Bendelow’s redesign of Course No. 3 when they decided to schedule the Inaugural Medinah Open as the club’s first national event.
 
Medinah’s $3,000 in prize money attracted a field of one hundred of the nation’s top golfers that included Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour and Chick Evans. The competitors played one round on Course No.1 and No. 3. Four thousand spectators turned out to watch the golf, and to get their first glimpse of Medinah.
 
Gene Sarazen, holder of the Western Open title that year, shot a 78 in his morning round. Harry Cooper, head professional at Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, was a local favorite, yet he was just one of fifteen players who scored 73 or better in their first round. Leo Diegel of Agua Caliente, California, former national professional champion, shot a 69.
 
Sarazan finished his afternoon round with an amazing 65. He led the field until Laurie Ayton of Evanston, tied his final score of 143. Next, Lou Diegel finished with 140. The game was still going at dusk, when it was reported that Harry Cooper was completing a potentially record breaking finish.
 
Cooper had a poor start that afternoon when he hit a tree off the first tee and took a 5, one over par. Then he proceeded to score a par or a birdie for most of the round. He managed a total of seven birdies. On the 12th hole, 570 yards, he was on with two woods, and holed a ten footer for an eagle. His final score on Course No. 3 was a record 63 to win the tournament. Leo Diegel was second, while Gene Sarazen and Laurie Ayton tied for third.
 
Played on Courses No. 1 and No. 3
 Course No. 1
 Yards: 6,312
Par: 72  
Course No. 3
Yards: 6,261  
Par: 70  
Overall Par: 142
 Overall Purse: $3,000
 Won by Harry Cooper: 73 63 =136  

http://heritage.medinahcc.org/collectiongallery.aspx?CollectionGalleryCategoryid=4381
"July 21-23, 1935
 
The Second Medinah Open featured four rounds on the Bendelow re-designed and lengthened par 71 Course No.3. There was a starting field of one hundred three players. Johnny Revolta of Milwaukee had just won the Western Open Championship, and was favored to win at Medinah. He shot a 69 in the first round with five birdies earned by sinking four ten to fifteen foot putts. Frank Walsh and Ray Mangrum tied for second with 71. "Lighthorse Harry" Cooper, head professional at Glen Oak Country Club, who won at Medinah in 1930, had a 73 that put him three down on the leader board. (The nickname, inspired by Cooper’s quick playing style, was given to him by sportswriter, Damon Runyon.)
 
During the second round, Revolta continued to lead with a three over par. However, Harry Cooper and Alvin Kreuger pulled into the second and third positions. By the final day, the field had narrowed down to fifty-five players. At the end of the final round, Cooper had scored three consecutive rounds of 72, and just after he posted his final score of 289, Revolta came up to the 18th hole needing a three to tie Cooper. Kreuger had just finished the hole with a birdie. Revolta’s ball reached the green twelve feet from the pin. His putt missed the hole by two inches. Harry Cooper won the tournament, and Johnny Revolta was second. Frank Walsh, Horton Smith, and Tommy Armour, Medinah’s new head professional, tied for sixth.
 
Course No.3 gave up only two under par rounds, one each to Willie Groggin and Johnny Revolta. The purse was $3,500, and proceeds benefited the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children.

In 1937, Harry Cooper won the Vardon Trophy, and was the PGA tour money leader. It has been said that he was a fine golfer, yet he never won a major national tournament championship. He came in second in the 1936 U.S. Open, and in the 1936 and 1938 Masters. Cooper joined the PGA in 1923, and when he died in 2000, at age ninety-six, he was the longest serving member.
 
Played on Course No. 3
 Yards: 6,768
Par: 71  
Overall Par: 284
 Overall Purse: $3,500
 Won by Harry Cooper: 73 72 72 72 = 289"

[Tony Dear]

Fantastic, thank you Jeff and JR. I knew I could depend on GCAers. I watched the 1990 US Open, and '99 and '06 PGAs on TV and remember being struck by how similar the Par 3s looked (no-option carries over the lake). The place didn't seem to have much by way of character and this has been borne out in some of the reviews I've read - good tournament venue, so-so golf course. What do you think? Is that a fair assessment?

[JR Potts]

Visit the property and play the golf course.

I can speak from experience that many of the reviews you have read have been written by many who have never set foot on the course in the last two+ decades - so take them with a grain of salt.

Medinah has been criticized as being over-treed and too long...but has since removed over 1500 trees and with the modern ball, doesn't really play too long.

That said, it's a big parkland golf course built to host majors and if that's not your cup of tea, you may not like it.

To each their own.

[Jeff_Brauer]

And much of the critique comes from out of towners who think Chicago is flat.  While courses 1 and 2 are flat at Medinah, No. 3 has some great rolling terrain and majestic, mature oaks on all holes except maybe holes 5 and 9-11, where trees were planted on the original cornfield. Wouldn't really call it Parkland. It just feels like a major venue.

I also recall that for years it was ranked top ten.  In the '75 open, Nicklaus was in contention until a bogey on the old 13th (now 16) which is now famous as the Sergio Tree shot hole.  But, JN didn't like the near 90 degree dogleg at 1933 standards of about 220 yards and said so.  Palmer also called the 18th a "snap slice hole" for the same reasons, and hole no. 9 cannot be far behind in criticisms because it was about the same kind of dogleg.  I recall the USGA demanded that 18 be straightened out somewhat before the 1990 Open would be awarded.

It seemed as if those comments (and perhaps a Lou Grahm victory) sent Medinah spiraling down the rankings, but perhaps the change from tough to classic in the GD rankings criteria was the main reason.

And yes, there were two par 3's over water, very similar, and I like Rees changes to the second, giving the green an angle.  As noted, the Rogers (Packard, then Rulewhich) changed the current 17  with Packard creating another water par 3, with an iron wall (looked out of place) and later Rulewhich moving it up the hill mostly for variety.  Rees moved it back down the hill, put it right on the water (as opposed to over a bunker for 13) and generally improved it.  The old 14th actually paralled Lake Kadija and always looked forced in the hillside.  I always figured that Bendelow either wanted variety or just couldn't afford the third long bridge over the lake!

As per Tim's book, there were actually Bears behind the 18th green for a while, and a huge tobaggan sled ramp, which I recall using in the winter when going with my friends, although the Bears were long gone.

[Tony Dear]

So the architects that worked on Medinah #3, in order, are...
Tom Bendelow - 20s and 30s
William Langford - 40s, 50s, 60s.
Ken Killian and Dick Nugent - 80s?
Roger Rulewich - 80s?
Roger Packard - 80s?
Rees Jones - 2002 on

Is that right?

[JR Potts]

So the architects that worked on Medinah #3, in order, are...
Tom Bendelow - 20s and 30s
William Langford - 40s-50s.
Ken Killian and Dick Nugent - 74
Roger Rulewich - 96
Bob Lohmann - 88
Roger Packard - 86.
Rees Jones - 2002, 2006, 2009

Is that right?

Edited x2

[Jeff_Brauer]

Lohmann and packard both in 1986?  Would have to be a few years difference in there, no?  But I do recall Bob redid the old 13th (now 16 green) for the 1990 open.  Another case of him (rightfully) taking out those two bunkers 20 some yards short of the green from when it was a par 5, but changing the whole look of the green.  As I recall, the work was really done because the green was prone to wilt, but it was so hot in the 1990 Open that they still took water breaks for that green.

[JR Potts]

Nope, that's a typo.  It's 1988.

[Nigel Islam]

Visit the property and play the golf course.

That sound like an invitation

All kidding aside I feel like I have always kind of thought of Medinah in the same way as Tony, but I have been looking at the course lately and I think I have misjudged it due to the extensive changes it had undergone through the years. Looking forward to seeing a match play event.

[Tony Dear]

Thanks again Jeff and JR. Great information. Like Nigel, I'm looking forward to seeing how No. 3 stacks up in a matchplay event. I think the lake Par 3s will obviously be exciting and I'm curious to see how Jone's new short par 4 15th plays. It sounds intriguing at least.

[Tony Dear]

Sorry...Jones's.

[Tony Dear]

Jeff and JR,
I have read that an English pro by the name of Harry Collis might also have lengthened No. 3 in the 1930's. Do either of you know anything about this?

[JR Potts]

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=25124.10;wap2

[Tony Dear]

Thanks JR, very much obliged.