Vintage 1920

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I am involved in the centenary book for Prestbury Golf Club. It opened in 1920. There were very few golf courses/clubs opened in that year in the UK, so I should be grateful if anyone can point me to courses in other countries of that vintage. There may be opportunities for twinning or matches or perhaps invitations to attend centenary events.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Mark:

How about Hillcrest CC in LA? Groucho Marx's and Jack Lemmon's club:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillcrest_Country_Club_(Los_Angeles)#section_6

[Paul_Turner]

Mark

I think Prestbury didn't open until 1921/22.  From the history 9 holes were open for an Easter match March 26 1921 and I have a later note from Golf Illustrated in Dec 1921..."completed by next March, 6K spent so far".  So I think all 18 open by early 1922.

I think Colt's St Germain would be a fine twin.  Designed in 1920 (with later revisions) but opening in 1921/22.
 

[Sven Nilsen]

Mark:

The list below contains courses in the U.S. from 1920 for which I have an attribution.  I left out probably a hundred or so courses that remain as unknowns, and a few that have disputed dates.  If you need any further information on any of the courses, let me know.

Sven


Hot Springs G&CC (Majestic) (Hot Springs, AR) - W. Park Jr.
Cyrstal Springs GC (San Mateo, CA) - H. Fowler
Flintridge CC (Pasadena, CA) - W. Watson
Hacienda CC (Los Angeles, CA) - W. Watson
Hillcrest CC (Los Angeles, CA) - W. Watson/W. Bell
Mira Vista G&CC (Oakland, CA) - W. Watson/R. Hunter
Pasadena GC (Pasadena, CA) - M. Behr/G. O'Neil
Rancho Park GC (Los Angeles, CA) - W. Bell
San Diego CC (San Diego, CA) - W. Watson/W. Bell
New Haven CC (New Haven, CT) - W. Park Jr. - redesign of existing course on same site.
Babson Park Golf & Yacht Club (Babson Park, FL) - S. Raynor
Kenilworth Lodge (Sebring, FL) - W. Stiles
Gainesville Municipal GC (Gainesville, FL) - D. Ross
Abingdon CC (Abingdon, IL) - T. Bendelow
Bloomingdale GC (Bloomingdale, IL) - T. Bendelow
Ingersol Park Municipal GC (Rockford, IL) - T. Bendelow
Longwood GC (Crete, IL) - T. Bendelow
Culver Military Academy GC (Culver, IN) - W. Langford
Tippecanoe CC (Monticello, IN) - J. Roseman
Ellinwood CC (Athol, MA) - D. Ross/W. Hatch
Ludlow CC (Ludlow, MA) - D. Ross
North Andover CC (North Andover, MA) - D. Ross
Sweetheart Tea Room (Shelburne Falls, MA) - D. Ross
Wahconah CC (Dalton, MA) - W. Stiles
Whaling City CC (New Bedford, MA) - D. Ross
Rolling Road GC (Baltimore, MD) - W. Park Jr.
Sherwood Forest GC (Annapolis, MD) - H. Strong
Paradise Springs GC (Paradise Springs, ME) - D. Ross
Fred Wardell CC (Detroit, MI) - D. Ross
Ludington Hills GC (Ludington, MI) - T. Bendelow
Pontiac CC (Pontiac, MI) - E. Way
Ruttger's Bay Lake GC (Dearwood, MN) - J. Dalgleish
Devils Lake Town and Country Club (Devils Lake, ND) - W. Langford/T. Moreau
Homestead CC (Spring Lake, NJ) - D. Ross
Montclair GC (Montclair, NJ) - D. Ross
Ausable Valley GC (Ausable, NY) - S. Dunn
Cazenovia Park Municipal GC (Buffalo, NY) - S. Dunn
Corning CC (Corning, NY) - T. Winton
Hamilton College GC (Clinton, NY) - Unknown
Hempstead G&CC (Hempstead, NY) - P. Lees
Hillcrest GC (Jamaica, NY) - D. Emmet
CC of Ithaca (Ithaca, NY) - A. Tillinghast
Paramount CC (New City, NY) - A. Tillinghast
Rye GC (Rye, NY) - D. Emmet
The Definance GC (Defiance, OH) - T. Bendelow
East Liverpool CC (East Liverpool, OH) - T. Bendelow
Lorain CC (Lorain, OH) - T. Bendelow
Piqua CC (Piqua, OH) - D. Ross
Westbrook CC (Mansfield, OH) - D. Ross
Twin Hills G&CC (Oklahoma City, OK) - P. Maxwell
Chester Valley CC (Brookline, PA) - A. Findlay
Lebanon CC (Lebanon, PA) - A. Findlay
Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - R. White
Nemacolin CC (Beallsville, PA) - E. Loeffler
Philipsburg CC (Philipsburg, PA) - A. Findlay
Pocono Manor Association (Pocono Manor, PA) - W. Flynn
Shamokin Valley CC (Shamokin, PA) - A. Findlay
St. Marys CC (St. Marys, PA) - D. Emmet
Beulah Lake GC (Mukwonago, WI) - T. Bendelow
Grant Park Municipal GC (Milwaukee, WI) - G. Hansen
Nakoma CC (Madison, WI) - T. Bendelow
Old Hickory GC (Beaver Dam, WI) - T. Bendelow
Oskaloosa GC (Oskaloosa, WI) - T. Bendelow
Tripoli CC (Milwaukee, WI) - T. Bendelow

[BCrosby]

Sven -

Thanks. Interesting list in the sense that there were not a lot of highly ranked US courses that opened in 1920. I would have thought there would have been more.

I think Culver Military Academy opened a couple of years after 1920. Will check.

Bob

[Adrian_Stiff]

CLYNE                     West Glamorgan   1920
COWDRAY PARK   West Sussex   1920
CREWS HILL   Middlesex   1920
GREENMOUNT   Lancashire   1920
HAWKSTONE PARK   Shropshire   1920
HILLSBOROUGH   South Yorkshire   1920
KNARESBOROUGH   North Yorkshire   1920
LIBERTON                    Midlothian   1920
PIKE HILLS       North Yorkshire   1920
PRESTBURY    Cheshire   1920
PRESTONFIELD   Midlothian   1920
RUTLIN-PWLLGLAS   Denbigshire   1920
ST IDLOES     Powys   1920
SUDBURY                     Middlesex   1920
THORNDON PARK   Essex   1920
TINSLEY PARK   South Yorkshire   1920
VAUL                       Argyll & Bute   1920
WESTERN PARK   Leicestershire   1920
ABERDARE       Mid Glamorgan   1921
BARROW                    Cumbria   1921
BEAU DESERT   Staffordshire   1921
BOYCE HILL     Essex   1921
BRYNHILL                    South Glamorgan   1921
CARDIFF               South Glamorgan   1921
CREIGIAU       Mid Glamorgan   1921
GATEHOUSE   Dumfries & Galloway   1921
GERRARDS CROSS   Buckinghamshire   1921
HARBURN                    West Lothian   1921
HULL                    East Yorkshire   1921
LONGNIDDRY   Lothians   1921
MARSDEN        West Yorkshire   1921
NORTHCLIFFE   West Yorkshire   1921
RAF HALTON   Buckinghamshire   1921
RETFORD        Nottinghamshire   1921
SANDIWAY     Cheshire   1921
THORNTON    Fife   1921
TREDEGAR & RHYMNEY   Monmouthshire   1921
WARLEY                       Worcesteshire   1921
WILLESLEY PARK   Leicestershire   1921
SUNNINGDALE NEW   Surrey   1922
ASTBURY                     Cheshire   1922
BARSHAW       Renfrewshire   1922
BENTHAM       North Yorkshire   1922
BIRTLEY          Tyne & Wear   1922
BOTHWELL CASTLE   Lanarkshire   1922
BUDDOCK VEAN   Cornwall   1922
BURY ST EDMUNDS   Suffolk   1922
DEAN WOOD   Lancashire   1922
DENBOGH       Denbigshire   1922
DOUGLAS WATER   Lanarkshire   1922
EAST RENFREWSHIRE   Renfrewshire   1922
EASTER MOFFAT   Lanarkshire   1922
FALKIRK         Stirlingshire   1922
GARESFIELD   Tyne & Wear   1922
GRIMSBURY     Lincolnshire   1922
HADLEY WOOD   Hertfordshire   1922
HANGING HEATON   West Yorkshire   1922
HAYWARDS HEATH   West Sussex   1922
HIGH POST      Wiltshire   1922
KILBIRNIE PLACE   Ayrshire   1922
LILLEYBROOK   Gloucestershire   1922
LIPHOOK        Hampshire   1922
LYTHAM GREEN DRIVE   Lancashire   1922
MARCH.          Cambridgeshire   1922
PHOENIX PARK   West Yorkshire   1922
PITREAVIE      Fife   1922
PYLE & KENFIG   Mid Glamorgan   1922
ROUKEN GLEN   Glasgow   1922
ST MELYD       Denbigshire   1922
SWAFFHAM     Norfolk   1922
TADMARTON HEATH   Oxfordshire   1922
TEHIDY PARK   Cornwall   1922
WELWYN GARDEN CITY   Hertfordshire   1922
WHITEHALL     Mid Glamorgan   1922
WOODSOME HALL   West Yorkshire   1922

[Neil_Crafter]

Mark
Depends how you define the date for the club - is it the opening of the course or the formation of the club? Usually these dates are different, but I would have thought most would go with the formation. I have in a newspaper article that the new course for Prestbury would be officially opened on April 12 1924, quite some years after the formation of the club.

[Ed Oden]

Twin Hills G&CC (Oklahoma City, OK) - P. Maxwell

Sven, just FYI, 1920 is not correct for Twin Hills.  Maxwell didn't start scouting potential sites until the fall of 1923 and work didn't start until April 1924.  Construction of the full 18 holes was completed in the summer of 1925.

[Sven Nilsen]

Twin Hills G&CC (Oklahoma City, OK) - P. Maxwell

Sven, just FYI, 1920 is not correct for Twin Hills.  Maxwell didn't start scouting potential sites until the fall of 1923 and work didn't start until April 1924.  Construction of the full 18 holes was completed in the summer of 1925.

Ed:

Not trying to start a dispute, and I'm sure you have solid evidence for the 1926 date.  The one question that I have relates to the following which is taken from the club's website:

"This Daily Oklahoman newspaper account, published on August 7, 1921, describes the early plans for the clubhouse that is still in use today:

Plans for the new Twin Hills clubhouse have been received by Keefe Carter, owner of the club, and work will start as soon as the new ninth green is ready for play. This is necessary as the clubhouse will be located on the point where [the] ninth green now stands."

Did this article actually exist?

Sven

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thank you for correcting me on Prestbury's dates - I've now been able to see the booklet they produced for their 75th anniversary and it is exactly as you say - the course opening some years after the formation of the club. They'll just have to have a series of centenaries - anything for a party!

It never fails to amaze me that there are experts in the United States and Australia who know far more about English golf than the English! 

[Ed Oden]

Twin Hills G&CC (Oklahoma City, OK) - P. Maxwell

Sven, just FYI, 1920 is not correct for Twin Hills.  Maxwell didn't start scouting potential sites until the fall of 1923 and work didn't start until April 1924.  Construction of the full 18 holes was completed in the summer of 1925.

Ed:

Not trying to start a dispute, and I'm sure you have solid evidence for the 1926 date.  The one question that I have relates to the following which is taken from the club's website:

"This Daily Oklahoman newspaper account, published on August 7, 1921, describes the early plans for the clubhouse that is still in use today:

Plans for the new Twin Hills clubhouse have been received by Keefe Carter, owner of the club, and work will start as soon as the new ninth green is ready for play. This is necessary as the clubhouse will be located on the point where [the] ninth green now stands."

Did this article actually exist?

Sven

Sven, no worries about staring a dispute.  I have reviewed every page of the 8/7/21 edition of The Oklahoman and I can't find the Twin Hills article referenced on the club's website.  If the quoted language is in that edition, it is hidden in some article on an entirely different subject.  More likely the club's website has the date or the newspaper wrong or both.  On the other hand, there are numerous articles in The Oklahoman during 1924 and 1925 describing the progress of the course.  Maxwell scouted sites for "two or three weeks" in the "early fall" of 1923, construction started on Saturday, 4/19/24, 5 fairways were cleared and planted by 5/4/24, 7 holes were open and ready for play by 10/17/24 and the full 18 holes opened roughly Labor Day of 1925.  Copies of all the articles will be on the Maxwell Society website if I am ever able to get it launched.  I can send you copies of the articles if you would like to see them.