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Mike Bodo

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Re: Chicago Aerial Hinsdale Golf Club: Is It Donald Ross? Back nine added.
« Reply #25 on: February 05, 2017, 11:26:42 AM »
Was it ever determined if Donald Ross was actually involved in Hinsdale Golf Clubs design? There is so much conflicting information out in the public domain and in this thread that I can't make heads and tails of it. For starters, the course still makes no mention of Donald Ross anywhere on its website. If he had any impact or influence on its current design you'd think they would promote it, as nearly all clubs having a Ross designed course do - even if said courses had been renovated multiple times after him. Contrary to this is the fact that the Donald Ross Society shows Hinsdale as having been designed by him in 1913. Apparently there are plans in the Tuft archives that confirm this, which doesn't necessarily mean the club took those plans and acted on them. I dunno? All I know is that if I was on the membership committee at Hinsdale and was responsible for attracting new members I would be advertising the fact we have a Donald Ross designed course that's been restored to its original appearance. Judging from the photos of the renovation that were posted back in 2006 it looks every bit a Donald Ross track. If anyone out there has any updated information on this topic it would be greatly appreciated, as I'm stumped as to the true architect behind this course.
"90% of all putts left short are missed." - Yogi Berra

Dan Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Chicago Aerial Hinsdale Golf Club: Is It Donald Ross? Back nine added.
« Reply #26 on: February 05, 2017, 01:12:35 PM »
No. Subsequent research indicates there is no evidence Ross was involved.  As best as can be determined the current course, which opened in 1909, was laid-out by their pro Frank Adams and then Dave Foulis updated and modernized the course n the early 1920's when he was pro and superintendent. 
"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

Mike Bodo

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Chicago Aerial Hinsdale Golf Club: Is It Donald Ross? Back nine added.
« Reply #27 on: February 05, 2017, 02:06:32 PM »

Thanks for the update. What adds even more mystery to this is the fact that DRS claims that there is information in the Tuft archives regarding Ross involvement with the design of Hinsdale (see link below)


http://rosssociety.org/Resources/Documents/DRSList_Rev_July_2014.pdf


Yet, when I dig around the Donald Ross Web Library (see following link), I can't find any drawings or field sketches documenting this.


http://givenmemoriallibrary.net/vex/vex1/toc.htm


I don't know if we have any DRS members in the GCA forum that can shed more light on this, but if Ross had no hand in the design of Hinsdale then it should be stricken from their records, as it's misleading and is attributing credit where none is due.



"90% of all putts left short are missed." - Yogi Berra