Florida in 1928

[Sven Nilsen]

Although golf in Florida is often derided hereabouts, a study of the development of golf in the Sunshine State offers a microcosm of golf in the United States in general.  Start with the early courses of the late 1890's, move on to a period of resort development and finally you reach a zenith during the 1920's when the game was at an all time high in popularity and developers were using golf courses as part of the marketing for the numerous planned communities built during the era.

The list of architects working in Florida is a who's who of the big names in the game back in the day.  Many of the most active designers set up shop down south during the winter months, including the likes of Langford & Moreau and Stiles & Van Kleek, with a smattering of other big name architects making appearances (Ross, Flynn, Tillinghast, Raynor, Travis, etc.). 

The following list is taken from a work entitled "Florida: An Advancing State, 1907-1917-1927" that was published in 1928.  The golf courses noted provided a few surprises.  Whether these are courses that were known by different names, or courses that lived a very short life, there were more than a handful that I had not heard of before.  One course, Indrio Golf Course, was of particular interest as I'd just posted an article in the Langford thread about a course with that name.  I'd assumed that Indrio was a course that came to be known by another name, but my comparisons against the various Langford & Moreau lists suggests this to be another lost work.

We recently lost a very interesting thread on Clewiston which contained a wealth of information on some of Stiles and Van Kleek's work in the south.  Hopefully we can recapture that information and any additions here.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Sven,

What a great find.

Thanks

[Sven Nilsen]

Here's the Indrio article referenced above, which is from the August 29, 1925 edition of The Palm Beach Post, as well as an Ad from 1926.  

The other Florida courses noted in the article are:

Miami Biltmore CC, Miami, FL - noted on the 1928 list under Coral Gables
Hialeah CC, Miami, FL (aka Miami Municipal Links) - noted on the 1928 list twice under Hialeah and Miami
Kelsey City CC, West Palm Beach, FL
Key West Municipal GC, Key West, FL
West Palm Beach CC, West Palm Beach, FL

[Sven Nilsen]

Here's an article discussing the plans for the Key West Municipal Course (The Palm Beach Post - April 13, 1923) and the L&M routing plan.

[Rees Milikin]

Sven,

Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles. 

Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven,

Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles. 

Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.

Rees:

If you still have the articles or links to them from that thread, please add them here.

Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

A couple of articles on Kelsey City (December 21, 1927 and December 13, 1929 editions of The Palm Beach Post):

[Rees Milikin]

The listing of Live Oak Country Club caught my attention b/c there is a 9 hole course now known as Suwannee Country Club (I have been meaning to check it out) that I think might be the same place.  I looked at it with Google Satellite(https://maps.google.com/maps?q=suwannee+country+club+live+oak+fl&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&ei=rlv9Usj_FPDyyAGT6YDYAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ) and some of the holes look pretty interesting.  I went to their facebook page and was able to grab some pics of the course.

#5 Green (I think this is #5)

#7 Green




#6 Approach & Green

#2 Approach & Green


#8 Green


I also found this picture from the State Archives of Florida with the description as follows: Golfers at the 1926 dedication

From the Suwannee County website: "The 9-hole Suwannee Country Club was founded at Houston in 1926 on land earlier owned by the County, with such locals as F. D. Helvenston, Cary Hardee, R. H. Helvenston, B. W. Helvenson, Jr., and Dr. W. C. White present at its dedication"

[Jim_Kennedy]

 a bit of the history of Mt Plymouth Golf Club, listed under "Orlando" on your list, but in Mt.Plymouth which is N+W.

It was always a quiet place to play. Most folks bypassed it for other, more modern/well kept courses in the area. It closed a half dozen years ago, but they sure had high hopes for it when they built it.
                                                            ___________________________________
The Historic Mount Plymouth Hotel, built in 1926 at the cost of $350,000.00, was the centerpiece of a golfing resort for the area. The hotel became a center of activity in the area. Guests, such as Al Capone, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and singer Kate Smith were able to utilize the hotel's airfield for arrival.

Four 18 hole golf courses patterned after the St. Andrews course in Scotland were originally planned for the resort. However, the Florida real estate crash of 1926 prevented completion of three of the four courses. The first course, called Mount Plymouth Golf Club, closed in 2007. Mrs. Lee Mida would use Mount Plymouth as her temporary place of residence while participating in Florida State golfing tournaments

-Captain Head, golf course architect, laid out the St. Andrews Course patterned after the famous St. Andrews links in Scotland. The 2nd course, the Gleneagle, was laid out but never finished and became part of the airfield.
-Connie Mack, Joe Tinker, Walter Hagen and Carl Dann played often during the 1930's. Carl M. Dann, National Champion of  Club Champions of America played daily. Mrs. Lea Mida captures the first honors of the Florida Women Golf Association.
-A tournament for the benefit of the Daymon Runyon Cancer Fund was held during the late 50's with such sports notables as Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Dr. Middlecoft, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Kathy Whitworth and Louise Suggs participating. The tournament was sponsored by Sidney Potnasik, owner of the club, who was a founder of the Damon Runyon Fund.
-Richard Whitney, Ed and Herman Maister of General Motors often played with William Grace, retired steamship Captain F.E. Crowley, Al Schrupp and Maj. Joe Story who purchased homes near the course. W. Grace having the honor of being struck by lightning while playing.
-During World War II the Maxis who owned the course reportedly dug up the copper pipe which composed the watering system to aid the war effort, thus undoing steam fitter Jacob Shoemakers labor of love

Unknown hole


Par 3 8th


Opening hole

[Rees Milikin]

Sven,

Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles. 

Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.

Rees:

If you still have the articles or links to them from that thread, please add them here.

Sven

I will have to look them up, but it was fairly time consuming so it might be a little while.

[Sven Nilsen]

Another series of articles, this time on Hialeah:

The Miami News - July 8, 1922




The Miami News - August 10, 1922




And a retrospective piece from the March 3, 1957 edition of The Miami News:

[Bill_McBride]

Pensacola Country Club is on the list.  Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state.   Members laid out the first nine.  A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine.  When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles.  Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile.   Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record.  I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home. 

It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green. 

For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section. 

[Sven Nilsen]

The last bit on Langford.  Here's an article discussing the construction of two courses near Coral Gables, one being the Coconut Grove CC and the second (I believe) being the Miami Hialeah course.

The Miami News, Aug. 18, 1922

[Nigel Islam]

Pensacola Country Club is on the list.  Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state.   Members laid out the first nine.  A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine.  When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles.  Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile.   Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record.  I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home. 

It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green. 

For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section. 

Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.

[Sven Nilsen]

A collection of vintage postcards:

Belleview Biltmore





Aloma CC



Belleair



Hollywood CC



Holly Hill

[Sven Nilsen]

a bit of the history of Mt Plymouth Golf Club, listed under "Orlando" on your list, but in Mt.Plymouth which is N+W.

It was always a quiet place to play. Most folks bypassed it for other, more modern/well kept courses in the area. It closed a half dozen years ago, but they sure had high hopes for it when they built it.
                                                            ___________________________________
The Historic Mount Plymouth Hotel, built in 1926 at the cost of $350,000.00, was the centerpiece of a golfing resort for the area. The hotel became a center of activity in the area. Guests, such as Al Capone, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and singer Kate Smith were able to utilize the hotel's airfield for arrival.

Four 18 hole golf courses patterned after the St. Andrews course in Scotland were originally planned for the resort. However, the Florida real estate crash of 1926 prevented completion of three of the four courses. The first course, called Mount Plymouth Golf Club, closed in 2007. Mrs. Lee Mida would use Mount Plymouth as her temporary place of residence while participating in Florida State golfing tournaments

-Captain Head, golf course architect, laid out the St. Andrews Course patterned after the famous St. Andrews links in Scotland. The 2nd course, the Gleneagle, was laid out but never finished and became part of the airfield.

Jim:

Did Captain Head have any other designs? 

Sven

[Bill_McBride]

Pensacola Country Club is on the list.  Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state.   Members laid out the first nine.  A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine.  When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles.  Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile.   Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record.  I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home. 

It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green. 

For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section. 

Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.

That thought is a new one.  When was Langford there in Niceville?

Did you know Niceville is a fairly new name?   The city fathers changed the name from Boggy Bayou sometime last century.  Can't imagine why.   

[Nigel Islam]

Langford and Moreau did Eglin AFB Eagle in 1925. C&W credits them and there is a plaque in clubhouse that credits them as well. Ross is credited with Panama CC in 1927. Maxwell was in Mobile in 1947 too.  Guess it doesn't much matter, but boy it would sure be cool to know all this stuff for sure.

[Sven Nilsen]

Bill and Nigel:

The 1917 and 1920 Annual Guides for Pensacola note that an additional nine holes were being laid out (my guess is that the 1920 guide was a holdover from the info given in 1917 and was not updated).  The addition at that time probably fell by the wayside due to WWI, as did quite a few other new courses and plans for updates around the country.

The 1922 Guide notes that the additional nine holes was then under construction, but the change from 9 to 18 holes is not reflected until the 1926 Guide (which is in accord with the 1925 date Bill noted above).

Its possible that the design for the new nine was in place as early as 1917, or a new plan was drawn up in 1922, or nothing was really done until work began a few years later.  

Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

The first of a series of articles on Stiles & Van Kleek's work in Florida.

The article notes the following courses:

Florida -
Jasmin Point GC
Clewiston GC (remodel)
Sebring Municipal GC

Elsewhere-
I.N. Gardale Park (Atlanta - 36 holes)
Bobby Jones Municipal GC (Atlanta)
John A. White Park GC (Atlanta)
Vicksburg (course in the National Park)
Albuquerque, NM
Druid Hills CC (Atlanta)

[Sven Nilsen]

A couple of articles on Tampa Shores CC:

[Sven Nilsen]

There's a second book from 1930 entitled "Florida: Empire of the Sun" which contains another fairly comprehensive list of courses.  Many of the same courses from the 1928 list posted above are noted with a few additions.

Between the two compilations, there are a number of courses that stand out as mysteries to me.

If anyone has any information on any of the following, please let me know:

Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Chain of Lakes GC (Howey) - 18 holes, 6,200 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Osceola CC (Pensacola) - 18 holes, 6,001 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards

[Rees Milikin]

There's a second book from 1930 entitled "Florida: Empire of the Sun" which contains a second list.  Many of the same courses from the 1928 list posted above are noted with a few additions.

Between the two compilations, there are a number of courses that stand out as mysteries to me.

If anyone has any information on any of the following, please let me know:

Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Chain of Lakes GC (Howey) - 18 holes, 6,200 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Osceola CC (Pensacola) - 18 holes, 6,001 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards

I believe Chain of Lakes in Howey is now Mission Inn - El Campeon.

[Bill_McBride]

Sven, Osceola in Pensacola is the city owned muni.  It too was built in the mid or late '20's.   The architect is listed as the professional golfer "Wild Bill" Melhorn.  Not sure when it became 18 holes but a long time I think. 

[Jim_Kennedy]

Svsn,

The Ribault Club: 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,4351.0.html

A lot of the layout is still visible:
 
http://goo.gl/maps/z0ZFe

Florida State Park today:

http://www.ribaultclub.org/