Dazed and Confused: Malone New York

[Ian Murray]

Matt Frey posted the original layout (s) of the Malone (New York) golf courses. The attribution of architect(s) for these courses (East and West) has driven me nuts. Their website is a testament to ‘branding’: mention Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr. in the same breath with rather vague references to Albert Murray and Willard Wilkinson but then say the 36 hole layout is really RTJ Sr. But wait. Watch the ‘West Course’ video fly over and Albert Murray has 5 of his holes on the West course. Dazed and confused?

1.   Architects of Golf, Cornish and Whitten (1992) attribute the original 9 holes to Wilkinson (I know, they may be wrong).

2.   Donald Ross. Where does he fit in? Nowhere, according to the Donald Ross Society and personal communication with Brad Klein who said there is no evidence he is aware of Ross was ever in Malone.

3.   Enter Golf Digest, June 1987, just after completion of the Malone West course. They say the East Course “is essentially Murray with a couple of Jones holes”. I know rather vague again.

4.   Enter Albert Murray (my grandfather, bias acknowledged). Albert notes in his diary he renovated the original 9 and laid out 11 holes at Malone (East Course). Tragically, my grandmother threw out his architectural drawings when she moved a few years after he died (counselling helpful in this regard) so I have no more specific details but I do have a few construction photos of his time when he expanded the East Course to 18.

Then to top it off James R. Hansen in his, A Difficult Par: Robert Trent Jones Sr. and the Making of Modern Golf said Wilkinson laid out 18 holes in 1939.
I truly appreciate how difficult identifying the history of a course can be. Especially –and there are many precedents- when courses market themselves either to their members or the general public to increase their cache. Thoughts?

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Ian: I have always been a little unsure about the Donald Ross connection, and haven't done enough research myself to prove or disprove the claim.

As I understand it, Wilkinson constructed the original nine (Donald Ross?). When they expanded to 18 holes, Murray did that work. Then, in the 1980s, when they built the West Course, the RTJ firm utilized five holes (Old No. 11 (now No. 1 West), Old No. 12 (now No. 9 West), Old No. 13 (now No. 10 West), Old No. 14 (now No. 17 West) and Old No. 9 (now No. 18 West). Old No. 10 is still in existence but only used as a practice/warm-up hole and Old No. 15 was located where the golf range now stands, although the green is still in the rear of the range for instructional clinic use.

It's too bad the drawings were lost, but would you be able to share the construction photos? I would love to see them and share them with the club.

I haven't read the Malone Golf Club history book in a couple of years, but I'll try to take another look soon. Additionally, my wife and I are hoping to take a vacation to the Adirondack region this summer and if that comes to fruition, no doubt I'll get in a round at MGC. If I do make it up there, I will try to speak with some of the few remaining club members who were actually around when the nine-hole course was converted into 18 holes and also with a few of the board members who were involved with the West Course's construction.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Ian was kind enough to share some Albert Murray construction photos he has, and I in turn shared them with Malone G.C.'s PGA general manager, Derek Sprague, with whom I had a brief email conversation about the Donald Ross connection.

Evidently, there was some confusion about whether the course was designed by Ross or not based on an old article that alluded to the original nine having Ross characteristics...it's now apparent that over the years through word of mouth the story went from "Ross influences" to "a Ross design." While at the PGA Merchandise Show in January, Sprague spoke to Brad Klein, who assured him that Malone was not a Ross design.

While the research may continue, Malone G.C. will be adjusting their scorecards and website to reflect the actual course architect(s).

[Ian Murray]

Matt:
Well, I guess you could argue that rectifying the architectural pedigree of the MGC is the honourable thing to do but it does make me feel a tad guilty for Malone given its identity with Ross and the efforts needed  ‘re-writing’ the history in their somewhat isolated market. But I do recognize the gracious and tactful ‘go between’ me and Derek and Malone you facilitated to clarify its history-classy!

When they shot the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played” at Albert’s and his brother’s layout at Kanawaki a similar rumor that Ross had ‘redesigned’ the original layout had been firmly entrenched by members for decades. Shortly after the movie came out the club revised their website with a lavish video production using the movie soundtrack to highlight the Ross redesign-trying to attract new members given declining new memberships no doubt, but the gloves were off for me; not long after their video disappeared and website changed. For me that inaccuracy was a matter of national pride given Albert and Charles were Canadian.

Unfortunate that there is no copy of Jones’ West course design at Malone-the RTJ’ Society might know of it. Their site credits him with designing the West course (18). It does beg the question how do we know he mixed his holes with the East course? Purely conjecture but in the few construction photos I have Albert has a pic 1 and 8 that may concur with his notes that he revamped the original layout (9) -East course- adding 11 holes to enlarge the course to 18. Thanks again Matt.

And a thank-you to Jim Kennedy who offline graciously provided newspaper archives about the history of Malone and one ditty about Albert-unrelated to Malone -that blew me away. His vast archives and acumen were greatly appreciated.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Ian: While it was certainly a plus for Malone G.C. to have a Ross connection, that was certainly, by my estimation, not even close to the main driver for guest or member play. Additionally, it's still a great golf course, no matter who designed it, and certainly one of the best, if not the best, in Northern New York.

As for the West Course and RTJ, I'm fairly certain that five of the holes are Murray holes. When building the West, RTJ used those five for the West, and thee Murrary holes remained on the East RTJ built other holes on the back side of the East to fill the gap when he took the five for the West.

I'm posting from my iPhone right now, but can post a Google Earth aerial with the routings overlayed a bit later.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Below are my rudimentary routings of Malone G.C. in all of it's forms at it's current location (when the club was established in 1903, it was on different grounds...somewhere near where the Franklin Academy and the Franklin Co. Fair Grounds now stand).

First, the original nine (Wilkerson) - ROUTING IN BLUE:



Next, the original 18 (seven Wilkerson holes, 11 Murray holes) - ROUTING IN PURPLE:



The East Course as it now stands (seven Wilkerson holes, three Murray holes, 8 RTJ holes) - ROUTING IN RED:



The West Course as it now stands (five Murray holes, 13 RTJ holes) - ROUTING IN YELLOW: