William Watson Article - New Course Credits

[Sven Nilsen]

One of the courses noted in the list above is Foothill Blvd Club in Oakland, CA.  The only reference I have to this course is an April 19, 1925 Oakland Tribune article (posted below) about plans for the course.  I have no record of the course actually being built, although possibly it came to be known by a different name.

[Ronald Montesano]

Sadly, it matches it perfectly. Wanakah has two average par three holes on the front, although it's clear they tried to do something special with the green site of the first one, number 4. Some guys can build interesting greens, while others were quite obviously never (or incapable of being) inspired to do such a thing. The greens at Wanakah are of various shapes, but little internal contouring. There is some interesting topography, but the flat and boring holes (three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, et al.) overwhelm the ones blessed with topography. These flat, boring holes might have been improved with some centerline bunkers, some tree removal, but they weren't. Wanakah is a good to very good course, probably a 4 or 5 on Whats-his-name's scale, but not a 6 due to the inconsistency of the layout.

[Sven Nilsen]

The following Sept. 27, 1927 Arizona Republic article contains a few morsels on Watson's activities.  First it confirms that Watson was involved with the update to Ingleside, well after his initial work at the course.

It also notes his recent work in Charlevoix, including rearranging the Charlevoix GC and completing construction of Belvedere GC that summer (the course opened in 1927).

There are a few surprises in the article, including the notation that he rearranged a course in Lima, OH.  I am assuming this was Shawnee, which places him on site much later than the 1905 date given in the list earlier in the thread.

The article gives him credit for rearranging or constructing the following Los Angeles area courses:

Portrero - a new one to me
Annandale
San Gabriel
Midwick
Flintridge
California
Hillcrest
Sunset Canyon
Long Beach
Westward Ho
Chula Vista
Encino

[Tommy Naccarato]

Sven,


Los Angeles Golf Links would eventually become too be known as Griffith Park.  That site for that particular course is now the Los Angeles Zoo.


As far as Raymond, I do believe that it was Watson's design, but there is a chance it could have been his Father's as well.  His Dad as responsible for the first Annandale layout we have come to know as the geometric course, where the clubhouse existed further South, down near what was a small lake.  It played up into the area of which is now the front nine of today's Annandale. (all of this South of the freeway)


The Culver City course would be the nine holes of Westward Ho! which was located due West of Sawtelle and South of Palms Blvd.  the aerial of it is on Max's, although its not a very good one, I'll be getting better one's on next visit to the aerial collection


Buck Wolter,  You can pretty much take that entire Belvedere bio on Watson and trash it. Much of it is incorrect.  I've emailed the historian before at Belvedere, but he never replied.


This much is known:  the Watson's, all three of them were true golfers from beginning to literal end.  their practice just wasn't architecture or being a club professional, but also club building and equipment sales, which Ada, William's wife, was in charge of. 


I was fortunate to come across someone that tied up all of the loose ends of the Watson questions, and all of it from where the late, GREAT Tom MacWood (who I miss dearly) had gotten us to in a group effort, only to be compared to Sven's incredible efforts.

[Sven Nilsen]

One more for the list, Tulare County G&CC near Strathmore, CA.

Los Angeles Times Oct. 9, 1921 -

[Sven Nilsen]

And another.  This time Escondido CC, which is first listed in the 1925 Annual Guide with a date of formation of 1924, 9 holes of 3,125 yards and sand greens.

Also of note in the article is a reference to a course in La Jolla, well before the 1927 date credit to Watson and Bell's work.

May 8, 1924 Santa Ana Register -

[Sven Nilsen]

Another new Watson, this one just over the boarder into Mexico.

June 17, 1921 Los Angeles Herald -

[Sven Nilsen]

The second half of the following Feb. 21, 1924 Oakland Tribune notes Watson designing a 9 hole course near Sequoyah CC and the Lake Chabot Municipal Course.  The only projects I am aware of that he had going in Oakland around that time are Foothills and East Bay. 

Would be very interested if anyone has information on a golf course in that area, and what name it was known by.

[Tommy Naccarato]

Sven, Just getting to some of these....


The Rosarito course is the first I ever heard of it! Nice find!

Its not surprising though as Rosarito was all sand dunes at one point before it became houses and hotels for Gringos!  Go a few miles south of there, I driven past it a few times on the way to Bajamar.  Its land screaming for golf, mind you if there is a good water source near there

[Sven Nilsen]

With all the talk of the correct usage of Watson's name, it looks like we had it wrong all along.  Seems like he went by "Billy."

July 24, 1927 Los Angeles Times -

[Tommy Naccarato]

Never seen a Billy before, and we'll probably never see one again! 


This course was designed and built by Norman MacBeth and future double greens on all of the par 3's and the entire course had no bunkers according to newspaper accounts.  It was located at what is now known today as Taft High School, with has been used for several movies like Spiderman, Crazy, Stupid Love and The Brady Bunch Movie

[Sven Nilsen]

Well, here's another one.

Sept. 18, 1926 Los Angeles Times -

[Sven Nilsen]

This course was designed and built by Norman MacBeth and future double greens on all of the par 3's and the entire course had no bunkers according to newspaper accounts.  It was located at what is now known today as Taft High School, with has been used for several movies like Spiderman, Crazy, Stupid Love and The Brady Bunch Movie

Are you confusing the course in the article (the all-women's club) with the St. Andrew's pay-as-you-play course that is used to reference its location?

[Sven Nilsen]

Here's an August 26, 1923 Los Angeles Times article discussing Biona G&CC to be located between downtown LA and Venice.  The Biona Hills are located between Culver City and Venice, which leads one to suspect that Biona might have been an early name for Westward Ho which would open in 1924.  Or it was a separate project that never got off the ground.

[Sven Nilsen]

Trying to piece together a biography on William Watson isn't the easiest task, but it does lead to a few history lessons.

Watson was what some on this site would call an "itinerant pro."  Personally, I am not a fan of the phrase, and prefer "early professional."  The word itinerant makes them sound like a tinker, wandering the countryside looking for golf work.  In reality, I believe these experts were called upon, sometimes from as far away as across the country.

The following series of articles describes some of Watson's activities between 1903 and 1906.  Following his arrival in this country, his years as a professional in Minnesota and a subsequent move to California, Watson had developed the reputation as one of the leading names in golf, particularly in the area of instruction.  I was surprised to learn of his link to Spaulding Bros., similar to Bendelow, and perhaps WW was their man on the West Coast. 

Oct. 3, 1903 Barre Daily Times -



June 23, 1904 Barre Daily Times -



April 12, 1905 St. Johnsbury Caledonian -



April 22, 1905 Godwins Weekly -



April 23, 1905 Salt Lake Herald -



May 26, 1905 Barre Daily Times -



June 28, 1905 St. Johnsbury Caledonian -



Sept. 20, 1905 Lima News -



July 27, 1906 St. Johnsbury Caledonian -

[Tommy Naccarato]

This course was designed and built by Norman MacBeth and future double greens on all of the par 3's and the entire course had no bunkers according to newspaper accounts.  It was located at what is now known today as Taft High School, with has been used for several movies like Spiderman, Crazy, Stupid Love and The Brady Bunch Movie

Are you confusing the course in the article (the all-women's club) with the St. Andrew's pay-as-you-play course that is used to reference its location?

Sven,
yes, I didn't read the article till now.  The All-Women's course was eventually named Whitley Park and only one photograph to date has been found of the course which was so popular that the men took it over!  The course and clubhouse eventually expired in a rather large fire that swallowed the entire hillside/canyon area.  Today, that beautiful site is now a private school and very expensive celebrities houses, but the entire area is oak, sycamore, and California pepper trees!  Really neat area with wonderful terrain.  This would also explain the "Billy" because the course was designed by Billy Bell, not William (Billy) Watson....... . Also, I found have a routing nap if the lsyout.

[Sven Nilsen]

Tommy:

Are you sure about that?  There are articles discussing Billy Bell and Whitley Park that predate the article above regarding Watson and the All-Women's club.  I'm pretty sure that Whitley Park was located well more than a mile away from St. Andrews, which was the distance given for the site of the proposed Women's course in the article.

Whitley Park did get turned into an exclusive women's course, but this happened after the course was built and had been opened for a short time.

Sven

Van Nuys News - April 10, 1928

[Sven Nilsen]

On this site and others there seems to have been a number of questions as to Watson's involvement with two of the courses on the list above, namely Berkeley (n/k/a Mira Vista) and Burlingame.

With respect to Berkeley, the debate centers around whether Watson or Robert Hunter should receive the bulk of the credit for the original design.

For Burlingame, there are folks that think that Herbert Fowler was largely responsible for the changes made to the course in the early 1920's, with Watson only coming in to do some touch up work.  I've even read where folks think Watson may have only stopped by to offer his opinions on the work being done, and didn't really have much involvement in any formulated plans.

The following Dec. 19, 1921 Oakland Tribune article goes part of the way to clearing up these questions.  Not only does it confirm that Watson was brought in to Burlingame to offer more than a passing opinion on the work of others, but Robert Hunter himself was showing off the work at Berkeley as a Watson creation.



With respect to Berkeley, I am of the belief that both Hunter and Watson contributed significantly to the initial design, which ended up being a melding of both of their ideas.  In fact, there are reports that there was only one hole (the 17th) where the two men disagreed as to what should be done.  It is interesting that Hunter would be promoting Watson's efforts at the course over his own, but perhaps he was more interested in promoting the work of a Bay Area professional over his own, much the same way Thomas, Behr, et al. began to promote William Bell in SoCal. 

But that is a thread for another day.

[Sven Nilsen]

A course in Coarsegold, CA attributed to a Mr. Watson.


May 24, 1924 Visalia Daily Times -

[Tim Leahy]

I looked on the satellite map of the area and there is an open area where Safari World Dr intersects Hwy 41 and I can swear I see ancient fairway outlines. Any other news articles on the project? Maybe it was part of the Safari World project.

[Sven Nilsen]

Another Watson for the list.


Recreation Park in Long Beach started with a 9 hole course in the wake of Virginia CC moving to a new site around 1921.


In 1924, the city hired William Watson to do the plans for an 18 hole course, with W. P. Bell hired to supervise construction.


May 23, 1924 Long Beach Telegram -

[Sven Nilsen]

Two Watson mysteries.


First, a 27 hole course in Denver.


Oct. 4, 1921 Oakland Tribune -





Next, an unidentified Oakland area project.


Dec. 7, 1921 Oakland Tribune -

[Kevin_Reilly]

The second article sounds like an exact description of Harding Park.

[Sven Nilsen]

Kevin,


The second paragraph of the second article does indeed describe Harding Park (aka Lake Merced Municipal GC).


My question pertained to the first paragraph and the club being put together by Irving Kahn, Harry Camp and Mervin Samuels in Oakland. 


Sven

[Mark Mammel]

Sven-This is a great thread and you have found wonderful primary sources. I think it's interesting that Watson doesn't mention White Bear Yacht Cub in the add you show:

though our sources say he at least did the original layout. Also, there is an excellent article about the Watson brothers work in Minnesota by Joe Gladke from the June 2018 Hennepin History journal.
 [size=0pt]https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/f8f3ee_1841c7e1312c4a09b7309249987b374e.pdf [/size]