Mosholu

[Jim_Kennedy]

I don't think anyone's ever found the original architect for the original version of Mosholu GC. It sprang up shortly after VanCortlandt, and one of the clubs-without-real-estate who moved to Mosholu from VC were appropriately named "The Mosholu Golf Club".

So, MGC gets constructed and before long the city decides to turn it into 18 holes to meet the demand. A newpaper account from the era said this about the new construction, and identified the architect as "Chairman Johnson of the Player's Committee":



The 'new' Mosholu was laid out like this:


and the 1924 aerial of the course syncs up with the diagram:


It's been surmised that the course was impacted by highway construction, not so, but Van Cortlandt was. It's also been thought that John Van Kleek had a hand in the 1914 -16 version of MGC, but that also seems implausible as I don't believe he began 'architecting' until 1924, or thereabouts. He may have done some 'touch-up' work on it after he went to work for Robert Moses in 1929, but the 1951 aerial doesn't show that he did much.                  


And it doesn't look anything like the other work he did at the time, like a complete overhaul of Forest Park in 1934:

FP, pre-Kleek:


FP, post-Kleek:


And bunkers like this one at Split Rock, during the same time period:


Mosholu has a 'new' life now (Steven Kay reconstruction, First Tee), and it's nice to see a 100+ year old club that's still in existence

[Tom Dunne]

Present-day Mosholu is kind of a neat place--very tucked away and obscure for golf in the five boroughs. But it's the flagship First Tee facility for the NY area and you always see lots of kids working on their game on the range and short-game area. When I lived in NYC I liked stopping in to practice there now and then if I was on my way up to Westchester. The nine-hole course is humble but fun. Ed Brockner, a former Yale letterman, was involved with the renovation and as a result the finishing hole has a pretty well-done Biarritz green. Ed has also been involved in the efforts to improve the Essex Co. NJ munis. These are really shoestring budget projects, but the money goes a long way toward improving the experience at these high-traffic courses. All credit to those involved; we need more of it.

[Sven Nilsen]

Tom:

Any updates on the walter filtration project and the construction of the new practice facility?

I remember the old practice facility distinctly, as its the only place I've seen someone stop everyone on the range from hitting so they could run out 100 yards to recover the head of the driver that just broke off.

Sven

[Bill_McBride]

What's this, lacy edge bunkers that aren't in California before 1926?   

[Alex Miller]

Did they use these to create the bunker edges?



 

[Jim_Kennedy]

Bill,

Imagine how dizzy you could get 'raking' them with a SandPro. 

[MCirba]

For historical purposes, the "second" golf course at Van Cortlandt known as Mosholu was designed by Pelham pro William Kilgour and Arthur C. Johnson, secretary of the New York Golf Club, working in conjunction with NYC Parks Commissioner Thomas W. Whittle, circa 1914-15.

Incidentally, Kilgour made some revisions to the original Van Cortlandt course in 1915, as well.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

See below...


https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/golf

Mosholu was the first public golf course established in the United States. Several of the founding members also founded my private course in Princeton, NJ in 1895, now known as Springdale Golf Club.


Tom Bendelow was hired to manage the club and expanded the original 9 hole course to 18 holes in 1899.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

And those dark bands on the course routing you posted are likely "cop bunkers".


They present themselves as similar to steeplechase jumps.