[mark chalfant]

I believe Silver Spring has Golden Age origins.


Does anyone know which architect designed the original layout? Also what architects have made additions or revisions on Silver Spring during its 90 plus years of existence?


Thank you

[Phil Burr]

The club’s website says the designer was Robert White.  I don’t know anything about him though.

[Phil Burr]

Interestingly, the scorecard mentions Robert White & Charles Banks.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

I was the teaching professional at Silver Spring in 1993.  It is a wonderful low key club that was still a heavily blue blood membership when I was there.  And there were some serious CEOs back then.
It was designed by Banks, but he probably died very early in construction.  It was finished by Robert White.  Aside from holes 4,5,6, and 10, the rest of the holes are classic templates.  And I presume that White filled in the dip on the Biarritz 8th.  There was bad bunker vandalism but Roger Rulewich in the early 2000s.  Hopefully, at some point the bunkers will get a proper rebuild.

[Phil Burr]

Thanks Robert!  What you said makes complete sense.  Banks’s mentors were MacDonald & Raynor so that explains the reliance on templates.  Silver Spring lists 1930 as its founding, which is when Banks was scurrying across the tri-state area working on courses such as Yale, CC Fairfield, Hotchkiss, Tamarack, Forsgate (?), etc.

[Adam Lemons]

I was the teaching professional at Silver Spring in 1993.  It is a wonderful low key club that was still a heavily blue blood membership when I was there.  And there were some serious CEOs back then.
It was designed by Banks, but he probably died very early in construction.  It was finished by Robert White.  Aside from holes 4,5,6, and 10, the rest of the holes are classic templates.  And I presume that White filled in the dip on the Biarritz 8th.  There was bad bunker vandalism but Roger Rulewich in the early 2000s.  Hopefully, at some point the bunkers will get a proper rebuild.

I believe it is currently undergoing an update (started a few weeks ago)

[Cal Seifert]

Brian Schneider posted an Instagram story from there today doing work.

[mark chalfant]

Cal, thanks for posting about Brian Schneider's involvement at Silver Spring.


He always does very thoughtful and artistic restoration work !

[Bret Lawrence]

I was the teaching professional at Silver Spring in 1993.  It is a wonderful low key club that was still a heavily blue blood membership when I was there.  And there were some serious CEOs back then.
It was designed by Banks, but he probably died very early in construction.  It was finished by Robert White.  Aside from holes 4,5,6, and 10, the rest of the holes are classic templates.  And I presume that White filled in the dip on the Biarritz 8th.  There was bad bunker vandalism but Roger Rulewich in the early 2000s.  Hopefully, at some point the bunkers will get a proper rebuild.

Silver Spring is an interesting case.  To my knowledge, the club has never found any documentation that Charles Banks designed Silver Spring.  There are a few articles after the course was built that mention Robert White designed the course.  Anyone who has stepped foot on the property can see the shaping and large built-up greens match up with Banks work on other courses.  To me, Silver Spring feels like a cousin to Tamarack.  If Banks was there as we suspect, there should be some documentation to prove this and I’d love to see it, before we go all in on Silver Spring as a Banks course.


The 11th hole used to be played through today’s parking lot, but was rerouted into a dogleg Par 5 by Alfred Tull in the 1940’s or 50’s.  The 8th hole doesn’t appear to be a typical Biarritz we see on other Mac/Raynor/Banks courses, however these three architects didn’t build every Biarritz to look like 9 at Yale.  Some courses just had a large plateau green with no dip, yet the hole still played 220 yards or so to test a long accurate shot.  Essex County has a long Par 3 that isn’t a typical Biarritz.  I believe North Shore had a hole similar, before Tom Doak introduced a dip into the Biarritz there.  Oddly enough, Robert White was the construction superintendent at North Shore when Raynor designed it.  Some of the other Par 3’s are a little odd for a Banks design as well, but I can see similarities to Knollwood 19th in Silver Springs 10th and the 17th hole reminds me of the 9th hole at Essex County which was a Tillinghast hole redesigned by Raynor and Banks.


Phil,


CC of Fairfield was opened in 1921 and Yale opened in 1926.  Charles Banks didn’t design either of those courses, but John Pirie, who was Robert White’s brother-in-law was in charge of construction for CC of Fairfield around 1920.  10 years later John Pirie was building Whippoorwill for Charles Banks in Armonk, NY.  So, there was definitely a connection between Robert White, his brother in laws and Raynor and Banks. 

[Colin Sheehan]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8jh1WBxKr4eMiSBu8


Here's the 1934 aerial.


I, too, have never seen any specific contemporary documents linking Banks to the project. It makes sense that the Macdonald/Raynor style was emulated in spirit by more than Banks. I would put Langford in that category--and I always just presumed White was responding to what was considered one of the options of Golden Age styles. It would certainly have been easier to copy that style than, for example, late-career Mackenzie. And in 1930 Fairfield County, there would have been so many precedents in the Met area with the CBM style. So it would be likely, I'm guessing, it was an example of an architect following a popular trend or being asked to do so.


 

[Bret Lawrence]

Colin,


I think what is so interesting about Silver Spring is the lack of any articles from 1929-1933.  I have seen articles confirming Robert White at Silver Spring, but it was only after the course was built.  I have never seen a Robert White article from prior to or during the course conception.  The club seems to be missing information from the earliest years.  Perhaps the club had a different name? As soon as this club opened, the Country Club of Ridgefield shut down after being in existence since 1894.  Maybe these two clubs were tied together, considering they are both in Ridgefield and not far away geographically?  I have no doubt Robert White was the  superintendent of construction, but I wonder if it was his design?  Remember, we recently discovered Robert White built Shorehaven to Willie Park’s design after he went back to Scotland.  It was long considered a Robert White design, until it was discovered Willie Park walked the property and designed it. 


I would just love to find more early information on this course before we refer to it as a Banks course or completely rule out Banks. I think there is more information out there that just needs to be uncovered.


Bret

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Though Silver Spring doesn't have any definitive documents or material on Banks possible design.  I think whoever had access to the late George Bahto's historical material could find something. Over twenty years ago, we traded emails talking about Silver Spring,  I presume George was going to include Silver Spring in his Banks book.
The greens on holes 4,5,6, and 10 are very similar to what one would find at Rockland Country Club, which is a very fun and interesting Robert White design on a very hilly pure of land down the road from Paramount CC.

[Bret Lawrence]

Here is a nice background story on Robert White, for anyone who would like to know more about his contributions to early American golf.

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MSU Turfgrass Information Center.  Golfdom., August 1956

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