Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: George_Bahto on October 05, 2003, 10:39:08 PM
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I’d like to share an interesting piece from the Country Club of Buffalo’s club history.
In the early days of the club (1896 to 1898 era) it seems there were just three holes on the course:
quote:
“To help local people learn the game, Dr. Cary persuaded Charles B. Macdonald, the first U. S. Amateur Champion and author of the classic Scotland’s Gift - Golf, to come to Buffalo. Macdonald, Hibbard, and Dr. Cary expanded the original three holes to six (WOW), extending the “links” eastward that first year to Delaware Avenue.
Macdonald offered to demonstrate shots by lofting balls over the clubhouse, but cautious Cary took him over to the polo field, where Macdonald astonished the neophyte golfers by lofting shots over the trees”
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Bahto,
That's interesting stuff. I believe that the original CCB then become the Park Club as CCB moved to Main and Bailey (Travis and Ross suggestions), then on to Williamsville (Ross). Park moved out to Williamsville (Colt, Allison), too. The original layout within city limits now is called Delaware Park and is a muni. The Main/Bailey property (where the 1912 US Open and 1926 USAPL were held) is a county course called Grover Cleveland. Anything else from C.B. MacDonald on Buffalo?
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George, you must be mistaken. CB Macdonald would never have gone out of his way to help others with their golf course or their golf games, much less to Buffalo. And if he had, he surely would have bragged about it for the rest of his life, and demanded full credit.
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An interesting old post from George - Hibbard was the original architect of Garden City (with Emmet), which is where Macdonald played before the NGLA.
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Buffalo was the 9th biggest city in the USA back then - no doubt that it would have been on the radar of golf's giants of the time.
Buffalo golf is a very interesting tale. For some reason, golf didn't really take off there like it did in the smaller, but more white-collar, Rochester, 70 miles to the east. While Rochester has an embarrassment of golf course riches, Buffalo suffers a lack of great layouts - save for CCB and Park. Toronto too, only 80 miles to the north, has much better golf than Buffalo.
Why does Rochester have great golf and Buffalo doesn't? It'd be almost like Harrisburg having better golf courses than Philly.
By the way, today's Delaware Park golf course may be the worst muni in NY State. (the park itself is Olmstead)
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George,
That's an interesting piece. Does anyone know the year that Macdonald helped the folks at CCofB add three holes to make a six hole course? Was it in the late 1890s?
David,
I don't understand the answer feigning surprise at Macdonald's largesse?
At least four separate individuals wrote that Macdonald "advised" Merion in 1912, and remarkably they all used the exact same verbiage. They also expressed considerable gratitude and publicly so. None of them ever said he designed the course in whole or in part, however; not even Macdonald, even after Macdonald went on to as much fame as an architect as he achieved as an amateur sportsman. Even after Merion went on to host 3 US Amateur Championships and 1 US Open during Macdonald's lifetime.
I'm not sure where the disconnect is. In the early days it seems that Macdonald was very much an apostle of growing the game and if that meant helping out a club he certainly seemed willing to offer his advice and expertise as asked. Later, sadly...he seemed to sour on things and some of that was likely his uncompromising attitude.
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In the early days it seems that Macdonald was very much an apostle of growing the game...
Mike, don't you mean an "Evangelist?" 8)
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Mike
A month or so ago you were trying to make the case that Macdonald wasn't all that qualified in 1912, now you are commending him for offering his advice and expertise in 1900.
Macdonald never mentioned CC of Buffalo in his writing either. Its not uncommon for golf architects to distance themselves from courses that have been significantly redesigned since their involvement.
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Mike
A month or so ago you were trying to make the case that Macdonald wasn't all that qualified in 1912, now you are commending him for offering his advice and expertise in 1900.
Macdonald never mentioned CC of Buffalo in his writing either. Its not uncommon for golf architects to distance themselves from courses that have been significantly redesigned since their involvement.
Tom,
Are you suggesting that helping map out adding three holes to an existing three hole course in what had to be a very crude field in the late 1890s should be seen as evidence of his architectural skill at this juncture?
To suggest that some parallel exists between pointing out where play could be expanded from a crude three hole course to a six hole course at Buffalo in 1899 with the almost instant fame and allure of Merion as a championship course within four years (playing the original routing) after opening, and then gaining greater fame and plaudits throughout the rest of Macdonald's life is sort of a red herring, don't you think?
It's pretty obvious why this work at Buffalo wouldn't have been mentioned by Macdonald.
It's more obvious why Macdonald never claimed to have designed Merion.
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I'm suggesting several things. First that you are inconsistant, on one hand you commend Macdonald for offering his expertise and on the other you try to make the case he had no expertise (especially when it comes to Merion). Second, the fact is Macdonald did not mention every golf course he collaborated on, therefore your theory is bogus. Third, you have no idea if Buffalo was crude or not relative to other courses of that time. Fourth, that CB's involvement at Buffalo, Chicago and with other projects, combined with his intense study abroad, led to him being considered one of the foremost experts in 1912.
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Ron, thanks for adding to the Buffalo story - no, I have nothing else about him in the Buffalo area although it seems a bit strange that was all he did in the area that far from "home base"
CB also did few other consultations such as assisting Capt. H C Tippett r Montauk Downs in 1927 (pretty later in his life for that)
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So, the course upon which the 1912 US Open (then belonging to the CC of Buffalo) was played is still in existence -albeit as a muni?
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David,
I don't understand the answer feigning surprise at Macdonald's largesse?
At least four separate individuals wrote that Macdonald "advised" Merion in 1912, and remarkably they all used the exact same verbiage. They also expressed considerable gratitude and publicly so. None of them ever said he designed the course in whole or in part, however; not even Macdonald, even after Macdonald went on to as much fame as an architect as he achieved as an amateur sportsman. Even after Merion went on to host 3 US Amateur Championships and 1 US Open during Macdonald's lifetime.
I'm not sure where the disconnect is. In the early days it seems that Macdonald was very much an apostle of growing the game and if that meant helping out a club he certainly seemed willing to offer his advice and expertise as asked. Later, sadly...he seemed to sour on things and some of that was likely his uncompromising attitude.
Mike, I was simply making a joke for George's benefit. Since he has many more years in dealing with the absurd, agenda driven misrepresentations regarding MacDonald than I have, I thought it might find the comment entertaining.
In retrospect this was unnecessary. My attempts at humor and parody could never match your own comic treatment of the subject, made funnier because you are attempting to be serious and most likely see no humor at all the opportunistic, contradictory, and largely inaccurate positions you have taken on these issues. Look at the few sentences you have written above. Somehow you manage to mischaracterize the tenor of the past discussion, your past positions, the original sources, and Macdonald all in a few lines.
But as I said, my comment was a joke, for George's benefit. I have a feeling that he got the joke even if you did not. Let's leave your righteous revisions of our past discussions aside and let this thread be about CC of Buffalo. I am bored with writing the same things to you over and over.
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I did an article a few years back for a publication called Western New York Heritage on the evolution of the Main-Bailey property. I have the routing from way back when (the 1912 course) and the current one. I have a great theory on the Volcano hole at the present course, which I'll share with anyone interested. I think that Ross tried it out at the Main/Bailey property (on a less grand scale...he was called in to consult and recommended a new piece of property) and perfected it at the new course. I'll try to dig up those images.
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I'd love to hear the theory and see the pics and routing.
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David,
Yes, your theory is now accepted worldwide and I'm sure you grow bored re-explaining the obvious to me over and over. ;D
I'm sure there is no leap to conclusions or assumptions on you or Tom's part in believing that Macdonald's three hole addition to a three hole course in 1897 reeked of architectural intrigue, strategy, and finesse.
Have you seen the original routing for Chicago GC?
Macdonald later did study, and study, and do trips abroad, and eventually became the CB we all know and love but don't put him there in 1890something because it just ain't so.
He was not much more clued-in than those others who were building cross-bunkers and steep, elephantine features.
He was also the most famous GOLFER in this country in the early days, so his expertise in all things golf was assumed.
It was only later that he proved himself worthy of the mantle.
There is nothing inconsistent in recognizing those things for what they are...historical fact, and not hopeless, contrarian, and recklessly personalized speculation.
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David,
Yes, your theory is now accepted worldwide and I'm sure you grow bored re-explaining the obvious to me over and over. ;D
I'm sure there is no leap to conclusions or assumptions on you or Tom's part in believing that Macdonald's three hole addition to a three hole course in 1897 reeked of architectural intrigue, strategy, and finesse.
Have you seen the original routing for Chicago GC?
Macdonald later did study, and study, and do trips abroad, and eventually became the CB we all know and love but don't put him there in 1890something because it just ain't so.
He was not much more clued-in than those others who were building cross-bunkers and steep, elephantine features.
He was also the most famous GOLFER in this country in the early days, so his expertise in all things golf was assumed.
It was only later that he proved himself worthy of the mantle.
There is nothing inconsistent in recognizing those things for what they are...historical fact, and not hopeless, contrarian, and recklessly personalized speculation.
Mike, weren't you going to take a break?
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ah yes...I guess I let you pull me back in with your humor.
My bad. :-\
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Isn't he the guy that designed merion?
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Isn't he the guy that designed merion?
As far as I know.
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So, the course upon which the 1912 US Open (then belonging to the CC of Buffalo) was played is still in existence -albeit as a muni?
Not really - There's a golf course there, but it's not the course that hosted the 1912 Open.
Much of the 1912 land is now part of my alma mater, SUNY/Buffalo.
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Ronald - please do post what you have! The '12 Open has always interested me.
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Isn't he the guy that designed merion?
As far as I know.
For a guy who is sick and tired of discussing the whole thing, you sure have a lot of humor left in you! ;D
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Isn't he the guy that designed merion?
As far as I know.
For a guy who is sick and tired of discussing the whole thing, you sure have a lot of humor left in you! ;D
Humor?
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Well...perhaps unintentional on your part, but I have to admit to some spontaneous chuckling. ;)
Ron,
Please count me in this tight-knit group who would love to see what you have on the original course. Thanks!
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Dan,
I'm looking but you will want to know that NONE of the land that SUNY-Buffalo occupies was ever CCB land. SUNY-Buffalo is across Bailey, while CCB extended to the tip of Bailey, Lebrun and Winspear. The VA Hospital and King Kong's Dong (local name for the water tower) are there now.
Ron M.
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(The following is the text meant to accompany my two images, but I receive an error message that the upload folder is full. Any thoughts, Ran and others? Images are less than 128kb.)
Let's see how I did with my first attachment. The larger course is the 1912 layout. The smaller inset is the current layout. Holes 1 and 18 are virt. identical. The first big difference happens in the neck that I used to sneak on as a kid (right under the fence by the second green.) You'll see that four parallel holes used to run there. Now there is a par three and a lot of space in between. Interesting that the 3rd and 5th holes teed off across Eggert Road, impossible today. The land where 8, 9 and 10 tee were, is now V.A. Hospital property. 10 was the only par six in the history of the US Open. If the entrance road far left that bisects 12 is in the same place today, then the land above the road (2nd half of 12, 13, and tee deck of 14) is now private homes. 17 as it was no longer exists. Cannot imagine how it was shorter than 10, but it was, by 60 yards.
I wanted to post the text of my article, but cannot find the digital copy (laptop was reimaged this Summer.) I'll keep digging, but can scan the whole thing from the magazine...maybe I can find it online. I'll let you know.
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"King Kong's Dong" -- now thatz really funny
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Thanks, George.
Since I cannot paste images yet to my posts, here are two google docs URLs that should get us where we need to go.
Course Maps, Then and Now
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcq7jkrv_0dsqjw3gw
Course Scorecards, Then and Now
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcq7jkrv_2ct5b47hh
Let me know if you can access them. When I clicked ADDITIONAL OPTIONS and tried to attach the images to my previous post, I was denied like a short man in the NBA. Any tutelage is appreciated.
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Ronald - thanks for the info - I didn't know the property didn't extend across Bailey.
BTW - I think that SUNY/Buffalo (north campus) was originally a state hospital.
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Photobucket Links, courtesy of George's suggestion:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/CCBThenAndNow.jpg
and
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/1912and2004scorecardsCCB.jpg
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Ronald,
Thanks for the links.
I hope you don't mind but I put them on here(by putting the address in the following format, only without the spaces before and after the brackets spaces:
[ img ]http://. . . . . .jpg[ /img ]
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/CCBThenAndNow.jpg)
and
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/1912and2004scorecardsCCB.jpg)
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wow - great map! I had the orientation figured all wrong. I'm surprised it went up Bailey that far from Main Street.
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"Since he has many more years in dealing with the absurd, agenda driven misrepresentations regarding MacDonald than I have, I thought it might find the comment entertaining."
Absurd, agenda driven misrepresentations regarding Macdonald??
I wonder what that means. GeorgeB, do you have any idea what that means? Whether you do or not do you see anything humorous about it?
George:
Macdonald's family came from Niagra Falls or environs, didn't they? If so, it doesn't surprise me that Macdonald or his family may've had some generational friends in and around Buffalo. Didn't Macdonald have access to some family home up there?
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Macdonald's family lived in Chicago
They had a summer (vacation) hole in Niagra Falls, Canada
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George:
I thought Macdonald's forebearers came from the Canadian side of Niargra Falls. I know his father moved to Chicago and his grandfather was from St Andrews, right?
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Tom - that would make sense (the Ontario side). The English/Scottish folks tended to gravitate to the Canadian side. I wouldn't be surprised if he frequented Niagara-on-the-Lake (a very beautiful place at the mouth of the Niagara River)
In fact, here's a write-up from Niagara-on-the-Lake golf club's history page:
When John Geale Dickenson first laid out a few golf holes in 1875 on the Fort George common, which was just across the road from the family home on John Street, little did he know that it was just the beginning of part of North America's golf history.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Course had the distinction of being host to the first ever-international tournament held in North America. That event - the Niagara International - was held September 5-7, 1895.
At the first Niagara International, the first hole served as the host of the longest drive championship. The eventual winner of both the tournament and the longest drive was an individual named Charles B. Macdonald of the Chicago Golf Club. He later would lay claim to the first official U.S. Amateur championship at Newport Golf Club. On the first hole he blasted a drive 179 yards, one foot and 6 inches.
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Ronald,
I think this is your course. It was the home to the Park Club from 1909 until Travis built the course for them at Orchard Park in 1916 (opened in 1917). Course operated as a satellite course until 1946 when it was sold to a membership group.
They found new land in 1924 (closer to Buffalo) and hired Charles Alison to build their current course in 1926 (opened in 1928).
(http://www3.sympatico.ca/iandrew//posts/course.JPG)
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Thanks for posting the photo, Ian. Chocolate drops and geometric features galore. That is of an era. Thankfully a long gone one ;)
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I don't know, Ian. There is a body of water in the lowest portion that might be Hoyt Lake, in the southern portion of Delaware Park. If so, then we have our first CCB/Park Club course. That big white scar toward the top might be the beginnings of the 1901 Pan Am Exposition, where President McKinley was assassinated. They built the pavilions on a farmer's acreage. It's all private housing now.
Origin of the photo? Any words or clues that might be more familiar to me than you?
Park Club (Colt/Allison) has its course in Williamsville, about a mile from CCB (Ross). Park then built a second course in Orchard Park (Travis) when membership got to be enormous. They are now two separate entities. Ault & Co. came in a decade ago to "improve" Orchard Park. One hole is good, the other is bad. That fourth hole at OPCC that you referenced in another thread is a gem.
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I believe the course in Ian's picture is Wanekah. If its not Wanekah the two courses shares similar features.
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I don't think it's Wanakah and here's why...the road at the bottom would be Route 5, and the holes at Wanakah run perpendicular to route 5. The ones in the picture run parallel to route 5.
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In the plan that goes with this - it lists Delaware Park. The course was only nine holes at the time. These holes would be the 2-5 on your plan.
The white strips are tennis courts.
Source: Park CC History
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Charles Blair Macdonald:
"It was early in August of 1872 when I was first introduced to golf. I was 16 years old then. My father desired that I should go to my grandfather in St. Andrews, Scotland, and there complete my education at the university, the United Colleges of St. Salvador and St. Leonard's. I left Chicago in July, placed in the care of a family friend, Mr. Kirkwood. We crossed the Atlantic in the "Scotia", a side-wheel steamer of the Cunard Line, the last of it's character that ever crossed the Atlantic".
then later:
Upon returning in the fall of 1874, 18 year-old Charles Macdonald found Chicago still in total devastation. The fire of 1871 was followed by "The Panic of 1873"; a depression of unprecedented magnitude. Men fortunate to find work toiled twelve to sixteen hours a day, with the thought of participating in a leisure activity inconceivable. "Certainly, bankers would call in a loan - if one were fortunate enough to get so rare an accommodation - of anyone who attended to anything outside of business", cited Macdonald.
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Ian,
Any date whatsoever for the photo? It's definitely Hoyt Lake at the bottom. The road heading north-south at the far left would have been the promenade (main drag) of the Pan Am exposition, now called Lincoln Parkway.
On another topic, how did you come by the Park Club history? Are you doing or have you done work with them? Great par threes at that club, especially 5 and 13. 10 is a beast and 8 is undervalued. I love 14 and 15 for short par fours (used to be medium par fours.) The finishing three 4s are terrific. Weird that it finishes with five consecutive 4 pars.
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Ronald,
Thanks for the links.
I hope you don't mind but I put them on here(by putting the address in the following format, only without the spaces before and after the brackets spaces:
[ img ]http://. . . . . .jpg[ /img ]
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/CCBThenAndNow.jpg)
and
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/1912and2004scorecardsCCB.jpg)
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With all the similar names and all the name changes I'm having a hard time following what is what. Could someone list the courses, when they were built, and the name changes over the years, and the architects if you know them?
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Here is the basic breakdown.
Country Club of Buffalo 1--Delaware Park, Buffalo
(turned over and into Park Club when CCB built...)
Country Club of Buffalo 2--Main/Bailey-Site of 1912 US Open.
(built by Dr. Cary, improved by Travis for Open, visited and refined by Ross after US Open, as members wanted another Open.)
Country Club of Buffalo 3--Williamsville(east of Buffalo)--1920s--Current site of club. Built by Ross.
Park Club had its current site (Williamsville, 1 mile from CCB 3) built by
Colt/Allison after it outgrew the Delaware Park site. As membership increased, a second Park Club in Orchard Park (south of Buffalo) was built by Travis to allay traffic. The clubs are now separate entities.
Does that help?
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Ronald
That helps. Thanks. I wasn't sure if there were three or four courses we were talking about. Aprox what year were the first two built and which course was the 3 hole course expanded by Macdonald & Co? #2?
And which one was converted into a public course? #2?
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Tom,
You'll have to wait until I get home again - I'm sitting in the airport right now.
I have a plan for "only" nine holes and will post that plan later on. I was under the impression that when the Park Club played out of there that it was nine holes.
Ian
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Tom - I too wonder how CCB-1912 version transformed into the moderately interesting muni it is today. Is there anything left at Grover from 1912?
This is what the Erie County (NY) parks site says about "Grover":
History
The County Club of Buffalo built the clubhouse on this site in 1901. The 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and a polo field were added in 1902. George Cary was the local architect (of the clubhouse) and also built the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, a National Historic Landmark. In 1910, A.L. Pfitzner, a pilot from Curtiss, made the first airplane flight in Western New York from the Bailey Avenue site. The C.C.B. was host to the 1912 U.S. Open won by John J. McDermott with a score of 283. The city purchased the club in 1925 for $800,000.00.The site was renamed Grover Cleveland Park to honor the former Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York State and President of the United States Of America. The County of Erie now owns and operates the challenging 18-Hole golf course.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Course Features
Grover Cleveland Golf Course was designed to put a premium on accuracy not distance. The course plays over 5600 yards with par being 34-35-69. The smaller, well bunkered greens reward those with a pinpoint iron game. In honor of the 100th year anniversary of the golf course, the Erie County Parks Department plans to renovate all the bunkers with new sand and new mowers have been purchased to improve the conditions of the fairways.
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There is a good deal left from 1912, although the adjective "challenging" hardly describes Grover...way too short. I believe that there are lots of original greens, bunkering and mounding there.
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I don't have the source in front of me, but I read somewhere that the original clubhouse for the CC of Buffalo was used at the 1901 Fair as the "Women's Building." I've looked it up on a map of the fair, and the building in the photo above may indeed be the "Women's Building" in the drawing I have seen. (I am not entirely certain, but it is close.) According to the diagrams, the golf course was gone at the time of the fair.
So it is possible at least that the photo above is from before 1901, when the buildings were just being built. If so, then what we see here was abandoned, then a new course built after the fair when the lease for the land ended.
Not sure if this helps. If it does, I can find the sources again and try to post or link to them.
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That was my other thought, that they were clearing the land for the building process. Some of the pavillion structures were quite sturdy, while others were flimsy. Only two buildings remain from the expo.
The location of the women's building would situate the course a few hundred yards north of present-day Delaware Park. I'll see what I can find.
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David - you could well be right. The 1901 Pan American Exhibition was probably Buffalo's zenith - probably as big as today's Olympics.
The big thing at the time was the advent of AC electricity from Niagara Falls. Before that, Edison's DC was all that was available, and DC couldn't travel great distances. Niagara --> Buffalo energy transmission was like science fiction in 1901.
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Very cool too see a thread talking about golf in the greater Buffalo area- I had my first golf course job at the Park CC 15 years ago working on the maintenance crew for 2 years- what a neat place to get started!!!
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Mat,
I was a 13-year old, 8th grader at Amherst Central when I first played a CC (Park) for our high school team. Going down the path from parking area to 18th green was like trespassing through time. I've loved Park like no other course since that day.
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Here is a diagram of the plan for the fair, from the University of Maryland online archive. http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCH/exhibition/1901_b/gallery1.html
(http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCH/exhibition/images/1901buf/map.jpg)
The "Women's Building" is the second red building up from the bottom left, on the left side. It is located between two small circles (which were actually gardens.
Another photo from the same site:
(http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCH/exhibition/images/1901buf/birdseye.jpg)
Here the Women's Building is the second major building above the lake on the left. It is next to the circle garden with maybe a small fountain.
Here is a photo of the building, from a terrific site on the fair, http://panam1901.bfn.org
(http://panam1901.bfn.org/womens/womanovalimage2.jpg)
It looks like the same building, and if so then the photo likely dates before the fair. [Unless most of the buildings were demolished shortly after the fair]
According to the same website, the clubhouse was constructed in 1989-90, so the photo likely dates in the 1890's. Here is an excerpt from a description of the Women's Building from the same website, at the "women's design" page.
The Women's Building was the only "recycled" building on the Exposition Grounds. The land leased by the Rumsey family for the Exposition had partly been utilized by the Country Club of Buffalo for golf and polo grounds. That organization constructed its club house in 1889-90. The structure was turned over to the Board of Women Managers for use during the Exposition.
It was a large wood-frame building with broad, shaded verandas on three sides located in the southwestern area of the Exposition grounds, outside of the Exposition plan. Surrounded by the gardens of the Horticulture exhibit, many found the area to be restful and beautiful compared to the grand scale of the Exposition buildings.
Hope this helps.
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Oh yeah. Notice in the upper left corner of the first diagram that there is something that looks like a very large, very upright golf club. Could this be the location of one of the courses to which you guys have made reference?
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It looks like a club, but I've never heard that site referenced. The original CCB would have originated at the Women's Pavillion and headed west/to the left.
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Now I am confused. I think the photo Ian posted above (reposted here) may be the Women's Building/Old Country Club clubhouse. With the course to the right (East?) of the clubhouse.
It is tough to tell for sure, but notice on the front of the building in Ian's picture that there is a large center gable with the two small gables on each side. The same seems to appear on the side of the building in the oval photo above.
Do you not think that the building in the photo posted above (reposted here) is the Women's Building/ CC clubhouse? Perhaps they rebuilt the course on the left (West?) of the clubhouse the Fair?
. . .
(http://www3.sympatico.ca/iandrew//posts/course.JPG)
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Here's a 1927 aerial of the Main/Bailey CCB location from SUNY Buffalo's map collection.
You can see the golf course at the very top of the photo (in its current orientation). You can also see the big water tower refered to on page 1 of this thread.
(http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/maps/aerial/8226-220-1927.jpg)
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Here is the 1927 Aerial showing approximately the old grounds for the Fair. I think the round circle in the golf course was some sort of Indian burial mound at the fair
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/dmoriarty/Golf%20Courses/Old%20Photos/23795aad.jpg?t=1217628101)
I have circled what I believe was the location of the original Clubhouse/ Women's Building.
So it looks like either the first pictured course is pre-Fair . . . .or perhaps it is post fair, and the building in Ian's photo is not the original clubhouse.
I am going with post fair, different clubhouse. Because of the tennis courts in both Ian's pic and the this aerial
Is the course shown the Park course you guys remember?
Was that mound/ circle still there?
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DM,
A reproduction Indian burial mound.
..."are some interesting reproductions of some of the famous Indian mounds found in the West, among others that of the
serpent swallowing an egg. The burial chamber in a round tumulus from Ohio is shown, and also implements and pottery made
centuries ago by the Incas and Aztecs."
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That second photo is of a course that I had not seen, ever!
That course was built on the remains of the right half of the Pan Am Expo,
which was torn down after it closed. You'll remember that the main,
multi-lane road is the central promenade of the Expo, where the
Electrical buildings, etc. were. The Women's Building/CCB clubhouse
was always on the lower left of the expo plan/map.
The current-day Delaware Park course is about a half mile southeast of
the course in the second aerial. It has nothing to do with this mystery course.
The photo that Ian had was of a primordial course, the first one built at CCB.
My guess is that the course in the 1927 aerial is Park CC. Ian? I presume that, when
Park decided to move out to Williamsville (that same year!) the course
was abandoned and turned into housing and business lots. If you read the
history of the Park Club on their site (www.parkclub.org), you find this nugget:
"In 1927 a notable Architect, Clifford C. Wendehack, who was also responsible for
Winged Foot Country Club's lovely building, created a spectacularly beautiful and elegant
clubhouse for The Park Country Club's members and guests to enjoy.
At the same time, our exquisite golf course was designed and built by an equally renowned
golf course architectural firm, Colt & Alison. The Park Country Club was the location of the
1934 PGA Championship, as well as numerous amateur events."
Since Ian did some work at Park, he is in the best position to fill us in on the mystery course in
aerial number two. Now on to aerial number one...
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Aerial number on shows the Main/Bailey course of CCB, the second incarnation of the club and the site of
the 1912 US Open. We see the water tower in place already (what I and locals refer to as KKD), but the
Veteran's Administration hospital will not be built for another 20 years. This aerial was taken the year after the
course hosted the 1926 US Public Links championship, its second national championship in 15 years.
We see the long 8th (430 yards...clearly out of proportion on the scorecard drawing) coming to the water tower,
then the short 9th (300 yards, more in proportion) heading northward. 10 tee was sighted well back of nine green
and probably caused some trouble for 16 green (which I believe is still on the course, in its original shape! The entire
hole, come to think of it...it is now hole number 13)
At the top right we see the sixth green and a cross bunker on the short seventh hole. As far as identification goes, that's
all, folks. Is there a farther-north shot in the UB archives?
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Ron,
I couldn't find another photo in the UB archives. They have one further away - over by what was Central Park plaza (Main and Amherst area).
I'm thrilled I found that photo - that's the first one I've ever seen of that incarnation of CCB.
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Mat,
I was a 13-year old, 8th grader at Amherst Central when I first played a CC (Park) for our high school team. Going down the path from parking area to 18th green was like trespassing through time. I've loved Park like no other course since that day.
Ron,
I was going to ECC for engineering and drove by PCC every day for 2 years and was intrigued by hole #4 that you can see from the road and the clubhouse so I went in to talk with the superintendent (Scott Dodson- great super- he's still there after 16 years!!) and next thing you know I'm working on the maintenance staff. Park CC is why I got in the business and started reading about GC architecture.
Mat