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Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Vintage Bendelow?
« on: September 09, 2004, 05:24:59 PM »
I sense that much of Bendelow's early work was relatively pedestrian and was quickly re-worked / replaced by other architects as the game grew rapidly in America and the jones starting keeping up with each other.  

Where would one go to see his first generation architecture of merit?

Mike
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

John_Conley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2004, 05:53:45 PM »
Edina CC may give you a look at his routing?  Heavily treed, which he surely wouldn't have foreseen.  Also, in an effort to "keep up with the Joneses" - or in this case, neighbors Interlachen and Minikahda - a lot of people have reworked features on the course over the years.

david h. carroll

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2004, 09:18:56 PM »
elkridge hunt in Baltimore was original Bendelow, but all that remains (apparently) is what is now #1.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2004, 09:19:20 PM »
The front 9 at Quic Qui Oc in Elkhart Lake, WI is vintage Bendelow 1908.  The front 9 at Old Hickory in Beaver Dam is also pure.  I can not say definitively what Tescumbia is like near Lawsonia just north of GReen Lake.  Embarrasingly, while I have always admired Bende, I haven't been back to Tescumbia since well before I started following GCA.  Yet, it is the oldest course in Wis., Bende did it in 1903ish.  Nakoma CC in Madison is an original Bendelow, but Tillinghast did consulting work there in the 30s although he did not supervise his suggested work.  But, it is a neat Bende routing on only 90 acres.  I think one of the best bets to see some of Bende's better and mostly untouched work is the ladies course at Medinah #2.  I toured it with the super during the last PGA there.  It seems very untampered with and though it plays something like 5800 yards from the tips, it is a sporty little course.
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Doug Braunsdorf

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2004, 10:48:29 PM »
Tom Bendelow did the original 9 at Plainfield CC in Edison, NJ.  
It's still owned and maintained by Plainfield Country Club--their clubhouse, grounds, and Ross/etc. 18 is right across Inman Av.  It serves as a public course, and it's now known as "West Nine".  I don't think it has been altered since then by anyone.  
It has no irrigation except for the greens, and is set on the side of a hill.  There are a couple of blind shots, and the greens are in great condition.  I played there several times about 2 years ago.  It's very rudimentary, but that's the way the courses were back then.  
Matt Ward may have some additional information.  
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

Jeff Goldman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2004, 12:33:20 PM »
You might also consider the South Course at Olympia Fields, which opened in 1916.  There have been some changes to the routing, which are well documented, but it appears from early photos that most of the routing and a lot of greensites are not much changed.  This winter I intend to review the Board Minutes, which apparently chronicle most or all of the changes to the courses (especially the greens), as well as a large cache of aerials.  RJ Daley has pointed out some things that don't look like Bende and I'd love for him (are you listening Dick  ;D ) to come out and take a closer look.

Jeff Goldman
That was one hellacious beaver.

Bruce Katona

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2004, 04:01:56 PM »
East orange Golf Club in Millburn, NJ (up the road from Short Hills Mall) is a Bendelow course from the 1920's which I believe has not been altered.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2004, 07:02:21 PM »
Jeff, I really am looking forward to seeing OFCC South course. But, a  disclaimer is that I've only seen a few Bendelow courses that I thought I could imagine are generally original features as stated above.  What they have is smallish and fairly contoured native soil greens that are either pushed up, or tend to be sited on hilltops and knolls and in little high amphiteaters.  Green side bunkers with smallish, curly lips are distinctive yet sparingly used.  Fairways are routed over the land with little or no shaping and grading.  Hills are traversed with lots of side hill routing to factor into the strategy.  Bende wasn't afraid to incorporate trees either, and loved a good old grove of Burr Oaks, Red Oaks and the like to frame his fairways.  But, that is just the Upper Midwest or Great Lakes area, and for all I know, he would have done things way different on non-woodland properties.,
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Jeff Goldman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2004, 07:32:26 PM »
Dick, bingo (for the most part).

Jeff
That was one hellacious beaver.

tlavin

Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2004, 03:07:36 PM »
If you make it to Olympia Fields, you should definitely check out Lincolnshire CC in Crete, which is about fifteen minutes further south and east.  Their course is a pretty intact Bendelow, mainly because the club never had enough money to create much mischief on the golf course.


Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2004, 04:51:14 PM »
If you make it to Olympia Fields, you should definitely check out Lincolnshire CC in Crete, which is about fifteen minutes further south and east.  Their course is a pretty intact Bendelow, mainly because the club never had enough money to create much mischief on the golf course.



Years ago, when working for Killian and Nugent, I accompanied them (as a young, worthless apprentice) to Lincolnshire.  I was jotting down hole numbers and yardages off the tee signs.  At the 8th hole, the sign was littered with bullet holes.

The superintendent told us that there had been a mafia hit there, which I had vaguely recalled reading about in the Tribune.  A masked gunman had jumped out of the bushes of an empty adjacent lot, machine gunning down a seemingly innocent golfer.

I asked the superintendent what happened in that case.  He told us that the group the victim was playing with had actually been convicted of the murder.  They came under suspicion because they casually played in before reporting it, saying "There was nothing we could do for him, so we might as well have finished."

One started "singing" as a state witness.  When it came to court, the prosecuting attorney asked this member of the foursome how the hired gunman knew who to shoot.  His reply was that they told him to shoot the first one to tee up on the tee.  The prosecuting attorney, a non golfer, asked how they arranged that.  After hearing of golf's "honor" system, he surmised that the mark was clearly the best golfer.  

The witness said "No, we were about even, and when Tony topped his tee shot on the 7th, it was necessary for me to hit into the pond, another guy to hook O.B. and the third to five putt to assure him of the honors."

According to this witness, the victims last words were, "I can't believe I won that hole with a nine....."

That is the best golf story I know, partly because I know it is at least substantially true!
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Jim Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2004, 06:18:03 PM »
Western Hills CC in CIncinnati is a Bedelow which has undergone some changes in the last two years. The original routing is intact on 15 of the holes. The changes have made the course harder, though perhaps not better. Of the non-re-routed hole, three have new green complexes which are improvements- these were the greens with the most movement, but that was not lost, and they are much mre playable.

A solid course, fun to play, always in great shape.
"Hope and fear, hope and Fear, that's what people see when they play golf. Not me. I only see happiness."

" Two things I beleive in: good shoes and a good car. Alligator shoes and a Cadillac."

Moe Norman

Stuart_Bendelow

Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2004, 09:10:03 AM »
The topic,"What is Vintage Bendelow? is of great interest to me.  I am not a student of golf architecture and admit I have as much trouble reading the strategy of a hole as I have reading a green.  However, in my efforts to record the career of Tom Bendelow I would like to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of his design work.  Did he utilize any specific or unusual features in his designs?  Did he HAVE a signature?  Any thoughts you'll could provide would be greatly appreciated.  If you do not wish to clutter up this web site you can contact be directly at  bendelowsr@hargray.com.
Thanks.   Stuart Bendelow (grandson)

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2004, 10:04:52 AM »
Jeff - Great story.

When golf and the law interesect, stories seem to abound. There was the assistant pro in Florida who was arrested for robbing banks. When the DA at trial made a snide comment that if he robbed banks must cheat at golf as well, the young pro became irate.

"I may have robbed a couple of banks, but I would never, ever cheat at golf."

Another story:

A lawyer friend in NYC represented a Fortune 500 CEO who was nailed for securities fraud. My friend told me that the SEC accusations and resulting penalties didn't bother the CEO very much. He paid the fines and moved on. What really bothered him was that some fellow members at Winged Foot were spreading the word that he probably cheated at golf as well.

Bob
« Last Edit: September 21, 2004, 10:41:48 AM by BCrosby »

Eric_Dorsey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2004, 03:26:15 PM »
Hyperion Field Club, Johnston, IA.

Just north of Des Moines.  Old, old track, super-fast greens, huge elevation drop on 1st and 10th tees, which are side-by-side.  

michael j fay

Re:Vintage Bendelow?
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2004, 08:55:33 PM »
The Valley Course at French Lick Springs and Spa is vintage Bendelow but not for long. The new Trump Casino Riverboat is going to take up some three holes of this course.

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