Jack Fleming

[JSPayne]

My first post there, so forgive any novice mistakes or naivette on my behalf, but a good friend of mine swears by this site as one of the best resources on golf architecture and anything related there to.

I am currently the Assistant Superintendent at Sierra View Country Club in Roseville, CA, one of Fleming's early designs and while certainly not his best (having some knowledge of his other works), definetely nothing to scoff at for this area and the price of membership.

Both for my own interest and that of a small contingency of members here I have begun to research and put together a history of both our course and Jack Fleming. The rough information that I have gathered thus far from preliminary online scanning and a couple publications has been loosely and chronologically outlined below:

          Age      
1896   0      Born in Galway, Ireland
1924   28      Cork GC, Ireland: Assisted McKenzie as construction foreman
1926   30      Came to United States
1928   32   ?   Helped McKenzie build Cypress Point?
1934   38      Harding Park remodel
1941   45      Blue Rock Springs GC - West; Vallejo
1944   48   ?   Turlock G&CC; Turlock (NCGA lists 1932/1944; course website says 1924 original design)
1950   54      Golden Gate Park GC (now Lake Chabot GC); San Francisco
1950   54   ?   Swensen Park GC; Stockton? (NCGA lists orignial design - William Bell)
1952   56   ?   Roseville Rolling Greens GC; Roseville (maybe 1959?)
1953   57      Sierra View CC; Roseville
1955   59      Almaden CC; San Jose
1956   60   ?   Mount Saint Helena GC; Calistoga
1956   60      Salinas Fairways GC; Salinas
1957   61      Mather GC; South Sacramento
1960   64   ?   Redesigned Lincoln Park in the 1960s?
1960   64   ?   Harding Park's "Fleming Nine" (maybe 1961 or '62?)
1961   65      Boulder Creek G&CC; near Santa Cruz
1961   65      Cypress GC; Colma; near San Francisco
1961   65      Sharon Heights G&CC; Menlo Park
1962   66      Retired from SF Parks Dept
1962   66      Adams Springs GC; Loch Lomond; South of Clearlake
1962   66      Gleneagles International GC; San Francisco
1963   67      Dry Creek Ranch GC; Galt; North of Stockton
1964   68      Meadowood Resort GC; St. Helena; Near Napa
1964   68      Pruneridge GC; Santa Clara; Northwest of San Jose
1965   69      Spring Creek G&CC; Ripon; South of Stockton & Manteca
1966   70      Manteca Park GC; Manteca; Between Sacramento & Stockton
1968   72      Napa GC at Kennedy Park; Napa (worked with Bob Baldock)
1972   76      Mace Meadows G&CC; Pioneer; South of Placerville
1987   91      Died at age 90


Any further information or references any of you might have on Fleming would be greatly appriciated, as would any advice in direction for my future research. Luckily, our last living charter member still plays here weekly and he has provided much input towards the club history, but knows little about Fleming himself.

I look forward to engaging with you all on this and future topics as I gain more and more appriciation for the art of golf architecture. Thank you in advance for your help.

-Jeremy Payne

[Joel_Stewart]

You need to contact his son John Fleming who knows his history better than anyone.

[JSPayne]

Thanks Joel..

I had tried doing some looking into John Fleming after discovering that he had co-designed Wolf Run in Reno, NV, but couldn't find any reference anywhere that he was actually Jack's son. For all I know the Fleming last name could have been coincidence, but by your words, I will have to pursue him further.

Shouldn't be too hard since he's a fellow golf course superintendent.  

[John Kirk]

Fellow GCAer Sean Tully may know something about Jack Fleming.  Not a bad resume of courses.

I've playe three of these courses, a long time ago, before I cared about architecture.

Spring Creek
Dry Creek Ranch
Boulder Creek on about 2 hours sleep.

I thought he may have contributed to Plumas Lake G & CC, which was first laid out in 1926 (9 holes), but it appears that is not the case.  Bob Baldock, 1960.

[John Keenan]

You may also want to contact Anthony Pioppi author of To the Nines and a contributor to GCA. In his book he details Gleneagles and may have some insight or knowledge regarding Fleming.

I like Gleneagles and Fleming. No question he had a great influence on the golf landscape of Northern California. A good architect who seems somewhat overlooked.

Last but not least welcome to GCA!!

[JSPayne]

John Kirk....Thanks for the reference. Ironically, Sean Tully is the one who turned me on to this site. I was an NCGA Intern with Tully at Meadow Club for two years. He's actually one of my groomsmen come Oct. 13th.   I've prodded him several times about Fleming and my course, but I know he has bigger, and loftier, projects than this at the moment. Management and history of Meadow Club is a chore in itself.

Ironic you talk of Plumas Lake as well, and I agree it doesn't seem Fleming had much to do with it, but I do enjoy that course, and have played it many times as a guest of my best friend who is a member there and for my high school golf team. Though I need to play it again, as I hear they've completly revamped the green complexes and have perhaps overdone the movement and surrounding undulations.

John Keenan...thanks for the reference. I will try to search out some contact info. I need to get out and play more of Fleming's designs to get a better feel for his style myself. Currently I've only played Sierra View, Sharon Heights (my immediately previous place of employment) and Roseville Rolling Greens.

Just from those three, I have yet to discern any glaringly obvious "signatures" of his design and it seems many of the designs have been greatly tweaked over the years. Which is part of the reason I go back now to try and find some original plans and designs.

[Sean_Tully]

Jeremy-

Boy am I surprised. Started to read this post and saw that some info was incorrect, but it is a start! Great to see you take an interest in your course and it s history. I will have to stop up and see you soon as I owe you that in the least.

Couple things

From an article MAy 5, 1969
He is proudest of the Sierra View GC near Roseville, as an example of his handiwork.

I will make you some copies of the other stuff.

Be careful of the dates given in most publications as they can be wrong.

Go to the city or county planners
Find out who surveyed the property as they may still be operating.
FInd out who was the first super/pro and track down families to see if they have any photos.

As you guessed it I am busy with work and tracking down a number of old courses. I just found an early routing for Mill Valley GC that dates back to the 1930's when the course was bought by the city.

I will call you Tuesday am.

Tully