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Richard_Mandell

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Over a year ago, I was contacted by Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson, Ohio about providing a master plan for their golf course along with about nine other golf architects.  According to members, the club's documentation, and the Cornish & Whitten books, the course was designed by Herbert Strong.  I met with a few of their people and walked the golf course, excited to have an opportunity to work on a Strong golf course. 

I saw numerous features throughout the golf course that told me otherwise, particularly many green complexes that clearly appeared to be built in the sixties or later.  I saw a few bunkers (particularly behind both 11 and 12 greens) that seemed like they were more utilitarian than golden age.  I also saw the first green complex that definitely looked to be golden age.  The mounding was more human - scale, random, and connected with a single base surrounding three sides of the green rather than individual mounds one sees as features of the 60's (or later) and that were apparent on many other holes.

The sixties-like features were easily explainable as likely subsequent renovations by others.  The golden-age features were a bit more challenging to decipher as there is very little known about Herbert Strong.  As I prepared my written proposal, I came across of picture of one of the greens at Lake Forest in Geoff Shackelford's The Golden Age of Golf Design, where he credits Herbert Strong. Still not having all my facts, I was careful not to refer to Strong too much in my proposal, settling on "golden-age" characteristics instead.

Fast forward a year and upon being asked to give a formal presentation to the committee, I resumed my research on Lake Forest and Herbert Strong's involvement, of which I came up empty. But I did find an interesting little nugget referring to Lake Forest's opening match between Walter Hagen, Denny Shute, Horton Smith, and Tommy Armour in the September 18, 1930 Hudson Times:

“Tom Bendelow, of Chicago, designer of the course, was on hand to see the Haig, Horton, and Denny tee off.”

GOLF ACES CLASH045 9-18-30 Bendelow

I then found another in the September 12, 1929 Hudson Times:

“The American Park Builders of Chicago are supervising the building of the golf course, the new lake, and the residential park.  The golf course was laid out by Tom Bendelow, golf architect.”

1000 ACRES023 9-12-29 Bendelow

From there, I searched some other sources and found this from the Cleveland Plain Dealer of September 7, 1930:

“Tom Bendelow of Chicago, the architect who built the course, will be on hand Sept. 17 to watch with interest the maneuvers of the three great professionals on the holes he designed.”

Plain Dealer September 7, 1930 Bendelow Article Only

To me, that was pretty heady evidence that Bendelow was the designer of Lake Forest.  Particularly strong evidence (no pun intended) laid in the fact that the papers referred to him being on-site at the opening as opposed to just referring to him as the designer.  One could dismiss the notation as designer as an error by the papers, but documenting him on site is much stronger.

At this point I stepped up efforts to confirm (or now, possibly deny) Strong's involvement and found nothing.  I related the bombshell to the committee during my interview, knowing it could work against me.  Luckily it did not and now it is a full-on assault to find out how they ever thought they were a Strong course.  So far, a month later, they have found nothing.  Ron Whitten is searching his records (I am guessing he probably just called the club back in 1980 or so and they said it was a Strong course), and Shackelford has not returned any of my six or so calls on the subject.

The club is now convinced of their Tom Bendelow heritage, changing the name of their dining room, and any restoration we undertake will certainly reflect Tom Bendelow, not Herbert Strong.  So add one to the Bendelow column and take one away from the Strong column.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2014, 05:07:13 PM »
Richard,
Nicely played.
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Steve_ Shaffer

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Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2014, 05:39:42 PM »
The club's website needs to be changed:

http://www.lakeforestcc.org/Golf-Course.aspx
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2014, 11:51:04 PM »
Perhaps this club and several others will more enthusiastically embrace their Bendelow origins if they finally place Bende in the HOF!  :o ;D
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.

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2014, 12:31:04 PM »
Richard,
I believe there are several Herbert Strong Advertisements from the 'The American Golfer' or Golf illustrated that I thought listed that as one of his courses.  Did you find any of these advertisements?

Thanks,

Chris
« Last Edit: November 26, 2014, 09:15:56 PM by Chris_Blakely »

Richard_Mandell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2014, 03:45:31 PM »
Chris, I have not run across them.  Do you have any idea of where I can access them?


Dave Doxey

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Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2014, 07:15:02 PM »
.
« Last Edit: November 25, 2014, 07:17:07 PM by Dave Doxey »

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2014, 08:27:30 AM »
Chris, I have not run across them.  Do you have any idea of where I can access them?



Richard,  I do know where you can get a start, but the search feature is not as good 

http://www.la84.org/

I have used the usga.org at this location to find a lot of information on Devereux Emmet and thought I found advertisements from Herbert Strong:

http://www.usgamuseum.com/researchers/usga_segl/

If I remember correctly the USGA's scanned copies of The American Golfer and Golf Illustrated go much further than the LA foundation's.

Chris

Sven Nilsen

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Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2014, 08:47:00 AM »
Neither of those sources will have issues from the time period you are looking for (post-1928).

Best bet is to try to get your hands on some hard copies.

Sven
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Richard_Mandell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2014, 10:42:43 AM »
It looks like the USGA does have some issues available online so I will get through them in the next few days.  Thanks for the tip, Chris.

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2014, 12:22:55 PM »
Richard,

You are welcome.

Sven,

If I remember correctly, I was able to get into the early 1930's, but not up to Emmet's death in 1934.  I used to have a bunch of printouts of the full magazines from beyond 1930 and I got them online - I believe the USGA was my source.

Thanks,

Chris

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2014, 12:24:08 PM »
As for hard copies, I know NYC's main library in mid-town has hard copies beyond 1934.

Chris

Sven Nilsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2014, 03:59:13 PM »
Richard,

You are welcome.

Sven,

If I remember correctly, I was able to get into the early 1930's, but not up to Emmet's death in 1934.  I used to have a bunch of printouts of the full magazines from beyond 1930 and I got them online - I believe the USGA was my source.

Thanks,

Chris


Chris:

I was half right and half wrong.  The American Golfers on SEGL run up until 1923, they do have Golf Illustrated up into the mid-30's.

Sven
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2014, 07:24:49 PM »
Richard,

You are welcome.

Sven,

If I remember correctly, I was able to get into the early 1930's, but not up to Emmet's death in 1934.  I used to have a bunch of printouts of the full magazines from beyond 1930 and I got them online - I believe the USGA was my source.

Thanks,

Chris


Chris:
I
I was half right and half wrong.  The American Golfers on SEGL run up until 1923, they do have Golf Illustrated up into the mid-30's.

Sven

Sven

Wel. I'll go with I was all right because I only printed out / looked at golf illustrated!!😎

Thanks

Chris

Richard_Mandell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Add One to the Bendelow Column, Remove One From the Strong Column
« Reply #14 on: December 07, 2014, 09:59:39 AM »
Chris,

I've been through all the Golf Illustrated issues from 1929-1933 and saw no ads from Herbert Strong.  When I can get my hands on some American Golfer issues, I'll take a look. 

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