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BCrosby

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Good WPA courses
« on: August 09, 2008, 02:20:56 PM »
Rick Hetzel's thread below made me think that a list of good WPA courses would be interesting to see.

Out the gate, does Bethpage count?

In Atlanta, North Fulton (a/k/a Chastain) certainly counts. A good, largely untouched Egan design built in 1935.

I'd love to hear of others.

Bob
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Clyde Johnston

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2008, 02:38:23 PM »
Mark Twain GC in Elmira, NY (Ross - 1939) owned by the City of Elmira
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Jim_Kennedy

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2008, 03:23:41 PM »
Split Rock in Pelham, NY
George Wright in Hyde Park(Boston)

I would think the most notable one is  Prairie Dunes
« Last Edit: August 09, 2008, 03:26:40 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
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Cliff Hamm

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2008, 03:31:09 PM »
Prairie Dunes was built with public money?
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Richard Hetzel

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2008, 03:31:52 PM »
Sharon Woods in Cincinnati, Ohio is pretty darn nice...Bobby Jones hit the first drive off the #1 tee May 27, 1938.















« Last Edit: August 09, 2008, 03:50:47 PM by Rich Hetzel »
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Clyde Johnston

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2008, 03:44:15 PM »
Here is a link to a list of some of the WPA courses:

http://www.wpamurals.com/wpapools.htm
« Last Edit: August 09, 2008, 03:56:42 PM by Clyde Johnston »
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Jim_Kennedy

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2008, 03:52:48 PM »
No, just WPA workers
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Lynn_Shackelford

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2008, 05:00:14 PM »
Built with WPA money and workers.
Reynolds Park GC, Winston-Salem, NC
Santa Anita GC, Arcadia, CA
Clubhouse Griffith Park Golf Courses, L.A., CA

Does anyone know how a WPA built course becomes registered as an historical landmark?

Supposedly both of those course were built by hundreds of men working with wheel barrels.
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Phil_the_Author

Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2008, 07:10:46 PM »
Bob,

Bethpage was indeed a WPA/CCC project both financially and with the workers.

It is unique in golf history for several reasons:

1- It was and remains the single largest golf course building project EVER! Three courses (Blue/Red/Black) were designed & constructed at the same time as part of a single project. In addition, a 4th existing course (Lenox Hills/Bepthpage Golf Club/Green) was redesigned with several new holes and that work was done at the same time.

2- Bethpage Park remains the ONLY site to have THREE different courses host USGA Championships. In 1936 the Blue & Red courses hosted the Public Links Championship & in 2002 the Black with the U.S. Open.

Clyde, I am greatly surprised to see that link to Rand Jerris' WPA/CCC project does not contain Bethpage.
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Mike_Cirba

Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2008, 07:13:51 PM »
In Philadelphia, Walnut Lane, FDR (Formerly League Island), and much of the Karakung course at Cobb's Creek were built with WPA/CCC labor.
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RJ_Daley

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2008, 02:17:07 AM »
I'm fairly sure, BRown Deer Park, where they have the US Bank Milwaukee Open was done by WPA workers directed by Milwaukee County parks Director and GC designer, George Hansen.
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Cliff Hamm

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2008, 10:12:32 AM »
Quote from: Jim_Kennedy on August 09, 2008, 03:52:48 PM
No, just WPA workers

Didn't realize that the WPA placed workers in the private sector.  That seems a bit odd. Always thought these were government jobs to stimulate the economy.
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Jim_Kennedy

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2008, 01:28:44 PM »
Cliff,
I don't know how that may have worked, but states did have 'control' of the  projects in their locales that were authorized by the WPA.

It's also possible that the crews were done with, or in between, a WPA project and were hired en masse for the course work. That wouldn't be unheard of as you could take a private sector job for a time without having to re-qualify for WPS work.

Of course, owing to the immensity of the WPA program there may have been some bending of the rules in individual locations.
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Cliff Hamm

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Re: Good WPA courses
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2008, 02:32:35 PM »
Kind of curious how Prairie Dunes became a private course.  It sounds as if it's not a true "WPA" course if government funds were not expended.
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