I've recently uncovered this drawing from a 1915 Philadelphia Inquirer article:



The text with the article states that the course was laid out and constructed by J. Franklin Meehan.  I'm pretty ignorant about the layout, but the LuLu web page indicates both 9's were done by Ross:

http://www.lulucc.com/golf/proto/lulucc/history/history.htm

And the Donald Ross Society has a web page that also indicates all 18 holes are Ross, with none being a remodel:

http://www.donaldrosssociety.org/MEMBERS/COURSESstate.htm

What gives?!

Mark,

Joe and I were speaking offline about this.

Based on this routing, all but the 1st and 9th holes were retained by Ross in some form, though it appears he moved a few greens.

The routing today would play 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2, 3 or a close approximation.

I guess the fair conclusion is that the LuLu web page has been, uhhh, enhanced you might say?

Edit:  after posting the above, I came upon the following paragraph, this being the reference, written by Perry Lewis:

Headline: New and Improved Golf Courses Here Many Local Clubs Are Preparing to Open Better Links; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: Philadelphia Inquirer, published as The Philadelphia Inquirer; Date: 12-03-1919; Volume: 181; Issue: 156; Page: 14; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Lu Lu Temple Country Club has had a nine hole course for a number of years.  Finishing touches will be put on nine new holes during the Winter, and the organization will throw open its full eighteen hole course about May 1.  Francis L. James laid out the new links, and when finished it will rank with the best.

Something isn't adding up here fellas!

Frank James was a construction superintendent who did work for Donald Ross. He was a hired gun by many architects.

Ah, ok.

But then it is possible that Ross did the original 9 holes too and Meehan just constructed it, eh?

Ah, ok.

But then it is possible that Ross did the original 9 holes too and Meehan just constructed it, eh?

Nope...

Interesting that we know that Meehan and Frank James worked together on the first nine holes at Schuylkill CC as well, Kyle.

Meehan lived very near LuLu and did nearby North Hills, Sandy Run, Ashbourne, and quite a few others.  

It's no surprise really that he designed the first nine holes at LuLu....what's surprising is how many of them are still there today.

That's an interesting layout and sequence. I wasn't aware it was that way before Ross. It looks like Ross ditched a few holes in the sequence, reused a few of the greens for other holes in the sequence and resequenced the most of the nine. It also looks like the club picked up the land behind the 6th on that sequence which is today's 3rd hole and lengthened it. Ross definitely moved things around in the geographic middle of that nine. What would be interesting to know is what greens are Ross's on that front nine. Most are probably Meehan's. Today's 6th, a par 3 (the original 2nd) is one helluva good green. Ross dropped two holes on that nine on that side of the road and put #8 and #9 on the other side of the road.

Joe:

Steve Sayers really does need to get on here and offer what he knows.

What you just supplied there from Perry Lewis may shoot down LuLu's long term claim that it was Ross' first golf course in Pennsylvania.

The other earliest Ross is on the other extreme of the state - The Kahkwa Club.  LuLu was completed in two phases.  I believe 1915 and 1919 (those dates may be slightly off).  The plan above is interesting to see.   First time we have seen it.  From the sketch it appears holes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were retained.  The early Ross 18 still had the clubhouse where this plan shows it.  They built the current Clubhouse in the early 20's.  The current #12 played through the parking lot adjacent to #8 tees.  Who knows which greens Ross kept, but it appears quite a few.  We have been working with Congress Lake Club in Ohio which is a Park Jr./Ross course.  Interestingly the Ross' plans show which Park greens are to remain, which are to be modified and which are to be changed completely.  Considering the unknowns (which greens were not modified), the addition of bunkers, new tees ..... it is safe to say LuLu is Ross.  To me it's splitting hairs to say something is not adding up.  Look how many clubs had a mediocre course laid out in the early teens only to be undone, changed, redesigned...... by someone else.  

JimN:

I really am getting to be a mindless of fart---I mean how well do I know you over the years? Some of the times I've called you Jim Wagner and today I even spelled your name wrong. I must be helpless--I'm embarrassed.

Happy New Year. Let's get together more this year. Bedford Springs seems to be a good spot to meet. I can be there in near two hours if I let the MINI "S" breath on the PA Turnpike. If any big trucks try to block my way at about 110mph I'm pretty sure I can just throw it into 6th gear, gun it and go right underneath them!

Tom, I agree with your observation about the creek, or lack thereof.  On the LuLu web page there is a pretty decent aerial of the course that doesn't show any obvious creek.  



I don't know the date of the aerial, but it appears to be quite old.

I've also looked at the 1942 Penn Pilot web page aerial and again that creek is not obvious if it was in fact there at that time.

A January 28, 1917 article by Billy Bunker which lists who was responsible for golf course architecture in the Philly area for the previous coupla' years mentions;

"Most of the work that was done at LuLu Temple was done by Warren Webb and J. Franklyn Meehan."

Joe:

I'd say that first aerial is probably a Dallin from around the mid 1930s judging from the growth of some of the small trees on the second one that're visible on the first one. By the way, Dallin flew and photographed the area from around 1924 to around 1939.

"TEPaul -
Watch those men with the wide brimmed hats and the funny chin strap when you open up on the T-pike."

Jim:

Do you mean the cops, the fuzz, the Pa Highway Patrol??

Ah, those guys don't concern me. I grew up with speed. I grew up in Daytona Beach Florida and when I was about ten I learned how to smell those guys and just feel when they're around long before one sees them. They couldn't catch me if a week's pay depended on it. I'm harder to catch than Osama.