Stiles and Van Kleek

[Tony_Chapman]

Is there any evidence that these guys did anywork outside of the Northeast? Did they work with Langford and Moreau, by chance? I'm trying to figure some things out about some courses in Nebraska -- would they have ever been here for any reason? Thanks!

[John_Conley]

Lekarica in Florida.  One was based in Florida, no?  I think I read that on Ran's Taconic write-up.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tony,

Are you talking about Omaha CC and the attribution to Stiles/Van Kleek?  

They pretty much had jobs up and down the east coast....for instance, I'm pretty sure that Van Kleek did the Bobby Jones Muni in Atlanta (I Know I read that somewhere once) during the Depression, but I don't know for certain if they ever got out to the midwest or beyond.

[T_MacWood]

Tony
They definitely worked in Florida...I believe they collaborated with Hagen on some projects down there. They also designed a multi-course complex in St. Louis (Norwood Hills?).

What confuses me, is who did what, and where, and when they severed ties. Did they have a similar style or distinctive styles? Did they work together or have separate projects? I wish I knew more about them.

[TEPaul]

Stiles and Van kleek seemed to ply the real estate boom in Florida and when that dried up around the depression they apparently dissolved their partnership.

Stiles worked for us in 1940 under only his own name. I don't know anything about Stiles courses like in the Northeast but the little I do know about him like his recommendations and master plan he gave us in 1940, I'm not that impressed. Perry Maxwell came into our club ahead of him three times in the 1930s and just about everything he did was very impressive which the "test of time" has definitely confirmed.

[Greg Holland]

I believe it is fairly well settled now, that they designed Starmount Forest CC in Greensboro, NC.  Lester George restored it a few years back.  I believe he concluded it was a S & VK from the original drawings, etc.

For  years, the club claimed it was a Perry Maxwell course.  Though, I believe recent materials from the club acknowledge S&VK.

I have seen a 1929 newspaper account that identified S&VK as well, and it had an interview of the construction super who indicated it was S&VK.  

[T_MacWood]

Tony
I don't believe Stiles ever worked with Langford & Moreau.

Another course I've seen associated with Stiles is Radium Springs in Georgia. It was built by Barron Collier (along with a casino) in Albany. The course got a fair amount of publicity in its day.

[Tony_Chapman]

As Mike points out, there are some sources who claim that Stiles and VanKleek (not Langford and Moreau) designed Omaha CC. Maxwell came in and redid the greens sometime in the mid-30s around 1935 -- according to the Tillinghast Society he also consulted there at this time.

I guess I figured that Langford and Moreau did the course when they also designed Happy Hollow Club and the current Ironwood CC (formerly Highland CC). Those three courses all were built in the mid 1920's and it makes sense that the L&M duo did them all.

However, when Dick Daley said in a previous post that he saw very little L&M at Happy Hollow Club it got me thinking about whether Stiles and VanKleek could have done more work in Omaha.

[T_MacWood]

Tony
I was under the impression Omaha CC was Stiles and Van Kleek; Omaha Field Club was Langford or is it the other way around.

I believe Happy Hollow was an old course that Langford revised. Before the Depression the club had 27 holes; I understand it is only 18 at present.

[Nathan Cashwell]

All of my research has shown that S&VK did design Starmount Forest CC in Greensboro (though it's history is a little scuttled).  They are still claiming officially that it is a Maxwell, but I think they're coming around.  Lester George did not do a restoration of the golf course, quite the opposite really.  However, there is also talk that Ross consulted on the original golf course, he was in the area working on Sedgefield CC at the time and old aerial photos I dug up shows a strong similarity to Ross.  Stiles also did another course in the area (Reidsville) and Van Kleek did Lake Lure Muni in N.C.

[Tony_Chapman]

Wayne and Tom - Sorry I have not been able to keep up with your replies as you have been a great help. Here are the sources I have for Omaha CC.

Attribution to Stiles and Van Kleek: http://www.omahagolfguide.com/omahacc.cfm

Attribution to Langford and Moreau (with a Maxwell green redesign): http://omahacc.memfirst.net/club/scripts/golf/view_course.asp?GRP=7&NS=PUBLIC&APP=32

The Omaha CC website is second. Is it possible that Stiles and Van Kleek routed the course in 1925 while Langford and Moreau did a re-work in 1927 when in town designing the other two courses (Happy Hollow and Ironwood CC)? This is the best I can come up with.