Mackenzie in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

[Chris_Clouser]

I am curious if any of our Philly residents might be able to help me with something regarding Elkins Park.  I recently found out that Perry Maxwell and Alister Mackenzie had an office there during their partnership.  I don't have an address or anything but curious if anyone in Philly or Tom Doak might know more about it.

[Vokey]

I do not know about the office, but you may know that Melrose CC in Cheltenham was designed by Maxwell under the name of the MacKenzie/Maxwell design firm. I am a member at Melrose and a copy of the original circa 1925 blue print is in the men's grill.  The legend on the blue print shows "MacKenzie & Maxwell Co." but has no address.  My understanding is that MacKenzie never set foot on the course, but that it was one of Maxwell's first designs outside of the Plains States.  Some of the greens at Melrose have the characteristic "rolls" on small greens.  Much of the course was redesigned in the 1930s when the WPA built the Tookany Creek Parkway, which now passes right through the course.

[Craig_Rokke]

In a press release of sorts from "The Life and Work of Dr Alister Mackenzie", it mentions that, regarding Melrose, "Maxwell has already drawn some tentative plans,
and he and Dr Mackenzie will spend several days going over the property. Then they will decide on the final plan--and work will begin at once." Earlier in the article, it mentions that Mackenzie had met with a member of the construction committee. So it appears that Dr. M. spent at least some time in the Philadelphia area, and he was certainly planning to visit the course site.

[Chris_Clouser]

Craig,

That sounds a little different than the information I was given by the club and a couple of other sources, but from what I have Mackenzie was involved at the tail end of the design and added some suggestions to finish off the course.  No one is sure what he may have added to the design.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to obtain a copy of the Melrose drawing that Vokey makes mention of above.  I have a couple of old aerials though from before the Tookany expansion eliminated part of the course.

[Vokey]

Chris - According to the club history, Maxwell's (or Maxwell's and MacKenzie's) orginal plans for Melrose are in the local archive section of the library at Penn State-Abington (which is in the Meadowbrook area of Abington Township).  I have not called or gone to the college library to check them out.  I will be at Melrose later today, and I will check the copy in the grill room again and report on any more details.

[Tom Doak]

Vokey,

I'd love to know what you find.

Ron Whitten gave me two or three clippings about Melrose and MacKenzie's involvement, some of which were reprinted in our book.  I think the "circa 1925" blueprint you speak of was probably done in 1926, when MacKenzie went through Philadelphia on his way back to England from California.  He and Maxwell had formed their "partnership" when Dr. Mac stopped off in Oklahoma on his way out to California, and Maxwell got him involved at Melrose, which was already routed but not yet underway.

[Chris_Clouser]

Vokey,

Thank you for the info.  I'll see if I can get in contact with someone there.

Tom,

Is there anyway I can get a copy of those clippings?

Chris

[Vokey]

Chris, Tom -

I checked the copy at Melrose.  It has the course map, a chart giving the no. and yardage for each hole, and the following:

     MELROSE COUNTRY CLUB
Philadelphia, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
            designed by
       MacKenzie & Maxwell
           Leeds, England

There is no date on the plan.  The founders of the club acquired the land in 1926 from the Curtis Pubishing Co. (Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, etc.), which had had a corporate "club" on the site for sometime.  The Curtis family resided at the time in Elkins Park, Pa. along with other well to do Philadelphians of the day, such as John Stetson, the Wideners, the Lippincotts, the Cookes.  As an aside, one of the Wideners built the grand home in Elkins Park called "Lynnewood Hall," which, I am not sure, but I believe is the namesake of the Lynnewood Hall event at Huntingdon Valley.  

Starting this year, the Melrose scorecard contains the notation, "Designed by Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell, 1927".  According to the general manager, the basis for the reference to the two designers on the scorecard is primarily the copy of the plan which I have referenced above.

The references on the plan to "Philadelphia" and "Elkins Park" are curious since, technically, Melrose is not located in either.  The postal address for Melrose is Cheltenham, and Melrose is actually located in the Melrose Park section of Cheltenham Township (hence the club's name).  Elkins Park is the village and area of Cheltenham Township located just west and north of Melrose Park, but anyone from the area would never confuse the two because they are quite distinct.  The eastern property line of Melrose runs along the train line which constitutes the border between Cheltenham Township and Philadelphia, but all of Melrose falls in Cheltenham (and Montgomery County), not the City of Philadelphia (or Philadelphia County).

Finally, as you may know, Clinton Robinson did the redesign work that was necessitated by the construction of the Tookany Creek Parkway.  Its interesting to compare the original plan with the present plan.  The order of play is much different today than in the original plan.  Also, while some of Maxwell's holes appear to remain intact entirely, others bear little or no resemblance to the originial plan.  As one might expect, the better, or certainly stouter, holes today seem to be ones not affected by the parkway construction, while the more cramped and less appealing holes are the ones directly on the area affected by the parkway.  Even at that, however, the redesign appears to have employed 16 of Maxwell's original greens sites.  

Tom - I saw your note in the "Confidential Guide" about the "roller coaster" second hole.  Interestingly, that is one of the holes that was not affected in the redesign and which is routed today just as Maxwell originally laid it out.

[Jeff Mingay]

Interesting footnote, that Clinton E. "Robbie" Robinson -- a Canadian who apprenticed under Stanley Thompson -- was brought down to orchestrate the invitable redesign of Melrose.

[Guest]

Any idea if Twining Valley in Montgomery County PA has MacKenzie & Maxwell Co. connection?  The course was built in the early 30’s and is attributed to Jock Mackenzie.

[Mike_Cirba]

Guest;

Unfortunately, Twining Valley does not have the same connection.

Jock Mackenzie was a local pro, who also was partly responsible for the design of Horsham Valley GC almost 25 years later.  

Twining has some very fun and unique holes (haven't been there in a few years), but the property is ultimately too limiting, particularly on the back nine.  

[Chris_Clouser]

Vokey,

Please e-mail me at chris.clouser@aimco.com.  I would like to know who I can contact at the club to get a copy of that plan.  I have talked with the pro shop and the pro and they gave me plenty of information about the course, but weren't sure who I would need to talk with about the plan in the grill.  The pro had to go check whether it was still there or not when I talked with him recently.  I have two aerials of the course from 1938 before the first renovations that I can send to you or post here if anyone is interested in helping me out with that.  But the 16 original greensites is what I have as well in my information.  The two new holes out over the old horsetrack are the only non-original sites.  Also, Philadelphia Golfer had a very good article about the history of the course last year that I have a copy of.  This is one of those courses that I would like to get as much info on as I can for my work on Maxwell.  I also found that article in the Mackenzie bio last night and was curious if anyone had a date on that.  From my information that would have been late in the process of the design when Mackenzie visited the site.  That's why the comment about the preliminary drawings and such surprised me.  

[Vokey]

Chris - I just sent you an e-mail.  If you do not get it for any reason, make another post and I will resend it.

[Mike_Cirba]

I played Melrose for the first time today, and in it's present iteration it's a shortish (5850 yds., par 70) sometimes exacting course on very rolling, somewhat cramped property that is mostly utilized quite well.  It has some similarities to Merion West, in that regard.

I also spent some time studying the Mackenzie/Maxwell routing in the club grill, and my word...that must have been some golf course!  Although it was only 6250 yards (1927) at par 72, it was clear that it would have been worth a special trip back then, simply based on what was on paper and comparing it to the land that had been lost due to 1) roadway creation through the property and 2) the creation of tennis courts.  

What remains is about half of the original course, and most of the original greensites, which are quite a bit of fun.  The holes that exist in their original form include 1,2, 5, 6, 7, 13, 16, 17, & 18.  They include most of the best remaining holes, although the work that was done on a significantly narrowed site ain't bad at all.  

However, I would have loved to have seen what used to be #13, which now plays to the number 4 green.  Players teed off distinctly downhill (from behind the current #18 green...formerly #12) to a fairway bisected by a creek on 3 sides, and then played the approach uphill to the right to a green that is marvelously canted with lots of internal contour.  The current claustrophobic #4 hole is a disappointment, by contrast.  

The original #18 also looked to be a humdinger, a double dogleg playing uphill to the present 9th green.  The creek provided both a lateral and strategic crossing hazard, and the green is benched beautifully into the hillside.

While not quite a "missing link", one can't help but play the really interesting present Melrose course without some degree of longing for what must have been.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

[TEPaul]

I looked closely at Melrose a couple of years ago while officiating a tournament there and recall studying that design plan in the grillroom with MacKenzie/Maxwell, Leeds, England on it. Tried to get some info at the club but couldn't find any leads! I did make a thread about the course (which is probably in the old GCA archives) but I would say this thread has far more information on it.

I felt the original Maxwell/Mackenzie greens were very mild in their internal contours (some had some pretty good slope I believe though, and the course is chopped up some after the parkway rearranged some holes. I think I remember a few of the greens (maybe #18) being out of character (not a term I like to use).

I also remember seeing some bunker formations out in the trees and it appeared that some of the original fairway bunkering might have been designed as "shared hole" fairway bunkering somewhat like LuLu.

Even the old routing (before the parkway) must have been a tight one but one thing I noticed is how lovely the course must have been when the old Driveway was in existence! You can still see parts of it in TommyN's aerial above coming in from the top and winding down to the clubhouse. Today you enter the club from a drive that comes in from the bottom of the aerial.

It may be useful to track Maxwell's other projects in the Philadelphia area as Melrose itself to see if any info turns up on Maxwell and Melrose.

One of these days I would very much like to make a "timeline" of Maxwell's whereabouts in Philly through his career as he may have done plenty of "project combining" around here when he was in the area! Work at Pine Valley, Philly C.C., Gulph Mills, Chester Valley, maybe Saucon or even Merion and some others. All this probably between visits to the Philadelphia orchestra!

Chris, have you figured out the name yet of Maxwell's "Forgotten Man"? Maybe it's giving too much away to mention it on here but if not I wish you would!

By the way, Perry Maxwell was a member of Pine Valley!

[Chris_Clouser]

Tom,

The forgotten man was Dean Woods.  Dean was Maxwell's brother-in-law who was also his lad construction super.  He was a civil engineer in the Arizona copper mines prior to Perry asking if he would help him build and design golf courses.  

I also have two aerial photos of the original course if anyone wants to help me post them.  

Chris

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Chris,
Send them to me and I will get them on ASAP.

tommy_n@earthlink.net

[Chris_Clouser]

Tommy,

I sent you an e-mail.  Let me know if you don't get it.

Chris

[Tommy_Naccarato]

[TEPaul]

Too bad there's no aerial that preceded the Tacony Parkway that chopped up the original course. What year is that one Tommy just posted Chris? Is it a Dallin aerial?

[Chris_Clouser]

Yes, they are dated 1938 according to the Hagley museum.  Both are Dallin photos.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

To me, it looks like the typical stuff MacKenzie seemed to work with so much. small meadering crreks on a scale where he more then likely had numerous holes sharing fairways and the like--you know, back in the days when there was no frivilous law suits for being on a open grass field that has small rubber projectiles flying all about.

I wish I could have experienced those days. The only way to experience it now is to go to the Old Course!:)

[Mike_Cirba]

This is really surprising to me, because I didn't believe the original course was chopped up until at least the mid-40s, and figured that's when Clinton Robinson was brought in.

However, I don't think Robinson did his work until the 70s, and I'm really not sure what he did (perhaps accommodated the tennis courts by rearranging the 10th, 11th, 14th), because it looks from the pics that many of the changes between the original design and the present course were already in place by 1938, a decade after opening!

With that in mind, I wonder who did the work in the 30s?  

Could Maxwell have been back with a shoehorn?

Actually, after viewing this evidence and comparing it with the Mackenzie/Maxwell original drawing, I'm starting to wonder if the course they conceived ever existed.

I say this for two reasons.  On the M/M drawing, the course extended well up into the northeast quadrant of the bottom picture, above and through the area where the roads sort of intersect into an X.  However, that area looks heavily treed and bears no evidence that golf was played there within the decade.

Furthermore, the area on the bottom left of the picture contains at least 2-3 holes, none of which existed on the M/M drawing, nor are they in existence today.  I'm guessing that the club never was able to get the land that they originally wanted in the northeast corner, and built the original course differently than M/M's plans.  

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Mike
Those holes at the bottom look totally non-descript and out of character. Almost like a throw on. In the top aerial there appears to be some old holes in the distance.