Chicago Aerial: Twin Orchards Langford

[Dan Moore]

Fact is I'm not 100% sure what this course is but I have a pretty educated guess, so here goes.  Due to size it is split into two overlapping aerials.  

Unless you were playing over 60 years ago you will not know this one.    It went out of existence within ten years of when this aerial was shot in 1939.  However, if you have ever been to Chicago you have probably seen or been to where this course is located.    

Can you identify the architect?  The course?  

[Jeff_Brauer]

I was just looking at other Chicago golf aerials, and that Y shaped bunker between two greens is a perfect match for one at Mt. Prospect Muni, so they may have the same GCA.  Whitten has no credit for MP, but I suspect it was by Ed Dearie, Jr.

I look forward to an answer on this one. Don't know, but keep em coming.

[Dan Moore]

I believe this is the bunker from Mt. Prospect Muni Jeff is referring to.  Dearie wasn't who I had in mind, but like I said I'm not 100% sure on this one.  

[Dan Moore]

Shivas,

Shackelford's Dream 18 featured a hole or two from this architect.  I can see telltale signs of who it is.

Any thoughts on who it might be?    

[Dave Esler]

Dan,
I believe Im cleared for approach on this one as visibility is excellent.  Course was designed by the most underated GCA in the Midwest.  The shadows of the mounding and depth of bunkering is obvious even in this image.  I have been fortunate over the past several years to work on both courses that this property was ord-dained to become.
Dave Esler

[T_MacWood]

It looks a lot like William Langford (at least part of it) to me.

Twin Orchard?

[Dan Moore]

Located at the intersection of Wolf Road and Bryn Mawr, approximately 7 miles as the plane lands due east of Medinah, Twin Orchard Country Club was condemned in 1947 to make way for O'Hare Field (ORD), the world's busiest airport.  Twin Orchard relocated to Long Grove where it developed the two 18 hole courses that Dave Esler refers to.  

Welcome Dave.  Love to see you participate more!!!

The other aspect, in addition to those cited by Dave, that clinched it for me were the large, generally round greens which are very characteristic of Langford and Moreau.  

This course looks very interesting.  The routing makes good use of the creek and small lake.  For example, look at the two holes on the western side.  On the upper image the top hole on the west see look at how the green is aligned to the angle of attack, very cool.  And on the bottom left see what looks like a double dogleg par 5.  The other thing I notice that seems unique for Langford is the size of some of the bunkers, much larger than what I've seen on other aerials from this time period.  

[T_MacWood]

Twin Orchards was a very long course when it was built in 1924 (6400 yards). It went from private course to public course back to private course before closing and relocating. One of the few Jewish clubs that did not protect their original design.

[Dan Moore]

Tom,

What are you implying?  The north end of the course does look different than the south.  

Regarding Dave's comments about Langford being underated, its interesting that three of the holes on Shackelford's Dream 18 on courses atrributed to other architects were actually holes Langford played a role in designing.  Skokie, Glen Oak and the 12th at Medinah.  If you look at the 1939 aerial of Medinah, the 12th was a dead straight hole.  Jeff Brauer pointed out that Tim Cronin's Medinah history credits Langford with a redo of the 12th hole in 1957 by moving the green to the right and bringing the pond into the picture.  

[Tim_Cronin]

Nice call, Dave. I'm told that the course is essentially where the American Airlines terminal (No. 2? I can't remember) is at O'Hare. Next to the golf course was a small airport called Douglas Field, where Douglas Aircraft had a plant. It was expanded during World War II and eventually renamed Orchard Field, after the course and the hamlet at Higgins and Mannheim (where Rosemont is now). Which, of course, explains the ORD.
To top it off, Ridgemoor, a few miles due east of O'Hare's southern east-west runway, was given the Langford and Moreau treatment in their heyday.
I have seen reference on a map, but have not confirmed, that the Twin Orchard had 27 holes at one time. Any ideas on that?

[T_MacWood]

Dan
Yes. The section of the course near the clubhouse looks different from the lower section. The lower section looks like protypical Langford, the upper section not so much.

[Peter Flory]

I couldn't find anything really relevant to this that was more recent, so I'm reviving a very dormant thread for this.  Also, I figure that Dan Moore probably has more information on this.

I just did a basic coloring of the NLE Langford course- Twin Orchard and put some lines in to show the routing.  I have the image as a transparency over O'Hare, so you may see some of the underlying modern features faintly in the image.

It looks like quite a shame that this course didn't survive.  It's so imaginative.  Once I get it fully unskewed and aligned, I can calculate the yardages with google earth and the pars.  Most of the pars are obvious, but I'm guessing that one or more of the holes in the 450-470 range are short par 5s and not long par 4s.