Chris,
No, I do not have Nyack CC on Tom Bendelow's listing. I have been able to document some 550 original designs by Tom Bendelow to date. I have a couple of dozen other courses or locations that I think he may have had a hand in, especially layouts that he may have done in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Records on who designed many of there early layouts is unfortunately very scare. I believe he was responsible for many early courses in the NY & NJ area during his early days with A.G.Spalding & Bros.
I would appreciate any information you come across on Tom Bendelow's work.
Best regards.
Stuart
Stuart,
I have just completed reading your book about Tom Bendelow and I really enjoyed it. I noticed that only 4 golf courses in Connecticut were associated with your grandfather. Unfortunately, one of those four courses was not laid out by Tom Bendelow. Stonybrook Golf Course, in Litchfield, CT was not built until 1965, when Al Zikorus designed 9 holes. I grew up in Litchfield and always heard it was built in the 60's. I verified this by checking courses designed by Al Zikorus and by looking at the 1934, 1951 and 1965 CT Aerial photos. There is no golf course in 1934 or 1951, but there is in 1965. I think Whitten and Cornish made a mistake on this one.
I figured if I was going to to take a course away from your list, I would do my best to try and replace it. So, in my research on CT golf courses, I came across "The Official Golf Guide of 1899". If you look under Connecticut in this golf guide, you will find Tom Bendelow was at The Litchfield Club in March of 1898. This is one listed in your book, but it is under the date of 1893. My understanding of the Litchfield Country Club is that they incorporated as a tennis club back in 1893. According to the 1899 Golf Guide, The Litchfield Golf Club was organized and incorporated in 1897, when they broke from the tennis club in order to pursue golf. The tennis club followed a year later, when in March of 1898, Tom Bendelow designed a 9 hole course for the Litchfield Club. In 1916, both clubs merged together and abandoned their respective golf courses for a new one. The new one was built in 1917 by Robert D. Pryde. This is the course that still exists today.
"The Official Golf Guide of 1899" also mentions:
In 1898-Tom Bendelow laid out 9 holes for South Wilton Golf Course in Wilton, CT
In 1898-Tom Bendelow redesigned The Washington Club (Washington, CT), which was originally a short course laid out by F.E. Heath in 1896.
In 1898-Tom Bendelow laid out 9 holes for Stonehenge Golf Course in Norwalk, CT
In 1898 or 1899-Tom Bendelow laid out 9 holes at Eastern Point Golf Course, which would become Shennecossett Golf Course. This course still exists, but it was later redesigned by Donald Ross.
In 1899-Norwalk Golf Club had 9 holes laid out by A.G. Spalding Company.
In cross referencing golf guides from other years other possible courses include:
Danbury Golf Club had a hole named "Sporty", just like its neighbor Ridgefield Golf Club, which was designed by Bendelow
Norfolk Downs Golf Club, which is now Norfolk Country Club was described as a "sporty", little 2,100 yard course in a 1900 "Connecticut Magazine" reporting on The Golf Clubs of Connecticut.
Orford Golf Club in South Manchester, CT was also described as "sporty" in the same "Connecticut Magazine" article. Orford Golf Club was located where Manchester High School currently exists. The Cheneys of Manchester abandoned this course around 1915 or 1916 and started the Manchester Country Club in 1917. Talking to members of Manchester Country Club, they say your grandfather was responsible for the long nine at Manchester. When he built the course in 1917, it measured 3,266 yards, Par 37. Many of these holes are still intact. Under the current routing of the course, his holes would be 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. Today his 9 holes would measure 3, 777 and a Par of 39. The first four holes have not been altered much. 14 and 15 were made into Par 5's. I believe 16 was moved to the west, when they built a driving range. 17 and 18 I am not sure how much the holes have been reworked, but they have many similarities to the 1934 CT aerial photo of the course. I might add, its always been a really fun golf course to play.
I'm not sure if you have located any of these courses since your book has been published several years ago, but I thought I would throw them out there, in case you hadn't.