Lake Wales Country Club - 1925 Seth Raynor

[Rees Milikin]

Lake Wales Country Club (formerly Lake Wales Municipal Golf Course) has long been attributed to Donald Ross as the architect.  However, after doing some research into Lake Wales CC and the surrounding courses, it has become somewhat clear that Seth Raynor is the architect that should get credit for this course.  There are also a few discussions that have taken place here regarding this topic, but wanted to get into greater detail regarding the history & architect of this course:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41932.msg892197.html#msg892197 - Bahto discovery in October of 2009
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50709.msg1154778.html#msg1154778
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57804.msg1356975.html#msg1356975

The first thing to clear up is the Donald Ross claims and if there is any evidence supporting his involvement with the Lake Wales CC.  I have been in contact with Scott Edwards who is spearheading the Florida Historical Golf Trail project and he passed along this information regarding Donald Ross working in the Lake Wales area, but only on the Lake Pierce Estates Golf Course.

This is an email Scott sent to the Tufts Archives:




Advertisement for Donald Ross designing Lake Pierce (Palm Beach Post 12/12/25): http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19251212&id=bClHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0TMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4140,4301713


The 1941 aerial of Lake Pierce Estates Golf Course: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071778/00020/6x?vo=31&vp=2634,774


1941 & 2014 aerial of Lake Pierce Estates Clubhouse (located just northeast of the golf course on Lake Pierce): http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071778/00019/7x?vo=13&vp=1939,1164 & https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lake+Pierce,+Florida/@27.9611998,-81.5372981,423m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x88dd0a7cf3be1503:0xd61164e37024e69



Tufts Archives Lake Pierce routing: http://tuftsarchives.com/vex/vex1/images/3A8A9AAE-5C4C-4CF0-9AF0-850377169780.jpg & http://tuftsarchives.com/vex/vex1/85B025F3-751A-4470-92CC-426027245280.htm


So now that Lake Pierce has been proven to be a Donald Ross course that was actually built and is not Lake Wales CC, the Seth Raynor evidence for Lake Wales CC is below. Also, there has been no documentation pointing to Ross having any involvement with Lake Wales CC.

First are the newspaper articles from late 1924 & early 1925 that attribute the course to Seth Raynor.

St. Petersburg Evening Independent 3/29/24


Tampa Tribune 6/5/24


10/8/24


Tampa Tribune 10/9/24


11/26/24


12/10/24


12/31/24


1/7/25


1/14/25


Tampa Tribune 1/26/25


1/28/25


Tampa Tribune 1/28/25


2/4/25


The Palm Beach Post 2/10/25




The above newspaper articles state nine holes have been opened for play, are in first class condition, and the other nine are laid out ready for construction later this summer/next summer.  The 1925, 26, 27 and 30/31 American Annual Golf Guides list the golf course as 18 holes.
 
As for the construction of the back nine…the 1941 aerial below shows an 18-hole golf course.  Now when exactly the second 9 holes were added is something I haven't been able to find, but it wouldn't surprise me if the second 9 holes were built using Raynor's plans (I think he probably passed away before the second 9 holes were finished).

1941 aerial: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071778/00019/9x?vo=32&vp=1325,2243


2014 aerial: https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8985965,-81.5392005,846m/data=!3m1!1e3


In the southeastern corner of the 1941 aerial there is a Biarritz hole and this happens to be the one hole that doesn't follow the same routing as the 2014 routing.  I also doubt the current greens & bunkering have any resemblance to anything Raynor originally built.  As for template holes I can make out what appears to be Biarritz & Cape holes, and a possible Redan, do you see any other template holes, if so please share your thoughts.

Some old pictures from the course (dates unknown).





Here are some better pictures of the clubhouse, which were taken in 1926



A 1950's images of women putting


Big thanks to Scott Edwards for helping me with my Florida golf history investigations.


Edit 6/22/17 : 1925 magazine Suniland - Advertisement that shows guys playing Lake Wales Municipal Golf Course (not sure what hole this would have been)

[John_Conley]

Wow.  Great work.

[Ben Kodadek]

Very interesting stuff Rees.  Thanks!

[Jonathan Webb]

Lake Wales CC is where I grew up playing the game and the research presented seems spot on with what i've read over the last two years.  Growing up we obviously that it was a Ross golf course, at least the front 9.

While I'm unsure exactly when it was constructed many locals credit local golf pro, Bill Campbell, of designing the back 9 sometime in the 50's or 60's.  I'm currently in China and can't get the aerial from 1941 to load.  Many presume he used a routing that was already developed.

I'd be willing to help with further research if someone wants to send me a PM.

[William_G]

thank you Reese, fantastic

[Sven Nilsen]

Rees-

Nice work, hard to see how this wasn't Raynor.

Sven

[michael j fay]

Thanks for the research Rees. I will see that the log is corrected.

Mike Fay

[DMoriarty]

Thanks for posting all this.

Here is one more thread touching on the same issue:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57584.0.html

[Jeff Bergeron]

This kind of history is so interesting. Thank you.

[Rees Milikin]

Found this picture from a brochure promoting the Lake Wales area and the bunkering definitely has a Raynor look to it, but no date or hole detail is given:

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00008426/00001/2j

[Sven Nilsen]

Found this picture from a brochure promoting the Lake Wales area and the bunkering definitely has a Raynor look to it, but no date or hole detail is given:

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00008426/00001/2j

Rees:

Do you have a date on that brochure?  Would help narrow down when it went to 18 holes.

Sven

[Rees Milikin]

Found this picture from a brochure promoting the Lake Wales area and the bunkering definitely has a Raynor look to it, but no date or hole detail is given:

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00008426/00001/2j

Rees:

Do you have a date on that brochure?  Would help narrow down when it went to 18 holes.

Sven

There is no date given on the UF website or on the brochure, so hard to figure out when this was produced.

[Rees Milikin]

Purchased an old Lake Wales Municipal (CC) postcard.  Pictured is the punchbowl, which thanks to Bret Lawrence's deduction, appears to be the 8th hole.  Photo taken from the 11th fairway.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Rees,

Great work.

With Mountain Lake just a short distance away, it would make sense that Lake Wales would want to engage Raynor's services.

With Raynor passing in 1926, is it possible that Charles Banks was involved at Lake Wales ?

[Rees Milikin]

Rees,

Great work.

With Mountain Lake just a short distance away, it would make sense that Lake Wales would want to engage Raynor's services.

With Raynor passing in 1926, is it possible that Charles Banks was involved at Lake Wales ?

Pat,

I have not found any evidence that Banks (or Ross for that matter) was ever there, but it could be a possibility.  I am hoping to check out the Mountain Lake library later this week to see if I can find any info that hasnt already been presented.

[Sven Nilsen]

One of the articles above notes Ralph Linderman constructed both Mountain Lake and Lake Wales, so I doubt Banks was involved. 

Sven

[Rees Milikin]

One of the articles above notes Ralph Linderman constructed both Mountain Lake and Lake Wales, so I doubt Banks was involved.  

Sven

Sven, thanks for pointing that out b/c I never picked up on his name.  After a little research it appears that Ralph Linderman was the president of the Florida Association of Golf Course Superintendents and based in Lake Wales.

Palm Beach Post 12/19/52

[Bret Lawrence]

Rees,

Great work!  I have a few comments and a question after reading the articles on Lake Wales CC.

Regarding the first article, dated 10/9/1924, the subtitle reads:  "Fine Golf Course at Lake Wales Will Be Ready Next January"

The article goes on to say, that the construction started in August and will be ready January 1st. 
My understanding is, when the author refers to "Next" January, he is referring to the one coming up.  (Not the same way we use it in modern language)

In the second article, dated 1/28/1925, the author states:  "Nine holes have opened for play and are in first class condition and the other nine are laid out ready for construction next summer."

I am not sure if this article was written by the same author, but the article confirms the first nine was built very close to on-schedule.
I am also under the impression that "next summer", means the Summer of 1925.

If the front nine was completed on time and under budget, why don't we think the second nine was built according to the plan laid out in the second article?

Raynor was still alive, R.H. Linderman still lived in Lake Wales and according to the first article:  the golf course "is being pushed to completion by the city of Lake Wales." 

[Bret Lawrence]

In the southeastern corner of the 1941 aerial there is a Biarritz hole and this happens to be the one hole that doesn't follow the same routing as the 2014 routing.  I also doubt the current greens & bunkering have any resemblance to anything Raynor originally built.  As for template holes I can make out what appears to be Biarritz & Cape holes, and a possible Redan, do you see any other template holes, if so please share your thoughts.

I love looking at these older aerials.  It looks like the 1st, 3rd and 15th greens were moved from their original locations.  The 15th green looks like it may have been a Short template.  The 12th looks like it may have been a Redan.  In the earlier threads, George believed 3 was the Biarritz and 5 was the Eden.  Makes sense to me.  Of course, these are just my views, not necessarily correct?

What happened to the 16th green?  It reminds me of an Ellio's French Bread Pizza.

[Jonathan Webb]

Symetra Tour is playing at LWCC this week and under course info they mentioned Ross / Raynor

http://www.symetratour.com/golf/tournaments/symetra/florida-s-natural-charity-classic/course-info.aspx

Wonder who did the write-up?

[Ken Fry]

Rees,

I'm very late in responding to your post but wonderful research!  The next time I'm at Mountain Lake I'm planning on stopping in to Lake Wales, although I see Donald Ross' name is permanently attached to the course logo....

Ken

[Bret Lawrence]

Rees,

I came across an old brochure for Seaboard Airline Railway dated 1925-1926.  Lake Wales was listed as 18 holes, 6,396 yards.  A private course called Highland Park Golf Club is also listed for Lake Wales.

Here is a clip of the brochure:



Bret

[Bret Lawrence]

Rees,

I should also mention that Fort Pierce Golf and Country Club is included in this list (under Fort Pierce). At the time of publishing this brochure, Fort Pierce was listed as only 9 holes, 3007 yards.  This listing makes me think that the back nine at Lake Wales Municipal was completed by 1926 and Fort Pierce was still working on their back nine.  All of this would correlate with the timeline in your articles. 

I know this doesn't exactly prove anything, but it does correlate with your information from the The American Annual Golf Guides

Here is the Fort Pierce listing:


Bret

[Rees Milikin]

In the southeastern corner of the 1941 aerial there is a Biarritz hole and this happens to be the one hole that doesn't follow the same routing as the 2014 routing.  I also doubt the current greens & bunkering have any resemblance to anything Raynor originally built.  As for template holes I can make out what appears to be Biarritz & Cape holes, and a possible Redan, do you see any other template holes, if so please share your thoughts.

I love looking at these older aerials.  It looks like the 1st, 3rd and 15th greens were moved from their original locations.  The 15th green looks like it may have been a Short template.  The 12th looks like it may have been a Redan.  In the earlier threads, George believed 3 was the Biarritz and 5 was the Eden.  Makes sense to me.  Of course, these are just my views, not necessarily correct?

What happened to the 16th green?  It reminds me of an Ellio's French Bread Pizza.

Bret,

Scott Edwards from the Florida Historic Golf Trail sent me the following 6/8/1930 Tampa Tribune article, which pretty much affirms your assessment for three of the four par 3 holes:
#3 - Biarritz - 225 yards
#5 - Eden - 167 yards
#15 - Short - 135 yards

[Bret Lawrence]

Rees,


Is it possible that the first photograph you posted is the 12th Hole?  The picture I'm referring to has the writing 347 On the Municipal Golf Course, Lake Wales, FL.


This picture shows a tee marker directly above the word Municipal.  You can also see what appears to be the flagstick on the green.  Being able to see the tee marker and green at the same time makes me think this is a Par 3.  It also appears to match many features that can be seen on the 1941 aerial you posted, such as the cross bunker being in line with a short and stout tree to the right of the fairway. 


Could this be the 12th hole?


Bret