Bendelow - 1897 and 1898

[Sven Nilsen]

The following piece from the Sept. 2, 1898 edition of The Sun notes that Tom Bendelow had laid out 83 golf courses in a year and 8 months.  Anyone care to take a guess as to what they were?

For starters, in addition to the private course for Philip Small noted in the article, Bendelow had recently laid out a 9 hole course at Newport near Second Beach.  The course was built for members of the Newport CC who lived well east of the course, and wanted a playing ground closer to their homes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

[abmack]

Intersting

[Sven Nilsen]

Here's the ASGCA list for 1897 and 1898.  By my count that is only 40 courses.

Bellerive Country Club (St. Louis Field Club)   St. Louis, Missouri   1897
Chappaqua Golf Club   Chappaqua, New York   1897
Chestnut Hill Golf Course   Montclair, New Jersey   1897
Dyker Beach Golf Course (Marine and Field Golf Course)   Brooklyn, New York   1897
Forest Hills Field Club   Newark, New Jersey   1897
Hendricks Field Golf Course   Belleville, New Jersey   1897
Morris County Country Club   Morristown, New Jersey   1897
Mount Pleasant Field Club   Sing Sing, New York   1897
Nyack Country Club   Nyack, New York   1897
Oswego Golf Club   Oswego, New York   1897
Roselle Casino Golf Course   Roselle, New Jersey   1897
Tuscumbia Country Club   Green Lake, Wisconsin   1897
Yahnundasis Golf Course   New Hartford, New York   1897
Bernardsville Golf Club   Bernardsville, New Jersey   1898
Century Country Club   The Bronx, New York   1898
Columbia Golf and Country Club   Chevy Chase, Maryland   1898
East Orange Golf Club   Short Hills, New Jersey   1898
Eastern Point Golf Club   Groton, Connecticut   1898
Eastern Point Golf Club   Newport, Rhode Island   1898
Essex County Country Club (East Course)   West Orange, New Jersey   1898
Golf Club of Lakewood   Lakewood, New Jersey   1898
Hillside Golf and Tennis Club   Plainfield, New Jersey   1898
Hilmetia Golf Club   Hilmetia, New Jersey   1898
Lawrence Harbor Country Club   Morgan, New Jersey   1898
Littlefield Golf Club   Littlefield, Connecticut   1898
Mohawk Golf Club   Schenectady, New York   1898
Montclair Golf Course   West Orange, New Jersey   1898
Nutley Golf Club   Nutley, New Jersey   1898
Park Golf Club   North Plainfield, New Jersey   1898
Pelham Manor Golf Course   Westchester, New York   1898
Plainfield Golf Club, West Course   Edison, New Jersey   1898
Private Course for Mr. Stittson, Tuxedo Park Estate   Sturlington, New York   1898
Rockaway Hunting Club   Cedarhurst Long Island, New York   1898
Saginaw Country Club   Saginaw, Michigan   1898
South Wilton Golf Club   South Wilton, Connecticut   1898
Stonehenge Golf Club   Norwalk, Connecticut   1898
Washington Golf Club   Washington, Connecticut   1898
Waveland Golf Course   Chicago, Illinois   1898
Williamsport Country Club   Williamsport, Pennsylvania   1898

In other news, it turns out Bendelow laid out the original 18 hole course at Happy Hollow in 1907.  The ASGCA listing gives a date of 1925, which might coincide with his addition of a new 9 holes.

[Sven Nilsen]

Things that make you go hmmm:

In 1904, Bendelow laid out an 18 hole course for the Des Moines CC that was to measure 6,827 yards (later reports have a number of 6,022 yards for the course, so it sounds like the proposal was scaled back).  At the time this was to be the longest course in the world, and was to be built at that length in reaction to the introduction of the Haskell golf ball.  For the next several years, Bendelow was a proponent of building courses at the 6,800 yard mark, a yardage well north of the 6,200 number proposed by CBM for the ideal golf course.

Sven

[Bret Lawrence]

Sven,

I'm not sure where the ASGCA got Littlefield from.  I think it is a typo for Litchfield Golf Club.  Litchfield had two clubs in 1898:The Litchfield Club and The Litchfield Golf Club.  According to "The Official Golf Guide of 1899", The Litchfield Club was designed by Tom Bendelow in March of 1898.  I couldn't find any references to The Litchfield Club, but when I asked Stuart for an updated list of CT courses, he believed Bendelow had also designed The Litchfield Golf Club in 1897. 

I also have written down Norwalk Golf Club was designed by A.G. Spalding company in October 1898.  Norwalk also had two courses in 1898. Stonehenge being the other.  I unfortunately did not write down the source for this, so it may not be of much help to you, but I know it came from one of the early golf guides!

This list also helps explain why Eastern Point Golf Club in Groton changed their name to Shennecossett.  Considering their was a course by the same name right next door in Rhode Island.

What surprises me about Tom Bendelows' list of courses,is that he only built two courses in Rhode Island and there are zero courses listed in Massachusetts.  It's hard to believe he never built anything around Chicopee/Springfield area, where Spalding had its headquarters for some time.

It's also hard to believe that Tom Bendelow never designed anything for Greenwich Country Club (Fairfield County Golf Club).  Julian Curtiss laid out the first 5 holes with his brother and neighbor in 1893 and in 1908 Lawrence Van Etten was there to redesign the course.  I would imagine someone had to make the 5 holes into 9.  I'm just surprised that if Julian Curtiss had that much faith in him, then why wouldn't he ask him to work on his home course? Or did he?

 

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven,

I'm not sure where the ASGCA got Littlefield from.  I think it is a typo for Litchfield Golf Club.  Litchfield had two clubs in 1898:The Litchfield Club and The Litchfield Golf Club.  According to "The Official Golf Guide of 1899", The Litchfield Club was designed by Tom Bendelow in March of 1898.  I couldn't find any references to The Litchfield Club, but when I asked Stuart for an updated list of CT courses, he believed Bendelow had also designed The Litchfield Golf Club in 1897. 

I also have written down Norwalk Golf Club was designed by A.G. Spalding company in October 1898.  Norwalk also had two courses in 1898. Stonehenge being the other.  I unfortunately did not write down the source for this, so it may not be of much help to you, but I know it came from one of the early golf guides!

This list also helps explain why Eastern Point Golf Club in Groton changed their name to Shennecossett.  Considering their was a course by the same name right next door in Rhode Island.

What surprises me about Tom Bendelows' list of courses,is that he only built two courses in Rhode Island and there are zero courses listed in Massachusetts.  It's hard to believe he never built anything around Chicopee/Springfield area, where Spalding had its headquarters for some time.

It's also hard to believe that Tom Bendelow never designed anything for Greenwich Country Club (Fairfield County Golf Club).  Julian Curtiss laid out the first 5 holes with his brother and neighbor in 1893 and in 1908 Lawrence Van Etten was there to redesign the course.  I would imagine someone had to make the 5 holes into 9.  I'm just surprised that if Julian Curtiss had that much faith in him, then why wouldn't he ask him to work on his home course? Or did he?

Bret:

I have the same information that you have on the two Litchfield clubs, and agree that there is a typo in the ASGCA list.

The Norwalk information comes from the 1900 Harper's Guide.  Don't have the information at hand, but I'm not sure if he was working for Spaulding at that time, or if he was engaged as the pro at Van Cortlandt.

The Eastern Point reference for RI is interesting.  I don't believe it appears in any of the early guides (the CT course is), and I wonder if this is the course at Second Beach that I referenced in my first post.

Your last two points raise some questions, but make me wonder if there was just too much work available in the NYC area leading up until 1900, and TB didn't need to travel that far to keep busy.  This, of course, changed when he moved his base to Chicago, and started spreading the game across the country.

Although his influence on lasting design principles may be considered negligible (although some of his later work is quite exemplary), his role in the development of the game in this country up until World War I is unparalleled.

Sven

[Jim_Kennedy]

http://www.litchfieldcc.net/history/100th%20Anniversary%20History.pdf

[Jim_Kennedy]

Bendelow in action. My favorite: "Ball in a bad position". 

http://tinyurl.com/kcea7z9

[Jim_Kennedy]

Additions:
CC of Scranton -  Scranton Pa (Oops,1896)
Foxhills - Staten Island  w/ A G. Griffiths
Somerset Inn - Bernardsville NJ
Patchogue - personal course for Durkee

[Sven Nilsen]

Here is the image from Jim's link of Bendelow in action:

[Jim_Kennedy]

Here's a few more for you Sven:

Morris Cty. GC - NJ (planned w/ Willie Wier, W. F. Davis and H. M Way)

Nine holes in Newport RI near Second Beach for members of NCC who were tired of crossing the river and traveling 6 miles to the club.

Eagle Lake NY - W/Willie Dunn

Personal courses in York Pa. for Phillip A. Small and also one for Grier Herab, who was Pres of Nat. Bank of NY.

Six holes in Huntington LI within sight of the bay

Personal for Ben Stern (2,300yds), adjoining CC of Westchester

...and this: a 2673 yd course for at the Maplewood Farm of J. R. Dutcher in Pawling NY (sounds like present day Dutcher GC)
 

[Bret Lawrence]

Bret:

I have the same information that you have on the two Litchfield clubs, and agree that there is a typo in the ASGCA list.

The Norwalk information comes from the 1900 Harper's Guide.  Don't have the information at hand, but I'm not sure if he was working for Spaulding at that time, or if he was engaged as the pro at Van Cortlandt.

The Eastern Point reference for RI is interesting.  I don't believe it appears in any of the early guides (the CT course is), and I wonder if this is the course at Second Beach that I referenced in my first post.

Your last two points raise some questions, but make me wonder if there was just too much work available in the NYC area leading up until 1900, and TB didn't need to travel that far to keep busy.  This, of course, changed when he moved his base to Chicago, and started spreading the game across the country.

Although his influence on lasting design principles may be considered negligible (although some of his later work is quite exemplary), his role in the development of the game in this country up until World War I is unparalleled.

Sven

Sven,

I thought about him being so busy in the NYC area also.  However, he did travel to Groton and he did travel to Newport.  So, I just wonder if some of these missing courses lie in between The NYC area and Newport?  Along the coast a lot of courses were being developed in that same time frame.  Many of these same courses do not have names associated with them. 

I wish I had a list like Jim, where I could keep firing out names, but I can only give you some ideas on where to search!

Also, if Tom Bendelow wasn't designing golf courses for Spalding, then who was?  Do you know if Robert D. Pryde ever had any association with Spalding?  I only ask, because he would have ran in the same circles as Julian Curtiss at Yale and they would have worked together to form the CSGA.  Robert Pryde was known as the expert in the area in the early 1900's.  He had designed many early rudimentary courses starting at New Haven in 1895 and working well into the 1900's.  His courses also became bigger and better as the golf improved.

I also agree 100% with the last statement.

Jim,

Litchfield certainly had an interesting early history.  You can also find in the history section of the club website, a link called "Early Years Narrative":

http://www.litchfieldcc.net/history/The%20Country%20Club%20Founding%20History.pdf

It was written around 1937 or 1938 by James Kip Finch.  Finch was the head of the White Memorial Foundation at the time. (Litchfield Country Club is located within the Foundations borders) He also taught engineering at Columbia University.  He started Camp Columbia in Morris, CT, which was a summer engineering school.  In the summer of 1924, the students of Camp Columbia surveyed the golf course.  This survey map still exists at the club and can be viewed on the same page:

http://www.litchfieldcc.net/history/history.htm#1924map

You will also find James Kip Finch identifies Robert D. Pryde, of New Haven, the designer of the golf course that still exists today

[Ed Homsey]

 March 4, 1897  NY Sun item reported a match between Tom Bendelow and Walter Travis, with Travis winning the two round game by just one stroke.  The articles goes on to report that "in the morning, Travis and Bendelow journeyed to the links of the Flushing Athletic Club and designed the course.  The course consists of nine holes and is about 2,300 yards the entire length....".  Further, the news item indicated that the course would be used by members of the Oakland Club during a period of time when the Oakland course is closed.

The ASGCA includes the "Yahnundasis Golf Course" in New Hartford, NY.  If that listing refers to the current Yahnundasis Golf Club, I believe it is inaccurate.  The first two courses at Yahnundasis was designed by their greenskeepers.  The third course was credited to George Low, and fourth course, to Walter Travis and Sherriill Sherman.  In none of the early Yahnundasis history ist Bendelow mentioned.

[Sven Nilsen]

Anyone have any idea what course is referred to in this March 1912 The American Golfer article?  It appears in a write up of the 12 courses laid out by Bendelow in California on his last visit.

[Bret Lawrence]

Anyone have any idea what course is referred to in this March 1912 The American Golfer article?  It appears in a write up of the 12 courses laid out by Bendelow in California on his last visit.

Sven, 

I believe the course was called Midwick Countey Club, here is a link from the city of Alhambra:

http://www.cityofalhambra.org/imagesfile/file/201311/midwickcountryclub.pdf

Here is a quote from a KCET TV article on location in Alhambra, CA

"Alhambra and Monterey Park are, for the most part, divided by the 10 freeway, with the exception of one part of western Alhambra. This section extends south of the 10, and was once home to a large golf course called the Midwick Country Club. Built in 1912, it was considered one of the finest country clubs in Southern California. The club was gone by the Second World War, but for a period it attracted Hollywood stars and local luminaries. The only thing left of the country club is Granada Park, with its large hillside grass. The rest of the area is now homes, though the mansions that once stood on Fremont Avenue, just west of the Midwick Country Club, have all but vanished. Phil Specter's infamous castle is just north of the 10 freeway in Alhambra, and a big monumental arch at the corner of Valley and Fremont says "Alhambra" on it."

[Sven Nilsen]

Anyone have any idea what course is referred to in this March 1912 The American Golfer article?  It appears in a write up of the 12 courses laid out by Bendelow in California on his last visit.

Sven, 

I believe the course was called Midwick Countey Club, here is a link from the city of Alhambra:

http://www.cityofalhambra.org/imagesfile/file/201311/midwickcountryclub.pdf

Here is a quote from a KCET TV article on location in Alhambra, CA

"Alhambra and Monterey Park are, for the most part, divided by the 10 freeway, with the exception of one part of western Alhambra. This section extends south of the 10, and was once home to a large golf course called the Midwick Country Club. Built in 1912, it was considered one of the finest country clubs in Southern California. The club was gone by the Second World War, but for a period it attracted Hollywood stars and local luminaries. The only thing left of the country club is Granada Park, with its large hillside grass. The rest of the area is now homes, though the mansions that once stood on Fremont Avenue, just west of the Midwick Country Club, have all but vanished. Phil Specter's infamous castle is just north of the 10 freeway in Alhambra, and a big monumental arch at the corner of Valley and Fremont says "Alhambra" on it."

Bret:

I have Midwick as a Norman MacBeth/Willie Watson design in 1913, with Bendelow coming in later to redesign some of the greens.  Do you have anything that ties Bendelow to Midwick as the original designer?

Sven

[Jim_Kennedy]

If you search in some of the past threads you'll see Midwick listed as  Macbeth (1911) w/a remodel by Bell in 1929(TMac), A Watson original remodeled by William P. Bell (Tommy N.), a new set of grass greens by AWT in 1919 (Phil Young), and many others.

Didn't see Bendelow mentioned, but I didn't go through all the threads.

[Bret Lawrence]

Anyone have any idea what course is referred to in this March 1912 The American Golfer article?  It appears in a write up of the 12 courses laid out by Bendelow in California on his last visit.

Bret:

I have Midwick as a Norman MacBeth/Willie Watson design in 1913, with Bendelow coming in later to redesign some of the greens.  Do you have anything that ties Bendelow to Midwick as the original designer?

Sven

Sven,

I'm sorry, I was just trying to identify the course you mentioned according to geographic area.  The Ramona Convent still exists in Alhambra and it sits next to Granada Park.  The only source I have that links Bendelow to Midwick Country Club is Stuart Bendelow's Book, and his source is American Park Builders, Golf Courses by the American Park Builder, 1926.  I don't have access to this source so I can not verify it.

In regards to the two early Litchfield courses, I never asked Stuart for a source regarding the 1897 course, so I have never found any information to verify that course was done by Bendelow.

[Bret Lawrence]

Somehow I put my quote under Sven's quote, not sure how to modify it.  Newbie Mistake