History's Mysteries

[Sven Nilsen]

Check the Dec. 9, 1916 New York Times, which notes Tillinghast laying out a 9 hole course.

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #14 - Sea Girt and Spring Lake CC

Anyone ever heard of this one?

Dec. 1908 Golfers Magazine -

[Phil Young]

Sven, what 9-hole course is that NY Times article referring to?

[Joe Bausch]

Yes, I've heard of Sea Girt. 

This from the Sept 6, 1908 edition of the Public Ledger:



And the place still seems to be around in 1915 (Aug 1, 1915 Phila Inquirer):

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven, what 9-hole course is that NY Times article referring to?

Phil:

Here's the thread where MacWood cited the article:  http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,44119.0.html

Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #15 - The Racetrack Courses of Memphis

After the turn of the century horse racing was banned in Memphis, TN.  One of the racetracks affected was Driving Park, located in North Memphis.  There was a golf club and a course associated with the location, known as the Driving Park GC.  There's a reference to the course in the 1908 Golfers Guide, as well as several mentions in various Who's Who compendiums.

Another racetrack course is noted as having existed in Montgomery Park.  The club was known as the Tri-State Club, and was laid out by Jack Edrington.  I have found no record of this course in any of the golf guides, but it is referenced in other works without reference to the golf course.

What is curious to me is that this would have been the second of two golf course to have been built in Montgomery Park.  The first was laid out in 1898 and was absorbed into the Memphis GC.

So what happened to the Tri-State Club?

Oct. 1909 Golf Magazine -

[Bret Lawrence]

Sven,

I haven't really found anything regarding the Tri-State Club.  However, the Memphis history site has a lot of information regarding Montgomery Park. 

According to the history, Montgomery Park was sold to The City of Memphis in 1912, several years after gambling was outlawed in Tennessee.  The City of Memphis purchased all of the buildings in Montgomery Park from The New Memphis Jockey Club. 

Montgomery Park became the permanent location for the Tri-State Fair and the name of the park was changed to Fairgrounds Park.  At one point these grounds were also home to the Libertyland Amusement Park.  Today the site of Montgomery Park houses the Liberty Bowl Stadium, the Mid-South Coliseum and several other attractions.

I will keep looking for info on the Tri-State Club, but I have a feeling this location did not last long.  I also noticed that Overton Park Golf Course was opened in 1911-1912. Not sure if this was spurred by the closing of the other course?

Here is an aerial of the site from the 1930's:


Bret

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #16 - Marin County's Airplane And Golf Club

Tucked up in Marin County is the small town of Olema, where in 1929 there were plans to build a combination aviation and golf club.  The course was to be designed by William Bell.

I have no idea if the course was ever built.

Sausalito News - March 22, 1929 -





Golf Illustrated - May 1929

[Rich Goodale]

Whilst we are getting the attention of the creme de la creme of gca.com historians, how about these mysteries which are close to my heart....

1.  The pre-OTM 9 hole course at Dornoch (c<1875).  According to the history (Gordon), golf had been played from at least 1616.  What did it look like when OTM arrived and who made it look the way it did then?
2.  Myopia HC was orginially founded in the place where I spent the first 3 years of my life (Winchester. MA).  I know the founders played baseball and tennis on the site.  Did they play any golf there too before they moved to Hamilton, and if so what did it look like and who designed it?
3.  I moved in 1950 from Winchester to Darien, CT, which had/has a golf course (Wee Burn CC) originally designed by Deverauex Emmet.  The original "Wee Burn" was in Noroton, a mile or two away from the curernt site.  Any plans, routings, history of the original course?
4.  When I spent a couple of years in Silicon Valley (2000-2012) my family frequented Capitola (just south of Pasateimpo, and learned that there was a plan for a "cxhampionship" course there in the "Roaring Twenties."  Anybody know who was inolved or what happened to it?
5.  Finally, my current "home" club is Aberdour, and it's original 9-holeer was apparently a mile or two NorthWest of the current course and was designed by Willie Park, Jr. (who had done the nearby Burntisland GC course in the late 1890's).  Any more information from anybody on that potential factotum?

Thanks to all

Rich

[Sven Nilsen]

Rich:

Here's what I have on the early Wee Burn.

Reports of golf being played on Noroton field as early as 1893. 
USGA 1898 Allied club. 
1899 Guide and 1900 Harper's note course laid out by George Strath in April, 1897.
One  of the 12 founding clubs of the CSGA in 1899. 
Jan. 1898 Golf Magazine notes purchase of 9 additional acres and alterations planned by George Strath to extend course from 2,077 to 2,714 yards. 
April 1901 Golf Magazine notes club organized in 1896 and has a 9 hole 2,775 yard course. 
Feb. 1907 Golfers Magazine notes course to be lengthened from 2,700 to 3,196 yards. 
April 1907 Golf Magazine notes 9 hole course to be rearranged and to be over 3,000 yards. 
March 1908 Golf Magazine great changes made recently and course looked over by Findlay Douglas, J. H. T. McMurtrie and C. H. Seely who walked over the course to make suggestions on the placement of hazards.

No early plans (you might check the Maps and Plans thread), but here are some old photos from the April 1901 edition of Golf Magazine:

[Sven Nilsen]

As for Capitola, there was a course known as Capitola G&CC.  My only record for it is from a 1938 Golfer's Year Book, which provides little information other than it was located in Capitola-By-The-Sea.

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #17 - St. Paul's Employee's Course

Brown & Bigelow, famous for its Norman Rockwell calendars, built a course around its plant in St. Paul around 1927.

I'm curious if this course survived in any fashion over the years, or if the leaner years to come saw its demise.

Jan. 1927 Golf Illustrated -

[Bret Lawrence]

Rich,

The Compilation of Maps and Routings Thread has a layout of Wee Burn from 1897.  You can find the same map posted in replies 315 or 622.

The older Wee Burn club hosted the CT Amateur in 1900 and 1906.  Here is some information on Wee Burn Golf Club from Connecticut Magazine-1900:





Bret

[Rick Shefchik]

Mystery #17 - St. Paul's Employee's Course

Brown & Bigelow, famous for its Norman Rockwell calendars, built a course around its plant in St. Paul around 1927.

I'm curious if this course survived in any fashion over the years, or if the leaner years to come saw its demise.

Jan. 1927 Golf Illustrated -

My friend and former colleague Joe Bissen has written a terrific book about NLE courses in Minnesota called "Fore! Gone." (2014, Five Star Publishing, available on Amazon.) In it he devotes a short chapter to the B&B course called Quality Park. It was designed by Tom Vardon, opened in 1925 and hosted at least one tournament for local pros. Willie Kidd, head pro at Interlachen, won a 36-hole event there with a course record 103 (-3), which included a hole in one. It's not clear how long the course lasted; it's now the site of a Target store on University Avenue in St. Paul.

[Rich Goodale]

Rich,

The Compilation of Maps and Routings Thread has a layout of Wee Burn from 1897.  You can find the same map posted in replies 315 or 622.

The older Wee Burn club hosted the CT Amateur in 1900 and 1906.  Here is some information on Wee Burn Golf Club from Connecticut Magazine-1900:





Bret

Brret (and Sven) thanks for the info and particularly for the link to the compilation thread.  I now know exactly where the original WBCC was located, and the certainly isn't any remnant of the man-made works.  The "Wee Burn" still exists.  It is called Stony Brok.

Rich

[Jim_Kennedy]

From an old thread:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,22499.0/wap2.html

Sean_Tully:
 Wauhilla Aviation Country Club

Planned and construction started in the spring of 1930, have not found anymore info on the course as I am focusing on the earlier years of California golf.

Was to be designed by William P. Bell (Sr.) in Marin County near Olema(West side). Wauhilla had a very novel idea in that they had plans for the members to fly into the course from numerous airports in the western states. From San Francisco it would have been a 20 minute flight.

The times must have been pretty damn good just prior to the depression as the scope for the Wauhilla project shows just how big the ideas were at the time. It seems that with Sandhills in 1995 we saw the second coming of a golf course that would be accessed primarily by air.

Tully

[MCirba]

Rihc Goodale,

As I recall, one of the founding members of Myopia had a small golf course on his estate (Appleton?), but the course where it is today is the first one the club built.   I can go back and dig up more info if you'd find it helpful.   

[Rich Goodale]

Rihc Goodale,

As I recall, one of the founding members of Myopia had a small golf course on his estate (Appleton?), but the course where it is today is the first one the club built.   I can go back and dig up more info if you'd find it helpful.   

Miek

Good to hear from you!

http://www.winchestermass.org/myopiahistory.html

As per above, it is clear that Myopia was founded in Winchester and then moved to Hamilton after a few years.  Give the fact that the site of the old club was pretty much adjacent to the current Winchester Country Club, I wonder if those myopic teenagers ever thought about building a golf course on that original land?

Rich

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #18 - Kirchner and Ellenville

Golf in Ellenville, NY started around 1899 with Tom Bendelow laying out the Ellenville GC, noted as being connected with the Terwilliger's Hotel.  The 1901 Harpers Guide notes a course of a different name (Mount Meenagha GC), which might have been the same as the Terwillger's course.

In 1909, Golf Magazine reported that Charles Kirchner had laid out a short course in Ellenville.  I have no other record of this course, and am curious as to Kirchner's identity.

Golf Magazine - Dec. 1909

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #19 - Golden Gate Park

Early reports note two separate efforts to build a course in or near Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

The first plan was reported in the May 1902 edition of Golf Magazine.  I don't think this course was ever built.



The second course was described a Nov. 1911 American Golfer article.  The timing doesn't match up with any courses for which I have a record in San Francisco. 

[MCirba]

Miek

Good to hear from you!

http://www.winchestermass.org/myopiahistory.html

As per above, it is clear that Myopia was founded in Winchester and then moved to Hamilton after a few years.  Give the fact that the site of the old club was pretty much adjacent to the current Winchester Country Club, I wonder if those myopic teenagers ever thought about building a golf course on that original land?

Rich

Rich,

I don't think the timing was right for those Myopians to have been so golf-focused that early.   My understanding of golf in and around Boston is that it primarily began as described in the following two wonderful articles;

http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/AmericanGolfer/1909/ag13i.pdf

http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/AmericanGolfer/1918/ag195e.pdf

Great to hear from you, as well!

[MCirba]

Sven,

It appears that some of the original 1904 Rock Creek Park course was indeed incorporated into the course that opened in the 1920s.   I'll post more later but some of you might be amused to learn that Rock Creek Park muni is where The Lurker started playing the game.

[Sven Nilsen]

Mystery #20 - What did Wilkinson do in Maryland?

A March 1923 Golf Illustrated article notes the activity of Williard Wilkinson in the state of Maryland.  I have not seen any record of Wilkinson having worked in the state before, and have only heard of one of the four courses noted in the article.

Chesapeake CC (Annapolis) - Was this course ever built?  Did it become known by another name?

Severn River Valley location - No idea as to what course this is referring to.

Wicomico CC - Have never heard of a club by this name.

Hagerstown CC - Have a record for 9 holes being added to this course in 1923, but did not know it was Wilkinson.

[Bret Lawrence]

Sven,

The last article you posted describes Chesapeake Country Club as situated on three hundred forty-one acres flanked on one side by the Chespeake Bay and on another by Ogleton Lake.

This sounds exactly like Annapolis Roads: 341 acres flanked by the Chesapeake Bay on one side and Lake Ogleton on the other.

The Annapolis Roads history never mentions a course prior to the Charles Banks course.

Bret

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven,

The last article you posted describes Chesapeake Country Club as situated on three hundred forty-one acres flanked on one side by the Chespeake Bay and on another by Ogleton Lake.

This sounds exactly like Annapolis Roads: 341 acres flanked by the Chesapeake Bay on one side and Lake Ogleton on the other.

The Annapolis Roads history never mentions a course prior to the Charles Banks course.

Bret

Bret:

It does sound like the Chesapeake CC morphed into Annapolis Roads.  I'm not convinced the course that Wilkinson planned was on the exact same land used by Banks, but it could have been (the Wilkinson description makes it sound like there was more coastal frontage).

It is of interest to note the timing of Wilkinson's involvement (1923) and the later Banks' project (1928).  One wonders if after the initial plan was scrapped, they were thinking of bringing in Raynor, and Banks ended up with the job after his death, especially considering CBM and SR had just finished their work at Gibson Island.

A fairly concise write up of the history of Annapolis Roads was linked to by Jim Kennedy on another thread: 

http://thelifeofanangloamerican.blogspot.com/2014/01/annapolis-roads-on-chesapeake-bay.html

Sven