North Fork CC on Long Island: was Donald Ross the architect?

[Joe Bausch]

Recently I was approached to determine if North Fork, which opened as a 9-hole course in 1912, was designed by Donald Ross (which would be the one and only Ross course design on LI, FWIW).

The answer is 'yes', IMO.  Read below for the details.

Until I looked into this, the evidence of Ross' involvement come from club journals, like this line from the 75th anniversary booklet:

"On this fertile land... the famous architect Donald Ross of Pinehurst laid out a nine hole links of 3,000 yards".

The Club has no drawings or other documents, quite possibly because of two clubhouse fires (1925 and again in 1985).

The late Tom MacWood posted this on a GCA thread in 2008:

The Tufts Archives divides Ross courses into three catagories. Courses with documentation and his plans. Courses with some documentation but no plans. Courses with no documentation and no plans. North Fork falls into the latter catagory. That doesn't necessarily mean the course its not Ross's but there is some doubt.

The Club's recent 100th anniversary book believes the key person is member Charles B. Hudson, who was one of the club founders.  In the early 1900's he retired and had homes both near North Fork and in Pinehurst.  And he played golf.  He was secretary of The Tin Whistles for 30 years, a golfing fraternity in Pinehurst.

So it would be logical he would have known Ross.  And maybe Ross drew up plans for them in late 1911 as the club was being planned.

It didn't take me too long searching various old newspaper databases to support what the Club has always believed.  I've gathered up all those articles and put them here in chronological order:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/NorthFork/

In late 1911 Hudson was named chair of the green committee, as shown in the November 17, 1911 County Review article:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/NorthFork/pages/page_13.html?

Then in 1912 two different newspaper articles identifies Ross as the architect.  The first being on June 28, 1912 in the County Review:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/NorthFork/pages/page_16.html

And then on June 30 the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/NorthFork/pages/page_17.html

So, you lurkers out there that think GCA doesn't teach you anything new, well, today it did.   

Another 9 holes was added in 1922.  But I've not yet succeeded in finding the architect, but if I was a betting man, I'd again go with Ross.  [Edit:  see later post by Jim Kennedy indicating it was Devereux Emmet]

[MCirba]

Great stuff, Joe.

I'm sure those at the club will be very pleased with your findings.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Nice going Joe! 

[Joe Bausch]

Thanks, guys.

Perhaps I should have posted this on a Monday instead of a Friday.  I sure thought it was a significant finding.   

[MCirba]

Slow news cycle.

[Rees Milikin]

Excellent detective work

[Patrick_Mucci]

Joe,


Have you played the course ?


If so, how did it look and feel ?   


Like a Ross ?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Slow news cycle.

Like a Friday news dump.

[Joe Bausch]

Here is a 1938 aerial of the course:

(it should be clickable to a much larger size)

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/misc/North_Fork_Aerial_1938.jpg


The original 9 holes are 1-7, 17 and 18.  In 1922 holes 8-16 were added.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,

Have you played the course ?

If so, how did it look and feel ?   

Like a Ross ?

Pat, I have not played the course.

Note that I believe in the 70's an architect by the name of Gene Hamm altered the course.  I don't yet know the details of that work.

[Terry Lavin]

I'd be interested to hear opinions on whether it's worth a visit, as my wife's family has a vacation home about ten minutes away. I'm guessing it's not too far from Friar's Head.

[Joe Bausch]

Click on that aerial above to make it larger.  Does the 4th hole look like a Biarritz?  Does the 6th a Short?

[Rees Milikin]

Click on that aerial above to make it larger.  Does the 4th hole look like a Biarritz?  Does the 6th a Short?

4 looks like a possible Alps, and I agree 6 looks like a Short.

[MCirba]

Interesting how geometric some of those bunkers appear.   If you had told me this was a long lost Raynor as opposed to Ross I would have thought that very possible from above.

[Robert Emmons]

Joe, great research...I was always told that it was a 9 hole Ross, and does seem like it when you play it....Rumor always was that Dev Emmet and the Donald had a gentleman's agreement on territory

[Jim_Kennedy]

Interesting how geometric some of those bunkers appear.   If you had told me this was a long lost Raynor as opposed to Ross I would have thought that very possible from above.

Mike,


The aerial was taken 26 years after Ross built the course, who knows what happened in those intervening years. 

[MCirba]

Jim,

That's my point.  I wonder if Raynor or Emmet was responsible for the second nine holes and perhaps more?

[Joe Bausch]

When did Raynor start building golf courses?  As early as 1912?

[MCirba]

Joe,

I recall there was a rather extensive debate here back in the day about when Raynor started designing golf courses on the North Shore threads, but if you count NGLA, it seems likely that he started "building" that particular course in 1907/08 although I'm confused as to the respective roles played by Raynor and Mortimer Payne for that construction.

As you know, there was a a May 1907 article that Payne had been hired to build NGLA and then a detailed July 1908 article that described the wonderful work Payne had done at NGLA constructing the course despite multiple obstacles.

I'm not sure I've ever seen anything definitive regarding when Raynor started at NGLA or how his work there intersected with Payne's.   I suspect Raynor's work at that time was more surveying than building, but I could be wrong.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Looks like the second nine was "Revereux" Emmet___________a cousin? 


From:  The Watchman, Mattatuck L.I.N.Y., Aug 5th, 1937

[MCirba]

Great find Jim! These are the kind of threads that can make golfclubatlas great again. 

[Tim Martin]

Joe-I’m sorry I missed this thread originally but congrats on some great research.


Jim-Congrats on putting the pieces together. Emmet designed a lot of courses on LI so I’m not shocked by that info. Great stuff man!

[mark chalfant]

Joe and Jim,

Wow,   as  those great amateurs Wayne and Garth often said in their NBC heyday.....EXCELLENT  !

[Mike Sweeney]

I am pretty sure I played with a NFCC member at a fancy club on the South Fork.


This is very interesting. Are there any other Emmet/Ross courses?


Mark Chalfant?

[Joe Bausch]

Very nice find, Jim.  Some day I hope to see NFCC.