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Sven Nilsen

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The Estate Courses
« on: February 05, 2016, 02:16:24 PM »
A couple of recent threads have touched on some of the more prominent private or estate courses built during the first wave of US course construction and during the Golden Age. 

Imagine for a moment having the means to have hired MacKenzie, CBM or Emmet to lay out your own golf course right outside your front door.  It not only happened, but the number of such courses built for the Vanderbilts, Guggenheims and others is actually quite staggering, and was surely viewed as another notch in the belt of societal largesse.

Here's a quick list to get started, please feel free to add to it.  I'm particularly interested in private courses that became actual clubs, so if you have any additional information on any of these courses please chime in.

California

Charles Cadwell Moore Private Course (Santa Cruz) - Unknown
Charlie Chaplin Estate GC (Beverly Hills) - MacKenzie
Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford Private Course (Rancho Santa Fe) - Unknown
Harold Lloyd Estate GC (Beverly Hills) - W. Bell
Isaac Hillman Private Course (San Leandro) - Bendelow
Mortimer Fleishecker Private Course (Woodside/Redwood City) - Unknown
Sunnyland aka Walter Annenberg Estate Course (Rancho Mirage) - Wilson
Will Rogers Private Course (Santa Monica) - Unknown

Connecticut

Alexander Pope Private Course (Farmington) - Unknown
Dr. Edwin Smith Estate Course lka South Wilton GC (South Wilton) - Bendelow
Ethel Walker Private Course (Simsbury) - Unknown
Harkness Estate Private Course (New London) - Stiles & Van Kleek
Hob Nob Hill GC aka Fulton Estate GC (Salisbury) - Emmet/Tull
Judge William Travers Jerome Estate Course (Lakeville) - Unknown
Louis Stoner Private Course (West Hartford) - O. Smith
Paul Block Private Course (Greenwich) - Stiles & Van Kleek
Rainford Private Course (Norwich) - Unknown

Delaware

H. F. Du Pont Private Course aka Du Pont CC (Wilmington) - Ross
H. F. Du Pont Private Course (Wilmington) - Reid
H. F. Du Pont Private Course aka Bidermann GC (Wilmington) - Emmet

District of Columbia

Charles Corby Private Course (DC) - Unknown
Friendship GC aka E. B. McLean Private Course (DC) - Flynn/Connellan

Illinois

Clyde Private Course (Clyde) - Unknown
Mill Road Farm GC aka Alfred Lasker Estate Course (Lake Forest) - Flynn & Toomey

Indiana

Hazelden CC aka George Ade Private Course (Brook) - Bendelow

Kansas

Arnold Burns Private Course (Peabody) - Unknown
Hart Gilchrist Private Course (Rexford) - Unknown
James Rexford Private Course (Hutchinson) - Unknown
Ralph Hart Private Course (Cunningham) - Unknown
Senator Emerson Carey Private Course aka Willowbrook GC (Hutchinson) - Langford

Louisiana

William E. Stauffer Estate (New Orleans) - Raynor

Maryland

John G. Clarke Private Course (Baltimore) - Unknown

Massachusetts

Charles Cory Estate Course aka Great Island GC (Yarmouth) - Unknown
George H. Hunt Private Course (Rockland) - Unknown
George Westinghouse Private Course (Lenox) - Unknown
H. A. Irish Private Course (Chicopee Falls) - Unknown
Harry Worcester Smith Private Course aka Grafton GC (Milbury/Grafton) - Unknown
Hunnewell Private Course (Wellesley) - Unknown
Joseph Skinner Private Course aka The Orchards (South Hadley) - Ross
N. M. Fleischmann Private Course (Lenox) - Unknown
Samuel Warren Private Course (Dedham) - Unknown
Stokes Private Course (Lenox) - Unknown

Michigan

D. W. Zintmaster Private Course (Marshall) - Unknown

Missouri

Bruce Dodson Estate GC (Kansas City) - Dalgleish
Frank Seested Private Course (Kansas City) - Dalgleish

Nebraska

George N. Seymour Estate Course aka St. Maur (Lincoln) - Unknown

New Jersey

George Post Private Course (Bernardsville) - Unknown
Gould Private Course (Lakewood) - W. Norton
Hominy Hill GC (Colt's Neck) - R. T. Jones
James Neilson Private Course (New Brunswick) - Unknown
Nathan Hofheimer (Warrenville) - Unknown
Point Pleasant Private Course (Point Pleasant) - Bendelow
Rockefeller Private Course fka CC of Lakewood and The Ocean County Hunt and CC (Lakewood) - Rawlins
Seymour Strong Private Course (Bernardsville) - Unknown
Wolf Estate Private Course lka Cedar Court GC (Morristown) - Bendelow

New York

Alfred I. du Pont Private Course aka White Eagle Estate (Roslyn) - Unknown
Ammelita Galli-Curci Private Course (Highmount) - Unknown
Brander Estate aka Westmoreland (Shelter Island) - Unknown
C. M. Pratt Private Course (Glen Cove) - Bendelow
Charles Francis Murphy Estate Course (Good Ground/Southampton) - Unknown
Daniels Private Course (Long Lake) - Unknown
De Zerega Private Course (Westchester) - Unknown
Donald Woodward Private Course (Batavia) - Winton (may have become LeRoy GC)
Durkee Estate aka Namkhe (East Patchogue) - Unknown
Edward S. Moore Estate GC (Roslyn) - Raynor
Erman Jesse Ridgeway (Elizabethtown) - Unknown
F. F. Proctor Estate (Central Valley) - Strong
Frank Lowden Private Course lka Wellesley Island Club (Thousand Islands) - Unknown (worked on by W. Watson)
Grant Hugh Browne Private Course (Goshen) - W. Park (possibly never built)
Guggenheim Private GC aka Trillora GC aka Villa Carola GC lka IBM GC nka Village Club of Sands Point (Port Washington) - Unknown
H. P. Whitney Estate GC aka Greentree Course (Manhasset) - Macdonald & Raynor
Haight Private Course (??) - Unknown
Harrison Williams Private Course (Bayville) - Emmet & Tull
Helen Gould Private Estate (Irvington-On-Hudson) - Unknown
Howard Gould Private Course (Sands Point) - Unknown
James B. Taylor Estate Course (Jericho) - Unknown
J. Finley Shepard Private Course aka Shepherd Hills GC (Roxbury) - Unknown
J. P. Knapp Estate (Southampton) - Raynor
J. P. Morgan Estate Course aka Matinecock Point (Glen Cove) - Unknown
John D. Rockefeller Private Course (Tarrytown) - W. Dunn
John Jacob Astor Private Course (Rhinebeck) - W. Park
Kelley Estate Private Course (Glen Cove) - Unknown
Liggett Estate Private Course (Sands Point) - Unknown
Luckenbach Private Course (Sands Point) - Unknown
Mackay Private Course (Roslyn) - Unknown
Otto Kahn Estate Course aka Oheka GC aka Cold Spring Harbor CC (Cold Spring Harbor) - Macdonald & Raynor
Paramount CC fka Mountain View Farms and Dellwood CC aka Adolph Zukor Estate Course (New City) - Tillinghast
Pocantico Hills GC (Tarrytown) - Flynn
Schiff Private Course (Oyster Bay) - Unknown
Sherrewogue Estate GC (St. James) - Emmet
Stephen C. Clark Private Course (Cooperstown) - Emmet
Stern Private Course (Westchester) - Bendelow
Stittson Private Course (Sterlington) - Bendelow
Thomas Simpson Private Course aka Overlook GC lka Sunningdale CC (Scarsdale) - Unknown (remodeled by Raynor, Travis and Tillinghast)
Vanderbilt Estate GC aka Strathmore-Vanderbilt CC (Manhasset) - Emmet & Tull
Whitelaw Reed Private Course (Purchase) - Unknown
William C. Whitney Estate Course (Wheatley Hills) - Unknown

North Carolina

James Boyd Sr. Private Course (Weymouth Heights/Southern Pines) - Unknown
Overhills GC aka Overhills Land Co. (Overhills) - Ross
R. J. Reynolds Estate Course (Winston-Salem) - Unknown
Vanderbilt Biltmore Estate GC (Asheville) - W. Davis

Ohio

P. B. Chase Private Course (Sparta) - Unknown
Rockefeller Private Course (Cleveland) - Mitchell

Oklahoma

Marland Estate GC (Ponca City) - A. Jackson

Pennsylvania

Charles M. Schwab Estate GC aka Immergrun GC (Loretta) - Emmet
Curtis Private Course (Wyncote) - Connellan
Eugene Grace Estate GC (Bethlehem) - P. Maxwell
John M. Mack Estate Course (Torresdale) - Unknown
Milton Hersey Private Course aka Hershey CC (Hershey) - Unknown/McCarthy
Parrish Private Course (Wilkes-Barre) - Unknown
Phelps Private Course (Blue Ridge) - Bendelow
Phillip Small Private Course (York) - Bendelow

Rhode Island

E. H. Potter Private Course (Providence) - Unknown
Ocean Links (Newport) - Macdonald & Raynor

South Carolina

Henrietta Hartford Private Course aka Lexington Plantation (Wando) - Unknown

Tennessee

Clarence Saunders Private Course (Memphis) - Unknown

Texas

W. C. Kingsley Private Course (Mineral Wells) - Unknown

Vermont

Charles Swift Estate Course aka Grosse Point Estate (Lake Champlain) - Lockwood
John P. Larkin CC aka Hour Glass CC aka F. A. Kennedy Estate Course (Windsor) - Unknown
Kennedy Private Course (Windsor) - Unknown
Kipling Private Course (Brattleboro) - Unknown
Shelburne Farms Course aka W. Seward Webb Private Course (Shelburne) - W. Davis (9 holes added by W. Park)
Theodore N. Vail Private Course aka Sleepwell (Lyndon) - Unknown

Virginia

Thomas Fortune Ryan Estate (Richmond) - Unknown

Wisconsin

Frank Stout Private Course (Red Cedar Lake) - Unknown
« Last Edit: March 03, 2016, 12:51:08 PM by Sven Nilsen »
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2016, 02:37:17 PM »
I think one of the Busch's wasn't allowed into St. Louis CC way back in the day, so he started/built his own club called Sunset CC:
http://www.sunsetcountryclub.org/Default.aspx%3Fp%3DDynamicModule%26pageid%3D392840%26ssid%3D314724%26vnf%3D1



H.P.S.

Sven Nilsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2016, 02:40:08 PM »
I think one of the Busch's wasn't allowed into St. Louis CC way back in the day, so he started/built his own club called Sunset CC:
http://www.sunsetcountryclub.org/Default.aspx%3Fp%3DDynamicModule%26pageid%3D392840%26ssid%3D314724%26vnf%3D1


Pat:


My read of their history is that the course was always more of a club than a private retreat for just one family and their friends.  I'm looking more for the latter.


Sven
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2016, 02:47:30 PM »
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2016, 03:27:06 PM »
Some in the UK as well, like the one's in the grounds of Balmoral and Windsor Castle. Not sure you can just turn up, pay a greenfee and play.......but maybe you can! Some stately homes used to have them as well, mostly now long gone I suspect.
Atb

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2016, 03:32:52 PM »
Sven -

I am not sure if you could call Hominy Hill (designed by Robert Trent Jones) in Colts Neck, NJ an "estate" course.

It was private course that a man in the shipping business (a Mr. Mercer, I think) built in the 1960's mostly to entertain his business clients. The course received very little play while he owned it. 

When Mr. Mercer passed, the course was gifted to Monmouth County and has been a public course ever since. It is one of the few courses to have hosted both the USGA Mens and Womens Publinx.

DT
« Last Edit: February 05, 2016, 03:36:04 PM by David_Tepper »

Nigel Islam

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2016, 03:44:17 PM »
Pontanico Hills in NY for John D Rockefeller was done by Flynn, and still exists.

Ben Hollerbach

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2016, 04:06:14 PM »
I've put together a map of Estate Courses of America that I've found over the past few years. The rules for the map are not very strict but I might include some not yet listed.

Steve Lapper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2016, 04:12:42 PM »
Paramount, nee Mountain View, began it's life as an AWT-designed private Estate Course for Adolph Zukor (founder of Paramount Pictures). It exists today as a private club.
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2016, 05:59:21 PM »
Kenny Rogers built his own course outside Athens, GA. I don't know who designed it. I think it has been sold.




Pete_Pittock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2016, 06:00:07 PM »
Sunnyland, Rancho Mirage, California
Walter Annenberg Estate 1960s - Wilson

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2016, 06:02:44 PM »
Ford Plantation (Dye) was originally built for a Saudi prince. Not sure who owns it now.


Bob

Nigel Islam

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2016, 06:06:44 PM »
Canyata in Marshall, Il?

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2016, 06:59:42 PM »
1934 - Hob Nob Hill GC (aka Fulton Estate Course) in Salisbury Ct, was I. K. Fulton's personal playground.  He invited his friends to play and locals were also welcome, no charge. Gene Sarazen once came up for a round, his chauffeur caddied for him.

His wife let the course go fallow upon his death, and it was only open for a tad less than 15 years. The aerials of this Emmet design show some spectacular holes laid out over interesting terrain. Too bad.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ca. 1905  - Judge William Travers Jerome built a course on his estate in Lakeville Ct.
 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________


ca.1896 -  The Windsor VT course  of F. A. Kennedy (Fig Newton fame) may have become the Hour Glass CC for a while, which is now known as the John P. Larkin CC.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 06:08:51 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Ed Oden

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2016, 10:07:42 PM »
Sven, I've searched high and low for the Eugene Grace Estate Course but, to date, haven't found anything.  The earliest reference that I've found to such a course is an article in the 9/21/1945 Daily Ardmoreite which notes that Maxwell "skyrocketed to fame building many of the country's best known courses including...Eugene Grace's private golf course at Philadelphia".  I suspect subsequent mentions of such a course are derivative of this initial reference.  However, I haven't seen anything to indicate that Grace ever had an estate in Philly, much less a golf course there.  Rather, his realm was in Bethlehem.  Grace's personal history is very well documented.  He lived in the middle of town in a mansion that doesn't appear to have been large enough for more than a hole or two.  Old aerials show no signs of a course on that property nor have I found any mention of golf being played there.  My best guess is that the 1945 article is just a very poorly worded reference to Maxwell's redesign of Saucon Valley.  Grace ran Saucon as a virtual autocracy, so perhaps it was confused as his estate.  Maxwell worked there from roughly September of 1944 thru February 1945, which falls nicely into the timing of the article.  Moreover, Saucon fits as a well known course whereas a private estate course doesn't.  Hopefully I'm wrong and concrete evidence eventually turns up that Maxwell designed a private course for Grace.  I'll keep looking and would love to see anything anyone else has.  But I'm not optimistic.

Depending on how you define an estate course, you might also want to add Overhills in NC to your list.  Chris Buie's wonderful thread on Overhills has complete historical information.  While I don't believe it was originally conceived as an estate course, Overhills became a Rockefeller family retreat shortly after opening.

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2016, 10:22:14 PM »
Andrew Carnegie had an 18-hole course built on his Skibo Castle estate near Dornoch around 1900. I am not sure how much of that course is evident in the Carnegie Club/Skibo Castle course that exists today. My guess is not much at all.

Brett Wiesley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2016, 03:11:19 AM »
I had no idea there were that many, crazy.  Here are some of the other newer ones:


Porcupine Creek (palm springs, ca) - built for Tim Blixseth, now owned by Larry Ellison
Wolf Point (california) - built by our own Mr. Nuzzo
The Institute (california) - built for owner of Frys


HarryBrinkerhoffDoyleIV_aka_Barry

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2016, 03:35:49 PM »
<REMOVED>
« Last Edit: July 08, 2019, 03:37:01 PM by HarryBrinkerhofDoyleIVakaBarry »

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2016, 04:34:08 PM »
J. P. Morgan had a course on his estate, Matinecock Point, near Glen Cove, LI.

ca. 1911 - P.B. Chase -  Sparta, Ohio. Described as  "One of the most magnificent private golf courses in the country"

ca. 1921 - James Rexford  -  five hole course on his Hutchinson, KS farm

ca. 1918 - Arnold Burns - nine hole course on his Peabody, Ks ranch. He let the public play for free.

ca. 1924 - Hart Gilchrist - nine hole course on his farm which was south of Rexford, KS.

ca. 1921 - Alfred I. du Pont -  a golf course on his White Eagle Estate - Roslyn, LI

ca. 1921 - Charles L. Corby - course on his Rockville Rd. property in Washington DC.

ca. 1906/1932 - Charles Cadwell Moore - course on his High St. estate in Santa Cruz, CA.

ca. 1924 -  George N.Seymour - Lincoln NE. - 9 holes, 2009 yds., on his estate named "St. Maur". He allowed the townsfolk to play on it.

Clarence Saunders - opened his 7,011 yard private course in Memphis Tenn. to the public in 1931. The Memphis CC may be one and the same place.
He started Piggly-Wiggly and a chain of stores named "Clarence Saunders Sole Owner Of My Name Stores".
http://andspeakingofwhich.blogspot.com/2012/11/clarence-saunders-and-piggly-wiggly.html


ca.1914 - John M. Mack - estate course - first course of Torresdale CC

ca. 1927 - A. D Lasker, former head of U.S.Shipping Board - estate course in Chicago

ca. 1921 - MME. Amelita Galli-Curci, famous oloratura soprano opera singer  - private course at Highmount, NY

ca. 1920 - D W.Zintmaster - Marshall, MI.  private estate course opened to the public


ca. 1926 -  Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford - private course on their 800 acre Rancho Santa Fe estate, San Diego, Ca.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 07:32:01 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2016, 04:40:34 PM »
Johnson Family (of J&J fame) has a course (actually two separate nines) in northern Wisconsin. One of the bumpiest, funkiest golf grounds I've set foot on.

Also, a correction; Wolf Point is in Texas.
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #20 on: February 06, 2016, 05:26:19 PM »
Ellerston, Australia and the Packer family?
atb

Bill Crane

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #21 on: February 06, 2016, 06:21:38 PM »
Pontanico Hills in NY for John D Rockefeller was done by Flynn, and still exists.



Spelled Pocantico Hills on Kykuit - the Rockefeller Estate in Tarrytown, this estate course was designed by William Flynn as a reversible golf course intended to be played back in the direction from whence you came. The tenth tee took you back to the 8th green etc. The 18th hole was par a 3 that did not play to the 1st tee.  Logically, you need very little play for this to work.  I was fortunate to play the course about 15 years ago with a former colleague who is a member of the family. 

I posted few comments about it when the idea for the "Loop" started to circulate. Very interesting write up about it in Wayne Morrison's "The Nature Faker". 

Bill Crane     


« Last Edit: February 19, 2016, 12:31:48 PM by Bill Crane »
_________________________________________________________________
( s k a Wm Flynnfan }

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #22 on: February 06, 2016, 07:11:25 PM »
Article from 1932 - The Roosevelt estate, Hyde Park, NY, w/golf course.




« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 07:33:36 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #23 on: February 06, 2016, 07:17:17 PM »
Sweetbrier in Danville, KY is a 9 hole course owned by Rick Dees. I believe I once read that Perry Dye built it, but I'm not sure whether that's true or not. Either way, it looks pretty cool from the road and satellite images.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Estate Courses
« Reply #24 on: February 06, 2016, 07:46:35 PM »
ca. 1921 - Chicago businessman Frank Stout owned a lot of land  in the area around Red Cedar Lake in Wisconsin and he built a personal nine hole course for himself on it's shore. I think it's now 18 and known as Tag-A-Long golf course.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ca. 1911 - R. J. Reynolds -  course on his Reynolda estate in Winston - Salem, NC. - Part of this 1,000 acre estate became Old Town Club (Perry Maxwell)
http://www.reynoldahouse.org/connect/community/post/from-fields-to-fairways-golf-on-the-reynolda-estate

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 ca. 1915 - Erman Jesse Ridgeway, publisher of "Everybody's Magazine", had a course on his estate in Elizabethtown, NY.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 07:49:45 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon