The Lost Courses of Philadelphia/ Joe Bausch&Pete Trenham

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Joe Bausch and Pete Trenham discuss NLE courses in and around Philadelphia in this video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRtDUQNMEYQ&feature=youtu.be

[Mike_Trenham]

Here's a link the the full list of courses compiled by Pete and Joe. 


[size=78%]https://trenhamgolfhistory.org/lost-golf-courses/[/size]


This list is confined to the boundaries of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America.  That area is comprised of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and the state of Delaware.

[Joe Bausch]

So many people deserve thanks in this mission to document all the lost links in Philly.  Not the least of which is my friend Mike Cirba.

[Tim Martin]

Great video. Joe is a well known commodity around here while Pete not so much. Pete is a treasure trove of knowledge about all things GAP and an absolutely wonderful guy. A day on the golf course with Pete is as good as it gets.

[Joe Bausch]

What is that ESPN show that has some guy (?Tony) make corrections at the end?  Well, I have two for this Inside Golf Show.  First, the WP, Jr course in Roxborough was the first site for Green Valley CC (not Roxborough CC).

And what is now known as The Bucks Club was previously Bucks County CC with the original name of York Road CC (not Old York Road CC, which is a different club!).

[MCirba]

So many people deserve thanks in this mission to document all the lost links in Philly.  Not the least of which is my friend Mike Cirba.

Thanks, Joe.   I'm indebted to your research though. 

[Ed Oden]

Great work Pete and Joe! That’s a staggering number of lost courses.  Thanks for preserving a record of their existence.


All the best,


Ed

[Sven Nilsen]

Joe:

Hope you'll indulge a few followup questions.

Do you have any information on the following courses:

Allentown GC (Allentown, PA)
Ambler GC (Ambler, PA)
Ashland CC (Ashland, PA)
Athletic Club of Philadlephia (Essington, PA)
Baldwin GC (Chadd's Ford, PA)
Berkshire CC (fka Reading CC) (Reading, PA) - this is the original 1898 layout, the club moving to a new site in 1902.
Bustleton CC (Bustleton, PA)
Camp Hill Golf Course (Philadelphia, PA) - listed in the 1931 Annual Guide as in Philadelphia, wondering if location is wrong.
Catasauqua GC (Catasauqua, PA)
Cedar Cliff GC (Crescentville, PA)
Cedar Crest College GC (Allentown, PA)
Dixon Private Course (Wallingford, PA)
Dolobran GC (Clement Griscom Private Course) (Haverford,PA)
Harrisburg AC (Harrisburg, PA)
Harrisburg (CC of) (Harrisburg, PA) - original course
Hazleton CC (Hazleton, PA)
Highland CC (Conshohocken, PA)
John Y. Bird Private Course (Harrisburg, PA)
Joseph Kenney Private Course (Germantown, PA)
Joseph Martin Private Course (Concordville, PA)
Lansdowne (CC of) (Lansdowne, PA)
Lawnfield GC (Kennett Square, PA)
Lexington GC (Lexington, PA)
Long Park Municipal GC (Lancaster, PA)
Lynnewood GC (Germantown, PA)
Mary Lyons GC (Wallingford, PA)
Milford GC (Milford, PA)
Mount Carmel GC (Mount Carmel, PA)
Oak Lane CC (Philadelphia, PA)
Old Monastery GC (Philadelphia, PA)
Parrish Private Course (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
Pebble Hill GC (Doylestown, PA)
Phelps Private Course (Blue Ridge, PA)
Philip Small Private Course (York, PA)
Queen Lane Manor GC (Philadelphia, PA)
Reading CC (Reading, PA)
Register Private Course (Overbrook, PA)
Roseneath Farm GC (Germantown, PA)
Simpson Private Course (Overbrook, PA)
Swarthmore College GC (Swarthmore, PA)
Tacony Creek GC (Philadelphia, PA) - same as Juniata?
Townsend Private Course (Overbrook, PA)
Tulpehucken Field Club (Germantown, PA)


DuPont CC (Wilmington, DE) - original 9 hole course
Maple Dale CC (Dover, DE)
Wilmington Municipal GC (Wilmington, DE) - original 1898 course

Crescent CC (Camden, NJ)
Ilex CC (Bridgeton, NJ)
Iron Rock Park GC (Camden, NJ)
Twin Lakes in the Pines Club (Mays Landing, NJ)


Any of these still in existence, or known by another name?

Thanks,

Sven

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Camp Hill is located near Harrisburg in central PA, not in Philly metro area.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Clement Griscom is mentioned in this article about an estate in Gladwyne but no mention of a golf course.


https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/gladwyne-lower-merion-development-robert-burch-campbell-soup-retirement-home-20190607.html

[Sven Nilsen]

Camp Hill is located near Harrisburg in central PA, not in Philly metro area.

Steve:


If you look at the list in the link, there are multiple courses on it from Harrisburg.


Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

Clement Griscom is mentioned in this article about an estate in Gladwyne but no mention of a golf course.


https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/gladwyne-lower-merion-development-robert-burch-campbell-soup-retirement-home-20190607.html

May 22, 1898 The Times:

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Sven,


The State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, commonly referred to as SCI Camp Hill, is a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, near Camp Hill in Greater Harrisburg..SCI Camp Hill opened as the Industrial School at White Hill for young offenders.  It now serves as the state's diagnostic and classification center for men entering the state prison system.I am not unfamiliar with this place as, in early in my legal career, I was an Assistant Public Defender assigned to Juvenile Court. SCI Camp Hill was the prison for some of my clients who were convicted of serious crimes.
Consequently, all other Harrisburg area clubs/courses should not be included in the Greater Philadelphia area.  There are other club/courses mentioned that are really " upstate" - Hazelton, for example is more a part of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre than Philadelphia.
Otherwise, this is a very interesting thread as some clubs/courses were located in now very urban sections of Philadelphia. I'd like to know where. For example, Bustleton and the ones in Germantown.

[Sven Nilsen]

Steve:


Mike Trenham defined the area covered by the list above, namely the boundaries of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA, which is a bit larger than the Greater Philadelphia area.


The only information I have on the Camp Hill course comes from the 1931 Annual Guide, which notes an 18 hole 6,400 yard course that was organized in 1930.  I have not seen anything that notes the course was in any way related to the prison other than by sharing the Camp Hill name.


Here's the 1902 Official Golf Guide listing for Bustleton:





From the same listing for the Dougherty and Sill course (not much help on location):





Same for the Kenney course:





Lynnwood GC is noted in the May 22, 1898 The Times article copied a few posts above, and was noted in the 1898 Golfer's Year Book as a private course on the property of James Kinley in Germantown.


Sven

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Sven,


Thanks for info on Bustleton. Among the names listed, the only one that a rang a bell for me was Masland. The Masland Carpet Company was located in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, near where my grandfather settled. I discovered that there is a Masland Street in Bustleton near where the NLE Somerton Springs golf store,driving range,miniature golf and short course was located. Perhaps this is where Bustleton CC was located. Another possibility is the location of the now NLE Quartett Club.





https://hiddencityphila.org/2013/01/in-port-richmond-an-industrial-legacy-lives-on/


For the courses in Germantown, perhaps info can be obtained here:


http://www.germantownhistory.org/index.htm

[Sven Nilsen]

Steve:


Everything I've seen notes the Quartette Club was built in 1960.


Bustleton first shows up in 1902 with a further listing in a 1908 Golf Guide, but nothing after that.  My best guess is that the Bustleton course was long gone by the time the QC came around.


Sven

[Jonathan Mallard]

What is that ESPN show that has some guy (?Tony) make corrections at the end?  Well, I have two for this Inside Golf Show.

Pardon the Interruption (PTI)


Tony Kornheiser is one of the panelists, so he is generally being corrected.

[Joe Bausch]

Goodness gracious, Sven, my Orgo 2 final is easier than the work you just gave me. 


Joe
---------------

Joe:


Hope you'll indulge a few followup questions.


Do you have any information on the following courses:


Allentown GC (Allentown, PA)
Ambler GC (Ambler, PA)
Ashland CC (Ashland, PA)
Athletic Club of Philadlephia (Essington, PA)
Baldwin GC (Chadd's Ford, PA)
Berkshire CC (fka Reading CC) (Reading, PA) - this is the original 1898 layout, the club moving to a new site in 1902.
Bustleton CC (Bustleton, PA)
Camp Hill Golf Course (Philadelphia, PA) - listed in the 1931 Annual Guide as in Philadelphia, wondering if location is wrong.
Catasauqua GC (Catasauqua, PA)
Cedar Cliff GC (Crescentville, PA)
Cedar Crest College GC (Allentown, PA)
Dixon Private Course (Wallingford, PA)
Dolobran GC (Clement Griscom Private Course) (Haverford,PA)
Dougherty and Sill Private Course (Germantown, PA)
Harrisburg AC (Harrisburg, PA)
Harrisburg (CC of) (Harrisburg, PA) - original course
Hazleton CC (Hazleton, PA)
Highland CC (Conshohocken, PA)
John Y. Bird Private Course (Harrisburg, PA)
Joseph Kenney Private Course (Germantown, PA)
Joseph Martin Private Course (Concordville, PA)
Lakeside CC (Montrose, PA)
Lansdowne (CC of) (Lansdowne, PA)
Lawnfield GC (Kennett Square, PA)
Lexington GC (Lexington, PA)
Long Park Municipal GC (Lancaster, PA)
Lynnewood GC (Germantown, PA)
Mary Lyons GC (Wallingford, PA)
Milford GC (Milford, PA)
Mount Carmel GC (Mount Carmel, PA)
Oak Lane CC (Philadelphia, PA)
Old Monastery GC (Philadelphia, PA)
Parrish Private Course (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
Pebble Hill GC (Doylestown, PA)
Phelps Private Course (Blue Ridge, PA)
Philip Small Private Course (York, PA)
Queen Lane Manor GC (Philadelphia, PA)
Reading CC (Reading, PA)
Register Private Course (Overbrook, PA)
Roseneath Farm GC (Germantown, PA)
[More to follow]


Any of these still in existence, or known by another name?


Thanks,


Sven

[Kyle Harris]

Sven,


I can help with a few:


Ashland CC in Ashland, PA was a Alex Findlay 9-hole course just south of Fountain Springs. My mother is from Ashland. It went belly up in 2005 and there are currently some houses but you can still make out the routing from the golf course on Google - the clubhouse is the Fountain Springs Country Inn: [size=78%]https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ashland,+PA+17921/@40.7678174,-76.332597,1247m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c5f3494808ac97:0xf623415ca57feef9!8m2!3d40.7817542!4d-76.3457825[/size][/size][size=78%].[/size]
[/size]

Do you have any dates or information on Mount Carmel GC? This is a town very near Ashland and the first I've heard of a golf course being there potentially.

[mike_malone]

Mary Lyons became a Catholic girls high school and now is a technical school. It’s in my township.

[MCirba]

I will try to jump in on a few of these as time permits.


Right now I will just say that Lakeside outside Montrose still exists is a 9-hole course along a lake and somewhere I have information on the original architect who was a good player out of the Country Club of Scranton when they were still playing their original Tom Bendelow course closer to the city of Scranton.

[Sven Nilsen]

Do you have any dates or information on Mount Carmel GC? This is a town very near Ashland and the first I've heard of a golf course being there potentially.

Kyle:


Here's what I have on Mount Carmel:


1900 Harpers Guide notes club organized in 1899 and the course was laid out by Thomas Righter in April 1899.
1901 Harpers Guide notes club organized in 1899 and has a 9 hole 2,426 yard course with clay greens.
1902 Official Golf Guide notes club organized in 1899 and has a 9 hole course.
1902 Spalding Official Golf Guide notes a 9 hole course.


Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

Mary Lyons became a Catholic girls high school and now is a technical school. It’s in my township.

Was this in Wallingford?  I went to Strath Haven for high school, and I don't remember a technical school nearby.  But that was a long time ago.

[Sven Nilsen]

I will try to jump in on a few of these as time permits.


Right now I will just say that Lakeside outside Montrose still exists is a 9-hole course along a lake and somewhere I have information on the original architect who was a good player out of the Country Club of Scranton when they were still playing their original Tom Bendelow course closer to the city of Scranton.

Mike:

Are you talking about the current Montrose CC?  Did the name change at some point?

Here are the notations I have for Lakeside CC and Montrose CC.

Lakeside:

-Aug. 2, 1899 Scranton Tribune notes opening of 6 hole course that was arranged by John Brooks of the Scranton CC.
-Aug. 5, 1899 Scranton Tribune notes opening of the course. 
-1900 Harpers Guide notes club organized in 1899 and has a 6 hole 1,282 yard course.
-1901 Harpers Guide notes club organized in 1899 and has a 6 hole 1,188 yard course.
-1902 Official Golf Guide notes club organized in 1898 and has a 6 hole course.
-1902 SOGG Directory of Golf Clubs notes a 6 hole course. 
-Aug. 18, 1904 Montrose Democrat notes course to be increased to 9 holes.

Montrose:

-1917, 1920 and 1921 Annual Guide notes club organized in 1898 and has an 9 hole 2,250 yard course.
-1922 Annual Guide notes club organized in 1900 and has a 9 hole 2,250 yard course.
-1923 Annual Guide notes club organized in 1898 and has a 9 hole 2,250 yard course.
-Sept. 6, 1923 Montrose Democrat notes 60 additional acres purchased and a standard 9 hole course to be laid out by F. B. Warner.
-1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1931 Annual Guide notes club organized in 1898 and has a 9 hole 3,250 yard course.

Sven

[Sven Nilsen]

Deleted the Dougherty and Sills Private Course from the list of questions.  This was the same course as Shenley Pines GC which was covered in Pete and Joe's list.


Also deleted the original CC of Scranton course from my questions.  This one became known as Apawana GC, which Pete and Joe noted.