Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Sven Nilsen on February 13, 2014, 05:51:31 PM
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Although golf in Florida is often derided hereabouts, a study of the development of golf in the Sunshine State offers a microcosm of golf in the United States in general. Start with the early courses of the late 1890's, move on to a period of resort development and finally you reach a zenith during the 1920's when the game was at an all time high in popularity and developers were using golf courses as part of the marketing for the numerous planned communities built during the era.
The list of architects working in Florida is a who's who of the big names in the game back in the day. Many of the most active designers set up shop down south during the winter months, including the likes of Langford & Moreau and Stiles & Van Kleek, with a smattering of other big name architects making appearances (Ross, Flynn, Tillinghast, Raynor, Travis, etc.).
The following list is taken from a work entitled "Florida: An Advancing State, 1907-1917-1927" that was published in 1928. The golf courses noted provided a few surprises. Whether these are courses that were known by different names, or courses that lived a very short life, there were more than a handful that I had not heard of before. One course, Indrio Golf Course, was of particular interest as I'd just posted an article in the Langford thread about a course with that name. I'd assumed that Indrio was a course that came to be known by another name, but my comparisons against the various Langford & Moreau lists suggests this to be another lost work.
We recently lost a very interesting thread on Clewiston which contained a wealth of information on some of Stiles and Van Kleek's work in the south. Hopefully we can recapture that information and any additions here.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaList1_zpsa954da32.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaList1_zpsa954da32.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaList2_zpsb3d5a898.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaList2_zpsb3d5a898.png.html)
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Sven,
What a great find.
Thanks
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Here's the Indrio article referenced above, which is from the August 29, 1925 edition of The Palm Beach Post, as well as an Ad from 1926.
The other Florida courses noted in the article are:
Miami Biltmore CC, Miami, FL - noted on the 1928 list under Coral Gables
Hialeah CC, Miami, FL (aka Miami Municipal Links) - noted on the 1928 list twice under Hialeah and Miami
Kelsey City CC, West Palm Beach, FL
Key West Municipal GC, Key West, FL
West Palm Beach CC, West Palm Beach, FL
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Langford-ThePalmBeachPostAug2919251_zps2f70226f.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Langford-ThePalmBeachPostAug2919251_zps2f70226f.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Langford-ThePalmBeachPostAug2919252_zps19cbb05f.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Langford-ThePalmBeachPostAug2919252_zps19cbb05f.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Indrio1926Ad_zps18b3cf13.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Indrio1926Ad_zps18b3cf13.jpg.html)
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Here's an article discussing the plans for the Key West Municipal Course (The Palm Beach Post - April 13, 1923) and the L&M routing plan.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyWestThePalmBeachPostApril131923_zpseba1a44c.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyWestThePalmBeachPostApril131923_zpseba1a44c.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyWest_zps27d4b5c1.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyWest_zps27d4b5c1.png.html)
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Sven,
Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles.
Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.
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Sven,
Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles.
Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.
Rees:
If you still have the articles or links to them from that thread, please add them here.
Sven
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A couple of articles on Kelsey City (December 21, 1927 and December 13, 1929 editions of The Palm Beach Post):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KelseyCity2-1ThePalmBeachPostDec211927_zps57e81b9e.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KelseyCity2-1ThePalmBeachPostDec211927_zps57e81b9e.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KelseyCity2-2ThePalmBeachPostDec211927_zps11614116.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KelseyCity2-2ThePalmBeachPostDec211927_zps11614116.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KelseyCity1ThePalmBeachPostDec131929_zps92049bf2.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KelseyCity1ThePalmBeachPostDec131929_zps92049bf2.png.html)
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The listing of Live Oak Country Club caught my attention b/c there is a 9 hole course now known as Suwannee Country Club (I have been meaning to check it out) that I think might be the same place. I looked at it with Google Satellite(https://maps.google.com/maps?q=suwannee+country+club+live+oak+fl&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&ei=rlv9Usj_FPDyyAGT6YDYAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=suwannee+country+club+live+oak+fl&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&ei=rlv9Usj_FPDyyAGT6YDYAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ)) and some of the holes look pretty interesting. I went to their facebook page and was able to grab some pics of the course.
#5 Green (I think this is #5)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/t31/191752_161633270557242_1679229_n.jpg)
#7 Green
(https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/168993_154661054587797_7708972_n.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/182426_154661014587801_2443714_n.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/181956_154660977921138_6076925_n.jpg)
(https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/t1/430512_292125674174667_1903986040_n.jpg)
#6 Approach & Green
(https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/182025_154660934587809_1827804_n.jpg)
#2 Approach & Green
(https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/t1/168897_154660907921145_1493510_n.jpg)
(https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/t1/182730_154660867921149_3259920_n.jpg)
#8 Green
(https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/180157_154661147921121_5711247_n.jpg)
I also found this picture from the State Archives of Florida with the description as follows: Golfers at the 1926 dedication
(http://www.floridamemory.com/fpc/reference/rc06795.jpg)
From the Suwannee County website: "The 9-hole Suwannee Country Club was founded at Houston in 1926 on land earlier owned by the County, with such locals as F. D. Helvenston, Cary Hardee, R. H. Helvenston, B. W. Helvenson, Jr., and Dr. W. C. White present at its dedication"
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a bit of the history of Mt Plymouth Golf Club, listed under "Orlando" on your list, but in Mt.Plymouth which is N+W.
It was always a quiet place to play. Most folks bypassed it for other, more modern/well kept courses in the area. It closed a half dozen years ago, but they sure had high hopes for it when they built it.
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The Historic Mount Plymouth Hotel, built in 1926 at the cost of $350,000.00, was the centerpiece of a golfing resort for the area. The hotel became a center of activity in the area. Guests, such as Al Capone, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and singer Kate Smith were able to utilize the hotel's airfield for arrival.
Four 18 hole golf courses patterned after the St. Andrews course in Scotland were originally planned for the resort. However, the Florida real estate crash of 1926 prevented completion of three of the four courses. The first course, called Mount Plymouth Golf Club, closed in 2007. Mrs. Lee Mida would use Mount Plymouth as her temporary place of residence while participating in Florida State golfing tournaments
-Captain Head, golf course architect, laid out the St. Andrews Course patterned after the famous St. Andrews links in Scotland. The 2nd course, the Gleneagle, was laid out but never finished and became part of the airfield.
-Connie Mack, Joe Tinker, Walter Hagen and Carl Dann played often during the 1930's. Carl M. Dann, National Champion of Club Champions of America played daily. Mrs. Lea Mida captures the first honors of the Florida Women Golf Association.
-A tournament for the benefit of the Daymon Runyon Cancer Fund was held during the late 50's with such sports notables as Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Dr. Middlecoft, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Kathy Whitworth and Louise Suggs participating. The tournament was sponsored by Sidney Potnasik, owner of the club, who was a founder of the Damon Runyon Fund.
-Richard Whitney, Ed and Herman Maister of General Motors often played with William Grace, retired steamship Captain F.E. Crowley, Al Schrupp and Maj. Joe Story who purchased homes near the course. W. Grace having the honor of being struck by lightning while playing.
-During World War II the Maxis who owned the course reportedly dug up the copper pipe which composed the watering system to aid the war effort, thus undoing steam fitter Jacob Shoemakers labor of love
Unknown hole
(http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1041/5187805966_0ed48991e8_o.jpg)
Par 3 8th
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4125/5187805962_2fb65e1fdd_o.jpg)
Opening hole
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4126/5187805948_ba20aa99e8_b.jpg)
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Sven,
Thanks for digging this stuff up, I love reading these old articles.
Too bad the Clewiston thread went MIA.
Rees:
If you still have the articles or links to them from that thread, please add them here.
Sven
I will have to look them up, but it was fairly time consuming so it might be a little while.
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Another series of articles, this time on Hialeah:
The Miami News - July 8, 1922
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah3-1TheMiamiNewsJuly91922_zps3ade53a5.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah3-1TheMiamiNewsJuly91922_zps3ade53a5.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah3-2TheMiamiNewsJuly81922_zpse6054c0d.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah3-2TheMiamiNewsJuly81922_zpse6054c0d.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah3-3TheMiamiNewsJuly81922_zps78f0341a.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah3-3TheMiamiNewsJuly81922_zps78f0341a.png.html)
The Miami News - August 10, 1922
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah2-1TheMiamiNewsAug101922_zps293e9cbd.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah2-1TheMiamiNewsAug101922_zps293e9cbd.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah2-2TheMiamiNewsAug101922_zps61406b44.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah2-2TheMiamiNewsAug101922_zps61406b44.png.html)
And a retrospective piece from the March 3, 1957 edition of The Miami News:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah1-1TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zps4da304a1.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah1-1TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zps4da304a1.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah1-2TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zps050fa815.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah1-2TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zps050fa815.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah1-3TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zpscb6f147a.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah1-3TheMiamiNewsMarch31957_zpscb6f147a.png.html)
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Pensacola Country Club is on the list. Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state. Members laid out the first nine. A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine. When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles. Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile. Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record. I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home.
It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green.
For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section.
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The last bit on Langford. Here's an article discussing the construction of two courses near Coral Gables, one being the Coconut Grove CC and the second (I believe) being the Miami Hialeah course.
The Miami News, Aug. 18, 1922
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/LangfordCoconutGrove1-1TheMiamiNewsAug181922_zps7d944b9f.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/LangfordCoconutGrove1-1TheMiamiNewsAug181922_zps7d944b9f.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/LangfordCoconutGrove1-2TheMiamiNewsAug181922_zps31537ec5.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/LangfordCoconutGrove1-2TheMiamiNewsAug181922_zps31537ec5.png.html)
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Pensacola Country Club is on the list. Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state. Members laid out the first nine. A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine. When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles. Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile. Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record. I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home.
It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green.
For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section.
Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.
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A collection of vintage postcards:
Belleview Biltmore
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KGrHqZigFEEed1IjBRGuV-O6HQ60_12_zpsf737c56a.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KGrHqZigFEEed1IjBRGuV-O6HQ60_12_zpsf737c56a.jpg.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BelleviewBiltmoreFlorida_zps9e837a10.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/BelleviewBiltmoreFlorida_zps9e837a10.jpg.html)
Aloma CC
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/ClubhouseAlomaCountryClubCa1920s_zps7359e5cf.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/ClubhouseAlomaCountryClubCa1920s_zps7359e5cf.jpg.html)
Belleair
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/gwsl12_postcard_zpsde860e15.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/gwsl12_postcard_zpsde860e15.jpg.html)
Hollywood CC
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/gwsl14_postcard_zpscf02ba4f.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/gwsl14_postcard_zpscf02ba4f.jpg.html)
Holly Hill
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/HollyHill_zpsdfe34d16.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/HollyHill_zpsdfe34d16.jpg.html)
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a bit of the history of Mt Plymouth Golf Club, listed under "Orlando" on your list, but in Mt.Plymouth which is N+W.
It was always a quiet place to play. Most folks bypassed it for other, more modern/well kept courses in the area. It closed a half dozen years ago, but they sure had high hopes for it when they built it.
___________________________________
The Historic Mount Plymouth Hotel, built in 1926 at the cost of $350,000.00, was the centerpiece of a golfing resort for the area. The hotel became a center of activity in the area. Guests, such as Al Capone, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and singer Kate Smith were able to utilize the hotel's airfield for arrival.
Four 18 hole golf courses patterned after the St. Andrews course in Scotland were originally planned for the resort. However, the Florida real estate crash of 1926 prevented completion of three of the four courses. The first course, called Mount Plymouth Golf Club, closed in 2007. Mrs. Lee Mida would use Mount Plymouth as her temporary place of residence while participating in Florida State golfing tournaments
-Captain Head, golf course architect, laid out the St. Andrews Course patterned after the famous St. Andrews links in Scotland. The 2nd course, the Gleneagle, was laid out but never finished and became part of the airfield.
Jim:
Did Captain Head have any other designs?
Sven
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Pensacola Country Club is on the list. Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state. Members laid out the first nine. A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine. When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles. Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile. Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record. I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home.
It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green.
For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section.
Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.
That thought is a new one. When was Langford there in Niceville?
Did you know Niceville is a fairly new name? The city fathers changed the name from Boggy Bayou sometime last century. Can't imagine why. ;D
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Langford and Moreau did Eglin AFB Eagle in 1925. C&W credits them and there is a plaque in clubhouse that credits them as well. Ross is credited with Panama CC in 1927. Maxwell was in Mobile in 1947 too. Guess it doesn't much matter, but boy it would sure be cool to know all this stuff for sure.
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Bill and Nigel:
The 1917 and 1920 Annual Guides for Pensacola note that an additional nine holes were being laid out (my guess is that the 1920 guide was a holdover from the info given in 1917 and was not updated). The addition at that time probably fell by the wayside due to WWI, as did quite a few other new courses and plans for updates around the country.
The 1922 Guide notes that the additional nine holes was then under construction, but the change from 9 to 18 holes is not reflected until the 1926 Guide (which is in accord with the 1925 date Bill noted above).
Its possible that the design for the new nine was in place as early as 1917, or a new plan was drawn up in 1922, or nothing was really done until work began a few years later.
Sven
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The first of a series of articles on Stiles & Van Kleek's work in Florida.
The article notes the following courses:
Florida -
Jasmin Point GC
Clewiston GC (remodel)
Sebring Municipal GC
Elsewhere-
I.N. Gardale Park (Atlanta - 36 holes)
Bobby Jones Municipal GC (Atlanta)
John A. White Park GC (Atlanta)
Vicksburg (course in the National Park)
Albuquerque, NM
Druid Hills CC (Atlanta)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/SVKAtl_zpsa663b313.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/SVKAtl_zpsa663b313.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/SVKAtl2_zps9278afef.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/SVKAtl2_zps9278afef.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/SVKAtl3_zps70447854.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/SVKAtl3_zps70447854.png.html)
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A couple of articles on Tampa Shores CC:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Tampashores_zps4d5cc125.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Tampashores_zps4d5cc125.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/tampa1_zpsb6e5977c.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/tampa1_zpsb6e5977c.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/tampa2_zps0952ab6f.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/tampa2_zps0952ab6f.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/tampa3_zpscc086255.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/tampa3_zpscc086255.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/tampa4_zpsf337e424.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/tampa4_zpsf337e424.png.html)
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There's a second book from 1930 entitled "Florida: Empire of the Sun" which contains another fairly comprehensive list of courses. Many of the same courses from the 1928 list posted above are noted with a few additions.
Between the two compilations, there are a number of courses that stand out as mysteries to me.
If anyone has any information on any of the following, please let me know:
Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Chain of Lakes GC (Howey) - 18 holes, 6,200 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Osceola CC (Pensacola) - 18 holes, 6,001 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards
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There's a second book from 1930 entitled "Florida: Empire of the Sun" which contains a second list. Many of the same courses from the 1928 list posted above are noted with a few additions.
Between the two compilations, there are a number of courses that stand out as mysteries to me.
If anyone has any information on any of the following, please let me know:
Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Chain of Lakes GC (Howey) - 18 holes, 6,200 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Osceola CC (Pensacola) - 18 holes, 6,001 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards
I believe Chain of Lakes in Howey is now Mission Inn - El Campeon.
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Sven, Osceola in Pensacola is the city owned muni. It too was built in the mid or late '20's. The architect is listed as the professional golfer "Wild Bill" Melhorn. Not sure when it became 18 holes but a long time I think.
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Svsn,
The Ribault Club:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,4351.0.html
A lot of the layout is still visible:
http://goo.gl/maps/z0ZFe
Florida State Park today:
http://www.ribaultclub.org/
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p.s. The Ribault course was a Ross and was later called Fort George Island GC.
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Bill, Rees and Jim:
Appreciate the updates.
The old thread on Ribault is fascinating, and provides a great mental picture of what life was like in many of these Florida towns back in the '20's. There's a great contrast between the likes of a Ribault Club which was built essentially as a winter retreat for the wealthy, and a small company town course like Clewiston, built by US Sugar for the use of its employees.
Reposting the list of mysteries with those that have been identified removed:
Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards
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Has anyone else played the course at South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island, here shown as the Captiva Hotel course?
I think it's been redone, but was fun when I played it in the early '80's. There were some stout holes along the beach that were greatly affected by the typically brisk winds, but the highlight of the nine holes was the 85-yard par 3 pitch across the yacht harbor, close to some moored boats!
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Has anyone else played the course at South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island, here shown as the Captiva Hotel course?
I think it's been redone, but was fun when I played it in the early '80's. There were some stout holes along the beach that were greatly affected by the typically brisk winds, but the highlight of the nine holes was the 85-yard par 3 pitch across the yacht harbor, close to some moored boats!
Bill:
Not sure if the course you played is the same course that was in existence back in the '20's. The notes for South Seas I've seen note it was built in the '70's.
Sven
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One of the courses noted above is Riviera CC, which is described in the article below from the March 6, 1924 edition of The St. Petersburg Times.
The Donald Ross Society has a listing for a Riviera CC, but identifies the course as being in Coral Gables, not St. Petersburg. That course appears to also have been known as the South Course of the Miami Biltmore. The DRS does not have any listings for a Ross course in St. Petersburg.
The Riviera in St. Petersburg would appear to have actually been built, as it appears in the 1927 list as an 18 holer. Not sure if the second course referred to in the article did make it past the conception phase.
Perhaps the course became known by a different name, but from the sounds of it this is another old Ross that has slipped through the cracks.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Riviera1-1StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zpse36fc980.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Riviera1-1StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zpse36fc980.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Riviera1-2StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zps7d5b8492.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Riviera1-2StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zps7d5b8492.png.html)
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A collection of vintage postcards:
Belleair
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/gwsl12_postcard_zpsde860e15.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/gwsl12_postcard_zpsde860e15.jpg.html)
What an amazing green. Is it still in existence and if so what does it look like now?
With the steps at the front maybe it should be in the other thread as well - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57809.0.htmlatb
atb
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This is the area in St.Pete , now called Bayou Grande, that was AKA Papy's Bayou
http://goo.gl/maps/hUJlY
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Jim:
The same paper had a second piece right next to the article I posted above:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Riviera1-3StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zpsc699e317.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Riviera1-3StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zpsc699e317.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Riviera1-4StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zps8bf5448e.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Riviera1-4StPetersburgTimesMarch61924_zps8bf5448e.png.html)
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Sven. Great thread. I know very little about Florida golf so it is a very interesting read.
As for those last two articles, they seem more like advertisements, don't they? Were the placed more like advertisements or articles?
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David:
Definitely ads. Here's a link to the articles on Google News, which show the page was "bought" by E.M. Elliott and Associates, Fiscal Agents Riviera Country Club:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19240306&id=2DQxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ukwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5700,7069516
Sven
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A few more postcards:
Boca Raton:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/il_fullxfull308736760_zps81acf7ba.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/il_fullxfull308736760_zps81acf7ba.jpg.html)
Indian HIlls:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/IndianHillsFortPierceFL_zpsa5b6b187.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/IndianHillsFortPierceFL_zpsa5b6b187.jpg.html)
Miami Biltmore:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/miami-biltmore-gc-postcard-1_zps454d06b3.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/miami-biltmore-gc-postcard-1_zps454d06b3.jpg.html)
Ormond Beach:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/OrmondBeach_zpsf018a734.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/OrmondBeach_zpsf018a734.jpg.html)
Palm Beach:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeach_zpsd40fa553.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/PalmBeach_zpsd40fa553.jpg.html)
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Here's a April 7, 1929 article from The Palm Beach Post discussing Ross and Seminole (the article also Ross' involvement with Palm Beach CC (1917) and Gulf Stream GC (1923)):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Seminole-PalmBeachPostApril71929_zps8c8ed6b1.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Seminole-PalmBeachPostApril71929_zps8c8ed6b1.png.html)
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A few old photos, just to add some "color."
Coral Gables (from Golf In Florida: 1886-1950):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CoralCables1927_zpsf10f97fc.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/CoralCables1927_zpsf10f97fc.jpg.html)
The 4th Tee at St. Augustine:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/No4TeeStAugustine_zpsf4e82152.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/No4TeeStAugustine_zpsf4e82152.jpg.html)
Winter Park:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WinterParkFL_zps0808afe2.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/WinterParkFL_zps0808afe2.jpg.html)
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Has anyone else played the course at South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island, here shown as the Captiva Hotel course?
I think it's been redone, but was fun when I played it in the early '80's. There were some stout holes along the beach that were greatly affected by the typically brisk winds, but the highlight of the nine holes was the 85-yard par 3 pitch across the yacht harbor, close to some moored boats!
Bill:
Not sure if the course you played is the same course that was in existence back in the '20's. The notes for South Seas I've seen note it was built in the '70's.
Sven
It must have played over the same ground, it's not a big island!
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Here's another article on Langford this time from the March 25, 1925 edition of the Palm Beach Daily News. There's a wealth of information on his work contained in this piece, which I'll try to lay out piece by piece:
1. The article starts by discussing "Key West Country Club," which is certainly the Key West Municipal Course. My guess is that the 1927 list in the first post of this thread has two listing for the same course, one noted as 9 holes (Key West CC) and the other as 18 (Key West Municipal). The amount of work needed to create the Key West course sounds staggering, yet it sounds like L&M were well versed in these types of construction methods, including their work at Hialeah and at Lake Worth.
2. The article notes a Col. Pease, an engineer, who was designated the chief engineer for the firm of Langford & Moreau. Interesting news, as I always thought this was Moreau's role.
3. Lake Worth is noted as having been designed but not yet built.
4. Nine holes of the St. Lucie [River] Course were opened in January with the second nine graded but not finished.
5. Kelsey City has nine holes finished.
6. Other courses designed and built by Langford - Miami Municipal at Hialeah, temporary nine holes at Coral Gables, four others to be built (three 18 holers and two nine holers one of which being Miami Biltmore which is nearly complete, one of which will be the Shriners course). I assume the reference to four others are courses in or around Miami, which would have included Granada.
7. Langford made the original survey for the Palm Beach CC in 1912, but was unable to complete the course, which turned into a Ross design. This is the earliest reference to Langford's design work I have seen.
8. In 1913 he designed and built the Miami Beach course for Carl Fisher and designed the Atlantic Beach course (Jacksonville) which was not built. This would make Miami Beach the first course built by Langford.
9. The article states West Palm Beach CC was designed by Langford, but his plans were not carried out. If this is true, then whose design was used? This article runs contrary to information noted in the Aug. 29, 1925 Palm Beach Post article which attributes West Palm Beach to Langford.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyWest1PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps5e95ec53.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyWest1PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps5e95ec53.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyWest2PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps15d71ba3.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyWest2PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps15d71ba3.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyWest3PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps8b6d755a.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyWest3PalmBeachDailyNewsMarch251925_zps8b6d755a.png.html)
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Pensacola Country Club is on the list. Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state. Members laid out the first nine. A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine. When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles. Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile. Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record. I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home.
It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green.
For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section.
Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.
There's a strong link between Langford and the Pensacola area that I haven't seen mentioned before. Ellis Knowles was the intercollegiate champion during his time at Yale (he graduated in 1907), and would have overlapped with Langford. Knowles made Pensacola CC his home course for a number of years.
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Sven,
"Kelsey City" is known today as Lake Park. The course is thought to be North Palm Beach CC.
http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/kelsey-city-lake-park
http://www.historicpalmbeach.com/tag/kelsey-city/
http://www.lakeparkflorida.gov/content/lake-park-history
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Jim:
I have North Palm Beach/Palm Beach Winter Club as a Raynor/Banks built in 1927/28 as an 18 hole course. The articles in this thread that mention Kelsey City suggest a date around 1925 and have it as a 9 holer. They also clearly note Langford as the designer.
Thinking the Kelsey City course may have been south of North Palm Beach in what is now known as Lake Park.
Sven
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Then you mean this one, at first st. on the lake?
http://tinyurl.com/ljrlzdl
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Wow.
Always knew you were the right guy for the job. Good find.
The 1927 date for Winter Club is earlier than Bahto's dates for the course. Will try to dig into that a bit more.
Let me know if you get anything on Langford's work in 1912 and 1913. That Miami Beach GC bit above is fascinating (MacWood had it as a Willie Park, which I don't think is accurate).
Sven
Edit to copy in the Ad in Jim's link:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KelseyCity-NorthPalmBeachAd1927_zpsbdc0bf46.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KelseyCity-NorthPalmBeachAd1927_zpsbdc0bf46.png.html)
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Sven,
What surprises me is the number of couses in Florida prior to the Depression.
It's far more than I imagined.
Interesting to see how golf developed in Florida in the 20 years between NGLA in 1907 and 1927
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By the descriptions given I reckon this is the area where the course was built with "1st" street being US Rt. 1, the Earman canal is the narrow body of water ("A") to the north, and the lake to the east.
http://goo.gl/maps/hEzJp
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Here's a March 6, 1958 article from The Miami News which discusses the courses in existence 50 years prior.
They are:
Belle-air GC (Belleair) - 9 holes built in 1899 by J. Dunn or Col. Gillespie (not sure when Gillespie worked here, if he did), Ross came in 1915 to expand this course and build a new course.
Deland CC (Deland) - aka College Arms GC, an 18 hole hotel course built in 1905, architect unknown.
Stafford GC - a new one for me, I have no record of any course by this name.
Hibernia GC (Hibernia) - a private club owned by a Mrs. F. Brown, built prior to 1908, architect unknown.
Atlantic Beach GC (Atlantic Beach) - The first record I have for Atlantic Beach is Tillinghast's work in 1915.
Florida CC (Jacksonville) - 9 holes in 1897, had 18 holes some time before 1901, club changed locations around 1910, Ross built a new course in 1922.
Kissimmee GC (Kissimmee) - built in 1898 by J. Gillespie and F. Brown.
Magnolia Springs GC (Magnolia Springs) - 9 holes built by O. Seavey (although the Findlay lists claim this is his work).
Royal Palm GC (Miami) - built by an unknown architect in 1908.
Ocala Heights GC (Ocala) - built in 1898, architect unknown.
Orlando CC (Orlando) - I have this club dating back to 1910 as a 9 holer with an unknown architect. Both Ross and Bendelow claim the added 9 holes around 1918.
Ormond GC (Ormond) - laid out in 1897 by Findlay, Travis consulted in 1912, an additional 9 holes was added before 1916.
Palm Beach GC (Palm Beach) - course may predate 1900, both Findlay and A. Fenn are named as original architects.
Pensacola CC (Pensacola) - built by members as a 9 holer in 1902.
Sarasota GC (Sarasota) - the first course was built by Col. Gillespie in 1886, a subsequent 9 hole course in 1905 with Ross building a new course in the 1920's.
Fort Marion GC (St. Augustine) - probably aka St. Augustine CC, which was built in 1897 by A. Findlay.
St. Augustine GC (St. Augustine) - first course built in 1895 by C. Byrne, new 9 holes built in 1900 by an unknown architect.
Tampa Bay Hotel GC (Tampa) - built in 1898 by J. Gillespie, sources have S. and T. Dunn working on the course in 1899.
Winter Park GC (Winter Park) - 9 hole hotel course by J. Dunn in 1900.
Other courses that predated 1908 that may have been omitted from this list:
Clarendon GC (Daytona Beach) - a hotel course built in 1906, architect unknown.
Cumberland Island GC (Cumberland Island) - built prior to 1901, a private course owned by W.C. Carnegie at Dungenes.
Gables GC (location unknown) - 9 holes built by J. Dunn in 1898.
Miami Golf Links (Miami) - 9 holes by A. Findlay in 1897, did this become Royal Palms?
Naples GC (Naples) - course built by J. Gillespie.
OceanTrails GC (Palm Beach) - dates to 1896.
Oceanside G&CC (Ormond Beach) - a 1907 A. Findlay 9 holer.
Orlando Public Links (Orlando) - a 6 hole public course built prior to 1900.
Tallahassee GC (Tallahassee) - first course was a few holes on private land, moved to new site in 1915.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Florida-TheMiamiNewsMarch61958_zps585944d3.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Florida-TheMiamiNewsMarch61958_zps585944d3.png.html)
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Next, a 1916 article from Motor Travel that goes into a bit of depth on the early development of golf in the State of Florida:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19161_zpsb1643a7e.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19161_zpsb1643a7e.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19162_zps0c57dac2.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19162_zps0c57dac2.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19163_zps6d787bc6.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19163_zps6d787bc6.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19164_zpsf350ff86.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FloridaGolf-MotorTravel19164_zpsf350ff86.png.html)
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Sven,
Here's an interesting one - described as "The Chicago Country Club is located on a peninsula pointing out into Choctawhatchee Bay, with a golf course that twists and winds over a series of hills separated by two lakes".
It was in Valparaiso, and the peninsula has a "Chicago Ave.
http://goo.gl/maps/n6jFq
...and a link to an article from 1927 about the club
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zsxPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mVQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6559%2C3451487
...which was started by a realtor named James Plew
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=laMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YOwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6718%2C3951387
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=laMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YOwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6718%2C3951387
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Jim:
That's the Eglin AFB course, which used to be Valparaiso CC (also known as Chicago CC of Valparaiso). Design was by Langford & Moreau in 1927.
The Evening Independent - July 26, 1926:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Valparaiso-TheEveningIndependentJuly261926_zpsbdde4ec8.png)
The Evening Independent - Nov. 12, 1927:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Valparaiso-TheEveningIndependentNov121927_zpsb8a84e5b.png)
The one in Valparaiso I don't have a ton of info on is El Conquistador CC, which was supposedly laid out by George O'Neil in 1918.
Sven
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If you still need the Key West course:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X6cxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ErYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5108%2C1074170
It's now the site of KWGC
A blurb about Coral Gables
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u25VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cj8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6393%2C647831
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1RFVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Sz0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6261%2C2086123
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Pensacola Country Club is on the list. Founded in 1902, it's the oldest private club in the state. Members laid out the first nine. A second nine was built in 1925 and integrated with a remodeled first nine. When I joined in 1995, I thought the course might have been designed by Donald Ross as the greens were typical bumped up smallish greens best approached from the proper angles. Ross was actually traveling back and forth between Jacksonville and Mobile, AL, through Pensacola while he designed the CC of Mobile. Brad Klein, Ross expert historian, says no record. I suspect that Pensacola members may have taken the 50-mile train ride to Mobile to observe what Ross had done there, and emulated the concepts back at home.
It's all moot today as we have a new course built by Jerry Pate and lead designer after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The course is more in the Raynor style, with flat bottom grass faced bunkers and a Reverse Redan and a stout Cape tee shot with Punchbowl green.
For more on the new PCC, you can check out my profile in the "In My Opinion" section.
Bill, is it possible Langford could have been involved with PCC since he did work in Niceville? I guess for that matter Ross did work in Panama City though.
There's a strong link between Langford and the Pensacola area that I haven't seen mentioned before. Ellis Knowles was the intercollegiate champion during his time at Yale (he graduated in 1907), and would have overlapped with Langford. Knowles made Pensacola CC his home course for a number of years.
First time I've ever heard that name. I googled him and got one hit, a Yale website. Sounds like he was quite a player, won 8 club championships at Pensacola, one at Yale (as a senior in 1907), one at Pine Valley, and 16! at Apawamis in Rye NY where he had a shipping business. He and his brother also owned Pensacola Maritime Corp so he was apparently back and forth between New York and Pensacola.
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Sven, see www.pensacolacountryclub.com for more history about the Knowles brothers and the early days of PCC.
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and Indian Creek was just a mere two or three acres at the time ;D
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Wanted to followup on the portion of the March 25, 1925 Palm Beach Daily News article that discussed West Palm Beach CC. That article noted the course "was designed by Langford, but in the construction his plans were not carried out."
Copied below is a January, 1922 article from Golfer's Magazine that goes into a good bit of detail about the construction of WPB. This article supports that idea that it was Langford's ideas that found there way onto the ground, and notes that he personally supervised the construction process. Perhaps there was an initial plan that was altered along the way, but from the sounds of it the result was all his.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WestPalmBeach-Jan1922GolfersMagazine1_zpsc029ac50.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/WestPalmBeach-Jan1922GolfersMagazine1_zpsc029ac50.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WestPalmBeach-Jan1922GolfersMagazine2_zps38db7377.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/WestPalmBeach-Jan1922GolfersMagazine2_zps38db7377.png.html)
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Here's an article from the December 17, 1928 edition of The Miami News discussing golf in Fort Lauderdale (thanks to Mr. Kennedy for passing this on).
The article notes the involvement of J.A. Roseman, who has a number of design credits around Chicago and elsewhere in the Midwest.
From the sounds of the article, the West Side course replaced the South Side course as Fort Lauderdale's public golf option as part of a land deal.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FortLauderale-TheMiamiNews-Dec1719281_zps7815fbec.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FortLauderale-TheMiamiNews-Dec1719281_zps7815fbec.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/FortLauderale-TheMiamiNews-Dec1719282_zpsb06eb071.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/FortLauderale-TheMiamiNews-Dec1719282_zpsb06eb071.png.html)
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Also from Jim, here's an article discussing Cedar Hill GC which is one of the courses noted in the mysteries list above (The Palm Beach Post - Feb. 25, 1931). Along with Timuquana and Florida CC, Cedar Hill hosted the 1931 Florida Open.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CedarHillGC-PalmBeachPostFeb251931_zpsda68b246.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/CedarHillGC-PalmBeachPostFeb251931_zpsda68b246.png.html)
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A couple of articles on some of the mystery courses noted earlier in the thread (pretty much all of these were tracked down by Jim Kennedy).
First, an article from the Palm Beach Daily News (Dec. 27, 1934) on Belvedere GC, which unfortunately doesn't provide much information on the origins of the course:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Belvedere-PalmBeachDailyNews-Dec271934_zps9beafb0e.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Belvedere-PalmBeachDailyNews-Dec271934_zps9beafb0e.png.html)
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Next, an ad for Plant City from the Nov. 23, 1925 St. Petersburg Times:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PlantCity-StPetersburgTimes-Nov231925_zps2d160fcb.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/PlantCity-StPetersburgTimes-Nov231925_zps2d160fcb.png.html)
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An ad for Olympia:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/OlympiaAd_zps7fbe24c5.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/OlympiaAd_zps7fbe24c5.png.html)
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Here's a March 11, 1917 article from The Evening Independent discussing the construction of the Davista and Brightwater links (two separate courses). The article notes that both courses were designed by J. Franklin Meehan. The Davista links referred to in the article was the Jungle Club, which is covered in the second article in this post (same paper, dated Feb. 13, 1915) noting that Meehan worked with Tillinghast on its design and construction. Tillinghast and Meehan had worked together before, including at Shawnee. Perhaps Meehan was merely constructing a Tillie design at Davista, but the article makes it sound like a collaboration.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Davista-Brightwater-TheEveningIndependent-March11917_zpsffeecfab.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Davista-Brightwater-TheEveningIndependent-March11917_zpsffeecfab.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb1319151_zpscffc66a8.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb1319151_zpscffc66a8.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb1319152_zps8288c437.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb1319152_zps8288c437.png.html)
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Phil Young sent me a wealth of information on the Jungle Club, with the primary take away being that Tillinghast was responsible for the design and layout and Meehan was in charge of construction.
The June 1915 issue of The American Golfer contained the following:
"Mr. A. W. Tillinghast has departed for Florida where he will put in a month in the construction of the new eighteen holes course at Davista, which he planned last March. For nearly a year workmen have been busily engaged in felling trees and removing palmetto roots."
The course was sold as part of a bankruptcy sale to Farragut Academy in the 1940's.
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Sven have you found any information regarding the 1926 9 hole course in Live Oak, FL that is known as Suwanee Country Club? I have been digging, but haven't been able to find anything.
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Rees:
I have not found anything on the origins of Live Oak.
Sven
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One other course from the mystery list, Golf Park in Miami, was built around 1926.
Here's an 1925 ad from the Nov. 16, 1925 edition of The Miami News heralding the development of the area:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-Nov1619251_zpsd20b652a.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-Nov1619251_zpsd20b652a.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-Nov1619252_zpsdf62bfc7.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-Nov1619252_zpsdf62bfc7.png.html)
Here a number of articles discussing what happened to the course over the years.
A June 21, 1935 The Miami News - discussing the purchase of the club by the Miami Cabana and Golf Club, who had also purchased Indian Creek Island:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-June219351_zps29012d46.png)http:// (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-June219351_zps29012d46.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-June219352_zpse4966b49.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-June219352_zpse4966b49.png.html)
A quick blurb from the April 8, 1945 edition of the same paper discussing the potential for reclamation:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-April81945_zps99ac3229.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-April81945_zps99ac3229.png.html)
And finally, a reminiscent piece from May 28, 1949 again from The Miami News:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-May2819492_zpsb80a555d.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-May2819492_zpsb80a555d.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-May2819491_zps3664e955.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/GolfPark-TheMiamiNews-May2819491_zps3664e955.png.html)
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Sven,
Here's a few for you:
Espritu Santo Springs GC 1924
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FMtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=olQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4707%2C1595019
Flynn/Ross/Mizner at Boca -1925
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R1YyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NbYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2134%2C564058
Hagen w/Stiles at Bear Creek - ST. Pete - 1924
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uhEwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=50wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6849%2C3082110http://
Front page ad - Tillie - St Pete - 1916
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BQpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xUwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6528%2C3787796
Stiles -Key Largo- 1925
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fAktAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iNgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3193%2C4811694
Why Doral got built
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=97MrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yP4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5497%2C2459477
Arch. of Winter Haven GC/1931
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hq1NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jvwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3929%2C4980444
Sarasota claiming to be the birthplace of golf -1936
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=puYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UyEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5191%2C4443386
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Jim:
Thanks for adding those in.
Here are two more pieces on Key Largo. I'm not sure if the course was ever opened, as I have seen no record of its existence. From the sounds of it, they did get pretty far into the construction process.
From The Miami News, Jan. 12, 1925:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Jan121925_zps48dc3c05.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Jan121925_zps48dc3c05.png.html)
And from later in the year, The Miami News, Nov., 9, 1925:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919251_zps84b4570f.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919251_zps84b4570f.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919252_zps80ee13b4.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919252_zps80ee13b4.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919253_zps11403866.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/KeyLargo-TheMiamiNews-Nov919253_zps11403866.png.html)
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Here's an updated version of the "mystery list," with courses noted above removed:
Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards
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Copied below is a Dec. 19, 1926 article from The Miami News, discussing the development of a new golf course in Miami. The course is called South Florida Golf and Country Club, but the title of the article referes to it as "Golf Park." This course, as noted in the article, appears to have been designed by Col. Tippett of Montauk Downs and Miami Beach Golf Club - La Gorce Course fame.
I'm not sure if Golf Park and South Florida were one and the same or not. The Annual Guides from that era note both courses, with Leo Diegel and Gene Sarazen named as the pros at South Florida and Mike Brady for Golf Park. The costs of the club house for Golf Park noted in one of the articles posted above make it sound like this could have been the same project.
In any case, Golf Park became Westview CC, and today is known as Miami National.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/SouthFloridaCC-TheMiamiNews-Dec191926_zps309359f8.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/SouthFloridaCC-TheMiamiNews-Dec191926_zps309359f8.png.html)
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A couple of more articles on the Jungle Club.
From the Feb. 27, 1915 edition of The Evening Independent, discussing preliminary plans and including some statements by Meehan on the patience required if they were to produce the best course in the South:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb2719151_zps957e2554.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb2719151_zps957e2554.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb2719152_zpsfa475dad.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-Feb2719152_zpsfa475dad.png.html)
The second article is from the same paper a few months later (April 19, 1915), and includes thoughts on using different types of grass for the fairways and greens:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-April191915_zps2069c846.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/JungleClub-TheEveningIndependent-April191915_zps2069c846.png.html)
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Here's a quick blurb from The Palm Beach Post (Aug. 21, 1925) discussing Pinecrest CC (aka Pine Crest Lakes Clubs). Pinecrest is attributed to Ross in 1926, but from the article it appears that Bertie Way was the foreman for the project. Way, the brother of Ernest Way (who also worked with Ross), was a long time pro in the Ohio area, with a few design credits to his name.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Pinecrest-ThePalmBeachPost-Aug21925_zpsd0ecc178.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Pinecrest-ThePalmBeachPost-Aug21925_zpsd0ecc178.png.html)
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I've touched a bit on the development of golf in Miami here and in the Miami Beach thread:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57840.0.html
Before Carl Fisher started turning Miami Beach into a resort destination reached by the automobile, Henry Flagler had developed the Florida East Coast Railway making Miami a getaway spot for those who could reach it via the rails. It is impossible to discuss the development of golf in Florida without mentioning Flagler. His trains ran the length of Florida, eventually reaching as far as Key West. Along the way, Flagler built hotels, developed towns and used newly constructed golf courses as part of the draw to make Florida a winter destination.
Back in Post #47 I noted a list of courses in existence around 1908. Many of those noted were in the locations developed by Flagler, as highlighted on this advertisement for the Florida East Coast Railway:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/photo2_zpsed6df08d.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/photo2_zpsed6df08d.png.html)
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For a while, Miami was the terminus of Flagler's railway. He built the Royal Palm Hotel in 1897, and a six hole golf course was added to the grounds for the entertainment of its guests. Sources have Flagler opening the Miami CC (or the Miami Golf Links) in 1898, located a short distance from the hotel.
I am a bit confused as to the history of the two courses. One of the earliest newspaper accounts discusses plans to ready the Royal Palm course for the season, but doesn't note if this was the new course or the original course built by the hotel (The Miami News - Oct. 9, 1908):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Oct91908_zpscc5f92f9.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Oct91908_zpscc5f92f9.png.html)
Later reports note the Miami CC course being expanded from 9 to 18 holes by Donald Ross (The Miami News - Nov. 29, 1921):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2919211_zps5620b735.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2919211_zps5620b735.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2919212_zps6cf3e359.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2919212_zps6cf3e359.png.html)
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Here are a few old postcards and photos of the Royal Palm Golf Course and of the hotel itself:
The Royal Palm Hotel:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalmHotel_zpsf212b401.gif) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalmHotel_zpsf212b401.gif.html)
Photo from 1899 (of the course adjacent to the hotel):(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm1899_zps121d59bf.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm1899_zps121d59bf.jpg.html)
Postcard depicting the "Clock Putting Green" (not sure if this is the hotel or the Miami CC course): (http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalmPostcard_zpsd647d169.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalmPostcard_zpsd647d169.jpg.html)
A 1905 photo of the same location:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPark1905_zps9ec165ad.jpg) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPark1905_zps9ec165ad.jpg.html)
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A 1927 article discusses the old Royal Palm course (The Miami News - Aug. 28, 1927), noting a bit of quirk in its nine holes.
The article notes the Miami CC course was built when "the park was depleted of its bunkers and sandpits," but gives no mention of the timing. It does note that the old course went out of existence around 1915, and that the new Miami CC was built with 9 holes at first followed by nine additional holes three years later. I am guessing this is a reference to the Ross course, but the mention of the original course playing right near the hotel runs contrary to accounts of the original Miami CC having been laid out a good distance from the hotel, so that golfers had to take a boat or horse and buggy to reach it.
There is also a bit of history on Carl Fisher's Miami Beach courses, including that the original Miami Beach GC was initially intended to be only five holes. The article also suggests that the Miami-Hialeah course was conceived around 1915 (which runs contrary to the articles posted earlier in the thread discussing a later date for its construction).
Other items to note:
-Both the Miami-Hialeah and Miami Beach GC courses are noted as having been turned over to the city to be used as Municipal courses.
-The Flamingo Course had been abandoned by the time the article was written.
-Bay Shore, La Gorce, Miami Biltmore (2 courses), Golf Park have been constructed.
-Two courses were in the works in Hollywood.
-Fort Lauderdale had two courses at this point.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819271_zpsae03f4a2.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819271_zpsae03f4a2.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819272_zps87e3784e.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819272_zps87e3784e.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819273_zps0bccbb60.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819273_zps0bccbb60.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819274_zpscfe8bbc3.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/RoyalPalm-TheMiamiNews-Aug2819274_zpscfe8bbc3.png.html)
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Another non-contemporaneous account (The Miami News - Oct. 16, 1955) provides some more information to the mix.
I suspect this article has certain aspects of the history correct, although some of the dates and claims seem a bit off. There's some interesting commentary on what was happening to the course in 1955, indicating that a "better use" had been found for the property.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Oct161955_zps135b6440.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Oct161955_zps135b6440.png.html)
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Here's a Nov. 22, 1920 article from The Miami News discussing the opening of the new Miami Beach CC/Royal Palm clubhouse and course:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2219201_zpse2ae520c.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2219201_zpse2ae520c.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2219202_zpsb98f81ba.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiCC-TheMiamiNews-Nov2219202_zpsb98f81ba.png.html)
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The Miami-Hialeah Golf Course was discussed on the first page of this thread amongst the posts dealing with Langford. That course, which became known as Miami Springs CC, received a good deal of press while it was being built.
From The Miami News, June 29, 1922:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-June291922_zpsccee91e5.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-June291922_zpsccee91e5.png.html)
Same paper, August 14, 1922:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-Aug141922_zps53dde249.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-Aug141922_zps53dde249.png.html)
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An article from later on noting the history of Miami-Hialeah and the transition to Miami Springs CC (The Miami News, July 5, 1952). A detailed course history can be found on the Miami Springs CC website (http://www.miamispringsgolfcourse.com/history.pdf).
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519521_zpse236730b.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519521_zpse236730b.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519522_zpsa283aa31.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519522_zpsa283aa31.png.html)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519523_zpsdbc2c2fd.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519523_zpsdbc2c2fd.png.html)
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There's another course from the Miami area with a bit of an interesting architectural pedigree. Miami Shores CC is noted as a Donald Ross design from 1925, and was advertised heavily in the local papers at that time noting the plan for two courses designed by Ross. I'm not sure what happened to the course, but it is noted as being NLE.
A few years later, in 1938, a new course was built in Miami with a similar name. The Miami Shores Village G&CC was built by two former Flynn and Toomey employees, one of them being Red Lawrence and the other Louis Wilson. Lawrence worked for a time in Florida with a home base of Boca Raton before relocating to the Phoenix area. Known today as Miami Shores CC, the course is still in existence.
From The Miami News, Jan. 5, 1938:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MiamiShores-TheMiamiNews-Jan51938_zps6015a959.png) (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/snilsen7/media/MiamiShores-TheMiamiNews-Jan51938_zps6015a959.png.html)
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http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Hialeah-TheMiamiNews-July519521_zpse236730b.png
Why does government run golf courses?
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A few additional articles on Flynn's work in Florida.
First, an article on Cleveland Heights in Lakeland (The Evening Independent - Jan. 11, 1925):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/ClevelandHeightsLakeland-TheEveningIndependent-Jan11925_zpsbfeca7b9.png)
Next, a Nov. 1, 1925 The Miami News piece on Flynn in Boca Raton working on the Ritz Carlton course. The article also discusses Ross' work on The Cloisters course:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BocaampFlynn-TheMiamiNews-Nov11925_zps73d636bc.png)
And an ad for the Boca Ritz:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BocaRitz-ThePalmBeachPost-Sept281925_zps7f7c1acd.png)
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Two additional articles on Boca Raton.
The first discusses the Flynn and Ross courses after they had opened (The Miami News - Dec. 27, 1926):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CloisterampRitz-TheMiamiNews-Dec261926_zps6d663492.png)
The second, just covering the Ritz Carlton course, is from The Palm Beach Daily News on Feb. 6, 1927:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RitzCarlton-PalmBeachDailyNews-Feb61927_zpsc9430525.png)
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And a series of articles on other Ross courses.
Here's an Sarasota Herald-Tribune article from Feb. 26, 1929 discussing the state of golf in that city.
Courses noted:
Bobby Jones Muncipal Course
Sarasota Ritz-Carlton Hotel Course - to be opened in 1929/30 [Don't think this was ever completed.]
Longboat Key course - "constructed by the Sarasota CC, but allowed to lapse into disuse."
Whitfield course - aka Sara Bay CC, the DRS has this as an 18 hole remodel in 1925.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Sarasota-SarasotaHerald-Tribune-Feb261929_zpsf61e9735.png)
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Another article from a few years later (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Jan. 31, 1932) discussing the Bobby Jones Municipal Course and the Whitfield Estates CC.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Sarasota-SarasotaHerald-Tribune-Jan3119321_zpsfe567072.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Sarasota-SarasotaHerald-Tribune-Jan3119322_zpscbe6cced.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Sarasota-SarasotaHerald-Tribune-Jan3119323_zpsfd86992d.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Sarasota-SarasotaHerald-Tribune-Jan3119324_zpsc0234507.png)
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Another article discussing Whitfield, with a fairly concise description of the course and noting an exhibition match between Hagen and Jones.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Whitfield1_zps5e301c76.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Whitfield2_zps9963400f.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Whitfield3_zpsab3450e6.png)(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Whitfield4_zps782112c9.png)
And an ad for the project, along with a routing map:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WhitfieldEstatesAd_zpsdaf7e7a8.png)
A close up of the routing map:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WhitfieldEstates_zpsdbce097d.png)
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Switching coasts, here's an article on Palm Beach CC, a course designed by Ross in 1917 and reworked by him in the late '30's.
(The Palm Beach Post - Dec. 1, 1939)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPost-Dec11939_zps10bcae19.png)
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Lake Eola is surrounded by housing today.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/12780824205_3c3e6ae515_c.jpg)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/12780892065_1841185e42_c.jpg)
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Guys, thanks for all your efforts. Really good stuff!
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I am trying to get up to Suwanee Country Club to take some pics and talk to the locals about any history of the course. When I do, I will post that info here. The only information Sven and I have discovered is that it was founded in 1926.
I have enjoyed this thread immensely and appreciate all the effort that Sven and others have put into finding these articles. When I get some more time I will repost my Clewiston thread.
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Rees,
Here's a blurb from a cached page:
The 9-hole Suwannee Country Club was founded at Houston in 1926 on land earlier owned by the County, with such locals as F. D. Helvenston, Cary Hardee, R. H. Helvenston, B. W. Helvenson, Jr., and Dr. W. C. White present at its dedication.
The names may aid in your search.
The page:
http://tinyurl.com/lp9qseh
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A few posts up the Hagen/Jones match in St. Petersburg was noted. Here's a postcard from the event:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PasadenaPostcard_zpsb68af7fa.jpg)
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The other course played over by Hagen and Jones in their match was Pasadena G&CC. Pasadena started as Boca Ciega G&CC, and is referred to elsewhere as Bear Creek GC.
The course was designed by Stiles & Van Kleek in 1924 with some assistance from Walter Hagen. This St. Petersburg Times article from December 31, 1924 discusses the opening of the course:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BocaCiega-StPetersburgTimesDec3119241_zpsc596b487.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BocaCiega-StPetersburgTimesDec3119242_zps1e54c9a5.png)
Here's an ad from April 10, 1924 (then named Bear Creek):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Pasadena-April1019241_zps6fc25764.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Pasadena-April1019242_zps5cc928c9.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Pasadena-April1019243_zpsdd21499a.png)
A March 31, 1925 blurb from the St. Petersburg Times notes the name change from Boca Ciega to Pasadena:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/BocaCiega-StPetersburgTimes-Mar31925_zpsaa32a792.png)
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Taking a break from the articles to add in some photos.
A shot of the Daytona Highlands course (built around 1926):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/DaytonaHighlands_zpsf8c8fffb.jpg)
Granada (Langford & Moreau), from 1924:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Granada1924_zps601e3b64.jpg)
Two photos of Ormond Beach (the first dates from 1910):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Ormond1910_zps8ab278bb.jpg)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/OrmondBeach_zps5ac3c0b1.jpg)
Royal Palm:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPalm_zpsf19aaea8.jpg)
Royal Poincaina:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPoincana_zpsf8cd1c71.jpg)
Two shots of Tallahassee CC (aka Hill City CC), the second being from 1921:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/TallahasseeGC_zps7199d94c.jpg)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/Tallahassee-1921_zps7c8ef6f6.jpg)
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Here are two articles on Langford's Coral Gables course that were linked to earlier in the thread by Jim Kennedy:
From the Nov. 27, 1922 edition of The Miami News:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CoralGables-TheMiamiNewsNov2719221_zps917af8ed.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CoralGables-TheMiamiNewsNov2719222_zps5bde8243.png)
And from the same paper on Jan. 3, 1923:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CoralGables-TheMiamiNewsJan31923_zps6bd4523f.png)
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Sven,
If you search around a bit on the Florida Memory site you'll find a photo of the Scenic Highlands course in Avon Park.
Jim
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In the January, 1922 edition of Travel, there's an article entitled "Creating the New Florida."
In the article appears the following:
"The golf courses in South Florida are as ubiquitous as the orange groves and they are not the sand green affairs of early Florida vintage. Except for the old links at Winter Park, there is not a sand green course in the southern section of the state. Two golf course architect, Donald J. Ross and Seth J. Raynor, have had a profound influence on golf course construction all over Florida, and to them belongs the credit of laying out some of the finest links in the country. The first of Mr. Ross' work was at Belleair, and his most recent links were built at Ft. Myers. At Tampa, Mountain Lake and Orlando there are Raynor courses, all of which have tried the skill of our cleverest present-day professionals."
Anyone ever heard of Raynor working in Tampa or Orlando?
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RaynorFlorida-Travel-January1922_zpsccbc9bc1.png)
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Copied below is a Feb. 10, 1925 article from The Palm Beach Post discussing the opening of a golf course in Lake Wales. The article notes 9 holes of the course had been completed, with 9 more to follow. The architect is noted as Seth Raynor, and it states he also laid out the Mountain Lake course. My understanding was that there was Mountain Lake by Raynor, and Lake Wales GC by Ross. The website for Lake Wales notes that the course used to be public, and it was my assumption that the references to Lake Wales Municipal GC were for the same course.
So was it Raynor, or Ross, or some combination of the two due to Raynor's passing before the 2nd Nine holes were completed?
Edit: Found an old thread that touched on the issue:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50709.msg1155452.html#msg1155452
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/LakeWales-ThePalmBeachPost-Feb1019251_zpsa6360887.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/LakeWales-ThePalmBeachPost-Feb1019252_zpsd9fdd5cd.png)
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A few more images.
Highland Park Club, Lake Wales -
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/HighlandParkClub-LakeWalesFL_zps2172815f.jpg)
Mountain Lake -
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/MountainLake_zps077bb739.jpg)
College Arms, De Land -
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/CollegeArms_zps51dc2736.jpg)
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Sven,
Interesting stuff. I played many of these courses as a kid.
I think I found Lakeview in Lake City on an old aerial photo:
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071737/00005/18x?coord=30.20211367909724,-82.8369140625,30.031055426540206,-82.4853515625&vo=12&vp=3315,2798
It now appears to be pastureland just east of Alligator Lake.
I would not be surprised if Putnam County Golf & Country Club is now known as Palatka Muni, ascribed to Donald Ross (1925). I also think it's possible that in the 1928 list, Ponce de Leon Springs was confused for Ponce de Leon GC (recently NLE), another Ross near St. Augustine. (The latter course was originally known as St Augustine Links North, and the Ross Society lists both it and St Augustine Links South as being constructed in 1916.)
JB
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J-
Nice find on Lakeview. You can still make out the same borders between the open ground of the course and the wooded areas in the modern day aerial.
I agree with you on Putnam County/Palatka.
For the Ponce de Leon courses, the only thing that gives me pause to think that it was a reference to the course in St. Augustine is that they list DeLeon Springs as the location. Perhaps it was simply a mistake, but I don't see how they could have not listed St. Augustine if that was the course they were talking about. I do note that the list only has one course listed for St. Augustine Links, when as you note there were two.
All the best,
Sven
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Jim:
I have North Palm Beach/Palm Beach Winter Club as a Raynor/Banks built in 1927/28 as an 18 hole course. The articles in this thread that mention Kelsey City suggest a date around 1925 and have it as a 9 holer. They also clearly note Langford as the designer.
Thinking the Kelsey City course may have been south of North Palm Beach in what is now known as Lake Park.
Sven
In connection with the Babson Park thread, Kevin Robinson shared with me the following regarding Kelsey City:
"It’s funny how this stuff evolves…when I worked at Lost Tree in N. Palm Beach back in the late 90’s, I used to hit balls every day/night at a huge facility called Golden Bear Golf Center on Northlake Blvd. It always looked a bit odd to me because the range area (where you hit the balls to) was huge and it looked as if they had gone to great lengths to make it look like a real golf course…I forgot about it for several years until I picked up Wexler’s book and realized that the Golden Bear Golf Center sat on the exact site of the NLE Kelsey City GC designed by William Langford…the remains of 3-4 holes languishing out in the middle of the range. I think one of the greens was even utilized as part of the huge putting course they had at the facility....They are both now plowed over and a Home Depot sits on the site."
Anyone else beside from Kevin ever practice at Golden Bear?
Sven
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Sven,
Great stuff.
I was invited to have dinner at the Poinciana Club in Palm Beach years ago.
I know that when the Royal Poinciana Hotel was raised that a commemorative marker was put in place.
Do you know where the golf course was located ?
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/RoyalPoincana_zpsf8cd1c71.jpg)
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Patrick, Are you the one of the guys sitting on the porch?
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Pat:
Was it the same course as the current Breakers Ocean Course, which would have run directly between the two hotels?
Sven
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Patrick, Are you the one of the guys sitting on the porch?
No,
I'm the one watching the woman bending over !
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Pat:
Was it the same course as the current Breakers Ocean Course, which would have run directly between the two hotels?
I'm not sure, but I don't think so.
It would be neat to locate the Marker.
The Poinciana Club I ate at was on the water
Sven
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Pat:
Pretty sure it was.
The marker you referenced is located on Cocoanut Row.
Sven
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Sven ,
It would seem that the clubhouse was close to the a Royal Poinciana Plaza on the bay side.
When I have time this weekend, I'll look up the history of the Breakers and it's golf course, which I've played.
Short and sporty
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Pat:
No need to look it up. The course dates back to the mid-1890's, and was the first 18 hole golf course in Florida.
It ran from the back steps of The Breakers (on the ocean side) to the gardens of the Royal Poinciana Hotel (on the bay side), thus between the two hotels.
Here's a photo of the course from the early 1940's, after the Poinciana was razed. You can make out the tree-lined path between the two hotels (splitting the course) that was used to transport guests from bay to beach and back. On page 14 of a book called Golf in Florida there are two earlier photos of the course and both hotels, which confirm everything I've stated above (viewable here: http://books.google.com/books?id=r5As5ABg1REC&printsec=frontcover&dq=golf+in+florida&hl=en&sa=X&ei=L-FPU4f1FunWyQGmyoDgDg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=palm%20beach&f=false).
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGCTheBreakers1940-1945_zps891d5632.jpg)
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Pat:
Quick followup, the course was also worked on by Ross in the late '30's in a fairly significant remodel that extended its length by 400 yards (from the Nov. 20, 1938 The Palm Beach Post).
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeach-ThePalmBeachPostNov2019381_zps34ae6238.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeach-ThePalmBeachPostNov2019382_zps253ce040.png)
Searching the DRS list and Brad's book, I did not find any mention of this work.
Sven
Edit: There's another mention of Ross redoing the entire course in 1923 (from the Jan. 21, 1923 Palm Beach Daily News). This is getting interesting.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeach-PalmBeachDailyNewsJan219231_zps716233cc.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeach-PalmBeachDailyNewsJan219232_zps8a0250f5.png)
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Four photos of Palm Beach GC (aka the Poinciana course and The Breakers Ocean Course):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGCPhoto1_zps0d1e38a8.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGCPhoto2_zps77e2bbf2.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGCPhoto3_zps25cd556b.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGCPhoto4_zps09c2f1e5.png)
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Here's a Nov. 20, 1938 The Palm Beach Post article discussing Palm Beach GC:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPostNov2019381_zpse9961e5d.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPostNov2019382_zps8c33e7ce.png)
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Another article discussing the 1938 changes by Ross (Dec. 20, 1938 Palm Beach Daily News):
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-PalmBeachDailyNewsDec201938_zps7f561220.png)
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I've read accounts that Langford also worked on the course in the early 1930's. Here's a Dec. 6, 1931 article from The Palm Beach Post discussing a number of changes to the course, but the article does not note any architects being involved. It is also of interest that the course was converted to grass greens around 1929.
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPostDec619311_zps2793de3b.png)
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/PalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPostDec619312_zpsc4f0140e.png)
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That Nov. 20, 1938 The Palm Beach Post edition also contained images of two other Palm Beach area courses.
The Everglades Club:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/EvergladesGC-ThePalmBeachPostNov201938_zpsaa316664.png)
West Palm Beach Municipal GC:
(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/snilsen7/WestPalmBeachGC-ThePalmBeachPostNov201938_zps41cd38c8.png)
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Sven,
Your posts on South Florida have been highly informative.
It would appear that there was far more activity going on in South Florida in the early part of the 20th Century than I had ever imagined.
It would appear that the railroad/s was one of the primary reasons for golf's expansion in South Florida.
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Pat:
Glad you are enjoying this.
I highlighted Flagler's influence on the development of golf in Florida in another recent thread, and the railroads and their hand-in-hand relationship with the various resorts where the primary driver for the growth of the game all over the South. Flagler even had a separate spur line built from the mainland to the Royal Poinciana so that private rail cars could pull right up to the resort.
At some point, the automobile became as big or bigger of a factor, with Carl Fischer being the predominant driving force in constructing the Dixie Highway and building hotels and golf courses at its terminus. The number of automobile guide books produced after World War I could provide a family with decades of vacation routes, stops and golf courses to play.
The story is not entirely a happy one, as the real estate crash of 1926 and the devastating hurricanes around that time brought new construction to a standstill. There were still a few courses built in the subsequent years up to World War II, but for the most part Florida's heyday had come and gone (by the time things picked up, the advent of commercial airlines meant many Americans were travelling to increasingly more remote locations for their relaxation).
It is also an interesting exercise to contrast what is taking place at Streamsong with the development of places like Palm Beach, Miami Beach and St. Augustine. There are certain similarities now nearly 100 years on, yet the key differences serve to reflect a different set of ideals and sensibilities from that bygone era.
Sven
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"It is also an interesting exercise to contrast what is taking place at Streamsong with the development of places like Palm Beach, Miami Beach and St. Augustine. There are certain similarities now nearly 100 years on, yet the key differences serve to reflect a different set of ideals and sensibilities from that bygone era."
I'd love to hear you elaborate on the above.
Bob
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This thread is a good reminder that it's possible, I think, to edit it and submit to Ran as an "In My Opinion" piece, thereby saving it for future reference.
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Sven,
Great, great stuff.
So the Breakers and the Royal Poinciana competed with one another for guests ?
The golf courses were adjacent to one another so it would seem that location didn't favor either.
Which golf course was more acclaimed ?
The Breakers was on the ocean, which, with the beach, would seem to be an advantage for the hotel aspect.
I recall as a young kid, staying at the Biltmore, which I believe, like the Royal Poinciana was on the Inland Waterway side
I think that they had a golf course as well, but don't remember.
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Pat:
A couple of clarifications:
1. The Breakers and the RP were both owned by Flagler (RP built in 1894, first version of The Breakers built in 1896). As they were sister hotels, I wouldn't necessarily say they competed against each other.
2. Unless I have this completely wrong, there was only one golf course (known at different times as Palm Beach GC, the Poinciana Course and the Breakers Golf Course).
The Palm Beach Biltmore (fka The Alba and The Ambassador) is located just a bit north of the former location of the Royal Poinciana. I have no record of the Biltmore having its own course, but if it did it would not have been around for very long. I've read reports that the area between Flagler's properties and what became the Palm Beach CC was very heavily developed with real estate leading up to the mid-teens.
Sven
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Page 24 - C. B. Cory - Fatther of Palm Beach Golf??
http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/uploads/file/journal/The_Tustenegee_vol3_no1.pdf
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Bill, Rees and Jim:
Appreciate the updates.
The old thread on Ribault is fascinating, and provides a great mental picture of what life was like in many of these Florida towns back in the '20's. There's a great contrast between the likes of a Ribault Club which was built essentially as a winter retreat for the wealthy, and a small company town course like Clewiston, built by US Sugar for the use of its employees.
Reposting the list of mysteries with those that have been identified removed:
Scenic Highlands GC (Avon Park) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Webber College (Babson Park)
Captiva Hotel GC (Captiva)
Chipley CC (Chipley) - 2,800 yards
Ponce de Leon Springs GC or Ponce Spring GC (De Leon Springs) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Enterprise Municpal GC (Enterprise) - 9 holes, 3,000 yards
Green Ball GC (Fernandina) - 9 holes
West Fort Myers Club (Fort Myers) - 9 holes
Fort Pierce Municipal GC (Fort Pierce) - 3,090 yards
Avalon CC (Howey) - 7,000 yards
Inverness CC (Inverness) - 9 holes, 3,215 yards
Cedar Hills CC (Jacksonville) - 6,401 yards
Ribault Club (Jacksonville/Fort George Island)
Jacksonville Beach CC (Jacksonville Beach) - 3,142 yards
Key West CC (Key West) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Palmetto GC (Kissimmee) - 3,020 yards
Colonial GC (Kissimmee) - 3,101 yards
Lakeview CC (Lake City) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Leesburg Municipal GC (Leesburg) - 9 holes, 3,300 yards
St. Andrews Bay GC (Lynnhaven/Panama City) - 18 holes, 6,710 yards
Golf Park CC (Miami) - 6,000 yards
Olympia GC (Olympia) - 18 holes, 6,340 yards
Putnam County G&CC (Palatka) - 9 holes, 2,500 yards
Belvedere CC (Palm Beach) - 6,000 yards
Bunkers Cove CC (Panama City) - 3,803 yards
Plant City G&CC (Plant City) - 9 holes, 3,305 yards
Riviera CC (St. Petersburg) - 18 holes
Bright Water Club (St. Petersburg) - 9 holes, 3,050 yards
Siesta Key GC (Sarasota) - 9 holes, 3,100 yards
Lake Sebring G&CC (Sebring) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Airport GC (Tampa) - 3,105 yards
Indian River GC (Titusville) - 9 holes, 3,500 yards
Lake Avalon CC (Winter Garden) - 6,558 yards
Sven, here is some info I found about Inverness. It was built around a phosphate mine and routed on rolling sand hills. The course can still be seen from current aerial photos and definitely had some unique characteristics.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4440/36009749753_94c984a45d_c.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4341/36422096410_f0c009f3d7_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4415/36009755373_06916ed71f_z.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4358/36647953312_3f67d52399_c.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4384/36647949152_b47e42e60d_c.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4357/35984156094_8d71c2915d_c.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4400/36009755273_15cf65b4fc_c.jpg)
Use Bing Maps Bird's Eye (the 360 view helps you look at it in various angles) view to get a better look at the holes: [size=78%]https://binged.it/2wQ1xkk (https://binged.it/2wQ1xkk)[/size]
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4436/36680151051_418ac3d792_z.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4352/36680150541_5e1b6121fc_z.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4442/36010740733_ed7ed291e6_b.jpg)
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/68517575@N04/36009749753/sizes/c/)