1934 Connecticut Aerials

[Tim Martin]

Bret-I’m a fan of all the Robert Pryde golf courses I’ve played with Pine Orchard being no exception. The first time I played was with you a number of years ago and came away with the feeling that it is a top tier nine holer in Connecticut if not New England. It’s no surprise that the routing is different than opening day as the the 1938 hurricane wreaked havoc on the Connecticut shoreline.

[Bret Lawrence]

Sven,


Thanks for including Elm Terrace Inn by Willie Park.  That is certainly a mystery and I don’t really have any information to add to that one.


Tim,


I agree. I have enjoyed the Robert Pryde courses I’ve played too.  I thought Pine Orchard was a terrific course with a charming setting. I’m not sure the course is a Robert Pryde anymore.  The superintendent we met that day speculated that Robert Trent Jones may have worked on it? William Mitchell is also credited with working there in the 1940’s.Whoever built it did a pretty good job!


Bret

[Bret Lawrence]

Pleasant View Golf Course-Meriden, CT (NLE)
9 Holes, 2,985 Yards, Par 34: See article below.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1932.

Pleasant View Golf Course was established around 1932.  George Hunter was reported as the professional here in 1932.  He later became the longtime pro at Meriden Municipal which is now named Hunter Memorial Golf Course in his memory.  We have very little information for this course outside of what is included in the articles below.  The golf course no longer exists.

1932 article including the Pleasant View Golf Course:



Another article suggesting Pleasant View was opened around 1932:

An early routing map sent over to me from Sven Nilsen.
Meriden Daily Journal., May 26, 1932:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Plymouth Meadow Country Club-Windsor, CT. FKA Windsor Golf Club. (NLE)
9 Holes, 2,207 Yards, Par 35: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Charles Henderson.  Established in 1911.

1921 Article:


1922 Article:


Plymouth Meadow Country Club was formerly known as Windsor Golf Club.  The Windsor Golf Club was established in 1911 and moved to a new site in 1921. I can’t find any information tying Charles Henderson to either site.  Charles Henderson was the longtime pro at the Country Club of Farmington, preceding  Arthur Reid.  Carl Anderson was reported expanding the course to 18 holes after the 1934 aerial.
EDIT: The Plymouth Meadow course closed down sometime in the 1940’s. I had originally written that Plymouth Meadow survived until the 2000’s under the name The Traditions at Windsor.  However, I have recently discovered that Plymouth Meadow and Traditions at Windsor (formerly Mill Creek Golf Course) were on separate properties.  Plymouth Meadow was very close to the Loomis Chaffe campus, while Traditions at Windsor was located close to the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and I-91. Both of these courses no longer exist. Traditions at Windsor closed in 2014.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Pomfret Golf Club-Pomfret, CT (NLE) AKA Pomfret Country Club
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by: Arthur G. Lockwood. Established in 1916.

Pomfret Golf Club is a new addition to the original list.  Sven Nilsen recently sent me the name and location of this golf course.  We don’t have any information from early on, but there is a story from when the course closed suggesting the year of establishment is 1916. 


Sven recently sent over this 1916 article noting Arthur Lockwood laid out the Pomfret course around 1916:


1974 Course Closing:

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Putnam Country Club-Putnam, CT (NLE)
9 Holes, 3,000 Yards, Par 37: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: T. L. McNamara. Established in 1915.

Putnam Country Club was established in 1915 according to the old golf guides.  We have very little information on this course. Today the course no longer exists. Interstate-395 currently bisects the property.

Sven Nilsen sent over this article noting T. L. McNamara laying out the Putnam course in 1915.

Putnam Country Club Clubhouse Opening 1915:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[Bret Lawrence]

Quinnatisset Country Club-Thompson, CT. FKA Norman B. Ream Private Estate Course.
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1901.

Quinnatisset Country Club was formerly a private estate course owned by Norman B. Ream. Ream purchased the property in 1901, transforming the land into his private retreat named Caroline Hall.  In 1890, Norman Ream was considered the 25th Richest Man in the World.  When Ream died in 1915, the estate was given to his daughter Marion. The course continued as an estate course open exclusively to the owners and guests until the 1940’s, when the Quinnatisset Country Club, formed by a group of local men, began leasing the property. When Norman’s daughter Marion died in 1963, she bequeathed the golf course to the Quinnatisset Country Club.

In 1966 Geoffrey Cornish was hired to add nine holes on new land, extending the course to 18 holes.  In 2003, Roger Rulewich redesigned the original nine holes left mostly untouched by Cornish.  The club acquired additional property allowing Rulewich a bigger footprint to work with.  The course we see in 1934 no longer exists. Today’s course sits on the same property and includes impressive century-old mason work left behind from Ream’s tenure that is still visible throughout the golf course.

EDIT:  According to the club’s history the Quinnatisset Country Club was not developed until the early 1940’s.  However, there are two articles below suggesting Quinnatisset Country Club was in existence in the 1920’s.  The first article is from a 1920 History of Windham County mentioning the club was formed after Ream’s death to pay for the maintenance of the golf course.  In 1926, Miss Glenna Collett is playing an exhibition match at Quinnatisset Country Club.


History of Windham County., 1920:




Sent to me from Anthony Pioppi-
Golf Illustrated., December 1926:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial


Quotonset Golf Club-Westbrook, CT (NLE)
9 Holes, 3,090 Yards, Par 36: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1900.

Quotonset Golf Club was founded in 1900.  We have very little information on this golf course.  I believe Clinton Country Club has information for this course displayed in their clubhouse.  Clinton and Quotonset were both started around the same time and were located within close proximity to each other. Quotonset Golf Club disappears by the 1951 aerial.  By 1970, the land had been developed into housing.

An article from 1926 discussing a land dispute with a neighbor:

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1938 Aerial showing hurricane damage to structures surrounding Quotonset Golf Club:


Race Brook Country Club-Orange, CT
36 Holes: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Course No. 1: 18 Holes, 6,067 Yards, Par 71
Course No. 2: 18 Holes, 6,062 Yards, Par 71
Designed by Robert D. Pryde. Established in 1912.

Race Brook was established in 1912. Within a short period of time, the club purchased 145 acres east of Race Brook Road. Robert Pryde designed the club’s first 18-hole golf course that opened in 1913.  Robert Pryde served as the golf coach at Yale when Race Brook was first conceived. Once the golf course was completed, Race Brook became Yale’s home club until 1926. The team won three of its intercollegiate championships while playing at Race Brook Country Club. Robert Pryde was a longtime resident of Orange with a house located on the Race Brook golf course. While serving as Secretary of the Connecticut State Golf Association, Pryde would conduct the association’s business from his Orange address.


In 1923 The club purchased an additional 125 acres west of Race Brook Road.  Robert Pryde designed 18 new holes on the property, but in doing so he used holes from each side of the street to make up the club’s primary championship course. The remaining 18 holes made up the secondary course.

Today, Race Brook Country Club is a 27-hole layout.  Nine of the holes west of Race Brook Road have been out of commission for years and they remain along the outside perimeter of today’s existing nine holes (Holes 4-12). The nine holes lost are mostly covered with trees now, but a few of the course’s features still remain. On the eastern portion of Race Brook Road, there are still 18 holes today. The remaining nine holes of the championship course (1-3; 13-18) and today’s O’Sullivan Nine make up the eastern portion of the property.  The course has undergone work including updated bunkers, added length and several modifications, but the core of Pryde’s routing remains mostly intact.


Early article mentioning some of Robert Pryde’s work including Race Brook:


1934 Aerial showing 18 Holes east of Race Brook Road:
Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial showing 18 Holes west of Race Brook Road:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial (Full 36-Hole Course)

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Tim Martin]

Bret-Racebrook is another Robert Pryde effort that never really has gotten it's due outside of the New Haven area. It’s a course I’ve always enjoyed playing and has a rich history because of the Pryde connection with its centennial taking place in 2012. Despite crossing Racebrook Road twice during the round the routing flows nicely and offers a fun variety of holes. It’s interesting to see how the current eighteen hole course encompasses holes from the thirty six that were there back in the day.

[Bret Lawrence]

Ridgewood Country Club-Danbury, CT
18 Holes, 6,227 Yards, Par 71: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Devereux Emmet. Established in 1921.

Ridgewood Country Club was established in 1921.  Devereux Emmet designed the 18-hole golf course we see in the 1934 aerial.  According to the club’s history, the first nine holes opened in 1921, with the second nine opening the following year.  In the 1960’s, Interstate-84 was planned through the southern section of the club’s property, cutting through Emmet’s 7th, 8th and 9th holes. In 1966, Ridgewood Country Club hired Geoffrey Cornish to design four new holes replacing the three holes lost to the highway and flipping the original 5th hole into today’s 8th hole.  Cornish added todays 8th, 10th, 15th and 16th holes. In 2002 the course was renovated by Roger Rulewich. 

Old postcard photo of Ridgewood:


Original layout vs. Today’s layout from the club’s website:



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Rockledge Golf Course-West Hartford, CT
No listing in 1930-1931. 18 Holes.
Designed by Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney. Established in 1926.

Rockledge was established in 1926. Maurice Kearney and Robert J. Ross are responsible for the design we see in the 1934 aerial.  The pair seemed to work together on a few projects including West Hartford Golf Club, Rockledge and Middletown Golf Club.  Maurice Kearney was a longtime professional in CT, winning the state’s first PGA tournament, known as the PGO at the time.  Robert J. Ross was an engineer for the City of Hartford. 

The course was a privately owned pay-as-you play course in 1927. The owner Mr. Sherman eventually sold the land to the city to be used in their park system.  Today, Rockledge is owned by the City of West Hartford.  Orrin Smith made several modifications to the course in the 1950’s. Al Zikorus also made some alterations when he was hired in the 1970’s.  The course sits on the same land today. The majority of the holes are still intact, with the most significant changes occurring on the Par 3 and Par 5 holes.

Rockledge Incorporation 1926:


First nine holes open in May 1927 (Last paragraph):



2nd nine opened in August 1927 (with a few holes to go):


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Round Hill Club-Greenwich, CT
18 Holes, 6,400 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Walter J. Travis. Established in 1924.

Round Hill Club was established in 1922.  Walter Travis designed an 18-hole golf course for the club which opened in 1924.  Tull & Tull were in charge of constructing the golf course.  A local member named Harry Fisher donated a large amount of land to the club, providing a suitable location for the clubhouse.  The clubhouse was designed by Delano & Aldrich and also opened in 1924. 

The Walter Travis routing appears to be intact today. The club’s 11th hole was redesigned into a Par 3 by Robert Trent Jones in the 1950’s.  Brian Schneider was recently hired by the club to restore the course in 2018. 

Round Hill Clubhouse-1935:

Greenwich Old & New: The Greenwich Press., 1935

Round Hill Clubhouse-2016:


Photograph from the golf course-June 16, 1956:

Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Libraries, Turfgrass Information Center.
1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Salmon Brook Country Club-Granby, CT (NLE)
36 Holes: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
18 Holes, 6,100 Yards, Par 71
  9 Holes, 2,280 Yards, Par 35
  9 Holes, 1,000 Yards, Par 27
Designed by Orrin Smith. Established in 1926.

We are lacking early information on Salmon Brook Country Club. According to an article published in 1943, the club was started in 1926 by Dr. Ernest R. Pendleton. Dr. Pendleton wanted a golf course nearby his hospital in Granby. The course started with nine holes and gradually grew into 36 holes by 1931. The facility was privately owned but considered a pay-as-you-play golf course. Salmon Brook Country Club closed in 1943. Twenty years later a push was made to rebuild a course on the site of Salmon Brook with little opposition at first.  However, the plan ultimately fell apart and today the site is home to Salmon Brook Park.

Salmon Brook advertisement. (Includes Clarkhurst)
The Hartford Courant, July 17, 1930:



Salmon Brook is sold in 1943:

Attempt to resurrect Salmon Brook in 1963:



1934 Aerial showing eastern portion of the course:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial showing western portion of the course:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial (36-Hole Course)

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Sharon Country Club-Sharon, CT
9 Holes, 2,600 Yards, Par 34: 1929 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Unknown. Established in 1900.

Sharon Country Club has been around since the turn of the last century.  The club still exists on the same piece of property they’ve used since 1900, gradually expanding their borders as the club continued to grow. Sharon’s golf course has been reconfigured on several occasions with very little information on who did the work.  In 1929, there was a report that eight of the nine holes would be redesigned, but no information on the architect was provided. The layout we see in 1934 is likely the result of that work.

Today’s holes 6, 7, 8 and 9 still follow the 1934 routing and design closely.  The first 5 holes have been completely redesigned since 1934.  Today’s 1st, 4th and 5th holes were added sometime between 1934 and 1956. The 5th hole was shifted slightly to the south of the 1934 version, playing to a new green site.  Today’s 2nd and 3rd holes were added on new property between 1956 and 1969. The club believes Al Zikorus did the work on today’s 2nd and 3rd holes.

Sharon Country Club is set high in the hills with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The club maintains a 3-hole practice course near the clubhouse, using the land from their 1900 course. The golf course is currently being renovated by Matt Dusenberry, who has reinstated the center-line hazard on the 6th hole (missing in the modern aerial). He has also been expanding the greens and made additional modifications to improve the playability of the golf course.  A few of the greens are very interesting, including the Par 3, 4th hole which was built sometime after 1934.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same area as 1934.

Modern Aerial showing today’s 9-hole course.


Shennecossett Golf Course-Groton, CT. FKA Shenecossett Country Club.
18 Holes, 6,512 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Donald Ross in 1914. Redesigned by Donald Ross in 1919.
Established in 1898.

Golf at Shennecossett dates back to 1898. The 1899 Golf Guide lists Eastern Point Golf Club as the only golf course in Groton.  The entry suggests that Tom Bendelow laid out the course.  The following year, the club was referred to as the Shenecossett Golf Club and the entry reiterated that the course was laid out by Tom Bendelow in September 1898. In 1905, Morton Plant began building his great hotel called The Griswold along the shore of the Thames River. The Shenecosset Country Club would eventually become associated with Morton Plant and The Griswold Hotel.

In 1914 Plant provided a clubhouse which greatly increased the course's popularity.  Plant also hired Donald Ross around 1914 to design an up-to-date 18-hole golf course on the property. When Ross was finished, the course measured 6,020 yards.  In 1918 Morton Plant died and the hotel and golf course begin to operate under new management. Donald Ross was called back to Shenecossett in 1919 to make a few modifications to the routing which extended the course to 6,215 yards. By 1926, the course had been lengthened to 6,512 yards. The golf course and clubhouse were taken over by the Town of Groton in the late 1960's and opened up to the general public as a municipal golf course.  The golf course remained unchanged until 1997 when the Town of Groton agreed to a land swap with their neighbor Pfizer.

In the late 1990's, Mark Mungeam was hired to design three new holes on the property that once housed the Griswold Hotel. He built today's 15th, 16th and 17th holes to replace Ross' original 5th, 6th and 7th holes.  Mungeam modified today's 5th and 8th holes on the front nine, while adding a new Par 3, 9th hole. On the 5th hole, Mungeam created a Par 5 by extending a previous Ross hole from the tee and leaving the Ross green. On the 8th hole, Mungeam added yardage by combining a Ross Par 5 with a Ross Par 3 to make a longer Par 5.  He shifted the hole and built a new green for today's 8th, which ultimately eliminated two Ross greens. On the back nine Mungeam built the three holes mentioned earlier while making alterations to Ross' 18th hole.  Mungeam changed the 18th into a Par 5 by extending the tee and adding a new green. Ross' original 18th green still exists on the property. Today this green is used as a chipping/practice green near the clubhouse.

Borrowing a few images from Sven’s Ross thread.
Early story on the Donald Ross golf course. The Day., July 11, 1914:



Link to the City of Groton’s scorecard collection:
https://www.groton-ct.gov/departments/parksrec/shenny/historical_scorecard_gallery.php

Early Photos from the Course.
USGA Golf Bulletin., 1915




1919 Course Layout:

Oblique Aerial showing 3 of the holes lost in the 1990’s (lower left)

1920 American Annual Golf Guide Cover Advertisement:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing the same area as 1934.

Modern Aerial showing today’s 18-hole course.

1938 Aerial showing hurricane damage to The Griswold Hotel.

[Tim Martin]

Bret-I’m a fan of Shennecossett as you know but it’s somewhat painful to look at the original routing versus what’s there now. Despite getting the land across the street in the Pfizer swap with the water on the perimeter the new holes don’t measure up.

[Bret Lawrence]

Shorehaven Golf Club-Norwalk, CT
18 Holes, 6,350 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Willie Park Jr./Robert White. Established in 1924.

Shorehaven was established in 1924.  As early as 1922, Willie Park was hired by the club to design an 18-hole golf course.  By late 1923, it was reported that Robert White had taken over development of the Shorehaven course.  Willie Park had become ill and had returned to Scotland before passing away.  By 1924 the course was completed under Robert White’s supervision and opened for play.

Shorehaven’s routing in the 1934 aerial is very intact today.  Today’s 18th hole has been narrowed down by a driving range which borrowed some of the 18th hole’s land.  The tees have been extended to add some length, but the core of the routing and many of the greens appear to be in their original form.

Willie Park at Shorehaven:


An article from late 1923 noting Robert White is developing the course after Willie Park became incapacitated:


Old Postcard photo:


1924 Article on Shorehaven Golf Club.
Golf Illustrated., September 1925:








1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial


Shuttle Meadow Country Club-Kensington, CT
18 Holes, 6,179 Yards, Par 71: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Willie Park Jr. Established in 1916.

Shuttle Meadow was established in 1916 and is thought to be one of Willie Park’s first projects in America after his return trip to the US in 1916.  Shuttle Meadow was started by members of the Maple Hill Club in New Britain.  The members were looking to expand their course and found the Maple Hill site too confined.  When the club moved to Shuttle Meadow, the Maple Hill Club became known as the New Britain Golf Club, but only temporarily, before the new Sequin Golf Club was formed, which today is known as Indian Hill Country Club.

According to the club’s history, Shuttle Meadow was the first golf construction project for Orrin Smith, a local New Britain resident.  Orrin Smith went on to build courses for Donald Ross before he went out on his own in the early 1920’s. Smith also added nines to two other Willie Park designs in the state: Madison Country Club and Tumble Brook. 

I have a strong bias towards Shuttle Meadow, because it’s one of my favorite golf courses in the state.  The course is very intact compared to the 1934 aerial.  The course has a very authentic feel to it.  Many of the features on the course are still original to Park’s design and the greens are full of interest. No major changes have been made to this golf course in 107 years.

Old Pictures from the golf course 1954:
Hole No. 3:

Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Libraries Turfgrass Information Center.
Hole No. 6:

Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Libraries Turfgrass Information Center.
Hole No. 8:

Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Libraries Turfgrass Information Center.
Hole No. 15:

Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Libraries Turfgrass Information Center.
1934 Aerial showing northern section of the golf course.

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same northern section:

1934 Aerial showing southern section of the golf course.

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same southern section:



1934 Aerial (Full-Course)

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing 18-hole course:



Silver Spring Country Club-Ridgefield, CT
No listing in 1930-1931. 18 Holes.
Designed by Robert White. Established in 1930.

Silver Spring Country Club was established in 1930.  Prior to Silver Spring, Ridgefield had a golf course called the Country Club of Ridgefield, which was one of the earliest member clubs of the USGA.  Once Silver Spring was opened in 1932, the Country Club of Ridgefield went out of existence.

Silver Spring is a bit of a mystery concerning who designed the golf course. Robert White is given credit for the design and was noted in an article as the designer of the course after the course was built.  However, anyone that has stepped foot on the property thinks the course looks more like a Charles Banks design with massively built-up green pads and flat bottom bunkers set well below the surfaces.  No evidence has been found suggesting Banks was there, but the timing certainly fits. 

The aerial shows the Silver Spring golf course just after it had been completed.  The front nine looked finished, while the back nine holes were still coming along.  The routing is very much intact today.  One major change to the course occurred in the 1950's when Alfred Tull rerouted the 11th hole into a longer dogleg hole which connected back to the original 11th green.  In the process, Tull created more room near the clubhouse to provide the club with a larger parking lot.  The course appears to be in the middle of a restoration right now, with many trees being cleared on the property and greens expanded back out to their edges.

Country of Ridgefield Goes Out of Existence in 1932.  The story refers to Silvermine? The story is likely talking about Silver Spring.


Partial routing of the golf course from 1957. (The holes in the middle are cut off in the scan).
Golfdom., July 1957:



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Bret-I’m a fan of Shennecossett as you know but it’s somewhat painful to look at the original routing versus what’s there now. Despite getting the land across the street in the Pfizer swap with the water on the perimeter the new holes don’t measure up.

Tim,


I agree about Race Brook in your earlier post and Shennecossett.  The sad thing about Shennecossett is the parking lot is hardly ever used for parking cars. Every time I have ever been to the golf course I have never seen the parking lot even 1/4 full.  The aerials show the same thing. The setting by the water is nice, there aren’t a lot of courses I’ve seen a submarine pop out of the water while you’re lining up a putt, but it’s hard to measure up to the Ross originals.


An epiphany I had when researching Shennecossett is the spelling.  Today the course name has two “n”’s.  Back when it was a country club the name only had one “n”.


Shenecossett
vs.
Shennecossett


Bret

[Tim Martin]

Bret-I’m a fan of Shennecossett as you know but it’s somewhat painful to look at the original routing versus what’s there now. Despite getting the land across the street in the Pfizer swap with the water on the perimeter the new holes don’t measure up.

Tim,


I agree about Race Brook in your earlier post and Shennecossett.  The sad thing about Shennecossett is the parking lot is hardly ever used for parking cars. Every time I have ever been to the golf course I have never seen the parking lot even 1/4 full.  The aerials show the same thing. The setting by the water is nice, there aren’t a lot of courses I’ve seen a submarine pop out of the water while you’re lining up a putt, but it’s hard to measure up to the Ross originals.


An epiphany I had when researching Shennecossett is the spelling.  Today the course name has two “n”’s.  Back when it was a country club the name only had one “n”.


Shenecossett
vs.
Shennecossett


Bret

Bret-I think about 15-17(new holes) after every play and wonder why Mark Mungeam didn’t incorporate more movement into those greens and surrounds. The 16th with it’s green sitting above the water where Long Island Sound converges with the Thames River could have been a special hole with some more creativity.

[Bret Lawrence]

Sleeping Giant Golf Course-Hamden, CT. FKA Giant Valley Country Club.
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by Ralph Barton. Established in 1925.

Giant Valley Country Club was established in 1925. The name changed to Sleeping Giant Golf Course around 1951 when William Mitchell leased the land and revived the golf course after the course had been closed for 10 years.

Ralph Barton gets the credit for the design of this golf course, although we don’t have any information to verify when he was there. A Biarritz hole appears in this 1934 aerial which would align with Barton’s work. (This hole was discussed earlier in the thread). William Mitchell redesigned several holes in 1951 and rebuilt all of the greens. The course has been reworked on several occasions since Mitchell’s tenure. There may be one or two similar green sites and a few shared corridors compared to 1934, but little of the 1934 golf course remains.

William Mitchell leases and refurbishes Giant Valley Golf Course in 1951:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same area as 1934:

Modern Aerial showing today’s full course:



Southington Country Club-Southington, CT
9 Holes, 3,008 Yards, Par 35: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1922.

Southington Country Club was established in 1922.  The club started with nine holes and a small clubhouse on the same piece of property they own today.  The club added more land to the east and nine additional holes in the 1960’s to create an 18-hole course.  I’m not entirely sure who designed either nine at Southington. The front nine of today’s course appears to closely follow the routing of the original nine in 1934.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same areas as 1934.

Modern Aerial showing today’s 18-hole course.



The Stafford Golf Company-Stafford Springs, CT (NLE) FKA Stafford Golf Club, Stafford Country Club.
9 Holes, 2,223 Yards, Par 32:1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Robert D. Pryde in 1920- 9 holes. John Shippen in 1898-6 holes.
Established in 1898.

The Stafford Golf Company was established in 1898 as the Stafford Country Club. According to several early sources John Shippen laid out a 6-hole course for the club in 1898. The club played on this 6-hole course until Robert Pryde designed a nine-hole course in 1920.  We have yet to confirm whether the club went through with Pryde’s plan or not, but Stafford did end up with a 9-hole course by 1934. This course went out of existence in 1941.  The land is mostly wooded today with a small portion developed.

John Shippen would have been 18 years old in 1898 when he designed the Stafford Country Club’s 6-hole course.  More information on John Shippen can be found here:
https://www.johnshippenmemorialgolffoundation.com/history

Robert Pryde’s plan for a nine-hole course is approved by the Stafford Golf Company:
Norwich Bulletin., December 14, 1920:

The final season for Stafford (1940):

The course closes for good in 1941:

The club’s land is sold off:

One last attempt to bring the course back in 1981:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[Bret Lawrence]

Stanley Golf Course-New Britain, CT
No listing in 1930-1931.
Designed by Robert J. Ross. Established in 1930.

Stanley Golf Course was established in 1930. Alix W. Stanley donated over 400 acres of land to the city for the purpose of building a municipal golf course. Stanley was very generous to his hometown of New Britain.  He was an early member at Maple Hill and later a member at Shuttle Meadow Country Club.  Alix Stanley was the President of the Stanley Rule and Level Co. before it was absorbed by The Stanley Works in 1920, which is known today as Stanley/Black and Decker.

Robert J. Ross designed an 18-hole golf course for the City of New Britain, with the first nine holes opening in 1930. The second nine holes opened within the next few seasons. (18 holes are visible on the 1934 aerial) In 1957-1958 nine additional holes were added to give the city a 27-hole golf course. The nine additional holes were originally planned by Orrin Smith.

Since Smith’s addition, the course has been rerouted on several occasions to accommodate the driving range and the parcel of land sold off to the north.  Today’s course has little in common with what we see in 1934.  There are 27-holes today and only a few original green sites and corridors still exist.

Robert J. Ross plan for New Britain Municipal Golf Course is approved.  This article includes the bids of Ross, Orrin Smith, Stiles & Van Kleek and Woodworth Bradley:




Ground is broken on the New Britain Municipal Golf Course:


First nine holes of the golf course is opened in 1930.
The Hartford Courant., August 24th, 1930.  “Mayor Tees Off To Open New Course”:



1948 City plans for nine-hole addition:

1955 The City hires Orrin Smith:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing the same area as 1934:

Modern Aerial showing today’s 27-hole course:



Stonington Manor Inn Golf Course-Stonington, CT (NLE)
9 Holes, 3,020 Yards, Par 36: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Maurice Kearney. Established in 1925.

Stonington Manor Inn Golf Course was established in 1925.  The nine-hole golf course was laid out by Maurice Kearney.  Maurice Kearney has been associated with a few Robert J. Ross designs earlier in this thread, but I haven’t seen Ross’ name mentioned in relation to Stonington.

In 1959, former Stonington Manor pro Wendelll Ross designed and built the 18-hole Pequot Golf Course in Stonington, which may have led to the eventual demise of the Manor course.  Stonington Manor survived until the early 1970’s when the club was disbanded, and the land was sold off to a real estate group.  Shortly after the purchase, the land was developed into residential housing.

Stonington Manor was designed by Maurice Kearney (bottom paragraph):

Another mention of Kearney at Stonington, including a few other jobs he has worked on:


Stonington Manor land is purchased by real estate agents in 1973:

Stonington Manor’s land is developed, starting in 1975:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Suffield Country Club-Suffield, CT
9 holes, 3,070 yards, Par 36: Modern Scorecard
Designed by Orrin Smith. Established in 1927.

Suffield Country Club was established in 1927.  The nine-hole golf course was designed by Orrin Smith and opened for play in 1927.  Today’s course follows the same Orrin Smith routing we see in 1934.  The biggest change to the course was the addition of a pond on today’s 8th hole.  Other than that, the course has made very few changes over the years and many of the greens appear to be original. Suffield Country Club has been working on restoring their course over the last few years. The club has been making gradual improvements to the golf course while keeping the original design intact.

Suffield Country Club is planned:

Suffield Country Club golf course scheduled to be ready in July or August of 1927:


Suffield Country Club hires Lawrence Grant as their golf professional, from the Isle of Wight:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Sunset Ridge Country Club-East Hartford, CT (NLE)
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by Orrin Smith. Established in 1930.

Sunset Ridge Country Club experienced a very short life span.  The club’s nine-hole golf course was designed by Orrin Smith and opened in September of 1930. Sunset Ridge survived for only seven years before falling into foreclosure.  In 1940, the club’s former land was sold off and developed into housing.

Sunset Ridge golf course is expected to open in August 1930.
The Hartford Courant., March 27, 1930:

Sunset Ridge Formal Opening-September 27, 1930:


Sunset Ridge land sold off in 1940:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Tamarack Country Club-Greenwich, CT
18 Holes, Par 71
Designed by Charles H. Banks. Established in 1929.

Tamarack Country Club was started by members of the Port Chester Country Club in nearby Port Chester, New York.  Port Chester Country Club was established in 1912. The club spent seventeen years in New York before moving to Greenwich, CT in 1929.  The club sold off a portion of their original property to the town, providing a large enough site to build a high school.  The original Port Chester course opened to the public for a few seasons after Tamarack was completed.

Tamarack Country Club was designed by Charles Banks, opening for play on July 4, 1929. The routing appears to be very similar to what we see in 1934.  The clubhouses footprint has expanded, but it hasn’t really intruded on the golf course.  Many bunkers were gradually eliminated or reduced starting in the 1960’s. An effort has been made to restore the course over the past two decades.

Early clubhouse photo.
The Daily Press., July 09, 1929:


Port Chester Country Club buys land in 1928:



Charles Banks has four steam shovels working on the Tamarack golf course.
The National Greenkeeper., September 1928:



Tamarack Country Club formally opened on July 4, 1929:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial


A few extra aerials.
1926 Westchester County Aerial- Showing property prior to Tamarack Country Club:

The Historical Aerial Photography Collection of Westchester County, Department of Planning, 1926.
1935 Aerial

Tamarack Country Club.
1940 Westchester County Aerial

The Historical Aerial Photography Collection of Westchester County, Department of Planning, 1940.

Terre Haute Golf Course- Bethel, CT (NLE)
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in: Unknown.

This course was brought to my attention by Vinnie Kmetz in Replies 87 and 101.  He provided the location of the golf course and the link below along with additional information about the course. The link below includes more information about the course with photographs of each hole.

https://www.bethelgrapevine.com/articles/terre-haute-golf-course-

The golf course started as a private estate course, but the exact year and designer are unknown. The course became public in the 1960’s before closing sometime in the 1980’s.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[Bret Lawrence]

The Cedars Country Club-Lakeville, CT (NLE) FKA Wonoka Country Club
9 Holes, 2,963 Yards, Par 36: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1924.

I don’t have a lot of information on the Cedars Country Club golf course.  The Golf Guides from the 1920’s list the course as the Wonoka Country Club. The course was part of a resort that sat on the shores of Lake Wononpakook, now called Long Pond by the locals. The camp was referred to as The Cedars, Cedar Hill, Cedars Cottages and Camp Cedars. The resort was very popular throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s. The club suffered major damage from the Flood of 1955, putting an end to the resort and the golf course.

Old postcard photo of the Cedars Country Club:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Torrington Country Club-Goshen, CT
18 Holes in 1934. 9 Holes, 3,150, Par 36: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Orrin Smith. Established in 1929.

Torrington Country Club was established in 1929.  Orrin Smith designed an 18-hole golf course that opened for play in 1930. This design is likely one of Orrin Smith’s greatest accomplishments.  The club has a very good grasp on their history and have always been proud of their Golden Age, Orrin Smith design. 

Torrington has stayed true to their original design for over 90 years. The layout we see today follows the same routing as 1934. The severely sloping fourth green has been rebuilt twice in the last 30 years to accommodate faster green speeds.  Other than the fourth green, all of the greens are still in their original locations. The club has removed some sand traps over the years, mostly in the fairways.  The sand has been grassed over, but the mounding Smith left around the bunkers still remains.  Torrington is another course I have a strong affinity for. Torrington was the best course in the area growing up and I have always been drawn to the club and its history.

Construction photos:

Torrington Country Club.

Orrin Smith’s Layout for Torrington Country Club:

Torrington Country Club.

Modern photo of the 8th green:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Tumble Brook Country Club-Bloomfield, CT
9 Holes, 3,120 Yards, Par 37: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Willie Park Jr. Established in 1922.

Tumble Brook Country Club was established in 1922. The club started with a nine-hole Willie Park Jr. design, which is what we see in the 1934 aerial. Today, the club has 27-holes.  All three nines have been designed by different architects.  Park built the first nine in 1922. Orrin Smith and William Mitchell built the second nine holes in 1948 and George Fazio added the third nine in the 1970’s.

The Willie Park holes have been mixed with the George Fazio holes to make up today’s front nine and extra nine.  Today’s front nine uses five Willie Park holes (1-3 and 8-9) with four George Fazio holes (4-7).  The back nine includes all nine of the Orrin Smith holes.  The third nine uses the remaining four Willie Park holes (his original 4-7) with the remaining five George Fazio holes.

The Willie Park routing we see in 1934 remains mostly intact. The holes have lost some width over the years and the greens appear more modern than some of the other Willie Park greens in the state. The course is wonderfully situated, close to the city of Hartford.

Willie Park’s nine-hole course opens in 1924:



In 1946, Dick Wilson looked over the property to add nine holes:

In 1947 Orrin Smith and William Mitchell start work on the 2nd nine holes:


In 1969 George Fazio adds the third nine:



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing the same area as 1934:

Modern Aerial showing today’s 27-hole golf course.

[Bret Lawrence]

Wallingford Country Club-Wallingford, CT. FKA-Wallingford Golf Club
18 Holes, 5,195 Yards, Par 67:1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
  9 Holes, 2,750 Yards, Par 34: 1925 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1898.

Wallingford Country Club is one of the oldest clubs in the state, dating back to 1898.  The club was formerly known as the Wallingford Golf Club, but only for a short time. The club’s original property was located between Constitution and Center Streets very near the property we see in 1934. I have no information regarding when the club moved or who designed the course.  The Annual Golf Guides from 1926-1931 listed the course as an 18-hole course, but I can only see nine holes on the 1934 aerial.

Of the nine holes we see in the 1934 aerial, six holes still exist in today’s course.  The two holes closest to the (1934) clubhouse were eliminated when the clubhouse and parking lot were expanded.   The third hole removed was a Par 3 that still exists in the driving range.  Today’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 17th and 18th holes still follow the general routing of their counterparts in 1934. Today’s 16th hole has been shortened to a Par 3 and both the 16th and 17th greens have been rebuilt/moved.

The remaining holes on today’s course (east of Woodhouse Avenue) were built sometime after 1934. Today’s 4th and 5th hole along with holes 9-15 were built around 1937 when the club purchased new land. In the early 1960’s, Al Zikorus added today’s 6th, 7th and 8th holes. Zikorus also rebuilt several greens while updating the course.

Start of the Wallingford Golf Club in 1898:


Wallingford plans to extend their course in 1937. (Sent to me from Sven)
Meriden Journal., April 22, 1937:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing the same area as 1934.

Modern aerial showing today’s 18-hole golf course.



Wampanoag Country Club-West Hartford, CT
18 Holes, 6,530 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Donald Ross.  Established in 1924.

Wampanoag Country Club was established in 1924. The 18-hole golf course was designed by Donald Ross. The first nine holes were ready for play in 1925, with the second nine following one year later.  In 1934 the club hired William Flynn to make suggestions to enhance the course. I am unaware whether the club went through with any of his suggestions. The club has made several tweaks to the course over the years, which recently warranted a complete restoration/renovation.  The club is currently working with Tyler Rae to restore the course.  The modern aerial below is before Tyler Rae’s work was started.

The course appears to follow the same routing and share many of the original green sites.  The bunkering is the biggest difference between the two aerials.  The fourth green was shifted to the left and rebuilt in the early 1960’s. Other than the fourth green, the green surfaces feel authentic and have long been the highlight of the golf course.

The club buys land in 1924.
The Hartford Courant., April 08, 1924:


An early match on the course in May 1925.



Article written by the foreman who took over as greenkeeper when the course was completed.
The National Greenkeeper., May 1928

For the entire story and a clearer view click the link below:
https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/ngktc/article/1928may11.pdf

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Washington Golf Club-Washington, CT
9 Holes, 2,965 Yards, Par 36: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1896.

Washington Golf Club was established in 1896, when the club’s original nine-hole golf course was laid out by F. E. Heath. Tom Bendelow visited the club in 1898 and redesigned the nine-hole Heath layout. After 1901 our information on this course dwindles. According to the club’s history, the course we see in 1934 is on a different site than the 1898 Tom Bendelow course. The club moved sites in the early 1910’s, the exact date I have yet to confirm. David Johnson is the architect who was given credit on the original list, but I have yet to find any information relating to the architect of this course.  David Johnson was the greenkeeper in 1930-1931, however that is the only reference I have seen to him at Washington.

The course follows the same routing today as we see in 1934.  The fourth hole appears to have a new alternate green in addition to the original fourth green.  The fifth green looks like it has been rebuilt/moved, but the core of the design is still intact. In 1964, Al Zikorus was hired by the club, but I don’t know the extent of his work.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Watertown Golf Club-Watertown, CT. AKA Taft School Golf Course
18 Holes, 6,205 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Seth Raynor- 9 Holes (NLE), Unknown- 9 Holes. Established in 1915.

Watertown Golf Club has played golf on or near the Taft School property since 1894.  The rudimentary links were moved around the first several years of existence before a course was established on the school property in 1900. As early as 1898, Harley Fish Roberts was the President of the Watertown Golf Club.  Harley Roberts was Horace Taft’s right-hand man at Taft School.  Horace Taft was President William Howard Taft’s older brother and the founder and Headmaster of the Taft School.

Today’s club observes their year of incorporation as 1915.  In 1922, Seth Raynor was hired to redesign the current nine-hole golf course to start and end at the school.  The golf course was reconstructed in pieces over the period of 1923, 1924 and 1925.  The Raynor course was only in the ground for about four years before changes were made to the nine holes. In 1929, a new nine was constructed to the north of the property.  The designer of this nine remains unknown.

When the new nine holes were built Seth Raynor’s 6th hole, a Biarritz was removed. Raynor’s 3rd and 5th holes were modified, playing to new greens by 1930. Over the years, as the school grew, the Raynor holes located near the school began to disappear as new buildings took their place.  Once the school turned co-ed, the majority of the Raynor’s holes were removed in place of athletic fields. William Mitchell was responsible for a redesign of the course in the 1950’s adding a Punchbowl Par 3 that still exists as a practice hole near the clubhouse. In the 1970’s the club decided to purchase new land north of their current property.  The club purchased enough land for an eighteen-hole course, but thus far has only built nine new holes.  The new nine was designed by Geoffrey Cornish and William Robinson.  Cornish and Robinson rebuilt a few greens on the old nine to add length to the course.

Once Cornish was finished, the final Raynor hole was removed from the routing.  Today’s course consists of a modified version of the 9 holes from 1929 and 9-Cornish/Robinson holes from the 1970’s.  The older nine, which the members call the “Inside Nine” is on land still owned by the Taft School today. The course we see in the 1934 aerial includes Raynor’s nine holes to the south and closer to the school along with the 1929 nine holes to the north.  The clubhouse site is the same in both aerials. The sequence of holes for today's inside nine is different than 1934, but a few of the original holes remain (1,15, 16, 17). Today’s 13th and 14th hole were one hole in 1934, playing as a 600-yard Par 5/6.

Early golf club article including Mr. and Mrs. Taft:
Taft Papyrus., November 12, 1895:

Golf course and clubhouse (lower left) from a 1930’s Taft School brochure.

Courtesy of National Park Service. Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
Raynor’s nine after construction:
1927 Layout:


1929 Proposed Layout. (Some of these holes were not built)
Taft Papyrus., June 24, 1929

An old Raynor hole abandoned in the driving range-2015. (Hole 4 on the 1927 Map)


A hole was cut for a throwback tournament during the club’s 100-Year Anniversary



1934 Aerial showing older Raynor nine:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial showing newer Unknown nine:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same area as 1934.

Modern Aerial showing today’s 18-hole course.



Wee Burn Country Club-Darien, CT
18 Holes, 6,388 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Devereux Emmet. Established in 1897.

Wee Burn Country Club was established in 1896 on a site in Noroton, CT.  George Strath, the first professional of the club, was responsible for designing the earliest golf course at Wee Burn. In 1923 the club purchased a new piece of property to the north of their former club and hired Devereux Emmet to design an 18-hole golf course on the new land. The club moved to their new home when the Emmet golf course opened for play in 1925. The Addison Mizner designed clubhouse was completed the following year.

Today's course follows a good portion of the routing we see in 1934. The biggest changes have been to today’s 2nd, 8th and 9th holes. Today’s 2nd hole was redesigned from a straight hole into a hard dogleg with a new green site. The 8th and 9th holes were originally a Par 5 and Par 3 in Emmet’s design. Both of these holes were transformed into Par 4’s, sometime in the 1940’s. The 8th green was rebuilt and moved from the far side of the brook to the near side, shortening the hole into a Par 4. While they shortened the 8th hole, the 9th hole (which looked like a Par 3 Redan in 1934) was lengthened into a Par 4. The 1st and 17th holes, which were straight holes in 1934, have been modified into doglegs today. The bunkers have all been rebuilt within the last decade and have a modern look and placement to them. Emmet’s Par 4, 16th hole is an interesting site to see on this course.  The green is completely surrounded by a small moat of water. (Where you see three greens clustered together in the right-center of the aerial, 16 is the green on the bottom.)

Wee Burn Clubhouse from: Connecticut Magazine., 1900:


Thank you to Sven Nilsen for providing the articles below.
Farrell, MacFarlane, Sarazen & Ryan formally open the new Wee Burn course in 1925.
Bridgeport Telegram., July 11, 1925:




1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Westport Country Club-Westport, CT (NLE) Today the site of Birchwood Country Club
18 Holes, 6,020 Yards, Par 72: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by: Orrin Smith? Established in 1911.

Westport Country Club was established in 1911. I have very little information on the original course, outside of what the golf guides tell us. The club disbanded around 1942. In 1946, the land was purchased for a new golf club, which is called the Birchwood Country Club today.  Birchwood was completely redesigned by Orrin Smith in 1946-1947.  Smith designed a new nine-hole course using very little if any of the original Westport course in his design.

Both clubs share approximately the same land along with similar clubhouse locations. Westport Country Club consisted of 18 holes in 1934, compared to Birchwood’s 9-hole course today.

Birchwood Country Club purchases Westport's former land:
Golfdom., February 1946:



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[V. Kmetz]

Sleeping Giant Golf Course-Hamden, CT. FKA Giant Valley Country Club.
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by Ralph Barton. Established in 1925.
.

My only visit here was also my one and only attempt at a Hickory tournament...for a brief period of interest in the 80s and 90s, they hosted one of the only regular such events I've ever known.  I remember it being rather plain and featureless, and thus perfect for uncommon, wild and disparate hickory golf, where basic control of the ball is at issue like it never is/was before.


It reminds me that the old kooky corners -- captured in this thread so well -- are really the communal soul of the golf regions wherein they are found.  These "land that time (and capitalism) forgot" anachronisms are where young people and new golfers figure it out on their own...where recreational league golfers can slash away their twilight amusement...where seniors and couples can find a little exercise and fresh air.

[Bret Lawrence]

Wethersfield Country Club-Wethersfield, CT
18 Holes, 6,265 Yards, Par 71
Designed by Robert Pryde- 9 (1916). Jack Stait/Sydney Covington- 9 (1924).  Front 9 redesigned by Orrin Smith (1928). Established in 1916.

Wethersfield Country Club was established in 1916.  The club started with a nine-hole Robert Pryde design which opened for play in 1917.  In 1924 the club purchased additional property to add nine additional holes.  According to club records, Jack Stait and Sydney Covington laid out the nine new holes that opened in 1926. Jack Stait was the pro at Hartford in 1924. Sydney (Sidney) Covington was the pro at Wethersfield Country Club in 1924, formerly an assistant to Stait at Hartford.  Covington later helped Hartford put Donald Ross’ 1946 design in the ground.

In 1928, the club asked Orrin Smith to redesign the inside nine.  Smith rebuilt several greens and added today’s 3rd, 4th and 17th holes. Smith also created today’s Par 5 16th by combining two holes. The course we see in 1934 is a collection of all of these architect’s work.  The inside nine is mostly Pryde’s routing with Smith’s features and greens.  The outside nine is Jack Stait and Sydney Covington’s work.  The original list mentioned Robert Jack Ross at Wethersfield, but the club has yet to find any evidence the Ross was there.  The course does follow the same general routing we see in 1934. The course was altered quite a bit in the 1970’s and 1980’s while the club hosted the Sammy Davis Jr Greater Hartford Open, but the routing never changed.

Wethersfield Formal Opening-June 9, 1917. Short description of the golf course:

1922 Article showings photographs of Jack Stait and Sidney Covington:


1924 Article published with the 1924 layout below:

1924 Routing showing the original nine as built and the new nine as proposed by Stait:

1928 Routing showing changes to the 3rd, 4th, 16th and 17th holes.


1934 Aerial showing northern portion of the golf course. (Inside Nine-Holes 1-6; 16-18)

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial showing southern portion of the golf course. (Outside Nine-Holes 7-15)

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
1934 Aerial showing 18-hole course.

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Wilcox Country Club-Milford, CT (NLE)
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in: Unknown.

I have very little information on Wilcox Country Club.  I noticed this name on Ralph Kennedy’s list of courses he played in Connecticut. This course was located on the original Connecticut Aerial list, but it was labeled as Wepawaug, which is the former name of Grassy Hill.  The little information we have suggests Clark Wilcox sold land to George Wilcox in 1913 and that land later became a golf course.  I’m unsure of the year the Wilcox Country Club was established or the designer of the course.  The Wilcox golf course was quickly replaced by housing in the 1950’s.

Old postcard photos from Wilcox Country Club:



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Winchell Smith Private Estate Golf Course-Farmington, CT (NLE)
9 Holes-Pitch & Putt.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in: Unknown.

This course was mentioned earlier in the thread. I just wanted to repeat it here, so it’s listed in its proper place.  This course was featured on the cover of an October 1931 National Greenkeeper magazine.  It was a private estate pitch and putt golf course built on a very small scale.  I tried to blow up the aerial, but it’s still very hard to see. Winchell Smith was a famous playwright.  Many of his best works were turned into movies.  More information about Winchell Smith can be found here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchell_Smith

1915 story about the construction of the Winchell Estate:

The National Greenkeeper Cover Photo., October 1931:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Zoomed in:

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[Tim Martin]

Bret-I wonder what connection Winchell Smith had if any to CC of Farmington which is just across the street on the other side of Route 10?

[Bret Lawrence]

Windham Club-Willimantic, CT. FKA Willimantic Country Club
9 Holes, 2,956 Yards, Par 35: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Edward Connery. Established in 1922.

Willimantic Country Club was organized in 1922.  Edward Connery, the pro from Manchester Country Club assisted the members in laying out a nine-hole golf course that opened later that year.  The club eventually extended their course to 18 holes, but not for several years. I have no details on the timing of the nine-hole addition or who was responsible for the design. Looking at the aerials, the extension occurred sometime between 1951 and 1970. The club was private until the turn of the century when they were taken over by new ownership.  The course has now been open to the public for almost two decades.

Today’s course includes many of the holes we see in the 1934 aerial.  Holes 1-4, 10, and 15-18 on today’s course follow the same route as their counterparts in 1934. The only hole showing a major change is today’s 17th hole, which has a new green location.  The 3rd hole, originally a short Par 4, has been changed into a long Par 3.

Edward Connery, pro from Manchester Country Club is laying out the course in 1922.

May 1922 article including early information on the club.


June 1922-Clubhouse is under construction and the greens are growing in.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial showing same area as 1934.

Modern Aerial showing today’s 18-hole course.



Woodbridge Country Club-Woodbridge, CT (NLE) FKA Woodbridge Hills Country Club
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
18 Holes, 6,418 Yards, Par 71: 1938 Golfer’s Yearbook
Designed by Orrin Smith. Established in 1931.

Woodbridge Hills Country Club was established in 1931.  I have very little information on the original Woodbridge Hills Country Club. The 1934 aerial shows a nine-hole course with the clubhouse located in the northwest corner of the property. The club extended their course to 18 holes by 1937. In 1935, Tillinghast examined Woodbridge Hills on a PGA site visit, meeting with Orrin Smith while he was building the nine-hole addition. Tillinghast offered suggestions and recommendations to Smith’s plans that appear to be well received.

The club changed their name to Woodbridge Country Club in the late 1940’s. Woodbridge built a new clubhouse in the southeast portion of the property which opened up more land in the northwest corner.  Several holes were modified once the old clubhouse was removed, extending a few holes and adding length to the course.  The addition of a driving range narrowed down the original 18th hole and several other alterations were made over time. The course was well regarded for many years and enjoyed several decades of success.

Woodbridge Country Club caught a stroke of bad luck in the 2000’s.  After the economic fallout of 2008, memberships deteriorated quickly, and the course ended up in the hands of the town who never really wanted to own a golf course. A management company was brought in to operate the course but did more damage than good. The course had one last somewhat successful year with a new management company, but the town decided to sell all of the equipment to get the golf course out of their hair.  If the course could have only survived another two or three years, it would likely be thriving again today.  Just a stroke of bad luck for a course that once had some of the best velvet greens around.

1937 article including Orrin Smith and A.W. Tillinghast (as consulting architect):
.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial-Shortly after the course closed.



Woodstock Golf Course-Woodstock, CT
No listing in 1930-1931. 9 Holes.
Designed by Robert Bonar. Established in 1896.

Woodstock Golf Course was started in 1896.  According to the town, the course was laid out by Robert Bonar in 1896. Robert Bonar was the pro at Lexington Golf Club at the time.  The golf course has always been open to the public from the very beginning.  The course was laid out on leased land that was eventually purchased by Clarence Bowen in 1919.  Upon purchasing the land, Bowen donated the course to the Trustees of Roseland Park, who still own and operate the course today.  Clarence Bowen was the son of Henry Chandler Bowen.  Henry Chandler Bowen built Roseland Park Cottage in 1846.  His famous pink Gothic revival house shares the color of the roses that once surrounded it.  The estate was surrounded by hundreds of acres of land called Roseland Park.  Bowen donated this park to the Town of Woodstock in 1876, which is also owned and operated by the Roseland Park trust today.

The golf course doesn’t appear to have changed all that much in the last 125 years.  The course listed in the 1900 Harper’s Official Golf Guide references several holes that still exist on the golf course today.  Today the course tops out at just under 2,400 yards with the forward tees playing closer to 2,000 yards.  The course yardage in 1900 was very close to 1,900 yards.  On average most holes are about 30-50 yards longer than their 1900 counterparts.  The two exceptions are today’s 4th and 5th holes which have been changed from the 1934 aerial.  In the late 1990’s- early 2000’s a new green was built or mowed for the 4th hole creating a sharp elbow dogleg hole.  Once this new green was added, the 5th hole was extended by about 50 yards.  I’ve also been told that an original natural Punchbowl green has been left to grow in as a new non-descript green replaced the interesting Punchbowl.

It’s hard to make out some of the very small greens in 1934, so there may have been more tweaks to the course and greens moved, but it’s hard to see in the aerial photographs. Today the greens appear to be twice the size of their 1934 counterparts. The routing is mostly intact from 1934, outside of the change to the 4th hole described earlier.

Comparison of the 1900 course yardages to today’s course.  Only 4 and 5 appear to be drastically different.  1-3 and 6-9 appear to follow the same path described in 1900. Some of these names are still recognized today:

1900 Yardages.                Hole Name.          2023 Yardages
1-136 Yards.                      Starter.                  170 Yards
2-233 Yards.                      Styx.                       265 Yards
3-252 Yards.                      Poorhouse.           305 Yards
4-152 Yards.                      A Flat.                     304 Yards
5-182 Yards.                      Stonewall.              289 Yards
6-238 Yards.                      Dipper.                   275 Yards
7-159 Yards.                      Ravine.                   211 Yards
8-343 Yards.                      Long Tom.             385 Yards
9-227 Yards.                      Buttonwoods.       227 Yards

Recent Story published on the History of the Woodstock Golf Course.
Woodstock Villager., March 03, 2023:

Roseland Cottage:

Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, 2011.

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Woodway Country Club-Darien, CT
18 Holes, 6,465 Yards, Par 71: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Willie Park Jr. in 1917. Remodeled by Maurice McCarthy in 1925.
Established in 1917.

Woodway Country Club was started by a group of former Wee Burn members in 1916. Several notable architects assessed the property before the club selected Willie Park Jr. to design their 18-hole golf course.  Nine holes were constructed in 1917 with the second nine completed in 1918.  The club formally opened on June 30, 1918. Maurice McCarthy was an early pro at Woodway, and he is given credit for a 1925 remodel in “The Architects of Golf”, but I have no information on what McCarthy added or changed at Woodway Country Club.

The course had further alterations in the 1960’s and 1980’s by Al Zikorus and Geoffrey Cornish.  Cornish added the alternate first green that has since been removed. Today’s 9th green was added in the 2000’s by Roger Rulewich and the 15th green appears to have been moved from its original location.  For a better description of the hole-by-hole changes, and a more detailed history see Bryan Icenhower’s photo tour of Woodway below.

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,71092.msg1708830.html#msg1708830

Willie Park at Woodway.  Includes description of a few holes:


Story about Willie Park working at Shuttle Meadow and Woodway:


2nd nine holes at Woodway to be ready in June 1918:

Photo of Woodway with new reservoir under construction-1962:

O.J. Noer/Milorganite Image Collection, MSU Turfgrass Information Center.
1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial



Yale Golf Course-Ray Tompkins Memorial-New Haven, CT
18 Holes, 6,600 Yards, Par 70: 1930-1931 American Annual Golf Guide
Designed by Seth J. Raynor/Charles B. Macdonald in 1923. Established in 1926.

The history of the Yale Golf Course has been discussed on here often, so I will try to keep it brief. The land for the Yale golf course was donated by Sarah Tompkins in February 1923 on behalf of her husband, Ray Tompkins.  The estate included 700 acres of land from which the architects could choose to route their golf course. Seth Raynor and Charles Blair Macdonald came up with a 36-hole plan using a large portion of the estate. The University approved Raynor’s No. 1 course for construction in December 1923.

Clearing for the project began in January 1924. Seth Raynor appointed William Nugent, an engineer from Southampton as the superintendent of construction for the Yale project. By April 1924, Ralph Barton succeeded William Nugent as superintendent of construction.  Barton was responsible for the heaviest portion of construction until he was succeeded by William E. Perkins in March of 1925.  Perkins was an engineering graduate from Yale who would later take over as superintendent of the golf course once construction was completed. Perkins had been the foreman on the project since March 1924. All of this information comes from the Report to The Golf Committee on February 22, 1926.

I am bringing this information up, because many histories about the course suggest Charles Banks was the superintendent of construction at Yale, which doesn’t appear to be the case.  Charles Banks was the superintendent of construction at Hotchkiss in 1924, and he was still employed by Hotchkiss until 1925. There is a very descriptive 1925 write-up about the Yale golf course that has no author listed, and we have been led to believe that it was written by Charles Banks. Charles Banks entire timeline at Yale seems to be derived from an article that he likely didn’t write.  He did author a piece about the course in 1929, which I have included below. 

The Yale Golf Course follows the same routing today as 1934.  The many changes to the course have been discussed at length in other threads, so I won’t get into too many details.  The 3rd green appears to be the most talked about change. The Yale Alumni have come to the conclusion that it’s time to bring the golf course back to its roots. Gil Hanse has been hired to renovate the course over a two-year period starting this Fall. As a Connecticut native and a huge fan of Yale Golf Course, I wish the University the best of luck on this project.

Early Yale routing plan showing 36 Holes:

Yale and Dartmouth students are working on the Yale golf course:


Golf Illustrated., November 1925:






Article on the Yale Golf Course written by Charles Banks ‘06.
Yale Alumni Weekly., April 19, 1929:



A few photos of  the golf course from Yale Alumni Weekly., Golf Number-April 27, 1928:

5th Hole:

9th Hole:

A personalized Charles Banks advertisement.
Yale Alumni Weekly., April 27, 1928:


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.
Modern Aerial

[Bret Lawrence]

Bret-I wonder what connection Winchell Smith had if any to CC of Farmington which is just across the street on the other side of Route 10?

Tim:


I have read that Winchell Smith was a member at the Country Club of Farmington, but I don't have any further details.


I forgot to add a profile for Greenfield Hill Country Club, so I will add it to the end here. 


Greenfield Hill Country Club-Fairfield, CT NLE
No listing in 1930-1931. 18 Holes.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1901.

Greenfield Hill Country Club is a new addition to the original list.  I don’t have a lot of historical information on the golf course.  The Country Club dates back to 1901, starting as an agricultural club. The club would host an Annual Country Club Fair for the first several years of their existence. I’m not sure when golf was started at the club, but there are stories about Julius Boros growing up on a farm next door to Greenfield Hill Country Club.  He tells a story of how he would jump the fence when he was a boy and play as many holes as he could before the greenkeeper chased him off the course.  Boros began to caddie at the club when he was eleven years old. This course went out of existence before the 1949 aerial.  By 1960, residential housing started to fill the land.

Old postcard photo of the clubhouse:


A great Sports Illustrated story about Julius Boros, written in 1968. It’s a lengthy story, but full of interesting information.  The Greenfield Hill Country Club is briefly mentioned in the story.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/03/25/golfs-old-man-river

1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[Bret Lawrence]

CONNECTICUT FORMER COURSES NLE BY 1934:
The following courses were included on the original list, but have since been removed. The courses listed below had closed prior to 1934.  The frames below do not include active golf courses.

Alfred Pope Private Estate Golf Course-Farmington, CT (NLE)
6 Holes.
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1901.

The Alfred Pope estate golf course was located in Farmington, CT.  Alfred’s daughter Theodate Pope Riddle designed the house for her parents in 1901.  The house was Theodate Pope Riddle’s first architectural project.  Pope Riddle was the fourth registered female architect in the country and later lived in the estate once her parents passed away.  The golf course appears to have existed on the property closer to the turn of the century than 1934.  By 1934, it is difficult to make out any definition to a golf course on the property.  Alfred Pope died in 1913, which may have been the end of the golf course? Alfred Pope was a member at Piping Rock and the Country Club of Farmington, among others. I have included a photograph of the estate while golf was still active.   Today the estate and property are home to the Hill-Stead Museum. According to the museum, Alfred Pope maintained a 6-hole golf course on this property.

Here is a link to the Hill-Stead Museum website.  A few years ago, the museum put together a display about golf on the estate.

https://www.hillstead.org/golfing/

Early photograph from the Alfred Pope estate golf course. (The pond in the background can be seen in the center of the 1934 aerial):

Hill-Stead Museum.
1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Danbury Golf Club-Danbury, CT (NLE) FKA Deer Hill Country Club
9 Holes, 2,302 Yards: 1902 Official Golf Guide
Designed by: Unknown. Established in 1898.

Danbury Golf Club was founded in 1898. The club’s location was said to be where Immaculate High School is located today.  Ridgewood Country Club was constructed in 1921.  Once construction was completed and the Ridgewood course opened in 1923, Danbury Golf Club was gone. It appears some of the members from Danbury/Deer Hill would become members at Ridgewood Country Club. Danbury Golf Club was never listed in the 1916-1931 golf guides, making it difficult to determine when the course closed for good. There is an early photo of the Country Club Clubhouse in Danbury, but the location is overlooking Lake Kenosia.  I’m not sure if this was a different country club, a prior site for the club or a mislabeled postcard?

1901 Official Golf Guide Listing

Quote from Ridgewood Country Club’s History Book:

Old Clubhouse Photo, notes Lake Kenosia, which is not the same location as Deer Hill. I’m wondering if the club moved early, or if this body of water was mislabeled? The Deer Hill site would have been located very close to Tarrywile Lake.
EDIT: This is a picture of a different club on Lake Kenosia.  This is not Danbury Golf Club. (See following replies)


1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Danielson Golf Club-Danielson, CT (NLE) FKA Quinebaug Country Club
6 Holes, 1,557 Yards: 1902 Official Golf Guide
Designed by Mr. Day. Established in 1899.

Danielson Golf Club was established in 1899.  The 1899 golf guide identifies the club as Danielson Golf Club, noting the course was near the Quinebaug River.  In 1901, the club moved to Alexander Luke’s Mansion House and the Daly Farm.  The club was to lease the land for a period of 5 years. By 1901, the club had changed names to: Quinebaug Golf Club.  Quinebaug had a 6-hole course laid out by Mr. Day, the captain of Wannamoisett Golf Club.  This course was never listed in the 1916-1931 golf guides making me think the course had disappeared before 1916.  I am not entirely sure of this course’s location.  The aerial below shows a large general area of Danielson.

1901 Official Golf Guide Listing:

Early article suggesting the club is moving:

This article mentions Mr. Day from Wannamoisett, laying out the golf course.

This aerial shows the general area of Danielson.  The golf course was located 1/2 mile from the railroad station in the center of town. This is not an exact location.
1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Ethel Walker School Golf Course-Simsbury, CT (NLE)
Designed by: Unknown. Established in: Unknown. # of Holes: Unknown.

The Ethel Walker School was founded in 1911, starting in Lakewood, New Jersey. In 1917, the school purchased the Stewart Dodge estate in Simsbury, CT., gradually transforming the estate into an attractive school campus. I have no information pertaining to a golf course on the property, outside of the article below.  The intention to build a golf course on the property was evident, but we just don’t have any information to confirm a course was ever built. It’s hard to see any defining features of a golf course in the 1934 aerial. This is a course that needs further investigation.

Story about Ethel Walker School moving to Simsbury in 1917. Golf is mentioned in the headline.



1934 Aerial

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

Shenipset Golf Club-Rockville, CT (NLE)
9 Holes, 1,950 Yards: 1902 Official Golf Guide
Designed by Robert D. Pryde. Established in 1896.

Shenipset Golf Club was established in 1897.  Robert Pryde laid out the golf course in July 1896 for the previous private owners. This golf course was included on the original list, but the aerial was later identified as Cogswell Brook Golf Course, which existed in 1934. Shenipset was dissolved sometime before 1907.  An article below includes a few details about the course closing while noting the clubhouse has now been sold off. The location of Shenipset was on the western shore of Shenipset Lake.  The location was actually in Ellington, although the golf guides always listed Rockville. Shenipset and Cogswell Brook appear to have played on separate properties, but their locations would have been very close to each other.

1901 Harper’s Official Golf Guide Listing:

1907-Shenipset Clubhouse is sold:



1934 Aerial-Showing Western Shore of Shenipset Lake (This is not an exact location):

Connecticut State Library, State Archives Record Group 089:11a, Records of the Department of Transportation.

[V. Kmetz]

Thank you for the follow up info on Danbury Golf Club...


1.  I haven't seen that exact pic before, but I've seen other period postcards/tableaux of Kenosia and it seems to be "right"...the most confusing thing is the labeling on your pic "Country Club" - I've never seen/known the Kenosia park to have been referenced that way or as a private "cc" type facility.


2. Even though Tarrywile Lake is somewhat close, the topography between the DCC site (current Immaculate HS) and that lake would preclude any view of the Lake and DCC's clubhouse in any one picture. 


Based on these items, I suspect the pic is not capturing any part of this NLE.

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