GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture
Breaking Down the Bendelow List
Sven Nilsen:
The Early Boom - 1897 and 1898
1897
Hendricks Field GC (Belleville, NJ)
Chestnut Hill GC (Montclair, NJ) - May 1897 The Golfer notes course laid out by Bendelow.
Morris County CC (Morristown, NJ) - Sept. 11, 1898 The Sun article notes Willie Weir, Tom Bendelow, W.F. Davis and H.M. Way had a hand in planning the course. Nov. 22, 1898 The Day article notes course was remodeled by Bendelow.
Roselle Casino GC (Roselle, NJ) - Noted in an April 10, 1897 Boston Evening Transcript article as a new 9 hole courese by Bendelow at 2,520 yards. May 1897 The Golfer notes laid out by Bendelow.
Dyker Beach GC (Brooklyn, NY)
Chappaqua GC (Chappaqua, NY) - Sept. 30, 1897 The Evening Post notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole course at Chappaqua.
Yahnundasis GC (New Hartford, NY) - April 26, 1897 The Sun notes course laid out by Bendelow.
Nyack CC (Nyack, NY) - Noted in June 5, 1897 Boston Evening Post article as just laid out by Bendelow.
Mount Pleasant Field Club (Sing Sing, NY) - 1899 Guide and 1900 Harpers note laid out by Bendelow in 1897.
Notes: The List also has The Marine and Field Club from 1896, which merged with Dyker Beach GC. Were these separate courses?
The List also notes Bellerive CC (aka St. Louis Field Club) as a Bendelow design in 1897. The 1899 Guide attributes the course to D.O. Ives and A.L. Kenneth in Oct. 1897, while the 1900 Harpers notes A.Q. Kennett, J.G. McGee and D.O. Ives in Sept. 1898. The club moved to Normandie in 1910 and reorganized as Bellerive CC. I have not seen anything yet that gives a date for Bendelow's work, but I suspect it was an improvement to the original 1897 course after that date or perhaps work on the new 1910 course.
1898
Littlefield GC (Littlefield, CT) - This should be Litchfield GC in Litchfield, CT. The List has 1897. April 15, 1898 The Evening Post notes Bendelow remodeling the course.
Eastern Point GC (Groton, CT) - 1899 Guide notes course laid out recently by Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes course as Shennecossett GC and laid out by Bendelow in Sept. 1898.
Litchfield CC (Litchfield, CT) - 1899 Guide notes The Litchfield Club laid out by Bendelow in March 1898. The List has this as 1893.
Stonehenge GC (Norwalk, CT) - 1900 Harpers notes course laid out by Bendelow in 1898.
South Wilton GC (South Wilton, CT) - Noted in a Mar. 16, 1898 New York Tribune and a Mar. 19, 1898 Boston Evening Transcript article as 9 holes laid out by Bendelow on Dr. Edwin Smith estate. 1899 Guide and 1900 Harpers note course laid out by Bendelow in 1898.
Forest Hills Field Club (Newark, NJ) - 1899 Guide and 1900 Harpers note laid out by Bendelow.
Washington GC (Washington, CT) - 1899 Guide notes present course by Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes course improved in 1899.
Saginaw CC (Saginaw, MI)
Bernardsville GC (Bernardsville, NJ)
Plainfield GC (West Course) (Edison, NJ) - This is the same as Hillside G&TC noted below.
Hilmetia GC (Hilmetia, NJ) - Should be Helmetta GC. 1899 Guide notes laid out by Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes laid out by Bendelow.
GC of Lakewood (Lakewood, NJ) - 1899 Guide notes present 18 hole course laid out by Bendelow in May 1898. 1900 Harpers notes course laid out by Bendelow in 1898.
Lawrence Harbor CC (Morgan, NJ) - 1900 Harpers notes course laid out by Bendelow in Sept. 1898.
Park GC (North Plainfield, NJ) - June 11, 1898 The Sun article notes 9 holes 3,165 yard course laid out by Bendelow. 1899 Guide and 1900 Harpers notes laid out by Bendelow.
Hillside Golf and Tennis Club (Plainfield, NJ) - March 12, 1898 Boston Evening Transcript and Jan 7, 1898 The Sun articles note Bendelow extending the course. May 1898 Golf Magazine notes Bendelow laid out the new 18 hole course (see below).
East Orange GC (Short Hills, NJ) - An 1898 (exact date unknown) The Sun article notes course laid out by Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes laid out by Bendelow in May 1898.
Essex County CC (East Course) (West Orange, NJ)
Montclair GC (West Orange, NJ) - Also in 1900. Nov. 23, 1898 The Sun article notes new 9 hole 3,000 yard course laid out by Bendelow. May 2, 1899 Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes opening of course laid out by Bendelow at the beginning of the year. Jan. 20, 1900 New York Tribune article notes Bendelow laid out club's new 18 hole course. 1899 Guide notes will have 18 holes in the Spring, current 9 holes mapped out by Tom Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes laid out by Bendelow in March 1899.
Sunset Park GC (Brooklyn, NY) - The List has this as 1899. May 28, 1899 New York Times article notes Bendelow laid out the course. August 6, 1900 New York Tribune article notes early players built a crude 6 hole course starting 13 years ago and then Bendelow laid out a new 6 hole course about two years ago.
Rockaway Hunting Club (Cedarhurst, NY) - Nov. 1898 Golf Magazine notes 18 hole course laid out by Bendelow. Nov. 30, 1898 New York Tribune article notes 18 hole 5,713 yard course done by Bendelow. 1899 Guide notes 18 hole course laid out by Bendelow in Sept. 1898.
Huntington GC (Halesite CC) (Huntington, NY) - The List has this as 1899. August 15, 1898 The Sun article has a 6 hole course laid out by Bendelow. 1899 Guide notes recently laid out by Bendelow.
Pelham Manor GC (Westchester, NY) - Other sources have 1895.
Stittson Private Course (Tuxedo Park Estate) (Sturlington, NY) - 1899 Guide and 1900 Harpers note laid out by Bendelow.
Century CC (Bronx, NY) - June 11, 1898 Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes course staked out by Bendelow. 1900 Harpers notes laid out by Bendelow in Spring of 1898.
Williamsport CC (Williamsport, PA) - Noted in a July 18, 1898 The Sun article as 9 holes laid out by Bendelow. 1899 Guide notes laid out by Bendelow. 1900 Haprers notes laid out by Bendelow in June 1898.
York CC (York, PA) - Nov. 23, 1898 The Sun article (see above) notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole course for Grier Hersh.
Tuscumbia CC (Green Lake, WI) - The List has this as 1897.
Waveland GC (Chicago, IL) - Looking for source information on this attribution.
Additions:
Stern Private Course (Westchester, NY) - Did this course become known by a different name? April 27, 1898 Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes Bendelow laid out a course for Benjamin Stern.
Dutcher Private Course (Pawling, NY) - Is this Dutcher GC? April 28, 1898 Brooklyn Daily Eagle (see above) notes Bendelow laid out a private course for J.B. Dutcher at "Paulding."
Phillip Small Private Course (York, PA) - Sept. 2, 1898 The Sun article notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole 2,400 yard course for Philip Small. (Also see Nov. 23, 1898 The Sun article above.)
Newport Second Beach GC (Newport, RI) - August 25, 1898 The Sun article notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole 2,825 yard course. The list has an Eastern Point GC in Newport for 1898.
Hartford GC (Hartford, CT) - Looking for source information on this attribution.
Additional Morris County CC article (The Sun, Feb. 20, 1898) -
Additional Hillside T&GC article (May 1898 Golf Magazine) -
RJ_Daley:
Sven, how do you think this effort might exceed the already copious and thourough efforts and information found in Stuart's book?
I'm all in favor of any effort to bring forward new and authentic information about Bendelow's work and influence on GCA. I hope new data is discovered. But, other than obscure local newspaper or magazine articles heretofor undiscovered, it seems unlikely we will learn anything new.
(Unless you have found a drawing by Tilly, with Dr Mac and old Tom's autograghs next to Bende's, with a note commemorating a night of drunken debaucery on the town of Old Chicago...) ::) ;D
Sven Nilsen:
--- Quote from: RJ_Daley on October 28, 2014, 12:53:06 PM ---Sven, how do you think this effort might exceed the already copious and thourough efforts and information found in Stuart's book?
I'm all in favor of any effort to bring forward new and authentic information about Bendelow's work and influence on GCA. I hope new data is discovered. But, other than obscure local newspaper or magazine articles heretofor undiscovered, it seems unlikely we will learn anything new.
(Unless you have found a drawing by Tilly, with Dr Mac and old Tom's autograghs next to Bende's, with a note commemorating a night of drunken debaucery on the town of Old Chicago...) ::) ;D
--- End quote ---
RJ -
Here are the courses I've already noted (just for the period from 1894-1898) that should be added to the list, there will be more:
Englewood GC (Englewood, NJ) - An April 10, 1897 Boston Evening Transcript article notes new course laid out by Bendelow.
Westchester GC (New York, NY) - April 18, 1896 New York Tribune article notes Bendelow laid out 9 holes on the Watson estate.
Phillip Small Private Course (York, PA) - Sept. 2, 1898 The Sun article notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole 2,400 yard course for Philip Small.
Newport Second Beach GC (Newport, RI) - August 25, 1898 The Sun article notes Bendelow laid out a 9 hole 2,825 yard course. The list has an Eastern Point GC in Newport for 1898.
Hartford GC (Hartford, CT) - Looking for source information on this attribution.
In addition, I'm hoping to identify the duplicate entries and to clean up any mistakes in names, dates and locations. There are quite a few of these noted already.
When I first reviewed the list a couple of years back it did not include information found in the 1899 Guide and the 1900 Harpers. It does now, mostly I suspect due to those omissions being pointed out on this site.
There's a wealth of information out there that just needs to be reviewed, compiled and presented. C&W started the process, but their 292 count for Bendelow was lacking. Stuart has done a wonderful job in providing as comprehensive of a list as has been presented to date for Bendelow. I'm hoping to add to what he has accomplished.
If you don't see any value in this, that's fine. I do.
Sven
RJ_Daley:
Sven, in my view, we always have a hurdle to overcome when trying to measure the true impact Tom Bendelow had on GCA. We know he was the Johnny Appleseed of the proliferation of golf as a game, through his reputation of the enormous number of courses characterized as "18 stakes on a Sunday afternoon". And, this sort of derisive slogan used to describe TBs work product is in conflict with much of his serious work, when he was the lead architect at American Park Builders, quite a while after his association with Spaulding. We know that TB actually did 'do the work in and on the ground' for several of his more notable courses like Medinah. We know he was a leader in using pliesticine modelling to plan in 3D, how golf holes would lay on the ground based on the actual topography. We know TB was a competent architect and builder.
But, it seems to me that most of these numerous attributions that TB "laid out" 9 holes here and 9 holes there as reported in these various local publications and newspapers are more 'fluff' pieces akin to 'society notice' where some newly formed golf and country club or wealthy guy brought TB in to look perhaps at topo map of a piece of land, and maybe he had a syllabus or template folder he left with some local construction guy that had some methodology of how to drain some area, how to build a bunker, or how to seed newly graded and shaped area in accordance to basically a stick routing he laid upon the local topo map. Perhaps he rode into town on the train, was carted out to the local plot of land the newly formed golf club members were thinking about starting a golf course, walked around and placed those stakes where a tee, LZ and green ought to work well, then took his rest at the local hotel, and jumped back on the train to make his next appointment with another newly formed club looking into the "golf thing" that was becoming all the rage of the era.
So, in my mind, we have this dicotomy between Bendelow the competent architect and the actual work he was on site to follow through and direct as lead architect, and this early gentleman that was known throughout the burgeoning golf craze circles as a guy that could come in and "lay out a course" for our newly formed country club that up until then was just a clubhouse with a social agenda of dinners and perhaps horse riding, hunting or other genteel sporting pursuit
I just think it is hard to acquire context to TB's vast scope of work in relation to the golf craze and proliferation of the times, including the Spaulding marketing effort to spread the game and sell equipment, and TB's role. It seems to me that sometimes he was a promoter and sometime a legitimate architect.
I do hope that your new efforts will turn up something like real architectural drawings done by Bendy detailing heretofor unknown architectural design work that he may have contributed as opposed to a news blurb that he blew into town and 'laid out 9 holes'. That would truly be a valuable find IMHO.
Sven Nilsen:
RJ -
Back in the Spring I posted an instruction letter from Bendelow regarding his guidance for the construction of a course he had just laid out (http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57936.0.html). I found this letter to be particularly interesting for two reasons:
1. It added a bit more color to the "18 Stakes" practice; and
2. It described to me a business model of pure economy.
Bendelow's main goal was to spread the game. He wasn't what Ross would become, a multi-tiered operation that supplied the construction team. He also wasn't predominantly a "society" hire, being asked to build courses due to his social connections.
We may not uncover any earth shattering plans or concepts in this exercise, but it might help us understand a bit better the growth of the game amongst the middle and lower classes. Bendelow may have built courses on the cheap, but by doing so he allowed a multitude of people to play that game that would not have been able to do so otherwise, or at least not with the rudimentary guidance from an expert that he provided.
As this progresses, I'm hoping to highlight some of his efforts to develop public golf. Starting with Van Cortlandt, moving to his work with the Chicago Park System and a myriad of other places, there is no one more influential in the development of public golf in this country than him. There are quite a few other concepts to highlight, including his thoughts on course length after the introduction of the Haskell ball, the changes in his practice as his career developed and, as you noted, the high level of work he did when actually spending time on site. There are some other side notes of interest, including how he became personna non grata on the east coast after his move to the midwest.
Hope this helps explain where I'm coming from with this.
Sven
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