Pehquenakonck in North Salem, NY - anyone know the history here?

[CMP]

What a ... "unique" ... layout. Anyone know the history of this place? I'd love to know what led this place to be the way it is, starting with the par 3 4th hole...


I'm always excited when a place doesn't come up in my search of the forum here.

[MCirba]

Hi CMP,

My records indicate that it was designed by one Malcus Knapp in 1923.   


Sounds like my kind of place. 

[V. Kmetz]

What a ... "unique" ... layout. Anyone know the history of this place? I'd love to know what led this place to be the way it is, starting with the par 3 4th hole...

I'm always excited when a place doesn't come up in my search of the forum here.

Lol - in replying, I'm retaining my "Amundsen mineral rights" of discovery/broadcast here... I've played Pehquenakonck some 10-15x in my days and broadcast here the one of a kind virtues of the 4th..."Kilimanjaro." I might easily have made the misspelling of Pehquenakonck in so describing, which may have thwarted the search...even posted a picture (which is gone now from one of these thread)


https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,11863.msg890692/topicseen.html#msg890692

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,43635.msg946459/topicseen.html#msg946459

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,56216.msg1305539/topicseen.html#msg1305539

Though Peqk. was one of my haunts 30-35 years ago, I hadn't ever delved seriously into its history. My anecdotal memory is that most of the shorelands of Peach Lake was whacked up into a handful of communities from five original family farms in the teens and 1920s when the reservoir system curtailed farming...kind of like summer/resort/country bungalows for escaping NYC in summer, when people did that for the better part of all season... I may have heard of a member architect from that time, but as the course reveals, he must have been a cheeky amateur.

[CMP]

@V. Kmetz thank you. I was glad that I went with a friend because no one would have believed me that this was an actual thing that happened.


Anything I have to add would be repetitive of your notes from those three links, so I won't try, but you are spot on.


And what you said below makes sense - a lot of those bungalows are still there and this all adds up.


What a bizarre afternoon.


Thank you again @V. Kmetz!

[V. Kmetz]

Hi CMP,

My records indicate that it was designed by one Malcus Knapp in 1923.   

Sounds like my kind of place. 

It is the Land that Time Forgot for sure...and denotes the absolute fringe (architecturally) of antique and arcane...*** Kilimajaro and then the walk from the next green (5) to the 6th tee is like Army Ranger stuff.

[V. Kmetz]

@V. Kmetz thank you. I was glad that I went with a friend because no one would have believed me that this was an actual thing that happened.

Anything I have to add would be repetitive of your notes from those three links, so I won't try, but you are spot on.

And what you said below makes sense - a lot of those bungalows are still there and this all adds up.

What a bizarre afternoon.

Thank you again @V. Kmetz!

You're quite welcome...I haven't played since 2012-13.. is there still a rock protrusion on the back right of the 4th green?...


Nothing is quite like Peqk, but have you tried the "companion" 9-holer around the corner, up the street: Vail's Grove? It too confuses and tempers the modern mind.

[Tim Martin]

It looks like Vail’s Grove is right across the lake from Pehquenakonck. It would be easy to catch both courses on the same day even if it’s only nine at each.

[MCirba]

Both courses have moved to my shortlist.


Thanks, guys. 


I think. 

[V. Kmetz]

It looks like Vail’s Grove is right across the lake from Pehquenakonck. It would be easy to catch both courses on the same day even if it’s only nine at each.

Been there done that... Each course can be be played in an 1 hr 15 minutes, and they are but a long walk from one another...5 min in a vehicle.  You'd still have time to drive an hour more and play a slow round elsewhere.


Adventurous moments of my life...playing morning 18 at some ritzy private, like Winged Foot or Quaker or Century and 18 more at a lonely flea market such as this on the way back home to Danbury.

[MCirba]

Ok...here's one for our vaunted research community.

I just did a quick search and find that Vail's Grove was designed by one "U. R. MacMeekin, architect".   Interestingly, the first pro there on opening day was "Jack MacMeekin".   Obviously a little known design duo who history forgot, likely for the usual reasons. 

[V. Kmetz]

Both courses have moved to my shortlist.

Thanks, guys. 

I think. 

Truly, this is less recommending, then alerting...like bird watching... and these two are a rare "get" in that analogy 

[MCirba]

Both courses have moved to my shortlist.

Thanks, guys. 

I think. 

Truly, this is less recommending, then alerting...like bird watching... and these two are a rare "get" in that analogy

 

[Ronald Montesano]

Are you guys saying that Salem Golf Club is BAF? Adjacent to Peq and close to NV.

[Ronald Montesano]

https://thegolfnomad.typepad.com/the-golf-nomad/2010/09/pehquenakonck-country-club-review.html

[MCirba]

Is it a strange sort of golf architecture masochism that Ron's link (with pics).only increased my desire to play there?

[Mike Sweeney]

Is it a strange sort of golf architecture masochism that Ron's link (with pics).only increased my desire to play there?

As a fan of 9 holers, I drove past this 4-5 times on the way to Salem GC, and honestly not seeing it as much more than a place to walk the dog with a few clubs while staying on the lake...


Vale's looks more interesting, someday...


A tried and true 9 holer in the area via Jim Kennedy is https://harlemvalleygolfcourse.com/golf_course.html Not sure if Ross even drove by it, but it has some good stuff.

[V. Kmetz]

https://thegolfnomad.typepad.com/the-golf-nomad/2010/09/pehquenakonck-country-club-review.html

This review was genuine, valid... you can't make a habit of it, but the place has to be seen to be believed; very much like psilocybin mushrooms...horrible, bitter, cow-shit flavor...worth it.

[V. Kmetz]

Are you guys saying that Salem Golf Club is BAF? Adjacent to Peq and close to NV.

BAF? NV?
Salem is the definition of mediocre...4 or 5 interesting holes...a few more playable ones...the rest, a disappointment.

[CMP]

I honestly can't remember if the rock protrusion is still there on the green. I don't want to speak badly about the conditioning, but... there's no way you can expect me to remember a single one of the many rock protrusions on that course/hole/green


Again, your description below is spot on.


"Alerting" not "recommending"


But I will say, some of the nicest locals. Very chill vibe there, which goes a long way for me.

https://thegolfnomad.typepad.com/the-golf-nomad/2010/09/pehquenakonck-country-club-review.html

This review was genuine, valid... you can't make a habit of it, but the place has to be seen to be believed; very much like psilocybin mushrooms...horrible, bitter, cow-shit flavor...worth it.

[MCirba]

As a fan of 9 holers, I drove past this 4-5 times on the way to Salem GC, and honestly not seeing it as much more than a place to walk the dog with a few clubs while staying on the lake...


Vale's looks more interesting, someday...


A tried and true 9 holer in the area via Jim Kennedy is https://harlemvalleygolfcourse.com/golf_course.html Not sure if Ross even drove by it, but it has some good stuff.

Mike Sweeney,

I've had the pleasure of playing Harlem Valley a few years back which is located near the old, eerie psychiatric hospital.   It was actually designed by local pro Frank Sheridan in the late 1930s, and sadly, I believe it is NLE.   Hoping someone can prove me wrong as the volcano 3rd hole was worth the price of admission.

***EDIT*** - I see online at least the course is still functioning and they claim Donald Ross from 1928.   I'd be interested to see any evidence of that as the course itself didn't open until the late 1930s.   However, if that Ross attribution helps them stay afloat then that's their business, I guess.

[Stewart Abramson]

***EDIT*** - I see online at least the course is still functioning and they claim Donald Ross from 1928.   I'd be interested to see any evidence of that as the course itself didn't open until the late 1930s.   However, if that Ross attribution helps them stay afloat then that's their business, I guess.

Re: Harlem Valley: I'm not sure if it is still operating or NLE. Although the website exists, the links to make a tee time don't work and the listed phone number was not answered.


Re: Pehquenakonck: Sounds like the brown acid at Woodstock. But, I'm going to try it next week, to at least see if the rock protrusion is there  


edited to make font size legible

[MCirba]

Stewart,

Sounds like a bad trip, man. 

[Stewart Abramson]

As a result of this thread I took the plunge and played Pehquenakonck and Vails Grove today. They both felt like I had stepped back in time about 75 years. They are both quirky, but Pkonck much moreso. It was a fun morning, but probably a one time journey unless I want to show them to visitors as a change of pace from "normal" golf. I received a very warm welcome from Debbie in the "club house". She handed me a tip sheet which was very helpful in navigating the course. For example, the tip for the first hole is to play your tee shot 125 yards to the center of the fairway. Of course, I disregarded that tip thinking longer would be closer to the green so hit a 135 yard club. Below are photos showing the difference in being ten yards longer than recommended:


Pehquenakonck #1 approach if tee shot was 125 yards


Pehquenakonck #1 appraoch following a 135 yard tee shot

I learned my lesson and followed the tip sheet thereafter.

The course is a little rough around the edges and the greens were slow, but easy to adjust to. They have just added or rebuilt a number of bunkers which have beautiful new sand and are well shaped. The old bunkers are mostly hard pan and weeds. There are three blind tee shots and a couple of blind approaches. There are four shots that cross a road. There are two very long walks. The first is uphill form #5 to #6 and the second steeply downhill from #8 tee to the green across the road. There are two steep drop shot par 3's and of course the infamous uphill par 3 fourth hole.

The pin was up front on #4 which is helpful as a front flag is visible from the tee. Any other hole placement and you would be hitting blindly. I hit a really good tee shot a little long and right that was found just off the back right corner of the green. Any further right or longer and I would have been dead. a chip and two putts later and I got off with a bogey

I didn't see a rock outcropping in the green, but there were two bare spots and a mound toward the back right of the green which could be covering rock. Here are some pix of #4


Pehquenakonck #4 par 3 from back tee 


Pehquenakonck #4 par 3 from white tee 


Pehquenakonck #4 view back to tee from back right corner of green


Pehquenakonck #4 view from back of green

The seventh hole has one of the smallest, if not the smallest green I've ever played. it was a circle of about a 10 or 12 foot radius


Pehquenakonck #7 smallest green I've played

In case anyone would like to see photos of all 9 holes, here's a link: [size=78%]https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157719642135859[/size]

[MCirba]

This is quirk golf porn and should be illegal in most states.

[V. Kmetz]

LoL and Wow... 20 years of GCA site ethos was not complete until this post on this thread... this is golf in the raw, like Steak Tartare, served in that manner because the stove is broken... I hope people looked at your photo tour and viewed the 6th/green7th tee shot, which renders its own clear opinion on the maintenance of bunkers


Well done SA... I would mention that until my last playing in 2013, the 1st hole was not 220 yards around a tree, it was played as a 175 yard(ish) par 3 about 30 degrees to the left, in the direction of the second tee...


Re: Vails Grove... though any sane person would agree that it is less quirky than Peq, I wonder if the blind par 3 5th still has the turnable 20 foot Stop/Go sign with the cowbell for when the green is clear.

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