THOMAS BENDELOW Golf Course Architect In This Issue V O L U M E 22 • M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 4 • N U M B E R 3 h t t p : / / m i c h i g a n g o l f e r . c o m MICHIGAN GOLFER Herschel Nathanial Bernice Phillips Publisher/Editor Dave Serino Art McCafferty Ken Tabacsko Kelly Thesier [email protected] Marc Van Soest Editor Emeritus Phil Winch Terry Moore John Wukovits Managing Editor Photo/Video Kelly Hill Kevin Frisch [email protected] Dave Richards Carter Sherline Chief Information Clarence Sormin Of f i c e r Brian Walters Jennie McCafferty Joe Yunkman Internet Service Representatives Provider Brian Manning Pat & Rick Rountree B.J. Erwin Dundee Internet Services, Inc. Director of Director of Accounting Video Editing Cheryl Clark Katie Jones [email protected] Web Development Writers at Large ZebraFish Studios Susan Bairley Jack Berry zebrafishstudios.com Craig Brass 4 Tom Bendelow–– the “Johnny Appleseed” Tom Doak Director of New Greg Johnson Media Development of Golf Bradley S. Klein Trevor Zylstra Vartan Kupelian Jon Maddern Copy Editor by Art McCafferty Norm Sinclair Rose Zylstra Mike Shiels Ron Whitten Office Assistant Contributing Editors Erica Miller 10 Mississippi Meanderings John Bebow Mike Duff Michigan Golfer by Mike Shiels Jim Neff William Shelton is produced by Mike Terrell Great Lakes Sports Writers 16 A Jewel Repolished L’anse Bannon Publications, Inc. Margaret Bowers by Mark Van Soest Rick Coates GLSPAdvertising & Liza Dypka Business Office Sam Fullerton Dennis Grall 3588 Plymouth Road, #245 Thad Gutowski Ann Arbor, MI 48105 20 Gary Holaway 734.507.0241 The Ryder Cup Captains Challenge Janina Parrott Jacobs 734.434.4765 FAX Mickey MacWilliams by Art McCafferty Brett Marshall in f o @ g l s p . c o m Judy Mason gl s p . c o m W. Bruce Matthews III Michigan Golfer is published online six times a year by 21 A Summer of Championship Golf Ahead Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc., 3588 Plymouth Rd, #245, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2603. by Kelly Hill All contents of this publication are copyrighted, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. All unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addressed envelope, bearing sufficient postage; publisher 26 Slice of Life assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materi- als. The views and opinions of the writers are their own and by Terry Moore do not necessarily reflect endorsement of views and/or phi- losophy of Michigan Golfer. Back Issues: May be ordered by sending $5.00 with your name, address and issue requested to Michigan Golfer, 3588 Plymouth Road, #245, Ann Arbor, MI 48105- Cover photo courtesy of Stuart Bendelow 2603. M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 4 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E Michigan Golf Architects: Tom Bendelow –– Golf’s Johnny Appleseed By Art McCafferty Aberdeen, Scotland, on September American business men in New 2, 1868, to John and Mary York, who were enamored with the om Bendelow was a golf Edwards Bendelow. They were sport and wanted to play it. He architect who impacted golf local merchants who operated the later designed a six-hole layout Tperhaps more than any golf Bendelow Pie Shop. The young that provided the basis for the architect in the United States. He Bendelow began playing the game Nassau Country Club. That job was nicknamed the “Johnny early in his life and became was big enough job to draw the Appleseed” of golf, due to the fact, acquainted with many Scottish attention of others to his work. that he designed at least 480 and, golfers who along, with himself, perhaps, as many as a 1000 cours- would later have an impact in “A major element of es during his lifespan. That would designing American golf courses, Bendelow’s early golf architect make him the most prolific golf days, was his association with course designer ever–– designing Bendelow came to America in A.G. Spalding and the Spalding more than Donald Ross, more than 1892 and quickly caught on as a Sporting Goods manufacturing Jack Nicklaus and more than reporter for the New York Herald. company. He was involved in sell- Robert Trent Jones. However, not He was a skilled newsman, having ing balls and clubs, offering many people are aware of his held a position at the Aberdeen instruction, organizing play and place in the history of the game. Free Press in Scotland before he designing courses,” said Stuart departed. Bendlelow. According to his biographer and grandson, Stuart Bendelow, Bendelow’s original forays into Tom Bendelow’s “most notable Tom Bendelow was born in the golf design business were a early efforts, and the ones that Photos of Tom Bendelow, pp. 5 & 6 series of two or three hole courses really propelled him into national courtesy of Stuart Bendelow for wealthy and sports minded prominence were at Van Cortland 4 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 4 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 4 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E 5 Notable North American Golf Courses Designed by Tom Bendelow Olympia Fields CC (IL), http://www.olympiafieldscc.com Medinah CC (IL), http:// www.medinahcc.org Alleghany CC (PA), http://thegolfcourses.net/ golfcourses/PA/7833.htm East Lake GC (GA), http://www.eastlakegolf- club.com Jefferson Park GC (WA), http://www.jefferson- parkgolf.com Dubsdread GC (FL), http://www.golftoday- magazine.com/0404Apr/Dubsdread.htm Lake Shore CC (IL), http://thegolfcourses.net/ golfcourses/IL/9443.htm Big Foot CC (WI), http://thegolfcourses.net/ golf- courses/WI/2501.htm Tripoli CC (WI), http://thegolfcourses.net/ golf- courses/WI/2612.htm Dallas CC (TX), http://thegolfcourses.net/golf- courses/TX/3572.htm South Shore CC (IL), http://cpdgolf.com/loca- tion_south_shore.html Rosedale GC (Canada), ht t p : / / w w w. g o l f o n t a r i o . c a / fe a t u r e s / t o p 5 0 _ r a t i n g s . s h t m l Royal Ottawa GC (Canada), http://www.golfcourse. com/search/ coursedtl_ga.cfm?source=GA&courseid=16930 6 M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 4 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E Park, in the Bronx. Here he nized tournaments and players the United States,” said Stuart redesigned the existing nine holes, associations, and offered instruc- Bendelow. added a second nine, supervised tion. This was the country’s first the construction and maintenance eighteen hole municipal golf Tom Bendlelow, then began to of the course, directed play course and something of a model work with A.G. Spalding in (including the introduction of for what Tom, and A.G. Spalding, designing golf courses all over the reserved play ‘tee’times), orga- felt should to be replicated across U.S. He worked with municipal Michigan Golf Courses Designed by Tom Bendelow Albion GClb New Hotel Course Huron Hills Golf Course Mullet Lake Golf & CC Bay City CC Muskegan CC Michicago CC Niles Golf Club Birmingham Golf Club Plymouth Rark Golf Course Bloomfield Hills CC Northport Point Golf and CC Charlotte CC Owosso Golf Club Redford CC Port Huron Golf and CC Wawonowin Golf Course Stag Island Golf Club Escanaba CC Gull Lake CC Flint CC Red Run Golf Club Grand Beach CC Royal Oak Golf Club Atlas Valley CC (Flint Golf Course) Saginaw CC Spring Lake CC South Haven Golf Club Grand Rapids Elks CC Traverse City Golf & CC Highlands CC White Lake Golf Course Mosanic CC Duck Lake Golf Course Park System Cascades Golf Course, Cascades Eighteen Hillsdale Golf & CC Cascades Golf Course, Executive Nine Portage Lake CC Green Ridge CC [nle] Golf Club Highland Park GC Ella Sharp Park Golf Club Kalamazoo CC - Big Course Meadow Heights CC Ludington Golf Club (Linclon Hills GC) Big Course Marshall CC [nle] Kalamazoo CC - Short Course Palisades Park Golf Club [nle] Riverside CC Rochester Golf Club Manistee Golf & CC Sharp Park GC M A Y / J U N E • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E 7 parks and businessmen to provide tacted both grandsons, and found dence as I can to document his basic golf course design instruction Jack living in Montague, life, ideas, work and general con- for courses which were, “inexpen- Michigan, and Stuart now retired tributions to the game of golf in sive to build, easy to maintain and and living at a Del Webb America and then write his biogra- which would provide the maxi- Community at Hilton Head. phy,” said Bendelow. mum in playable rounds of golf,” said Bendelow. Jack had the company of his To that end, the Michigan famour grandfather for 11 years, Golfer has been proactive and put Bendelow picked up an enor- before he died in 1936. He his name in front of a couple of mous amount of work around the remembers his grandfather taking publishers. Chicago area, which explains the him down to fish off of the South many courses on the Western side Haven pier.