The Walter J. Travis Society

On his way to Maine for the 2025 Travis Society annual meeting at Cape Arundel, society archivist Steve Kubiak stopped in a Stamford Country Club, a relatively-unknown contribution from Walter Travis. Steve put together some thoughts and images, for the benefit of the society. Enjoy the read. 

On the recent trip to Cape Arundel, I stopped at Stamford CC. I played the course and took pictures and notes. I could see the differences in the Travis holes vs the rest of them. These pictures are in the Archives if anyone wants to see them. I talked to the former head pro Jim Schouller, who gave me some interesting facts about the course. He sent me a copy of the club’s history that was put together by longtime member Jim Meagley.This was a very detailed compilation of Stamford from 1897 until 2025. A copy was made and sent to our Historian.

 

Some personal observations on Stamford CC

Like a lot of courses in NY during the summer of 2025, it was dry. The fairways and roughs showed the lack of water. The greens were dry in the high spots, but for the most part were healthy. The course itself was strange by the way it flowed (or didn't) from one hole to the next. After learning that the course was a hodgepodge of several "architects," I could understand why. The first few holes looked like any public course in NY. Straight, flat, boring, with no elevation or movements on the greens. Then it was like a switch was turned on. I felt like I was on a typical Travis course. All of a sudden there were mounds (aka "chocolate drops"). The fairways had contours, the approaches and green sites had that typical four corner foundation found on Travis designed courses. 

And the greens themselves finally had some movement. This pattern repeated a few times through the entire course....until I got to #15.  From #15 to #18, in my opinion, were some of the best finishing holes on a Travis course. The photos show the deep bunkers on #15 that is typical of Travis. This one has a narrow strip of sand that was most likely reduced for budget reasons. #16 is a perfect Travis hole with "chocolate drops," fairway bunkers, and a shelf on the left side of the green. The area of the shelf is large enough to have a few pin placements, however it's very hard to judge the effort needed to putt the ball up there from the lower level. It took me seven times to get it right. The elevation change was at least 6 feet. #17 was a long iron to a huge green with tons of movement all over. This was one of those greens that if you did get your tee shot on the green, you would have at least two, maybe three breaks to read. I could spend hours on this green practicing. Finally #18 was an uphill long par 4, with another great finishing green that Travis was known for. Lots of movement with a deceiving slant for the entire green, finishing right in front of the clubhouse patio. 

Upon visiting the 19th hole and talking to a group of "experienced" golfers, one of which was the former professional Jim Schouller, I learned some things about the history of the course. The most interesting tidbit was my curiosity about that shelf on #16. I asked if they knew if Travis did that green? I have seen a lot of Travis greens with elevation changes, but not one this severe. They weren't sure, and one of them had heard a story that the former greenskeeper during the '30's was a local farmer and he buried his three dogs there. 

The Society received a document of around 40 pages of the history of Stamford CC. It was put together by a long time member Jim Meagley. He did a lot of research starting with the clubs initial foundation in 1897 until the present day. 

It's a great addition to our archives.

The Great Dunes course at Jekyll Island opened in November of 2025, to great acclaim. The task of Brian Ross and Jeff Stein was to combine a Dick Wilson, mid-twentieth century nine with an original Walter Travis nine, and create an 18-hole course with a blend of Travis and Travis-inspired holes.

The Anticipation

(from the Stein Golf Design website)

"We are especially excited for the opportunity to share Travis’ brilliant architectural style with an audience of public golfers.  The newly restored Great Dunes will be one of a rare few municipal golf courses, on the east coast, which will offer ocean views, affordable prices to locals, and engaging architecture for all skill levels.  Our routing restores a genuine test of golden age golf, utilizing 9 original Travis holes while also recreating Travis’ unsurpassed ingenuity on the greens throughout the 18.  The reimagining of the Great Dunes meanders through maritime oak forest, coastal sand dunes, and salt marsh and will be playable year round thanks to major investments in the playing surfaces, irrigation and drainage infrastructure.  We really can’t wait to get started at the end of this year and reveal the extraordinary potential of this property."

(from the Ross Golf Architects website)

"In June 2023, Ross Golf Design was selected by the Jekyll Island Authority to lead a full-course restoration of Walter Travis's historic Great Dunes Course at Jekyll Island Golf Club in coastal Georgia. In addition to the restoration of the Great Dunes nine, the project also included the creation of nine new Travis-inspired holes on a portion of the former Oleander Course to complete the new 18-hole Great Dunes Course. RGD worked in collaboration with fellow architect Jeff Stein of Brooklyn, NY-based Stein Golf Design and their incredible team of shapers while MacCurrach Golf Construction from Jacksonville, Florida served as the Golf Course Contractor for the project."

(from the Jekyll Island website)

"History of Great Dunes

Famed course designer Walter “Old Man” Travis put his stamp on Jekyll Island when he constructed Great Dunes in 1927. Summoned to the Island by some of the nation’s most elite families during the Club Era, Travis created the best course money could buy.

Jekyll Island became a testing ground for the future of golf. In 1924, the USGA tested new steel clubs in favor of original hickory shafts and ball size & density tests were conducted, all of which changed the game of golf forever.

Future of Great Dunes

Honoring the legacy of famed golf course designer Walter Travis, the new Great Dunes Golf Course is undergoing a multi-million-dollar restoration, reinvigorating this iconic courses’ gilded-age character with modern golf course design. Opening as a unified 18-hole course, the new design incorporates land from the former 9-hole Walter Travis-designed course with land from the former Dick Wilson-designed Oleander Course.

The new Great Dunes Golf Course is being designed by Brian Ross of Ross Golf Design and Jeffrey Stein of Stein Golf Design, taking golfers on a one-of-a-kind journey through the dunes, out to the ocean and back, in a wide-open, natural environment surrounded by a conservation-sensitive maritime forest."

The Reality

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