Canoe Brook Country Club – Summit, NJ.
Travis provided a “revolutionary” redesign of the existing Jack Vickery course in 1916. Though he used much of the Vickery course configuration, he rearranged some holes, lengthened the course, reworked greens and tees, and added many bunkers. With the opening of the Charles H. Alison 18-hole South Course, in 1924, the Travis course became known as the North Course. Unfortunately, highway construction, and other projects, eliminated a sizeable portion of the North Course.
Cape Arundel Golf Club – Kennebunkport, ME
Travis redesigned course in 1921. A few reports suggest that Travis worked with John Duncan Dunn on the Cape Arundel Course, but no documentation has been found to substantiate that claim, including the very interesting and thoroughly documented history, “Our Little Golf Club in Maine, Cape Arundel” by George A. Douglas (2001). Through the early 2000s, architect Bruce Hepner was responsible for extensive restoration/renovation of the Cape Arundel course.
Cherry Hill Club – Ridgeway, Ontario
Travis designed the Cherry Hill Club golf course in 1922. It opened for play on July 11, 1924. In the early 1970s, prior to hosting the Canadian Open, architect C.E. “Robbie” Robinson was involved in extensive remodeling of the golf course, including installation of bunkers throughout the course. Major bunker renovation and restoration took place in 2008-2009 under the supervision of architect Ian Andrew.
Columbia Country Club – Chevy Chase, MD. Travis had a close relationship with Columbia Country Club over a period of years, both as a competitor in the club’s annual Fall tournament, and as someone who was called upon to offer an opinion on their golf course. An October 1909 Washington Times carried a headline reading “Travis is Pleased With New Course”. The article went to report that “Mr. Travis..has spent two days going over the course that was laid out by H.H. Barker…and Donald Ross”. Travis was a good friend of Dr. Walter S. Harban, the prominent Columbia Country Club member who spent a good part of his life working on the improvement of the club’s golf course. In 1919, with the consent of the club’s Board of Governors, Harban commissioned Robert White, President of the PGA, and Travis to bring the Columbia course up to U.S. Open standards. The club hosted the U.S. Open in 1921.
Ekwanok Country Club – Manchester, VT
Scotsman John Duncan Dunn designed the golf course in 1899. Reports indicate that Travis was called to Manchester by his good friend, James Taylor, to inspect land under consideration for a golf course. Travis approved the land, and there are indications that he worked with Dunn, assisting with both the design and construction of the golf course. In recent times, architect Bruce Hepner has supervised and directed bunker renovation/restoration. Most recently, Hepner designed, and oversaw the construction of, a new 11th green.
Garden City Country Club – Garden City, NY
Travis designed the golf course in 1916, and it opened on June 1, 1917.
Garden City Golf Club – Garden City, NY
Travis joined Garden City Golf Club in 1899, and for 10 years, served as the club’s Captain. Beginning in 1906, he was the Green Chairman, with responsibility for the golf course. During his tenure as Captain and Green Chairman, Travis brought significant changes to Devereaux Emmet’s original design. Most of those course changes were revealed when GCGC hosted the 1908 U.S. Amateur.
Hollywood Golf Club – Deal, NJ
Travis oversaw a major redesign of the original Isaac Mackie course in 1917. His work consisted of minor changes to Mackie’s routing, with a complete reconstruction of all greens, and creation of a massive number of spectacularly formed bunkers. Throughout the 1990s, the Rees Jones design firm remodeled bunkers, built a new 17th green, and performed other changes throughout the course. In 2012, Tom Doak’s firm, Renaissance Golf, was commissioned to restore original features of the course. Design Associate Brian Schneider supervised the redesign and construction of the bunkers.
Jekyll Island Great Dunes Course – Jekyll Island, Georgia
The Travis connection to Jekyll Island dates back to the early 1900s when he recommended Karl Keffer for their first golf professional. Keffer served the club from January 1910 to 1942. In 1926, Travis was commissioned to design a new course that was located along Jekyll Island’s coast, and made use the natural sand dunes that defined the area. Travis did not live to see the completion of his course in 1928.
Lookout Point Country Club – Fonthill, Ontario
There is conflicting information about the year of Travis’s design of LPCC. There are reports that he designed the course in 1919, and others that indicate it was designed in 1921. There is conclusive documentation that it opened for play in 1922. The LPCC course is built on the Niagara Escarpment, and offers a spectacular view from the first tee plus interesting challenges throughout the course. In the mid-late 1990s, Ian Andrew, design associate of Carrick Design, supervised extensive bunker renovation.
North Jersey Country Club – Wayne, NJ In 1921, members of North Jersey Country Club were unanimous in their approval of the purchase of over 300 acres of land, in Wayne, for the new home of their club. Shortly thereafter, Walter J. Travis was engaged to design the new course on a site that he considered ideal given its light, sub-soil of sandy loam. The formal opening of the golf course was on Saturday, July 28, 1923.
Onondaga Golf and Country Club – Fayetteville, NY
Travis designed an 18-hole course in 1917, using the footprints of 2-3 holes from the original David Campbell design. Major bunker restoration/renovation, and construction of new greens on the 4th and 8th holes, were completed under the direction and supervision of Architect Ian Andrew in 2007-2009.
Orchard Park Country Club – Orchard Park, NY
The Orchard Park Country Club course was designed by Walter J. Travis in 1916, when it was the property of The Park Club of Buffalo. In order to create a major practice area, significant changes to the routing of the course took place in 1993, under the direction of the Edmund Ault design firm. Three new holes were created (current 5, 6, and 13) to replace the old 17th, 18th, and 6th. The practice range occupies land that previously featured the 17th and 18th holes. From approximately 2014 to 2016, architect Ian Andrew supervised major bunker restoration and tree removal.
Pennhills Club – Bradford, PA
Travis created a design for an 18-hole golf course in 1922. 9 holes were built initially, and in 1937, the second nine was constructed under the guidance of architect Dick Wilson, using the original Travis layout. In 2016-17, architect Ian Andrew reconstructed two Wilson greens (12th and 17th) using the green elevation maps of Walter Travis.
Poland Spring – South Poland, Maine
The Links at Poland Spring opened a 9-hole course, designed by Arthur Fenn in 1895. Donald Ross redesigned the Fenn 9 and added another 9 holes in 1915. Travis did an extensive redesign of the course in 1916-1917, described in detail in the 7/14/1917 issue of “The Hill-Top”, a local publication.
Scranton, Country Club of – Clarks Summit, PA
Prior to his creation of a golf course plan, in 1925, Travis was involved in the selection of land for the Country Club of Scranton’s golf course. In 2011, a major bunker renovation was begun under the direction of architect Tom Marzolf of the Tom Fazio design firm. Subsequent work has included creating “chipping areas” around the greens and major tree removal.
Spring Brook Country Club – Morristown, NJ
According to multiple Morristown newspaper accounts, Travis designed the Spring Brook CC course in 1921.
Stafford Country Club – Stafford, NY
Travis designed course in 1921 and 9 holes opened for play in 1922. The full 18-hole course was completed and ready for play by 1929. Changes to the original Travis design include new greens at #2, #7, and #18. A long range master plan was created in 1998 under the direction of architect Ian Andrew. Bunker restoration/renovation was completed in 1999-2000.
Troy, Country Club of – Troy, NY
Travis designed the Country Club of Troy golf course in 1926. In the summer of 1927, he inspected the course as it was under construction. In the early 2000s, CC of Troy launched a bunker renovation/restoration project under the direction of architect Bruce Hepner, Senior Design Associate of Renaissance Golf, Tom Doak’s firm.
White Beeches Golf and Country Club – Haworth, NJ
Travis completely redesigned the WBGCC course in 1920.
Yahnundasis Golf Club – New Hartford, NY
Travis created a 27-hole golf course plan in 1922. During construction of the course, it was discovered that the available land would not accommodate the “executive 9” in Travis’s plan. That section of land became a practice range. In 1961, with a key part of the course occupying land appropriated by the state for road construction, holes 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 were redesigned/relocated. The changes to the course were under the direction of the father-son architects, William F. and David W. Gordon.
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The Old Guard Society of Palm Beach Golfers (NLE) – Palm Beach, FL
In the early 1900s, Walter J. Travis began his annual mid-winter trips to Florida, including 1903, when he won the South Florida Championship at Palm Beach. During the next 15 years, he developed a close fraternity of fellow golfers, in the Palm Beach area, that led to the founding of the Old Guard Society of Palm Beach Golfers in March 1918. Reflecting the great respect and affection held for Travis, he was chosen as first President of the organization, a position he relished. However, less than two years later, Travis was forced to resign his position due to ill-health. In response, the Society unanimously approved a resolution making Travis the Honorary President of the Society for Life.