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Travis Course Projects Chronological
A chronological listing of Travis projects
(view in alphabetical order)
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ORIGINAL/REDESIGN/RENOVATION PROJECTS (51)
Dates given indicate the year(s) when Travis did his design work. On several occasions, the golf course construction was completed later. Where possible, we have included original designers of those courses listed as a “redesign” or “consultations”. In addition, where information is available, the listing will include architects who did remodeling/renovation/restoration work subsequent to Travis’s work. Our intent is to provide a comprehensive architectural history of each course. Given the nature of this task, it is a work-in-progress that will change as new information is found. We invite your comments that will assist in fine-tuning and expanding, our course listings.
Key: 18-hole courses unless otherwise noted; (r) – Redesign/remodel; rest0–Restoration work designed to return Travis features; FKA – Formerly Known As; NLE – No Longer Exists; LKA – Later Known As; NC – Never constructed; * – Need documentation to confirm)
1899 — Ekwanok Country Club (assisted John Duncan Dunn) Manchester, VT. 1948 – Donald Ross, Consultation for course improvements; 1956 – Robert Trent Jones, Recommendations for remodeling of a few holes; 1958-1980- Geoffrey Cornish, Remodeling/renovation of several holes; 1998 to present – Bruce Hepner, of Renaissance Golf, Restoration/renovation of bunkers, tees, rebuild 11th green, etc.
1901 — (r) Flushing Country Club (FKA Flushing Golf Club), (with John Duncan Dunn) Flushing, LI, NY Originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1897. (Added note: A March 4, 1897 NY Sun article reports that Travis and Bendelow designed the original course. No other documentation has been found to confirm this report.) (NLE)
1903 — Mount Pocono Golf and Country Club (9 holes), Stroudsburg, PA, NLE as of 2014.
1905 – Oakland Golf Club (9 holes), Bayside, LI, NY. (with Stewart Gardner, Garden City Golf Club pro) Travis designed the second nine holes at Oakland Golf Club. The first nine holes at Oakland are reported to have been designed by Tom Bendelow, and opened in 1897. Many course changes occurred after the Travis/Gardner involvement, including bunker work by the club’s green committee, additional bunkering by Oakland’s golf pro Alec Girard, and remodeling by Seth Raynor (exact dates of these changes have not been determined, but they appear to have occurred between 1912 and 1921). The Oakland Golf Club disbanded in 1952, and the course remained as a public course until 1962. (NLE as of 1962)
1906-09 — (r) Garden City Golf Club (FKA Island Golf Links) (assisted by H.H. Barker and Stewart Gardner, club professionals) Garden City, NY. 1897-1899 – Devereux Emmet, original designer; 1987 – present – Consulting Architect, Tom Doak – 2011- ; Restoration of 12th green under direction of architect Tom Doak – 2011-13.
1908 — (r) Essex County Club, (With John Duncan Dunn) Manchester, MA. Original designer unknown.
1910-11 — (r) Grover Cleveland Muni (FKA Country Club of Buffalo), Buffalo, NY. Original course, designed by CCB member Ganson Depew opened in 1902; There is information indicating that Depew consulted with Walter Travis, and others. In 1910-1911, Travis remodeled the bunkers.
1911-12 — (r) Philadelphia Country Club (NLE) Philadelphia, PA. According to an article in the April 14, 1912 Philadelphia Inquirer, the Green Committee of the Philadelphia CC decided their course needed “stiffening” and “took the bull by the horns and got Walter J. Travis to run over to this city. With E.K. Bispham and other members of the Green Committee, Travis went carefully over the course and later a conference was held and plans for changing the course were adopted. As a result, where one pit was you will find five now in some places…..The changes are such that while the course will not be available for championship matches until next year, it will not interfere with the members playing.”
1915 — Halloween Park Golf Course (9 holes), Stamford, CT (NLE)
1916 — Valley View Golf Club (FKA Roscoe Conkling Park) Utica, NY (The first nine holes constructed according to Travis plans in 1927, with the full 18 hole course completed for the 1930 season.)
1916 — Garden City Country Club, Garden City, NY. 1980s – Brian Silva, renovation; 2004 – Keith Foster, with associate, Kevin Hargrave, did renovations that included green surrounds, bunkers, tees, and work on the practice range.
1916 — Sargowana Golf Club (18 holes, NC), Brooklyn, NY. Newspaper accounts indicate that this project was suspended because of WWI, and never completed.
1916 — (r) Poland Spring Golf Club (with A.H. Fenn), South Poland, ME 1895 – A. H. Fenn, Original designer of 9-hole course; 1913 – Donald Ross, redesign and expansion to 18-holes, opened for play in 1915; July 14, 1917 issue of Poland Spring paper, The Hilltop, announced golf course changes “under the direction of Professional A.H. Fenn and Walter J. Travis” consisting of rebuilt or new greens on 10 holes, addition of 10 new bunkers, and new tees on 12 holes.
1916 — Orchard Park Country Club (FKA The Park Club), Orchard Park, NY. 1993-94 – Brian Ault, redesign included re-routing and construction of three new holes (5th, 6th, and 13th) and elimination of original 6th, 17th and 18th holes. These changes permitted construction of a new practice range on the land previously occupied by the 17th and 18th holes; 2000 –Bruce Hepner,of Renaissance Golf, redesign of 18th hole, and minor design changes to other holes; 2011 to present – Ian Andrew, bunker renovation/restoration, tree removal, and rebuild of the first green.
1917 — East Potomac Park Golf Club (with Walter S. Harban), Washington, D.C. (An August, 1919 Brooklyn Eagle account reported that, because of World War I, just 9 holes were constructed, though Travis was reported to have planned an 18-hole course. Travis lists East Potomac Park as one of his reversible courses.) (Fall 2016 – Travis Society received digital copies of the original Travis hole drawings for the 18 hole course at East Potomac Park, including the reversible plans.)
1916 — (r) Canoe Brook Country Club (North Course), Summit, NJ. 1902 – Jack Vickery and Alex Smith, original designers; 1950—With a land-swap pending, architect Alfred Tull was commissioned to design 8 golf holes to replace the North Course holes that would be lost in the land-swap. The fully redesigned North Course opened on July 1, 1952; 1970 – Highway construction resulted in major changes to both the South and North courses. Architect Hal Purdy was on site for several years to oversee changes to both courses; 1973 – architect Robert Trent Jones’ firm developed plans for 3 new holes in order to resolve liability concerns associated with the 18th hole’s proximity to the new highway; 1991 – architect Rees Jones developed golf course Master Plan; 1994-1995—architect Rees Jones supervised major bunker work and construction of new fifth hole.
1917 — (r) Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, NJ According to the HGC centennial history book, “With two exceptions, Travis followed Mackie’s original routing. He did, however, combine the original 13th and 14th holes, 260 and 150 yards, respectively, into the present 13th hole, and built the present par-three 17th to compensate, shortening the original 17th to creat the present 16th. Travis’ major contribution, however, was a complete reworking of the greens and the bunkering.” Isaac Mackie, original designer –1914; Seth Raynor, remodeling-1916; Dick Wilson, remodeling –1956; Geoff Cornish, remodeling–1980s; Rees Jones and his Senior Design Associate, Keith Evans, renovation–1997 to 2012; Restoration of bunkers by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf with Design Associate Brian Schneider – 2013- present.
1917 — Lochmoor Club (assisted John S. Sweeney), Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. The exact nature of Travis’s role is subject to debate. He has been described as “consultant” to Sweeney, or “Superintending” the project. Travis did not list Lochmoor Club in his many advertisements in the early ’20s; 1920-1921 Because of serious drainage problems, Charles Alison worked with John Sweeney to correct the problem. As reported in Colt & Alison in North America: golf course architects, by Anthony C. Gholz, Jr (2018), “…Alison, based in Detroit and working with Sweeney at the CC of Detroit (CCD), was on-site several times in the fall of 1920 and in 1921 to rectify many of these issues by raising and redesigning the greens and bunkers. He also extensively remodeled the course….”.
1917 — Onondaga Golf and Country Club, Fayetteville, NY The Travis golf course plan included parts of 3 holes from the original, 1901 David Campbell course; 1928 – Stanley Thompson, rebuilt 7, 12, 15, and 17 greens and remodeled some bunkers; 1930 – Stanley Thompson, designed additional 9-holes (NC); 1962 – Hal Purdy, redesign of three holes; 1983 – Wogan and Mitchell, redesign of the 3rd and 4th holes; 2008-09 – Ian Andrew, bunker renovation and restoration, including construction of new 4th and 8th greens.
1917 — (r) Grand Mere Golf Club (9-holes), Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The Travis hole plans are dated September 18, 1917. Original designer, Frederik de Peyster Townsend, 1910; In June 1921, Charles Alison developed an 18 hole plan. Holes 1 through 5 of the Alison plan follow the original routing by Travis, with changes to bunkers. Travis holes 6 and 7 became Alison’s 9 and 10.
1918 — (r) White Beeches Golf and Country Club (FKA Haworth Golf Club), Haworth, NJ. Renovation/restoration, John Harvey – 2008.
1919 — Westchester Country Club (South, West, and 9-hole course. FKA Westchester-Biltmore Club), Rye, NY Ken Dye, renovation and restoration of the South Course – 1997-1999, and bunker and tee renovation on the West Course – 2000.
1919 — (r) Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, MD. (with Dr. Walter S. Harban and Robert White, President of PGA); 1909 – Original designer, architect Herbert H. Barker, with assistance from Dr. W.S. Harban. As a friend of Columbia Country Club, Travis spent two days examining the course, and was pleased with it. On November 14, 1915, the Washington Evening Star published a hole by hole account of changes that Travis proposed for the course, and reported that several of Travis’s recommendations were already being implemented. In 1919, Travis, White, and Harban made several changes to the course in order to bring it up to U.S. Open standards. The club hosted the U.S. Open in 1921.
1919 — (r) Lakewood Country Club, Lakewood, NJ Original designers: Willie Dunn, 1896, Tom Bendelow, 1899
1920 — (r) Cape Arundel Golf Club, Kennebunkport, ME; Original design credited to Alex H. Findlay; 2000 – present – architect Bruce Hepner, initially of Renaissance Golf, and later, independent contractor, oversaw bunker renovation/restoration and restoration/renovation of other golf course features.
1920 — (r) Sunningdale Country Club, Scarsdale, NY Seth Raynor, original designer, 1917: A Sunningdale Green Committee report, dated 11/26/1920 stated, “In accordance with the plans of Mr. Travis, we have put in the bunkers on the 2nd, 4th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 17th holes. We have built new greens for the 1st-9th, 10th, 13th, and 14th holes, and have commenced the construction of the new fairway for the changed 10th hole, which will be open for play in the Spring. We have constructed new tees for the 1st, 2nd, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th holes. This completes all the new construction work which was planned to be done this year…….Next year…..we plan to finish the bunkering of the holes that are to remain unchanged.” The report indicated that other course changes will be deferred until 1922.
1921 — Lookout Point Country Club, Fonthill, Ontario. Ian Andrew of Carrick Design, renovation of bunkers – 1998
1921 — Spring Brook Country Club, Morristown, NJ
1921 — Stafford Country Club, Stafford, NY Stanley Thompson and Robert Trent Jones, consultation – 1930; Ian Andrew of Carrick Design, master plan/bunker/tee renovation – 1998-2000; Ian Andrew, consulting architect-2001 – present.
1921 — North Jersey Country Club, Wayne, NJ Robert Trent Jones, remodel – 1978; Brian Silva, bunker renovation – 1994
1921 — Seven Pines golf links, Richmond, VA. (NLE) According to June 20, 1924 Richmond Times-Dispatch, announcing delay in opening of “…the very first and only public golf course for Richmond, will not be opened until July 4, at the earliest……Designed by Walter J. Travis, noted golf architect, the Seven Pines course is said to be one of the finest in this section.”
1922 — (r) Westchester Hills Golf Club, White Plains, NY. An extensive, March 28, 1922 report by WHGC’s Green Committee Chairman, “Doc” Sniffen stated “Our new work this year will be principally on green reconstruction following the plans given us by Mr. Walter J. Travis.” Long time WHGC golf professional, Peter Clark, of Scottish decent, was the original course designer.
1922 — (r) Oak Ridge Golf Club (NLE), Tuckahoe, NY
1922 — Longue Vue (9-holes) (NLE), Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
1922 — Cherry Hill Club, Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada; 1971-72 – Bunker/tee renovation project under direction of architect C. E. “Robbie” Robinson in preparation for the 1972 Canadian Open Championship; 2008-09 – Bunker and tee renovation and restoration project under direction of architect Ian Andrew.
1922 — Pennhills Club (FKA North Penn Club), Bradford, PA. Two additional holes were created in 1937, when the club’s new clubhouse was constructed. Dick Wilson, supervised construction of the remaining 8 holes of the original Travis plan–1958; Ian Andrew, development of a golf course master plan – 2013; bunker renovation/restoration and rebuild of greens on the 12th, 13th, and 17th holes under direction of architect Ian Andrew – 2014-15.
1922 — Round Hill Club, Greenwich, CT. Renovation and redesign (including new par 3 11th hole) by Robert Trent Jones–1952, 1970; Renovation by Brian Schneider, Design Associate of Renaissance Golf Design–2016.
1922 — Yahnundasis Golf Club (27 hole plan), New Hartford, NY.–1922. Course constructed under supervision of Sherrill Sherman, using 11 holes from the Travis plan added to 7 holes from old course. Travis 18 hole plan was completed in its entirety in 1931; 9-hole short course was not constructed. George Low and Sherrill Sherman, original designers. Holes 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 were redesigned, and other minor course changes, by William and David Gordon-1961. Bunker work on the 6th hole by Ron Pritchard–2004.
1923 — Camden Country Club (FKA Kirkwood Links), Camden, SC Donald Ross, renovation and redesign – 1939; Kris Spence, restoration/renovation-2010-2011.
1923 — (r) Stamford Golf Club (FKA Stamford Country Club), Stamford, NY A 1924 Stamford Mirror states, “Two of the five new putting greens planned some time ago by Walter J. Travis, expert golf architect, were completed last fall and the greens committee hopes that the other three will be finished for use this year.” The May 31, 1924 Albany Evening Journal reported that the Stamford Country Club course “was laid out and constructed under the personal direction of Walter J. Travis…..”. Research continues in an effort to clarify and confirm Travis’s role at Stamford.
1924 — (r) Louisville Country Club , Louisville, KY Tom Bendelow, original designer, 1908 Keith Foster and Kevin Hargraves, Design Associate, restoration work involving green surrounds, bunkers, trees, and practice range–2004.
1924 — (r) Augusta Country Club, Travis created plan for new green on 6th hole of the Lake Course; NLE) Augusta, GA David Olgivie and Dr. William H. Harrison, original designers.
1924 — (r) Country Club of New Canaan, New Canaan, CT; 1900 – architect Willie Park, Jr., original designer, 9-holes; 1920s – Travis designed a second nine. 1924 – Correspondence between Travis, club official Marshall Stearns, and William Tull refers to construction of golf course. Club records report that a major cost overrun in construction threatened bankruptcy of the club, resulting in termination of the project. 1947 – Completion of the second nine, based on the “original Travis design with additional holes designed by Alfred Tull…”. (according to current club history)
1924 — (r) Milwaukee Country Club (NLE), Milwaukee, WI
1924 — (r) Granliden on Sunapee (9 holes), Lake Sunapee, NH A. H. Findlay, original designer, 1907
1925 — Country Club of Scranton, Clarks Summit, PA The original course map, drawn by Walter J. Travis has two dates: Oct. 1925 and June 1926; Tom Marzolf of Fazio Design, renovation/restoration – 2010-11
1925 — The Golf Club at Equinox (FKA Equinox Golf Links), Manchester, VT The course was formally opened on July 4, 1927, with Walter Travis in attendance and an exhibition match between Jess Sweetser and Francis Ouimet. Rees Jones, remodeling – 1991
1926 — Country Club of Troy, Troy, NY. Bunker renovation/restoration under supervision of architect Bruce Hepner, of Renaissance Golf, restoration – 2007-08
1926 — Sea Island Golf Club (Plantation 9), St. Simons Island, GA. Charles Alison eliminated many Travis hazards/bunkers, rebuilt greens, and altered some routing – 1928. Rees Jones, renovation of Plantation 9 – 1992 and unified the Plantation and Retreat 9s – 1998
1926 — Jekyll Island Golf Club (Great Dunes course), Jekyll Island, GA
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CONSULTATIONS: (33)
This listing of “Consultations” creates a record of those many occasions when Travis’s advice was solicited for the improvement, care, or development of a golf course. In several instances, he was asked to evaluate the desirability of a plot of land for a golf course. Or, more frequently, his suggestions were sought for improving the condition or playability of course. Accounts of his consultations were not always specific, and whether Travis’s advice was carried out, for either general or specific improvements, cannot been determined for many of the courses listed under “consultations”. Our objective is to establish a complete record of Travis’s influence on the landscape of North American golf courses, where ample documentation exists.
The claim that Travis was consulted on a golf course does not, in any way, diminish the importance of the original designers, nor those who followed.
1903 – Glen Echo Country Club, St. Louis, MO. Robert Foulis, original designer, 1901.
1904 — Pinehurst Country Club, Pinehurst, NC. Consulted with Donald Ross on the #2 course.
1906 — Fox Hills Golf Club (NLE), Staten Island, NY
1906 — Van Cortland Park Golf Club, Bronx, NY
1907– Salisbury Links (now known as Cherry Valley Club), Garden City, NY. The exact date and involvement of Walter J. Travis has not been determined, though there are several reports that credit Travis with being involved in the design of the course, along with Devereux Emmet.
1909 — Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, MD. Invited by club to inspect its new course designed by H. H. Barker and Donald Ross.
1909 — Lakewood Country Club, Lakewood, NJ. The October 11, 1909 NY Evening Post reported that “While extensive changes are being made in the links of the Lakewood Country Club under the direction of Walter J. Travis, golfing is not being interfered with..”
1910 — Forest Park Golf Club, Queens, NY. NYC Mayor Gaynor appointed Travis to “inspect and report to him upon the condition of the public golf links at Forest Park….with a view to putting them in such condition as would put an end to the continual stream of complaints.” In his report, Travis made several suggestions related to the water supply and the care and management of the golf course. In addition, he recommended several changes to the golf course, including elimination of some holes, creation of new holes, and rearrangement of holes.
1910 — Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase, MD. March 1910 The American Golfer includes Travis among those who, with Donald Ross “advanced their ideas and have given their aid in laying it out”.
1910 — National Golf Links of America, Southhampton, NY. Consulted with C. B. Macdonald, Devereux Emmet, and H. J. Whigham.
1910 — The Country Club, Brookline, MA
1910 — Wanakah Country Club, Hamburg, NY
1911 — Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta, Georgia.November 1911 report in The American Golfer, referring to the Atlanta Athletic Club, states that “trapping of it as planned by Mr. Walter J. Travis had greatly improved it”.
1912 — Palm Beach Club, Palm Beach, FL
1912 — Ormond Golf Club, Ormand Beach, FL
1915 — Cobb’s Creek Muni, Philadelphia, PA
1915 — Country Club of Springfield, Springfield, MA
1915 —Twin Ponds Golf & Country Club (FKA Utica Golf & Country Club), Utica, NY
1915 — Yahnundasis Golf Club, New, Hartford, NY The October 15, 1915 issue of the Utica Herald-Dispatch reported that “Walter J. Travis, the famous golfer, played around the links of the Yahnundasis Golf Club again today in order to study the course for the purpose of offering suggestions as to the improvement of the course by the erection of artificial traps, hazards and bunkers.”
1915 — Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, NJ Consulted with George Crump. There are reports that Travis created designs for all holes, except #12, and developed plans to make the first and sixteenth holes reversible.
1916 — Chicago Golf Club, Chicago, IL Walter Travis “conferred with officials……regarding plans to restore the putting greens..., American Golfer, November 1916, pg 53)
1916 — Misquamicut Golf Club, Watch Hill, RI. Travis created a course layout at Misquamicut that was rejected because of financial concerns. In 1921, Donald Ross was commissioned to design the course that currently exists. There are notable similarities between the current layout and a course map allegedly drawn by Travis.)
1917 — Saratoga Springs–Bonnie Brook Farm, Saratoga Springs, NY. On April 4, 1917, the Troy Times reported, “W.J. Travis, the golf course architect, was called into consultation Saturday and pronounced the Bonnie Brook Farm favorable for not only one, but for several eighteen-hole courses”. (There is no evidence that any golf courses were constructed on the land that Travis examined.)
1919 — Washington Golf & Country Club, Jewell, VA. The June 22m 1919 Washington D. C. Evening Star reported that Walter j. Travis walked the course with James T. McClenahan, Greens Chairman, and subsequently, submitted a letter that detailed steps that needed to be taken in order to make a course “of championship caliber and sporty enough to satisfy the most exacting pro or amateur”. Travis recommended the acquisition of additional land that would permit the construction of five new golf holes, and lengthen the course to 6,293 yards. The implementation of Travis’ recommendations was supervised by William Flynn who altered Travis’s plans “considerably”, according to the November 23, 1919 Washington Evening Star.
1921 — Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, NY The April 15, 1921 NY Sun reported on plans for a golf course in Westchester County, noting that “Walter Travis was employed to examine the land and he reported enthusiastically on its possibilities”. The property had a “wonderful outlook over Long Island Sound”.
Devereux Emmet and A. W. Tillinghast are credited with the design of the golf course.
1920s – Mountain Ridge Country Club, West Caldwell, NJ. According to “100 Years of History for Mountain Ridge”, by Jeff Neuman (1912), published on the USGA’s website, Walter Travis was “hired” to “evaluate” the potential of its original site for a “first-class golf course”. Based on Travis’s opinion, supported by Charles Banks and Seth Raynor, the club decided to seek other property for its golf course.
1922 — Century Country Club, Purchase, NY. According to the Century Country Club website, “Walter J. Travis, former British Amateur and three time U. S. Amateur Champion, was hired as a consultant. Upon his recommendation in 1922, the Club purchased 175 acres of the George W. Fairchild property on Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, NY. “
1922 — Sankaty Head Golf Club, Nantucket Island
1922 — Bailey Park Country Club, (NLE) Mount Vernon, NY. The July 15, 1922 issue of The Daily Argus reported that “Walter J. Travis, former national open golf champion, and now a golf course architect, made an inspection of the grounds yesterday and said that they would be ideal for golf purposes. He was deeply impressed with the layout of the grounds and after a careful survey spoke enthusiastically of the course that could be developed.” The course is listed by the Tillinghast Society as an A.W. Tillinghast design.
1922 — Pasadena Muni Course, Pasadena, CA. According to 1922 newspaper accounts, Travis traveled to Pasadena, CA, and designed a golf course. However, 1924 correspondence between Travis and the City Manager of Pasadena indicates that the city’s plans for a municipal golf course had changed. Instead, they wanted to build a 9-hole course on another plot of land. Travis offered advice, but there is no evidence that the course was built.
1924 — Philadelphia CC, Philadelphia, PA
1924 — The Park Country Club, Buffalo, NY Examined and approved proposed golf course site on which Colt and Allison created the existing golf course.
1924 — Yountakah CC (NLE), Nutley, NJ
1925 — Paducah Golf & Country Club, Paducah, KY. Travis exchanged a series of letters with George Goodman, Chairman of Grounds Committee, in which he provided advice and information concerning the construction of sand greens.