Early years
Born 2 September 1868, in Aberdeen, Scotland, Bendelow was one of nine children. His parents owned a pie shop in the city, and were known for their religious piety. His father taught him the game of golf as a child; however he was trained as a typesetter. There were no careers in golf course design in that era. He courted Mary Ann Nicol, daughter of a prominent farmer. They were married in 1892 at Belhelvie and had a daughter in December 1892. Bendelow immigrated to the United States in the same year. He was 24 years old. His family followed him to America in 1893 His first job was at the ''Association with Spalding and early designs (1895 -1900)
According to his grandson Stuart, Bendelow began working for A.G. Spalding, the sporting goods manufacturer in New York City around 1894-1895. This is when Bendelow's career began to take off in earnest. Prior to this, he had been teaching golf in his spare time—most notably to the Pratt family ofGolf course promoter and increasing prominence as golf course architect (1901- 1925)
In 1901, Bendelow moved to Chicago to be Spalding's Director of Golf Course Development. This era was notable for the expansion of golf facilities in North America, with millions of new players, and Bendelow was well placed to encourage and assist this. For the next 16 years, he criss-crossed the US and Canada, laying out courses, providing construction advice, encouraging players' associations, and promoting the growth of the game. Another "of Tom Bendelow's early designs was executed in 1904 during this spurt of growth at the Atlanta Athletic Club's 18-hole course at East Lake Golf Club; this was the place where the great Bobby Jones learned the game," wrote Colin Farquharson in a 2006 profile of Bendelow. "'It was extraordinary in that it gave a golfer the opportunity to use every wood and iron in his bag, 'said Jones.'" After almost 21 years at Spalding, Bendelow severed his ties with the company in 1916 and announced he was going into business for himself. At that time, it was estimated he had already designed over 640 courses in the United States and Canada> Not long after though, he accepted the position of Golf Department Manager with a competitor, the Thos. E. Wilson sporting goods company. In 1920, Bendelow joined Myron West's "American Park Builders Company" in Chicago, as Chief Golf Course Designer, and focused on designing comprehensive city plans, subdivisions, country clubs, golf courses, and golf course communities.Medinah Country Club
Between 1925 and 1928, Bendelow designed three courses for the founders of the Medinah Country Club with his work on Course No. 3 becoming famous world-wide. A redesign of No. 3 in the 1930s by Bendelow presaged greater things to come. Medinah No. 3 has served as the host site to several major championships, including the US Open in 1949, 1975, and 1990, as well as the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006. The 2012Design philosophy
Bendelow's approach to course design was that of a "naturalist's approach," in that he strove to use the natural features of the chosen site to maximum advantage. His courses have often been called "Olmstedian", in that his method of naturalist design was greatly influenced by the work of prominent landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. and Jr. "If a site had an especially unique feature –- rock outcrop, stream, grove of trees, scenic view -– he would work his hole placements in such a way as to take full advantage of the features even if that meant working his layout from the middle out," according to the American Society of Golf Course Architects. "Bendelow's designs changed as the game of golf changed. When given good sites and adequate resources with which to work, he could produce a very challenging lay out, equal to the best work of the day. His personal goal however, was to build good, solid, enjoyable golf courses." Bendelow would often describe his courses as "sporty", meaning that his courses "should present enjoyable play for both beginner and advanced players; not too hard to discourage the new player and not without challenge to the more accomplished golfer." Most of Bendelow's early work was focused on spreading the game and "bringing golf to the majority of the populous." As a result, most of his designs prior to World War I were fairly basic, focusing more on playability and ease of construction and maintenance. After World War I, Bendelow's designs started to become more strategically intricate, particularly in his work for private clubs. Bendelow left A.G. Spalding and joined American Park Builders during this time. In addition, construction technology and client budgets greatly advanced after World War I. These factors would give him the time required to focus on developing more challenging layouts. The added resources also allowed Bendelow to use more refined techniques in design and construction, including the use of topographic maps, soil surveys, irrigation plans, and plaster of paris green models.Personal life
He died at his home in River Forest, Illinois, on 24 March 1936 at the age of 67.Legacy
Bendelow is recognized as possibly the most prolific of course designers worldwide, a pioneer in the establishment and growth of the game in America. Bendelow personally designed some 700 courses, taught course design at the college level, played the game with golfers including Harry Vardon, and wrote abundantly. He even had his own line of Thos. E. Wilson golf clubs. He exerted a profound impact on the introduction and spread of the game of golf in North America. Prior to 1981, Bendelow's contribution had been all but forgotten by the golfing community. Much of his work was sarcastically described as "18 Stakes on a Sunday Afternoon". While this approach to design was not uncommon design in Bendelow's filed (architects would initially simply drive stakes into the ground to designate tee, fairway, and green locations, usually completing the work in a single day), the term would end up attached to Bendelow as a snide reference. Publication of the book ''The Golf Course'', by Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten, helped to change this diminishing perception. The book substantiated the breadth of Bendelow's portfolio of work and placed him alongside other golf architects of renown. Bendelow's induction into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 further solidified his claim to a legacy; his elevation was reportedly the result of years of efforts by his grandson to restore Bendelow's name to the annals of American golfing history. Because of his work in bringing the game of golf to the general public, it is believed that "more people have learned to play golf on a Tom Bendelow designed course than that of any other golf course architect."Historic designations
A testament to Bendelow's historic imprint on the sport of golf is the increasing number of his designs that have been publicly recognized by the US Department of the Interior and added to the list of National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service has highlighted the significance of at least six of Bendelow's courses which represents 10 percent of the historic courses represented. In fact, his design for City Park Golf Course, Baton Rouge, LA, was the first golf course awarded such an honor in the history of the National Park Service. Wing Park Golf Club, Elgin, Illinois (1908), City Park Golf Course, Denver, Colorado (1913) and Temple Terrace Golf Course in Hillsborough, Florida are also listed on the National Register of Places. Bendelow's design for Quogue helped the Quogue Historic District attain NRP recognition in 2016. Bendelow also designed park systems—and even cemeteries—throughout the United States and Canada.Courses designed chronologically
At the start of his career, Bendelow designed and oversaw installation of courses with as few as 6 holes to 9, a full 18, also expanding 9 hole courses to 18. Among his private clients were the H. M. Pratt family in Glen Cove, NY in 1894 and a Miss Phelps in Blue Ridge, PA. 1894 *Morris County Country Club 1895 * Beacon-by-the-Sea Golf Links, Point Pleasant, New Jersey *Llewellyn Park Golf Club, Richard Colgate private course, West Orange, New Jersey 1896 *Charles M. Pratt private course, Glen Cove, Long Island, New York 1897 *Somerset Inn Golf Club, Bernardsville, New Jersey 1898 *Golf Club of Lakewood, Lakewood, New Jersey *Saginaw Country Club, Saginaw, Michigan 1899 * Van Cortlandt Golf Course, Bronx, New York *Fox Hills Golf Course, Staten Island, NY *Non-extant courses designed by Bendelow
*Century Country Club, Bronx, New York (1898) *Loma Portal, San Diego, CA *Morris County Golf Club, Morristown, NJ (1894)References
External links
Further reading
''Thomas "Tom" Bendelow, The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf,'' by Stuart W. Bendelow, Williams & Company: Savannah, Georgia, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bendelow, Tom Golf course architects 1868 births 1936 deaths Sportspeople from Aberdeen * Scottish emigrants to the United States