The recent reprinting of “The Evangelist of Golf,” a biography of Charles Blair Macdonald, inexplicably fails to rectify a myriad of significant errors in the writing and research found throughout the book. The list of Seth Raynor courses is highly inaccurate and should be ignored.<\/p>\n
This is the most comprehensive and correct list of courses on which Raynor worked in various capacities. Also included are the courses that wrongly claim input from Raynor or lack proof of his involvement.<\/p>\n
The majority of the remaining Raynor courses have been altered over the years, many significantly. Only three of Raynor’s designs have 18 original greens, Chicago Golf Club, Blue Mound Golf and Country Club and Shoreacres.<\/p>\n
Seth Raynor Golf Courses <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0All dates are the year a course or holes opened.<\/em><\/p>\n FKA = Formerly Known As; NLE = No Longer Exists; NKA = Now Known As<\/em><\/p>\n Courses Designed or Renovated by Seth Raynor\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>that Were Built (49)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Augusta Country Club, Lake Course, Augusta, Ga. 1925, rebuilt all 18 greens, converting them from sand to grass, (NLE)<\/p>\n Blind Brook Club, Purchase, N.Y., 1917 (fairway bunkering added later by club without Raynor\u2019s input.)<\/p>\n Blowing Rock (N.C.) Country Club, 1916, 1926. Little of Raynor\u2019s work exists. (FKA Green Park-Norwood Golf Course)<\/p>\n Blue Mound Golf and Country Club, Wauwatosa, Wisc., 1926<\/p>\n Brookville Country Club, Glen Head, N.Y., 1922 first 9, 1924 second 9<\/p>\n Camargo Club, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1927<\/p>\n Chicago (Ill.) Golf Club, 1923 (Total renovation of Charles Blair Macdonald design with Macdonald\u2019s blessing.)<\/p>\n Country Club of Charleston (S.C.), 1925<\/p>\n Country Club of Fairfield, (Conn.), 1921 (significant alterations to layout made by Robert Trent Jones in the late 1950s)<\/p>\n Dedham (Mass.) Country & Polo Club, 1925 (partial redesign of existing holes and construction of original holes)<\/p>\n Elkridge Club, Baltimore, M.D., 1925<\/p>\n Essex County Country Club, West Orange, N.J., 1925;<\/p>\n Essex Fells (N.J.) Country Club, 1929, renovated two holes<\/p>\n Everglades Club, Palm Beach, Fla., first nine 1920; second nine 1929, designed by Alexander W. MacDougall, who also renovated the existing nine.<\/p>\n Fishers Island (N.Y.) Club, 1926<\/p>\n Forest Park, St. Louis, Mo., 27 holes, (routing only)<\/p>\n Fox Chapel Golf Club, Pittsburgh, Penn., 1925<\/p>\n Greenbrier, #1 Course, White Sulphur Springs, W. Virg., 1923, renovation of 1914 Macdonald design, which he helped build (NKA Old White TPC)<\/p>\n Greenbrier, #2 Course, White Sulphur Springs, W. Virg., 1924, none of Raynor\u2019s work remains (NKA Meadows Course)<\/p>\n Greenbrier, #3 Course, White Sulphur Springs, W. Virg., 1923 renovation of existing 9 holes. The course was later expanded to 18 holes, none of Raynor\u2019s work remains (NKA The Greenbrier)<\/p>\n Hotchkiss School, Salisbury, Conn., 1925, nine holes (Subsequent renovation of three holes by Charles Banks.)<\/p>\n Knollwood Country Club, Elmsford, N.Y., 1927<\/p>\n Lake Wales (Fla.) Municipal Golf Course, first nine, 1925; second nine, 1926, (NKA Lake Wales Country Club, significant alterations to the course over a number of years, most of the routing remains.)<\/p>\n Lookout Mountain (Ga.) Club, Lookout Mountain, 1928 (FKA Lookout Mountain Golf Club, Fairyland Golf Club),<\/p>\n Metairie Country Club, Metairie, La., 1925 (no original holes remain.)<\/p>\n Midland Hills Country Club, Saint Paul, Minn., 1921 (significant alterations of the years.)<\/p>\n Mid-Pacific Country Club, Kailua, Hawaii, front nine 1928; back nine, 1949<\/p>\n Misquamicut, Westerly, R.I., 1913 (Renovated five holes, possibly Raynor\u2019s first solo work.)<\/p>\n Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, Cal., Dunes Course, 1926 (for the Del Monte Corporation). Greens, and possibly bunkers, were rebuilt prior to opening.<\/p>\n Mountain Lake, Lake Wales, Fla., first nine holes, 1917; second nine holes, 1921 (In the late 1920s Charles Banks combined the eighth hole and ninth holes into a par-5, \u00a0then created a new ninth hole.)<\/p>\n Nassau Country Club, N.Y., 1915 (renovation, one hole remains)<\/p>\n North Shore Country Club, Glen Head, N.Y., 1916 (renovation)<\/p>\n Oakland Golf Club, Bayside, N.Y., \u00a01919, bunkered by Alec Gerard (NLE)<\/p>\n Ocean Links, Newport, R.I., 1921, nine holes, Charles Blair Macdonald consulted, (NLE)<\/p>\n Palm Beach Winter Club, North Palm Beach, Fla., 1926, (NLE) This is possibly main reason Raynor was in Florida when he died. None of his work remains although a few hole corridors survive,\u00a0 (NKA North Palm Beach Country Club)<\/p>\n Porto Rico Country Club, San Juan, 1919, nine holes (connected to Condado-Vanderbilt Hotel, NLE)<\/p>\n Riddell\u2019s Bay Golf and Country Club, Bermuda, 1922 (NLE)<\/p>\n Rock Spring Club, West Orange, N.J. 1925<\/p>\n Shoreacres, Lake Bluff, Ill., 1921<\/p>\n Somerset Country Club, Mendota Heights, Minn., 1920 (substantial renovation by Stanley Thompson)<\/p>\n Southampton (N.Y.) Golf Club, Southampton, 1927 (the only club of which Raynor was known to be a member)<\/p>\n Statesville (N.C.) Country Club, 1926, nine holes, one of the few courses Raynor designed that had sand greens. (NLE)<\/p>\n Sunningdale Country Club, Scarsdale, N.Y., 1918 (Subsequent significant renovations by Walter Travis, Robert White, A.W. Tillinghast and Mike Devries. No Raynor-designed holes remain.)<\/p>\n Taft School, Watertown, Conn. 1925, nine holes, not on site for construction (NLE)<\/p>\n Thousand Island Country Club, Alexandria Bay, N.Y., 1922 \u00a0(possible renovation)<\/p>\n Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1927 (five original holes lost to development)<\/p>\n Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club, Middletown, R.I., first nine, 1923; second nine, 1924<\/p>\n Westhampton Country Club, Westhampton Beach, N.Y., 1916 (most likely with input from Macdonald, H.H. Barker and others)<\/p>\n Yale Golf Course, New Haven, Conn., 1926 (Charles Blair Macdonald consulted) FKA Yale Golf Club, The Course at Yale<\/p>\n Yeamans Hall, Hanahan, S.C., 1925<\/p>\n Courses Designed by Seth Raynor but Never Built (29)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Coral Keys, Englewood, Fla., 27 holes, routed to play as two 18-hole layouts. (1923)<\/p>\n Cragin Park, West Palm Beach, Fla., (\u201cLaid out\u201d by Banks after Raynor\u2019s death. Banks likely tweaked Raynor\u2019s plans.) (1925)<\/p>\n Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Calif. (for the Del Monte Corporation) 1925<\/p>\n Del Monte Links, Pebble Beach, Calif., renovation (for the Del Monte Corporation)<\/p>\n Del Monte Links, Pebble Beach, Calif., new course (for the Del Monte Corporation)<\/p>\n E.C. Shotwell Private Course, Enterprise, Fla. 1920<\/p>\n Fishers Island (N.Y.) Club, second 18. (As late as July of 1926 alterations were made to the plans, most likely by Charles Banks.)<\/p>\n Glen Acres Country Club, Clarence, N.Y., also known as Mossy Springs Country Club. 1921<\/p>\n Hay Harbor Club, Fishers Island, N.Y., 1917, (unknown if nine or 18 holes, Raynor presented two routings and a plasticine model of one to the club)<\/p>\n Mid Ocean Club, Tucker\u2019s Town, Bermuda, third nine, (plan dated Jan. 13, 1923. Raynor consulted on the proposed design voicing serious criticism of the routing.)<\/p>\n Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, Cal.; Shore Course, 1927. Four holes constructed. Much of Raynor\u2019s routing used when layout was built in the 1960s. (for the Del Monte Corporation)<\/p>\n Mountain Lake, Lake Wales, Fla., Plan shows line drawings for holes 5-15 with a note at the bottom reading, \u201cRecord of proposed 2nd<\/sup> 18 hole golf course as studied by Raynor,\u201d 1925<\/p>\n Mountain Ridge Country Club, N.J., Consulted on proposed site with Charles Banks, told club land unsuitable for golf.<\/p>\n \u00a0New Haven (Conn.) Country Club; the club has a letter from Raynor stating he drew up three plans. The course was designed by Willie Park. (1918)<\/p>\n Olympic Club, San Francisco, Cal., Lake Side Golf Course (1918)<\/p>\n Saint George Country Club, Bermuda: attached to the St. George\u2019s Hotel (Newspaper accounts in 1924 have Raynor laying out a course. Nine holes did not open until 1928 and were designed by Devereux Emmet.)<\/p>\n Southampton (N.Y.) Golf Club; Raynor produced a plan for the original site called Cow Neck (1923), as well as plan for the current location, but on a smaller parcel of land (1925). When more land was purchased, that necessitated the drafting of the third plan that was eventually implemented.<\/p>\n St. Paul, Minn.: two newspaper articles describe a 36-hole complex. C.W. Gorden, founding member of Somerset, was one of the principal backers. 1921<\/p>\n Suffolk County Country Club, Islip, N.Y. (for Marion Hollins\u2019s father)<\/p>\n Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii (1926), Raynor drew up three additional plans in case the club could not purchase the intended property, which it eventually did.<\/p>\n Yale Golf Course, New Haven, Conn., second 18-hole course (1924)<\/p>\n Yeamans Hall Country Club, Hanahan, S.C., 1926, second 18-hole course<\/p>\n Unknown Seth Raynor Work<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Bellport (N.Y.) Country Club, first nine, 1915, unknown architect; second nine, 1919, unknown architect. (Records from 1917 show cost estimate for construction of one fairway, two \u00a0greens and channel dredging. No confirmation that the work was implemented.)<\/p>\n Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, N.J., 1916, club paid Raynor $200 and allocated $2,500 to implement his recommendations.<\/p>\n Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara, Cal., 1923, name mentioned in a newspaper article about planned real estate development that did not come to fruition.<\/p>\n Nassau, Bahamas, 1921, newspaper accounts have Raynor as architect of record for a project that never materialized.<\/p>\n \u00a0Newport (R.I.) Country Club, 1923, fee of $500 plus expenses of $38.90 paid, \u201cFor services rendered in connection with the golf course.\u201d<\/p>\n Swope Memorial Golf Course, Kansas City, (1921) at the request of Chick Evans, Raynor visited the course and made suggestions that were implemented.<\/p>\n Women\u2019s National Golf and Tennis Club, Glen Head, N.Y., 1923, Macdonald and Raynor consulted on Devereux Emmet design. (NKA Glen Head Country Club)<\/p>\n Clubs Purported to have Seth Raynor Connection, S<\/em><\/strong>ome Evidence Exists<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Rumson (N.J.) Country Club<\/p>\n Clubs Purported to Have Seth Raynor Connection<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n but\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Lack Proof or Contradictory Proof Exists<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Babson Park (Fla.) Golf and Yacht Club, (Ralph Barton design)<\/p>\n Berwind Country Club, Puerto Rico<\/p>\n Crawford Country Club, N.Y.<\/p>\n Gardiners Bay Country Club, 1915, (FKA Manhasset Country Club)<\/p>\n J.P. Knapp Private Course, Southampton, N.Y., 3 greens<\/p>\n Maidstone Club, Easthampton, N.Y. 1923, designed second course (NLE), renovation of existing course.<\/p>\n Minnesota Valley Country Club, Bloomington, Minn. Designed by W.D. (Bill) Clark, opened in 1924. FKA Bloomington Golf Club<\/p>\n Roselle (N.J.) Golf Club, (Robert White design, NLE)<\/p>\n Sequoya Hills Country Club, Oakland, Cal.<\/p>\n Watchung (N.J.) Valley Golf Club, Marty O\u2019Loughlin design, FKA Hydewood Golf Course<\/p>\n Westchester Hills Golf Club, N.Y.<\/p>\n William E. Stauffer Private Course, New Orleans, La., 1921 (Never existed)<\/p>\n Courses Seth Raynor Built or Renovated for C.B. Macdonald<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cold Spring Country Club, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.,1919, FKA Otto Kahn Private Course, Oheka Golf Club<\/p>\n Creek Club, Locust Valley, N.Y., 1922<\/p>\n Deepdale, Great Neck, N.Y. 1924<\/p>\n Edward S. Moore private course, Roslyn, N.Y. 1922, 3 greens, (NLE)<\/p>\n Gibson Island Club, Gibson Island, Md., 1924 (36 holes designed, 18 built, portions or all of 7 original holes remain. Most likely Macdonald\u2019s only 36-hole project.)<\/p>\n Greenbrier, #1 Course, White Sulphur Springs, Virg.1914 (NKA The Old White TPC)<\/p>\n Greenwich (Conn.) Country Club, 1916, rebunkered<\/p>\n Lido Club, Long Beach, N.Y., 1917 (NLE)<\/p>\n Links Golf Club, North Hills, N.Y. 1919 (NLE)<\/p>\n Mid Ocean Club, Tucker\u2019s Town, Bermuda, 1922<\/p>\n Morris County Country Club, Morristown, N.J., 14 holes 1918, 4 holes 1919 (Renovation of an existing layout and the construction of holes on newly-acquired land.)<\/p>\n National Golf Links of America, 1909, Southampton, N.Y. (The first time Raynor ever worked for Macdonald.)<\/p>\n Payne Whitney Estate, Manhasset, N.Y., 1917 (three-green course)<\/p>\n Piping Rock, Locust Valley, N.Y., 1913<\/p>\n Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, N.Y., 1917 (Subsequently renovated by William Flynn, four-and-a-half Macdonald holes remain.)<\/p>\n Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Scarborough, N.Y., 1913 (Significant renovations over the years by a number of architects have removed much of Macdonald\u2019s work, at least five holes are not original.)<\/p>\n St. Louis (Mo.) Country Club, 1914<\/p>\n (This list was compiled by Nigel Islam, Bret Lawrence and Anthony Pioppi. It was updated on Jan. 28, 2025. Please send questions, corrections, vitriolic rants and updates to AnthonyPioppi@gmail.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n