The storied St Davids Golf Club

The place for sport and socializing over many years

In the late 1890s, dwindling interest in cricket left Radnor sports enthusiasts with a hole to fill, or should we say 18 holes as the St. Davids Golf Club, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the United States, more than filled that gap as it quickly became the place to be seen on the Main Line.

?The former cricketers now became golfers and by their own enthusiasm attracted many others to this original group. The moving spirits of the project laid out the nine-hole course, which had natural hazards rather than artificial bunkers. It could certainly have been called a ?sporting? course! Since they could afford no laborers, the original small group armed themselves with picks, rakes and shovels for their job, and they built their own tees and mowed their own grass! At first the players were all men, as at that time few women were given to outdoor sports. These men were sticklers for good form, observing the courtesies and rules of the game according to St. Andrews tradition,? writes Emma Patterson in a series of columns about the St. Davids Golf Club that she penned in April and May 1949. Her weekly column, ?Your Town and My Town,? was published in the Suburban and Wayne Times from 1949 through 1958.

Even more details on the golf club?s history were developed by the St. Davids Golf Club?s Historical Committee with historian Peter C. Trenham and members Daniel Aboyan, John Y. Howson Jr., J. Paul Rowe, F. Harry Spiess Jr. and design coordinator Chris Albany. The history was provided by the clubhouse manager, Michael Butler.

Club with a Bent Iron on the End

In her columns Patterson recounts the beginnings of the golf club from stories shared with her from George Schultz, one of the Main Line shakers and movers who helped found the club.

?One Sunday in the spring of 1896 A.J.D. (Tony) Peterson came to my house carrying a small white ball and a club with a bent iron on its end and, chuckling, he began tapping the ball on the lawn. He said he had been to Devon the day before by invitation of a friend who introduced him to a Scotch game called golf, started by summer residents of the Devon Inn,? begins George W. Schultz?s story.

?It seems that Edmund McCullough, president of the Westmoreland Coal Company; Edward Ilsley and others had laid out a nine-hole course on the spacious land around the (Devon Inn) hotel. In so far as I know, this was the beginning of golf in Pennsylvania. Tony Peterson arranged for me to be allowed to play on the course the following Saturday with some clubs lent to him. Later on Louis D. Peterson, William H. Brooks, Dr. G.L.S. Jameson, Herman Wendell and I decided to organize a golf club at St. Davids, on Francis Fenimore?s extensive lawn holding. It was largely due to Mr. Fenimore?s genial nature towards young men that we were able to use his land and form a club on the economical basis of $5 initiation and $10 annual dues. At that time all the players were self-taught, many having learned how to play the game by reading instruction books,? continues Schultz?s account in Patterson?s column.

On Oct. 7, 1897, the first official meeting of the St. Davids Golf Club was held in Wayne at the home of R. Evans Peterson, father of Tony and Louis (a founder). The election of officers took place that night and William Wood was elected the first president of St. Davids Golf Club and Schultz was elected secretary.

During its first season St. Davids members played against the members of the Idlewild Club of Media, with each club winning on its home course. Gus Gallagher set the St. Davids course record and Archer Mifflin won the St. Davids Handicap Tournament with a net 84. Continued...

Golf Club Packs Its Clubs for a Move

By 1899 so many building lots had been sold on the Fenimore tract that the St. Davids Golf Club, then in its fourth year, had to seek a new location.

?The sites committee interviewed Miss Martha Brown and Mrs. Chew in regard to a lease on a large tract of land along both sides of Lancaster Pike between St. Davids and Radnor. These two ladies were amenable to a reasonable lease, provided there was no liquor served in the old farmhouse, which was to be used as a clubhouse. They also objected to Sunday golf. A compromise was reached on this when club officers stipulated that there was to be no playing before 1 p.m., so that there should be no conflict with any church services,? writes Patterson.

?The members had overcome the ban on liquor sales and a bar by keeping a liquor supply in their lockers,? adds the club history.

Philadelphia Country Club professional John H. Harrison laid out the golf course as Herman Wendell, who was in the construction business, did most of the golf-course construction at no cost to the club. The first nine holes opened for play in 1899. The club hired its first golf professional, Harry Gullane, who supervised the construction of the second nine holes. Gullane, an accomplished golfer from North Berwick, Scotland, did his club proud as he finished seventh in the U.S. Open at the Baltimore Country Club in September 1899.

A farmhouse on the property that dated back to the early 1800s was converted into the club?s new home, with several of the club directors papering and painting the rooms at their own expense. A description of the new clubhouse in the Philadelphia Inquirer read, ?The clubhouse has been finely furnished throughout, and fitted with every improvement. It is now the center of interest for Philadelphia and suburban golfers, and will be the scene of considerable social activity during the coming winter months.?

?The 18-hole course was considered very attractive, featuring many hills and shaded areas,? writes Patterson. As she often did in her columns, Patterson liked to highlight the names of people involved in whatever topic she was writing about. ?Another early president, in addition to Dr. G.L.S. Jameson, was Lewis Neilson, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. George W. Schultz, to whom this column is indebted for much of its information on the club, was an early vice president and chairman of the Greens Committee. Some of the club champions and lowest scorers included George Crump, Gus Gallagher, William Moorhouse, Gus Bergner and Herman Wendell.?

Charter and Atlantic City Championship

The charter incorporating the St. Davids Golf Club was issued on March 20, 1899, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It listed all the officers and directors of the club, which now had more than 300 members, including many women. The first Club Champion was Herman Wendell with Louise Bergner winning the Women?s Championship.

By 1900 golf as a game had attained such popularity that a National Amateur Championship tournament was held at the Atlantic City Golf Course. St. Davids? only entrant in the tournament was Gus Gallagher, who qualified but was soon beaten. Rodman Griscom, of Merion, lasted up to the fourth round. The championship was won by an Australian, Walter J. Travis, who was one of the very first writers on golf. ?His long approach putts with a new kind of aluminum putter did much to bring the championship his way,? describes Patterson. Continued...

On June 10, 1927, St. Luke?s School, which was located on the southern edge of the new golf-course property, held its final graduation. That same day the club bought 25 acres from the owners of the school.

With the acquisition of that property, the plans for a clubhouse changed. Instead of using the farmhouse, the clubhouse was now going to be located among the compound of buildings on the school campus.

?All the buildings would be modernized and St. Davids would become a modern country club,? reads the history.

Main Line Open Golf Club

The new course was opened for play on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1927. ?It was a beautiful fall day and over 200 members played the course for the first time. Many felt the new course was among the finest in the country,? reads the club history. The newly renovated clubhouse facilities opened on April 28, 1928.

The St. Davids Golf Club continued to operate the former course on Lancaster Pike under its lease and opened it to the public. In order to avoid any confusion, the name of the former course was changed to the Main Line Open Golf Club.

On Jan. 18, 1929, the former Devon Hotel, home to the four-month old Valley Forge Military Academy, was destroyed by fire. Needing a facility to continue the school, Major Milton Baker, the school?s founder, contacted club officials for help. By that evening the students were housed in the old St. Luke?s School dormitories. Baker had originally planned to rebuild in Devon, but upon discovering club officials were amenable to selling the school property an agreement was reached as the club sold the property to Valley Forge Military Academy, which continues to operate at this site.

St. Davids was now faced with the need for a clubhouse facility. Under the leadership of president Charles W. Bayliss and Building Committee chairman Frank H. Mahan, the old farmhouse and barn on the site of the present clubhouse were torn down and construction on the new clubhouse began in November 1929. It officially opened in June of 1930 and served the membership until 2005 when the current clubhouse replaced it.

World Events Affect Golf Club

The club was able to continue its operations through the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Golf and limited social activities continued at the club through the Second World War. ?Dues for club members serving in the armed forces were suspended during this period. Food rationing impacted usage of the club, but limited meals were served. There were also driving restrictions due to gasoline rationing. To help members commuting to the club by train, transportation between the course and the Wayne Train Station was provided by the club, via a horse and carriage that was driven by the club?s locker-room attendant after Dr. Fred Aldridge donated the carriage to the club,? reads the club history.

While not a world event, a Main Line event in 1943 did affect the club. That year the Tredyffrin Country Club, located in Paoli, closed and many of its members joined St. Davids. ?This helped greatly as the club membership had dropped to 120 members,? continues the history.

But even with more members, the financial situation at the club ?was deteriorating.? The club was in arrears on its $200,000 mortgage.

?Valley Forge Military Academy was rumored to be considering making a proposal to purchase the club property. At this time, a group of young members including Bill McLear and George Brown, referred to as the ?Young Turks,? orchestrated a plan to save the club. George Brown, a banker, was sent to discuss the delinquent payments with the mortgage holder. He was able to negotiate a two-percent reduction (from six to four percent) in the interest rate and forgiveness of all delinquent interest,? reads the history.

With the change in finances, by 1949 the club was able to propose a re-capitalization by calling in all the existing certificates for $10 each and reissuing them for $200 each. This was prompted by a requirement of the lender that the mortgage be reduced from $160,000 to $125,000 by March 1, 1950. The re-capitalization also generated an extra $20,000 in cash for some necessary improvements. The plan worked and the club entered the 1950s in sound financial condition.

Junior Program Success Stories

During the early 1950s, the Junior Program at St. Davids grew and thrived with as many as 60 juniors participating. The program was run by the Women?s Golf Committee. ?This program was regarded as one of the best in the Philadelphia area. Many of the juniors enjoyed success in competition including Judy Moulton, who was twice runner-up in the WGAP Junior Girls? Championship and played in the 1955 USGA Girls? Junior Championship. In 1956, Bobby Lindinger won both the GAP and the Pennsylvania Junior Championships along with qualifying for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship,? according to the history.

?Other juniors who distinguished themselves included Jill Nesbitt, who won the WGAP Junior Girls? Championship three times and Elizabeth Stanley who won it once. Brett Upper, another graduate of the Junior Program in the middle 1970?s, went on to play in 154 events on the PGA Tour. In addition, former juniors Dave King, Mac Burns and Jay Howson would collectively go on to win 16 St. Davids Golf Club Championships,? continues the history.

Celebrating the Centennial and the Future

In 1996 the club observed its Centennial Celebration, which was chaired by J. Paul Rowe and consisted of a number of events throughout the year. Highlights included a picnic on July 3, complete with fireworks and attended by over 800 members and guests. At the picnic a plaque bearing the names of the founders was placed near the first tee, commemorating the 100th anniversary. The plaque was embedded in soil that was transported from the site of the original nine-hole course on what had been the Fenimore property. On Oct. 18, over 200 members attended a 100th-anniversary black-tie dinner dance.

In March of 2005, the board presented a plan to tear down the existing clubhouse and build a new one at a cost of $6.5 million. Its opening celebration took place on Nov. 19, 2006, with over 500 members and their guests attending a cocktail party.

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The place for sport and socializing over many years

In the late 1890s, dwindling interest in cricket left Radnor sports enthusiasts with a hole to fill, or should we say 18 holes as the St. Davids Golf Club, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the United States, more than filled that gap as it quickly became the place to be seen on the Main Line.

?The former cricketers now became golfers and by their own enthusiasm attracted many others to this original group. The moving spirits of the project laid out the nine-hole course, which had natural hazards rather than artificial bunkers. It could certainly have been called a ?sporting? course! Since they could afford no laborers, the original small group armed themselves with picks, rakes and shovels for their job, and they built their own tees and mowed their own grass! At first the players were all men, as at that time few women were given to outdoor sports. These men were sticklers for good form, observing the courtesies and rules of the game according to St. Andrews tradition,? writes Emma Patterson in a series of columns about the St. Davids Golf Club that she penned in April and May 1949. Her weekly column, ?Your Town and My Town,? was published in the Suburban and Wayne Times from 1949 through 1958.

Even more details on the golf club?s history were developed by the St. Davids Golf Club?s Historical Committee with historian Peter C. Trenham and members Daniel Aboyan, John Y. Howson Jr., J. Paul Rowe, F. Harry Spiess Jr. and design coordinator Chris Albany. The history was provided by the clubhouse manager, Michael Butler.

Club with a Bent Iron on the End

In her columns Patterson recounts the beginnings of the golf club from stories shared with her from George Schultz, one of the Main Line shakers and movers who helped found the club.

?One Sunday in the spring of 1896 A.J.D. (Tony) Peterson came to my house carrying a small white ball and a club with a bent iron on its end and, chuckling, he began tapping the ball on the lawn. He said he had been to Devon the day before by invitation of a friend who introduced him to a Scotch game called golf, started by summer residents of the Devon Inn,? begins George W. Schultz?s story.

?It seems that Edmund McCullough, president of the Westmoreland Coal Company; Edward Ilsley and others had laid out a nine-hole course on the spacious land around the (Devon Inn) hotel. In so far as I know, this was the beginning of golf in Pennsylvania. Tony Peterson arranged for me to be allowed to play on the course the following Saturday with some clubs lent to him. Later on Louis D. Peterson, William H. Brooks, Dr. G.L.S. Jameson, Herman Wendell and I decided to organize a golf club at St. Davids, on Francis Fenimore?s extensive lawn holding. It was largely due to Mr. Fenimore?s genial nature towards young men that we were able to use his land and form a club on the economical basis of $5 initiation and $10 annual dues. At that time all the players were self-taught, many having learned how to play the game by reading instruction books,? continues Schultz?s account in Patterson?s column.

On Oct. 7, 1897, the first official meeting of the St. Davids Golf Club was held in Wayne at the home of R. Evans Peterson, father of Tony and Louis (a founder). The election of officers took place that night and William Wood was elected the first president of St. Davids Golf Club and Schultz was elected secretary.

During its first season St. Davids members played against the members of the Idlewild Club of Media, with each club winning on its home course. Gus Gallagher set the St. Davids course record and Archer Mifflin won the St. Davids Handicap Tournament with a net 84.

Golf Club Packs Its Clubs for a Move

By 1899 so many building lots had been sold on the Fenimore tract that the St. Davids Golf Club, then in its fourth year, had to seek a new location.

?The sites committee interviewed Miss Martha Brown and Mrs. Chew in regard to a lease on a large tract of land along both sides of Lancaster Pike between St. Davids and Radnor. These two ladies were amenable to a reasonable lease, provided there was no liquor served in the old farmhouse, which was to be used as a clubhouse. They also objected to Sunday golf. A compromise was reached on this when club officers stipulated that there was to be no playing before 1 p.m., so that there should be no conflict with any church services,? writes Patterson.

?The members had overcome the ban on liquor sales and a bar by keeping a liquor supply in their lockers,? adds the club history.

Philadelphia Country Club professional John H. Harrison laid out the golf course as Herman Wendell, who was in the construction business, did most of the golf-course construction at no cost to the club. The first nine holes opened for play in 1899. The club hired its first golf professional, Harry Gullane, who supervised the construction of the second nine holes. Gullane, an accomplished golfer from North Berwick, Scotland, did his club proud as he finished seventh in the U.S. Open at the Baltimore Country Club in September 1899.

A farmhouse on the property that dated back to the early 1800s was converted into the club?s new home, with several of the club directors papering and painting the rooms at their own expense. A description of the new clubhouse in the Philadelphia Inquirer read, ?The clubhouse has been finely furnished throughout, and fitted with every improvement. It is now the center of interest for Philadelphia and suburban golfers, and will be the scene of considerable social activity during the coming winter months.?

?The 18-hole course was considered very attractive, featuring many hills and shaded areas,? writes Patterson. As she often did in her columns, Patterson liked to highlight the names of people involved in whatever topic she was writing about. ?Another early president, in addition to Dr. G.L.S. Jameson, was Lewis Neilson, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. George W. Schultz, to whom this column is indebted for much of its information on the club, was an early vice president and chairman of the Greens Committee. Some of the club champions and lowest scorers included George Crump, Gus Gallagher, William Moorhouse, Gus Bergner and Herman Wendell.?

Charter and Atlantic City Championship

The charter incorporating the St. Davids Golf Club was issued on March 20, 1899, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It listed all the officers and directors of the club, which now had more than 300 members, including many women. The first Club Champion was Herman Wendell with Louise Bergner winning the Women?s Championship.

By 1900 golf as a game had attained such popularity that a National Amateur Championship tournament was held at the Atlantic City Golf Course. St. Davids? only entrant in the tournament was Gus Gallagher, who qualified but was soon beaten. Rodman Griscom, of Merion, lasted up to the fourth round. The championship was won by an Australian, Walter J. Travis, who was one of the very first writers on golf. ?His long approach putts with a new kind of aluminum putter did much to bring the championship his way,? describes Patterson.

In February 1900, the St. Davids Golf Club joined the United States Golf Association. That same month the club became the sixth member of the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Women?s Golf Association of Philadelphia.

To Move or Not to Move

In 1916, the lease on the golf-course property was going to soon expire and a group of members sought out a new site. In May of that year the club entered into an option agreement, at a cost of $1,000, on a piece of ground in Upper Merion Township. ?As it turned out the majority of members were not thrilled about moving to the proposed site because its location was viewed as inaccessible except by automobile and the idea of laying out a new course was not appealing. Following a special meeting of the members, it was announced that the club had rejected the plan to move and had agreed to a satisfactory new 15-year lease on its present site,? reads the club history.

But the Upper Merion site did appeal to some of the members, including A.J. Drexel Paul, who banded together and founded the Gulph Mills Golf Club.

The St. Davids Golf Club continued to grow and thrive into the early 1920s. By 1925, with six years left on its lease, and unable to negotiate a reasonable price to purchase the existing golf course, the club?s officers went back to seeking out a new location where the club would own the land.

At an April 18, 1925 meeting, the club members unanimously agreed to purchase the 129-acre farm and farmhouse of the late John Henry from its present owners, Paul D. Mills and A.J. Drexel Paul. The necessary financing included a $500 charge to each member. ?According to Club President James M. Willcox, the farmhouse would become the new clubhouse. The club would not become a country club, and the policy of maintaining a golf club, simple but comfortable in its appointments, would remain,? reads the club?s history.

Golf ?Virtually All Year Round?

Club officials continued to find more land for the golf club. They were also able to snag renowned golf-course architect Donald J. Ross to design the new course, which was constructed by Fred A. Canizares, president of the R.H. Johnson Company, of Wayne. A farmhouse on the property would serve as the clubhouse.

The club also purchased an 82-acre site on Upper Gulph Road for $98,000, since the club didn?t have to make settlement on the 47-acre tract owned by Drexel Paul until April of the next year.

In the Aug. 19, 1925 edition of the Public Ledger, it was reported, ?The land has been surveyed and a course planned by Donald Ross. So fast do rain and snow run off and so swiftly does the ground dry out that play will be possible virtually all the year round.?

On June 10, 1927, St. Luke?s School, which was located on the southern edge of the new golf-course property, held its final graduation. That same day the club bought 25 acres from the owners of the school.

With the acquisition of that property, the plans for a clubhouse changed. Instead of using the farmhouse, the clubhouse was now going to be located among the compound of buildings on the school campus.

?All the buildings would be modernized and St. Davids would become a modern country club,? reads the history.

Main Line Open Golf Club

The new course was opened for play on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1927. ?It was a beautiful fall day and over 200 members played the course for the first time. Many felt the new course was among the finest in the country,? reads the club history. The newly renovated clubhouse facilities opened on April 28, 1928.

The St. Davids Golf Club continued to operate the former course on Lancaster Pike under its lease and opened it to the public. In order to avoid any confusion, the name of the former course was changed to the Main Line Open Golf Club.

On Jan. 18, 1929, the former Devon Hotel, home to the four-month old Valley Forge Military Academy, was destroyed by fire. Needing a facility to continue the school, Major Milton Baker, the school?s founder, contacted club officials for help. By that evening the students were housed in the old St. Luke?s School dormitories. Baker had originally planned to rebuild in Devon, but upon discovering club officials were amenable to selling the school property an agreement was reached as the club sold the property to Valley Forge Military Academy, which continues to operate at this site.

St. Davids was now faced with the need for a clubhouse facility. Under the leadership of president Charles W. Bayliss and Building Committee chairman Frank H. Mahan, the old farmhouse and barn on the site of the present clubhouse were torn down and construction on the new clubhouse began in November 1929. It officially opened in June of 1930 and served the membership until 2005 when the current clubhouse replaced it.

World Events Affect Golf Club

The club was able to continue its operations through the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Golf and limited social activities continued at the club through the Second World War. ?Dues for club members serving in the armed forces were suspended during this period. Food rationing impacted usage of the club, but limited meals were served. There were also driving restrictions due to gasoline rationing. To help members commuting to the club by train, transportation between the course and the Wayne Train Station was provided by the club, via a horse and carriage that was driven by the club?s locker-room attendant after Dr. Fred Aldridge donated the carriage to the club,? reads the club history.

While not a world event, a Main Line event in 1943 did affect the club. That year the Tredyffrin Country Club, located in Paoli, closed and many of its members joined St. Davids. ?This helped greatly as the club membership had dropped to 120 members,? continues the history.

But even with more members, the financial situation at the club ?was deteriorating.? The club was in arrears on its $200,000 mortgage.

?Valley Forge Military Academy was rumored to be considering making a proposal to purchase the club property. At this time, a group of young members including Bill McLear and George Brown, referred to as the ?Young Turks,? orchestrated a plan to save the club. George Brown, a banker, was sent to discuss the delinquent payments with the mortgage holder. He was able to negotiate a two-percent reduction (from six to four percent) in the interest rate and forgiveness of all delinquent interest,? reads the history.

With the change in finances, by 1949 the club was able to propose a re-capitalization by calling in all the existing certificates for $10 each and reissuing them for $200 each. This was prompted by a requirement of the lender that the mortgage be reduced from $160,000 to $125,000 by March 1, 1950. The re-capitalization also generated an extra $20,000 in cash for some necessary improvements. The plan worked and the club entered the 1950s in sound financial condition.

Junior Program Success Stories

During the early 1950s, the Junior Program at St. Davids grew and thrived with as many as 60 juniors participating. The program was run by the Women?s Golf Committee. ?This program was regarded as one of the best in the Philadelphia area. Many of the juniors enjoyed success in competition including Judy Moulton, who was twice runner-up in the WGAP Junior Girls? Championship and played in the 1955 USGA Girls? Junior Championship. In 1956, Bobby Lindinger won both the GAP and the Pennsylvania Junior Championships along with qualifying for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship,? according to the history.

?Other juniors who distinguished themselves included Jill Nesbitt, who won the WGAP Junior Girls? Championship three times and Elizabeth Stanley who won it once. Brett Upper, another graduate of the Junior Program in the middle 1970?s, went on to play in 154 events on the PGA Tour. In addition, former juniors Dave King, Mac Burns and Jay Howson would collectively go on to win 16 St. Davids Golf Club Championships,? continues the history.

Celebrating the Centennial and the Future

In 1996 the club observed its Centennial Celebration, which was chaired by J. Paul Rowe and consisted of a number of events throughout the year. Highlights included a picnic on July 3, complete with fireworks and attended by over 800 members and guests. At the picnic a plaque bearing the names of the founders was placed near the first tee, commemorating the 100th anniversary. The plaque was embedded in soil that was transported from the site of the original nine-hole course on what had been the Fenimore property. On Oct. 18, over 200 members attended a 100th-anniversary black-tie dinner dance.

In March of 2005, the board presented a plan to tear down the existing clubhouse and build a new one at a cost of $6.5 million. Its opening celebration took place on Nov. 19, 2006, with over 500 members and their guests attending a cocktail party.

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Source: http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2012/09/22/main_line_times/life/doc505b48f5e6cf9749617737.txt

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