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Why to restore the NPBCC golf course back to the original stylejs �i ``1....r }r � -• � � : ti t. � f_, : � ' � i ;'tet ? ?"`P 6aY ,S s'�. 4:V - •1i -`s i 3 1 � 7 - _ i � 4 . ' �. V n .. � € yl �_ tom[ � 7 _. NORTH PALM BEACHCOUTR-YN, -_ ".-.:v-_-..__�._----. Why to restore the North Palin Beach Country Club golf course back to the original style: After nearly 7 years of fact-finding research, I have found the original architects of the original 18 holes at what is now called the North Palm Beach Country Club. Today's layout is 50% original. The back nine holes were changed with the exception of #10, sometime in the late 1930's or very early 40's due to Sir Harry Oakes. I would like to set the record straight on who built the club originally. Paris Singer, the heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune had built the Everglades Club in 1919 with a nine -hole golf course designed by Seth Raynor. In 1925 he had Raynor add another nine holes to make it an 18 -hole club. inuring this time, he was planning The Blue Heron Hotel on Munyon Island and an 18 -hole golf course across the waterway for his hotel guests to play. His friend Harry Kelsey, was developing Kelsey City, (Lake Park) at the time, and due to financial constraints, convinced him to take on the building of the golf course and clubhouse. Kelsey was going to use the architects of the Everglades Club to construct the clubhouse and golf course. Addison Mizner had done the Everglades clubhouse but was not available due to his popularity, he was in great demand over in Palm Reach. So a Frenchman from Paris who Singer knew, was commissioned to do the design.. Seth Raynor would be the golf course architect. So it Nvas Harry Kelsey - Tho built the Palm Beach Winter Club. Sir Harry Oakes purchased the club and all of Harry Kelsey's holdings in the early 30's after Kelsey went bankrupt. The following is how Raynor got involved with golf course architecture and his significance in the history of golf course architecture: Raynor was a Civil Engineer from Princeton who owned a Survey and Landscape company on Long Island, New York. In 1907 he was hired by Charles Blair Macdonald to do the engineering work on a new golf course in South Hampton, Long Island. Now, Macdonald was an avid golfer who was born into a wealthy family. He played golf in Scotland at St. Andrews quite a bit. His father was a Scot and his mother was Canadian. In 1892 he was commissioned to design the first 18 -hole golf course in America just outside of Chicago. This course was to be the Chicago Golf Club and it is currently ranked # 15 in the country. The golf course has never been altered from its original layout. So in 1907 he and Raynor set out to build the National Golf Links Of America on South Hampton. It took 3 years to build and is currently ranked # 1.0 in the country, and. again; it to has never been altered. Macdonald was so impressed with Raynors methods, that he asked him to join him in a partnership. Raynor excepted, sold his company and it was a partnership that lasted 19 years until Raynor's death. Raynor officially went out on his oNvn in 1915, but if Macdonald would be asked to do a design for a client, and if he accepted, he would have Raynor build, and for the most part design the course since their designs mirrored each others. Macdonald was the first to coin the phrase "Golf Course Architect" and is called the "Father of Golf Course Architecture" in America. He was very egotistical and when members would stand up to him on a decision he had made on a design, it would infuriate hien to the point that he basically gave up designing and only consulted with Raynor on certain protects Today, Seth Raynor has 12 golf courses that are in the top 100 in America that were built before 1960. 5 of those were with Macdonald. The only architect who has more is Donald Ross with 21. But then it is said that Ross has done approximately 800 courses to Raynor's 150 and not nearly all were done by him to begin with, but associates. Jack Nicklaus has only 6, Tom Fazio has 18. These courses are in the category of courses built after 1960. When Raynor was down for the inaugural of the added nine holes to the Everglades Club, he caught pneumonia and subsequently died at the age of 51 in West Pallas Beach on January 26, 1926. He was supposed to start on the Palm Beach winter Club at that time. Macdonald came down as soon as he found out and did the actual building of the golf course at the winter Club, which this alone makes this golf course more historical, having been Macdonald's only Florida course. Macdonald and Raynor were so close for those 19 years that when Macdonald died in i 9_j9, he was buried across frog Raynor and his wife in South Hampton. There is a Seth Raynor Society that has recently been formed like that of the Donald Ross Society. You have to have valid proof of your golf course's authenticity such as photos, plans, etc. to be able to get in. We now have the proof and would be able to join this elite association of fine clubs. The Winter Club was initially a Seth Raynor solo, but due to the tragic circumstances of his premature death, Macdonald would see the construction through. C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor were always chosen by the very wealthy to design their courses and so as it stands today, all Macdonald and Raynor clubs are exclusively private. They are in the salve league as Seminole Golf Club This would make the North Palm Beach Country Club the only municipal Raynor / Macdonald course in the country. More and more good quality golfers are learning about Raynor either from the club they belong to or from someone they know who belongs to a club designed by him. His design is like nothing built today, which would snake us very unique from the Jack Nicklauses, Tom Fazios and the Joe Lees that are built all around us. Restoring the golf course back to the original layout (on the front nine) and mirroring it on the back nine would bring great prestige to the club and a fresh "new" look by today's standards. North Palm Beach Country Club would be a course that everyone would have to play, The club could host the most prestige charity events of the county and other high profile tournament events. The course would attract better members and outside players as well. Greens fees would be a premium and membership would then be very attractive. There are only 2 other golf courses in Florida that were designed by Raynor; The Everglades Club in Palm Beach and Mountain Lake in Lake wales. Both of these clubs are in the planning stages of restoring their courses back to Raynors style and layout. The Everglades Club has been totally rebuilt four times. Two of those times were with '"Fom Fazio and the other by Joe Lee, each time with completely different layouts. The land has not changed, so they will be bringing the original layout back. They already have plans done and will be starting either this summer or the following summer. In order for you to get an understanding of these two men, there is a web site called golfclubatlas.com. Once you get in, click on to 1. GolfClubAtlas and once you get in you can either read the information about the material in the site, or click on to courses by architect in the left hand column. This will take you to a list of architects with the courses they have designed and have been profiled by the authors of the site. Charles _Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor are both in there. Click on to any or all of their courses listed and you will have pictures and descriptions of the golf holes and their philosophies on how they were supposed to be play. There is even an interview done by a renowned golf architect and historian on Macdonald and Raynor that will give you more information. Please take the time to go through this site to understand where I am coming from with this project. The village needs to understand the importance of the original architects of their club and the significance their contribution was to the game. Attached , are some articles 1 found in my trade pubiicationS o �;r the past cc;upl� of-re�.rs. They explain a bit more about Raynor and some of his best works. Please read them. I think you will find thein very interesting. There is also an article of a course done by Donald Ross in Denver Colorado. The reason I added this is that it was started as a private club in 1926 and the depression was that club's demise as was ours. The city of Denver bought the club in 1936 and it has remained an upscale municipal. club all these years.