Culver Academies Golf Club - 461 (475) East Shore Dr.
Section 15 History 1835-1922
1922
Culver Miltary Academy 100A
Walter Vonnegut 60A
Larua M. Culver 6.50A
Culver Family[not labeled] 16.06
Culver Family[not labeled] 24.77A
|
| |
The Academies had a grand plan to build a resort with 36 holes of golf Chicago architect
William Langford and his partner Theodore Moreau came back with a plan of 27 holes, linked
with a nearby inn. Though this was the roaring twenties and though the owners of the
Academy, Edwin and Bertram Culver, wanted first class golf brought to this area, the Culver
family decided to take a more measured approach. For the time being, they asked Langford &
Moreau to forgo a link with the inn and to focus first on nine holes.
Construction began in the fall of 1922 on the nine holes that were at the center of the
property and the holes opened for play in the late spring of 1924.
1922 - Sep 13 - Work on the Culver golf course has been rapidly pushed during the past
month and the groung begins to tak on the appearance of its purpose with bunkers,
hazards and fairways looming large on the landscape.
The entire course covers something like 250 Acres and will have 27 hole, thus making it
possible to accomodate a large number of players who may paly 9 or 18 holes as they
choose.
The game has been becoming more popular each year with both cadets and officers,
and with the enlarged facilities an even larger number will probably turn to it.
Eight years later, the Culver family carefully considered pursuing the construction of a second
nine holes from Langford & Moreau’s original 27 hole routing. However, the breadth and
depth of the Great Depression ended such hopes.
1923 - Jul 25 - The new Acadeny Golf Course had its official opening Sunday morning when
National Commander Alvin Owsley, of the American Legion, teed his nall and drove off for
the first hole afterwards playing the first round on the course.
1924 - Mar 19 - Routing of Road No. 50 May Be Settled Today.... As the Citizen goes to
press very important meeting is being held at the Academy in which the state highway
commission and the Academy official are figuring as the principle actors. The discussion is
over the routing of State Road 50 around the lake and east.....If the route it changed
from its present course, it would in all probability cross the new golf course which the
Academy has just recently constructed....
1924 - Aug. 20 - Junior Golf Tourney is Being Played this week
The first golf tournament for outside players to be held on the new Culver golf course
is under way this week
The tournament is authorized for juniors by the Indiana Golf Association and is a state
tournament only.
A large number of young golfers to the number of fifty reached Culver on Monday to
start play on tueday monring.
Major Yates is directing the tournament on behalf of the local athorities.
The individual state championship for juniors is the big place at stake with the first prize
being the Indiana Golf Association Championship Trophy. The Toggery Shop is also
giviing a trade certificate or $50.00 to the winner.
There will be a consolation match for the sixteen players defeated in the first round of
match play for the championsohip. There will also be another match for the first sixteen
players who fail to quality for the championship play.
|
CMA Golf course 1930's |
The original club house |
| |
1931 - Jul 22 - Local Golf Clubs Exchange Privilieges
A reciprocal agreeement has been entered into between the
Maxinkuckee Country Club and the
Culver Military Academy Officer's Club calling for and inter-change of playing privileges on the
goulf course.
This agreement will be in effect on and after July 1, 1931.
The members of the Maxinkuckee Country Club are extended privilieges on the Culver golf
course on the same basis as the members of the Culver Officers Club subject to the same
restrictions with reference to time of play as are placed on the members of the Culver
Officers' Club.
The playing hours for the members of the Maxinkuckee Country Club will be restrcited to
hours when cadets are engaged with Academy duties. It is understood, of course, that
there may be occasions when the the course is not crowded with cadets and on such
occasions the Maxinkuckee Country Club members will enjoy the same privilges accorded to
the Culver Officers' club members of playing when it does not interfere with the play of
cadets.
In return for this privilege the Maxinkuckee Country Club will extend to the members of the
Culver Officers' Club the privilege of playing on the Maxinkuckee County Club course.. This
privilege is not to apply to family members of either club concerned.
The arrangement is subject to annual renewal by mutual agreement on January 1st of each
year.
1934 - Aug 8 - Academy Directors Formulate Plans.... The rebuilding of the Artillery
stables was discussed... Golf Course to Benefit. In any event the stables will probably
be located in the area adjancet to the arsenal and cavalry stables... This will make possible
the elminiation not only of the barn that burned, but also of both of the old paddocks, so
that the golf course can be converted to the appearance and purpose for which it was
originally laid out...
|
1935 - the Knight K. Culver cottage/house was purchased for use as the golf club house
and dubbed the
"Golf House". |
The original club house which was replaced in 1967 |
|
Then came World War II, during which time the bunkers were never tended, which ultimately
led to all the bunkers being grassed in. Also, at that time, mowing restrictions were implemented
and the size of the putting surfaces gradually was reduced.
CMA Golf Course 1951 |
|
1954 - Aug 4 - Starting this week, ladies' day will be observed on Wednesday motning at the
Culver golf course. All women connected with the Culver Military Academy are invited to
participate. Play will begin at 9 a.m. Mrs. Lawrence Bebout is chairman of the committee and
assisting her are Mrs. C. W. Jackson and Mrs. E. R. Nelson.
1958 Lake Directory - CMA Golf Club
1962 - Sep 19 - Thomas E. Baker Jr., of Narragansett, R.I. will be varsity
coach of golf replacing Erv Nelson who is retiring as the Academy's golf
professional aster 36 years.
1964 - Apr 20 - Re-Numbered CMS Golf Course
The renumbered Acasdemy golf course is now open to all authorized personnel and cadets.
Tom Baker, golf instructor, has announced that "holes formerly numered 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will will
now be played as holes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in order to speed up play"
The old hole one was a long par five followed by two par threes, where play tended to slow
down. Under the new numbering systen, the first hole will be a par five and will be followed
by two par fours.
1967 - The original club house which was replaced in 1967
Flowing well on CMA Golf Course. |
|
In 2013-2014 a "pure" or strict call was made to restore the features that William Langford
and his partner, Theodore Moreau had imbued the property.
|
William Boice Langford (1887-1977) was a golf course designer and civil engineer from
Austin, Illinois.
He graduated from both Yale and Columbia University. After receiving his Master’s degree in
Mining Engineering at Columbia University, Langford headed back to Illinois and formed a
partnership with engineer Theodore J. Moreau in Chicago.
During the golden age of golf design between the world wars, he produce many great golf
courses primarily in the Midwest states. Langford’s work is reminiscent of golf course designers
Seth Raynor, Charles Banks and Charles B. Macdonald. He died in Sarasota, Florida in 1977. |
Theodore Joseph Moreau (1890-1942) He died at Wilmette, Illinois, at
age 51 Moreau was a civil engineer landscape engineer and golf course designer. He
attended School Massachusetts Agricultural College |
|
Langford & Moreau formed their design partnership in Chicago in 1918 in a golf design and
construction business headquartered in Chicago. The golf design firm of Langford and Moreau
was fully engaged in designing and building golf courses from the time of their opening until
the beginning of WWll. Langford was the designer of the team and Moreau was in charge of
construction and design implementation. They went on to build around 200 golf courses; of
which is said to included the
Maxinkuckee
Country Club, tho under Indiana in his wikipedia biography only the CMA golf course
is listed; also credit with the Dykeman Park Golf Course at Logansport but not listed under
Indiana in his wikipedia biography
When the Langford and Moreau firm dissolved in the early 1940’s, probably upon Moreau's death
and Langford decided to go solo in his practice until the 1960’s, when he retired to Florida.
The historic golf course is undergoing a $2.5 million restoration project, to bring it back to its
original, 1920s design. The course will include ten holes, a larger club house, and a new
tee-off practice range.
In keeping with the reputation of Culver Academies as a highly-regarded college preparatory
boarding school the school decided to restore its golf course to its former glory for use by
students, parents staff, alumni and guests. Several alumni, all avid golfers, initiated the plan to
restore the 76-acre layout with the idea of honoring the original design’s spirit and key features.
Bobby Weed Golf Design was asked to implement the restoration. Design associate Chris Monti
oversaw the project, in which the bunkers were refurbished, the greens enlarged and the
course lengthened to 3,230 yards
GPS'ed and AutoCAD drafted restoration plan sets of the restored golf course features and new
irrigation system for the Culver Military Academy Golf Course. Surface Golf is a boutique design-build golf course
construction firm specializing in design, construction, GPS, 3D laser scanning and aerial drone
mapping done by Ian Larson:
Work began in the fall of 2013 with the installation of a single row irrigation system. Winters
project was bring under control the unchecked tree growth. Bobby Weed Golf Design was
asked to implement the restoration. Design associate Chris Monti oversaw the project, in
which the bunkers were refurbished, the greens enlarged and the course lengthened to
3,230 yards and Mike Vessely was hired as full time Green Keeper
Total Turf Golf Services was hired to rebuild the bunkers and IMI Aggregates was contacted to
supply base gravel for drainage and sand for the bunkers. IMI supplied 3,000 tons of bunker
sand for this project.
The Culver Academies Golf Club re-opened in the summer of 2014 rebuilt to the original design
Bobby Weed Golf Design was honored for its restoration of the Culver Academies Golf Course,
at the golf course re-dedication ceremony Oct. 1. Restoration of the nine-hole layout was
completed in 2015
This golf course is reserved for the use of students, faculty and alumni exclusively. The course
features a clubhouse for the convenient storage of equipment.
|
|
The club house was under restoration during the summer of 2016 to enhance and'
enlarge it. |
|
These parcesls equal - 79.83A; 35.00 A; 40.00A ; 20.77A ; and 6.50A for a
total of 182.1. Above older plat map crops for section 15 gives the former owners. |
Many a Culver child had the privelage and fun of sledding down
devils backbone. |
|
|
2017, Dec - They combinded 5 parcels of land into one - the K. K. Culver
Cottage, Golf Course and Woodcraft Camp ACREAGE:TOTAL 222.099 S1/2 NE EX LOT 3 EX
PT W OF RD NE SEN31.27A LOT 4 EX S40A E1/2 SE 61/2 A S PT N 31.27A LOT 4 E OF RD |
|
|
Michael Vessely was hired as head greenskeeper to maintain the course to the highest standards.