Thomas Bendelow was more than the most prolific golf course architect in history. He was more than even the creator of two courses that remain listed among America’s Top 100. Bendelow, the designer of the original nine holes at Colonia Country Club in 1899, is one of the unsung heroes of golf in America.

Bendelow (1868-1936), from Aberdeen, Scotland, set standards in nearly every aspect of the game following his arrival in America in 1892. He played competitively, and was good enough, in fact, to tour America with the great Harry Vardon. He was an accomplished instructor, a writer, an operator of retail golf outlets, and its first indoor teaching facility. Bendelow managed American’s first public golf course, and wrote extensively about the game and golf course maintenance.

Bendelow’s obituary that appeared in the Chicago Times claimed he was responsible for more than 1,000 golf courses, and produced at least one in every state but two. He took work as a typesetter for the New York Herald after arriving in New York City, and intercepted an ad run by a wealthy Long Island family seeking a golf instructor. Following his successful tutoring, he was asked to lay out a six-hole course on their estate. By 1895 he left the Herald to concentrate on golf full time.

That year, he established the first indoor golf school in America at New York City’s Carnegie Hall building. Later, he assumed the manager/greenskeeper position at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. He built an additional nine holes to complement the existing nine, and was first to institute a system of reserved tee times. His mission of growing the game, and making it accessible to masses continued over the next several decades.

The pioneer architect charged $25 for his design services, and often staked golf courses in one day, leaving the shaping and bunkering to the developers. His original layout at Colonia, for example, did not feature a single bunker.

In 1900, he met A.G. Spalding, founder of the sporting goods company, and went to work for him the following year, an association that listed 15 years. In 1907, after he moved to Chicago to work out of the Spalding headquarters, he assumed the role as editor of the Spalding Golf Guide.

His efforts at Medinah Country Club, and East Lake in Atlanta, both rated Top 100 courses by GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, and Golfweek, remain his landmark designs. Among his other courses in New Jersey are the West Course at Plainfield (1898), the East Course at Essex County Country Club (1898) and the East Orange Municipal (1926).