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People & the land Architect
Architect
Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow trained as a typesetter before moving from Scotland to New York in 1892 to work for the New York Herald. His work in golf expanded through A.G. Spalding & Brothers: he managed its golf department and later edited Spalding’s Official Golf Guide. Designing courses was one part of a career that also included teaching and organising the game.1
In the archive 7 Courses at 5 ClubsDated work 1904–1915
Course work
Published course connections in the archive.
- CompletionExpansion of the earlier course to eighteen holes.
- Original designOriginal nine-hole course.
- Original design
- Original designOriginal East Lake course design
- Original designOriginal course design
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- Original design
A newspaper trade, a sporting-goods firm and three courses
At Medinah, his work grew into three original courses. The Club dates the first round on Course No. 1 to September 5, 1925, followed by No. 2 in 1926 and No. 3 in 1928.2
Sources and record notes8 references
Sources for this history
- Highlights of Tom Bendelow’s Golf Career
Michigan State University Libraries, Turfgrass Information Center
PDF pages 1–2: typesetting, 1892 immigration, Spalding employment and 1907–1917 golf-guide editorship. Retained historical chronology, not a claim that all its superlatives are established.
Consulted 2026-11-07 - Club History
Medinah Country Club
Opening Day September 5, 1925; original three courses credited to Bendelow, with 1925, 1926 and 1928 course sequence.
Consulted 2026-11-07
Architect record sources
- Columbus Country Club (opens in a new tab)Architect identity · Course design
- East Lake Golf Club: current history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Medinah Country Club: owner chronology (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Medinah Country Club (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Olympia Fields Country Club (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Skokie Country Club (opens in a new tab)Course design