Golf Course
OUR HISTORY
Tom Bendelow
1868 - 1936
Tom Bendelow, often called "The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf", was a famous Scottish American golf course architect during the early 20th century. He designed over 600 courses in just 35-years, using a "naturalist approach" to course design. In other words, he utilized the natural features of the site to the design advantage.
Bendelow designed Pottawattomie Country Club in 1909. The course’s unique water hazards, towering oaks and maples, awe-inspiring tee shots, and gorgeous greens sliced from what once was sandy dunes, provide truly challenging play to all.
"One of Tom Bendelow’s early designs was the Atlanta Athletic Club’s 18-hole course at East Lake Golf Club, the place where the great Bobby Jones learned the game," wrote Colin Farquharson in a 2006 profile of Bendelow. “'It was extraordinary in that it gave a golfer the opportunity to use every wood and iron in his bag,” said Jones.
Bendelow’s most famous work is Olympia Fields and the three layouts at the Medinah Country Club, with his work there on Course #3 being famous world-wide. Medinah #3 has served as the host site to several major championships: the U.S. Open in 1949, 1975, and 1990; the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006; and the 2012 Ryder Cup.
You can enjoy Bendelow’s naturalist course design at Pottawattomie Country Club yet today. We are proud to be part of the Bendelow course design portfolio of the early 1900’s.
OUR GOLF COURSE
Pottawattomie sits on approximately 150 acres of meticulously groomed fairways, trees too numerous to count, challenging elevations, and pristine greens, all with the fabulous Trail Creek winding throughout. One must have their A Game to hit the fairways to have a shot to those greens in regulation.
Under the direction of Matt Wagoner, our Grounds Superintendent, the golf course is probably in the best condition that any Member living can recall. Improvements made over the last few years have been numerous and included replacement of all sand in the bunkers, addition of black tees for seniors and gold tees for the soon-to-be-seniors, installation of fountains in our ponds, strategic tree removal to enhance the growth of turf in critical areas, tree trimming, brush clearing along the charming Trail Creek, just to highlight the obvious.
Our recently completed new Short Game Chipping Area allows all Golf Members the opportunity to practice and perfect their game. This exciting addition to our already fantastic course is going to be terrific. The Short Game Chipping Area includes an elevated small green and a bunker with both a fairway cut and rough-cut grass approaches for chipping.