14 replies to this topic

[801hme]

Does anyone know the correct origin/history of Meadowbrook Municipal Golf Course? I have heard it was originally a country club, and that it opened in 1930. Spent many summer days at the pool where the front putting green is now. Does anyone know the true history?

[cbellomy]

Your story is substantially correct. It was originally Meadowbrook Country Club, and it opened in 1922. I'm having trouble finding the designer but I think it was John Bredemus. My distant memory is that the club failed due to the Depression, at which point the course was given to the city. Don January used to hold the course record for many years until Greg Gregory posted a 59 during the City Championship several years ago.

Most of that is from distant memory. I did some googling but so far the results are sparse.

[cajunmike]

Will check the history with one of my friends who was born and raised on the East side and whos eldery mother still lives near the course.

[801hme]

Your story is substantially correct. It was originally Meadowbrook Country Club, and it opened in 1922. I'm having trouble finding the designer but I think it was John Bredemus. My distant memory is that the club failed due to the Depression, at which point the course was given to the city. Don January used to hold the course record for many years until Greg Gregory posted a 59 during the City Championship several years ago.

Most of that is from distant memory. I did some googling but so far the results are sparse.

Thanks for the info. I got my opening year of 1930 from several golf course websites, which would make sense if that was when the city took over. I forgot about a ballcap I have from Meadowbrook with an "est. 1922" on the side; your post reminded me. I'd heard John Bredemus as the possible architect, but the City's Golf program website lists him as architect of Rockwood, Z-Boaz and the original Sycamore Creek but not Meadowbrook. Apparently Bredemus was something of a character with a somewhat mysterious past. There's a book out detailing some of his designs and his known history. I'll try to find the book this weekend (the name of the book escapes me right now).

[cbellomy]

Bredemus is a fascinating character. It should be added that he also designed Colonial.

[lcbrownz]

Meadowbrook Golf Course began as a 9 hole, par 36 course in 1962. In 1995, this course was restored and rejuvenated, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in the area. Mr. Tim Liddy designed our new 18 hole, par 71 golf course with all ages and skill levels in mind. Our bent grass greens have been constructed to very strict USGA specifications. Each hole has four tee stations, allowing every level of play. Plush fairways, magnificent greens, and beautiful lakes make your experience at Meadowbrook both challenging and pleasurable.

It didn't open as a golf course until the fall of 1962. My Sagamore Hill 6th grade graduating class had a party in the country club ballroom in May of that year.

[801hme]

Meadowbrook Golf Course began as a 9 hole, par 36 course in 1962. In 1995, this course was restored and rejuvenated, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in the area. Mr. Tim Liddy designed our new 18 hole, par 71 golf course with all ages and skill levels in mind. Our bent grass greens have been constructed to very strict USGA specifications. Each hole has four tee stations, allowing every level of play. Plush fairways, magnificent greens, and beautiful lakes make your experience at Meadowbrook both challenging and pleasurable.

It didn't open as a golf course until the fall of 1962. My Sagamore Hill 6th grade graduating class had a party in the country club ballroom in May of that year.

Magnificent greens? Are we talking about the same Meadowbrook, the one on Jenson (lol)? Ft. Worth city directories list a Meadowbrook Country club at that location (then Wallis Steet, showing to run north from Meadowbrook drive to the "Dallas Highway"-Ederville rd. maybe?-now Brentwood Stair) as early as the mid 20's. I know it was renovated by Ralph Plummer in '62, but it was the present 18 hole layout at that time according to Historic Aerials (1963). I played there 2 weeks ago & there are only red, white & blue tees...no disrespect intended...

[cbellomy]

Meadowbrook Golf Course began as a 9 hole, par 36 course in 1962. In 1995, this course was restored and rejuvenated, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in the area. Mr. Tim Liddy designed our new 18 hole, par 71 golf course with all ages and skill levels in mind. Our bent grass greens have been constructed to very strict USGA specifications. Each hole has four tee stations, allowing every level of play. Plush fairways, magnificent greens, and beautiful lakes make your experience at Meadowbrook both challenging and pleasurable.

It didn't open as a golf course until the fall of 1962. My Sagamore Hill 6th grade graduating class had a party in the country club ballroom in May of that year.

I don't know where you got this. Meadowbrook GC in Fort Worth opened in 1922 as a private club and has never had bent grass greens. (It currently boasts a Bermuda hybrid that tolerates very thin cuts well.) You can go to historicaerials.com and see that it existed essentially in its current layout in 1963. Tim Liddy probably authored the renovations but he was not the course architect. (I still think that was John Bredemus but I'm having a helluva time confirming/refuting it.)

[801hme]

Meadowbrook Golf Course began as a 9 hole, par 36 course in 1962. In 1995, this course was restored and rejuvenated, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in the area. Mr. Tim Liddy designed our new 18 hole, par 71 golf course with all ages and skill levels in mind. Our bent grass greens have been constructed to very strict USGA specifications. Each hole has four tee stations, allowing every level of play. Plush fairways, magnificent greens, and beautiful lakes make your experience at Meadowbrook both challenging and pleasurable.

It didn't open as a golf course until the fall of 1962. My Sagamore Hill 6th grade graduating class had a party in the country club ballroom in May of that year.

I don't know where you got this. Meadowbrook GC in Fort Worth opened in 1922 as a private club and has never had bent grass greens. (It currently boasts a Bermuda hybrid that tolerates very thin cuts well.) You can go to historicaerials.com and see that it existed essentially in its current layout in 1963. Tim Liddy probably authored the renovations but he was not the course architect. (I still think that was John Bredemus but I'm having a helluva time confirming/refuting it.)

cbellomy-

I found a book with some Bredemus information. "Links, Lore & Legends-The Story of Texas Golf" by Art Stricklin. It has alot of interesting stories about him (no mention of Meadowbrook), although much mystery remains. I never knew what a gifted athelete Bredemus was; he came in second to Jim Thorpe in the 1912 AAU decathalon, and was given Thorpe's medals after Thorpe was found to have played pro baseball. Like you said, a fascinating character.

If Bredemus was the architect of Meadowbrook, it would have been one of his earliest works, as his 1st course design after arriving in Texas in 1919 was San Felipe Springs Golf Course in Del Rio, built in 1921.

[Flynnyrd]

I grew up at 1612 Jenson Rd, and my granddad, Les Britton, was the pro at Meadowbrook for many years. He passed in '93, and at that time he was pretty proud of "shooting his age or better" on the course over 150 times. My sister Dena worked in the proshop when she was a teenager, and being that she was a very well-constructed blonde, any golfer that went to the shop in the seventies would probably remember her.

I too, remember the pool out front. I learned to swim there when the lifegaurd threw me in the deep end. Of course that would be an instant lawsuit these days, but I learned to swim, quickly.

I loved the Eastside. We moved to Woodhaven in the 80's, I've got a lot of fond memories of that course too. Not being a golfer, they all revolve around skateboarding the cart paths and fishing in the ponds, but both those courses were my playground for many years.

Best Meadowbrook memory? Probably around '76 it snowed real well. Maybe 6 inches. We went sledding down the hill on the number one fairway (I think, might have been #8). Well, my teenage neighbor from across the street went flying down that big hill, couldn't stop, and flew into the creek. Pretty funny when you're five years old, looking back I suppose it could've ended horribly, but he was just cold, wet, and embarassed.

Any other Eastsiders in here that grew up in the 70s - 80s? Anyone remember the Shrimp Bucket? Play Way arcade on Brentwood Stair? Bolen's Bike World? Video Visions and Paisan's Pizza?

[801hme]

I grew up at 1612 Jenson Rd, and my granddad, Les Britton, was the pro at Meadowbrook for many years. He passed in '93, and at that time he was pretty proud of "shooting his age or better" on the course over 150 times. My sister Dena worked in the proshop when she was a teenager, and being that she was a very well-constructed blonde, any golfer that went to the shop in the seventies would probably remember her.

I too, remember the pool out front. I learned to swim there when the lifegaurd threw me in the deep end. Of course that would be an instant lawsuit these days, but I learned to swim, quickly.

I loved the Eastside. We moved to Woodhaven in the 80's, I've got a lot of fond memories of that course too. Not being a golfer, they all revolve around skateboarding the cart paths and fishing in the ponds, but both those courses were my playground for many years.

Best Meadowbrook memory? Probably around '76 it snowed real well. Maybe 6 inches. We went sledding down the hill on the number one fairway (I think, might have been #8). Well, my teenage neighbor from across the street went flying down that big hill, couldn't stop, and flew into the creek. Pretty funny when you're five years old, looking back I suppose it could've ended horribly, but he was just cold, wet, and embarassed.

Any other Eastsiders in here that grew up in the 70s - 80s? Anyone remember the Shrimp Bucket? Play Way arcade on Brentwood Stair? Bolen's Bike World? Video Visions and Paisan's Pizza?

An old eastsider here...I remember all those well. Shrimp Bucket was originally 1 or 2 doors down from Horton's Barber Shop where I got my hair cut as a kid. Bolen's location was a 7-11 originally. The kids I ran around with used to hang out at Bolen's all the time; drove the guys working there nuts. Jamie's Food store next door and the Dairy Queen on Weiler were others we "frequented" regularly (annoyed the employees). We used to ride our bikes all over that area.

[Flynnyrd]

I grew up at 1612 Jenson Rd, and my granddad, Les Britton, was the pro at Meadowbrook for many years. He passed in '93, and at that time he was pretty proud of "shooting his age or better" on the course over 150 times. My sister Dena worked in the proshop when she was a teenager, and being that she was a very well-constructed blonde, any golfer that went to the shop in the seventies would probably remember her.

I too, remember the pool out front. I learned to swim there when the lifegaurd threw me in the deep end. Of course that would be an instant lawsuit these days, but I learned to swim, quickly.

I loved the Eastside. We moved to Woodhaven in the 80's, I've got a lot of fond memories of that course too. Not being a golfer, they all revolve around skateboarding the cart paths and fishing in the ponds, but both those courses were my playground for many years.

Best Meadowbrook memory? Probably around '76 it snowed real well. Maybe 6 inches. We went sledding down the hill on the number one fairway (I think, might have been #8). Well, my teenage neighbor from across the street went flying down that big hill, couldn't stop, and flew into the creek. Pretty funny when you're five years old, looking back I suppose it could've ended horribly, but he was just cold, wet, and embarassed.

Any other Eastsiders in here that grew up in the 70s - 80s? Anyone remember the Shrimp Bucket? Play Way arcade on Brentwood Stair? Bolen's Bike World? Video Visions and Paisan's Pizza?

An old eastsider here...I remember all those well. Shrimp Bucket was originally 1 or 2 doors down from Horton's Barber Shop where I got my hair cut as a kid. Bolen's location was a 7-11 originally. The kids I ran around with used to hang out at Bolen's all the time; drove the guys working there nuts. Jamie's Food store next door and the Dairy Queen on Weiler were others we "frequented" regularly (annoyed the employees). We used to ride our bikes all over that area.

Sounds familiar. Me and my friends used to bug the hell out of the poor guys working in Bolen's. I had completely forgotten it was a 7-11. I remember many a slurpee coming from there. Also remember Horton's. Went there to get my first haircut and the numnut that cut my hair somehow put a second degree burn on my neck. Got my haircuts at "Vernon's Head Shop" on the corner of Handley and Brentwood Stair after that.
Spent many an afternoon wasting quarters on "Defender" and "Missle Command" in that Jamie's. When someone else was already playing, we would kill time looking at "easyriders" and "Iron Horse" magazines looking for topless biker women.Bought my first pack of smokes there, at THIRTEEN. Marlboro Reds, 99 cents.

[txrob779]

I grew up at 1612 Jenson Rd, and my granddad, Les Britton, was the pro at Meadowbrook for many years. He passed in '93, and at that time he was pretty proud of "shooting his age or better" on the course over 150 times. My sister Dena worked in the proshop when she was a teenager, and being that she was a very well-constructed blonde, any golfer that went to the shop in the seventies would probably remember her.

I too, remember the pool out front. I learned to swim there when the lifegaurd threw me in the deep end. Of course that would be an instant lawsuit these days, but I learned to swim, quickly.

I loved the Eastside. We moved to Woodhaven in the 80's, I've got a lot of fond memories of that course too. Not being a golfer, they all revolve around skateboarding the cart paths and fishing in the ponds, but both those courses were my playground for many years.

Best Meadowbrook memory? Probably around '76 it snowed real well. Maybe 6 inches. We went sledding down the hill on the number one fairway (I think, might have been #8). Well, my teenage neighbor from across the street went flying down that big hill, couldn't stop, and flew into the creek. Pretty funny when you're five years old, looking back I suppose it could've ended horribly, but he was just cold, wet, and embarassed.

Any other Eastsiders in here that grew up in the 70s - 80s? Anyone remember the Shrimp Bucket? Play Way arcade on Brentwood Stair? Bolen's Bike World? Video Visions and Paisan's Pizza?

I do.....my mom married a her 2nd husband in 1976, an attorney and an heir of Tony Lama himslef...We moved into his house on Putter Dr. in Woodhaven, about the time all those apts on the south side of Boca Raton were being built (got into a lot of trouble tresspassing there). Some cocktail bar was there too, in a little strip center somesuch. I attended Meadowbrook Middle School, 7th grade 1976 and was like 1 of 2 white kids there. Scared the hell out of this HEB kid, so I was pulled out and enrolled into St.Rita for the remainder of 7th grade and 8th grade then attended Nolan 9th and 10th grade or 1978-79, 1979-80. We moved from Putter Dr. into a BIG house on End-O-Trail across from what ended up being the Cullen Davis house. We played in that house for a year or more while it was under construction. Delp family maybe? Anyway I stomped, fished, built forts in the woods, swam, golfed, teenis, ATE A LOT at the country club and tore crap up all over Woodhaven and Whitelake Hills as young teenage rich kid LOL. Walking along creepy Randol Mill Rd. was a trip and sneeking into the dump on 1st street. Seems like Bolens was right on the south side of the underpass at Bridge and Brentwood Stair....was it a 7-11 once?

[801hme]

The part of the strip Bolens was in WAS a 7-11 originally, with Horton's Barber Shop, some other business (a fabric place or a dry cleaners maybe?), The Shrimp Bucket and a Laundromat in the same strip, right next to what was Jamies food store on Brentwood Stair, between the big concrete runoff channel and the Texaco at the corner of Brentwood & Weiler (I remember when Brentwood Stair was still Ederville Rd). By the way, I knew the Delps and the Puryears across the street from them on End O' Trail, and I had another friend who lived at the opposite end of End O' Trail. Spent a lot of time running around there as well. FYI Bolens became Fast Freddie's pool place later.

[since63]

My brother seems to remember an assistant barber at Horton's who had one eye.He thinks his name was Jim.We used to swim in the pool in front of Meadowbrook's club house.A friend of ours was swimming by the drain at the bottom of the pool and there was apparently enough suction to jerk his head against it.He was OK but frightened.I'm not a good golfer and have maybe played at 5 courses tops but Meadowbrook is still my favorite course.