University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection

History

Vandal Golf Course

The University of Idaho golf course, located west and southwest of the main campus, traces its roots to student interest in the late 1920s. Efforts to establish the original course began in 1926 thanks to the persistent advocacy of English professor and avid golfer George Morey Miller. A makeshift course was constructed in 1930 by university workmen to satisfy increasing popularity among students , despite the belief that golf was largely a sport of the wealthy.

In 1936, the university purchased land and constructed a formal nine-hole course. The project was one of the few Depression-era construction efforts in Moscow and illustrates the institution’s long-term support of student recreation.

The course was designed and overseen by golf architect Francis L. (Frank) James, who had previously worked on courses in Moscow and at Washington State College. He later served as both course manager and resident golf professional until his death in 1952. A memorial plaque in the clubhouse honors his legacy.

The course gained prominence in 1959 when the Vandal golf team won the Northern Pacific Coast Conference Championship.[^1]

Design

In the late 1960s, retired professional golfer Bob E. Baldock of Newport Beach, California, was hired to redesign the course and expand it to 18 holes. Baldock had designed other regional courses and brought a strong understanding of landscape driven design. His approach emphasized the site’s natural topography, utilizing valleys, hills, and bowls—which he considered ideal for golf.

The remodel, estimated at $145,000, required acquiring 70 additional acres of nearby farmland, some of which had been used for wheat cultivation in the preceding decade. Baldock modified the course to better accommodate collegiate-level play. University Dean Charles Decker was involved in the management of the project.[^2]

Physical Description

Today, the 18-hole course occupies rolling Palouse terrain shaped by Baldock’s vision, integrating natural landforms. The course includes extended tees and fairways designed to enhance both challenge and visual appeal.

The layout is flexible and interactive. While minor changes have occurred over time, the course’s character has remained consistent since the 1960s expansion, continuing to serve both students at the university and the wider community.[^3]

ASUI Golf Course Clubhouse

The ASUI Golf Course Clubhouse is closely tied to the development of the University of Idaho’s golf program. The first golf clubhouse was connected to the caretaker’s quarters, and was built in 1936. It was called James Memorial Clubhouse, in honor of Frank L. James, the designer of the course and subsequent caretaker.[^4] In 1969 the new ASUI clubhouse was built on the same site to house offices and a pro shop.[^5] Today it still serves that role. Additionally, the clubhouse contains a small bar and restaraunt, with views of the golf course and arboretum beyond.

Design

Completed in 1969, the current ASUI Golf Course Clubhouse was designed by Boise architects Clin, Smull Hamill, Shaw, and Assoc. to replace the original Frank L. James Memorial Clubhouse and caretaker’s cottage. The single-story, post-and-beam structure reflects a mid-century aesthetic, with elements taken from atomic ranch style. A breezeway connects three distinct areas, a restaurant, a pro shop, and offices. This covered area provides sheltered pathways between each segment. Exposed beam ends and a low-slung gable roof reinforce the building’s modernist character. Large windows, which primarily face south, toward the golf course, offer territorial views and connect the outdoor landscape with those inside the building.[^6]

Physical Description

The clubhouse is timber-framed on a concrete foundation, clad in vertically oriented painted wood paneling. It has an intersecting open gable roof, currently surfaced with asphalt or composition shingles. The exterior doors are metal, with a variety of original and updated elements. The breezeway-facing double doors serve as the primary access points to each section, with additional doors providing entry to the golf cart lot, restaurant patio, and kitchen.[^7]

Windows are concentrated on the south- and east-facing faces of the clubhouse and include both wood and metal units. The office and pro shop wings feature rows of rectangular windows, while the gabled ends of the restaurant display large rectangular windows beneath triangular and trapezoidal forms. This window pattern takes full advantage of the gabled ends of the building, maximizing light and access to the view.[^8]

Francis L. James

Frank L. James was a British-born golf course designer whose career left a lasting mark on North American golf architecture. Known for designing more than 100 courses, he was widely respected for his ability to integrate natural landscapes into his layouts. His work at the University of Idaho began in 1926 when he designed the university’s first golf course east of campus. In 1935, he returned to design a new course adjacent to the arboretum, which remains the university’s course today. James was later hired as coach and course manager. Following his death, the original campus clubhouse was named in his honor, commemorating both his contributions to Idaho and his standing in the larger golfing world.[^9]

Notes

[^1]Payne, Edward. National Register of Historic Places Historic Context and Evaluation for: Shoup Hall, Memorial (Mem) Gymnasium, Gibb Hall, and Vandal Golf Course. – ARCH 504/LARC 404/HIST 504, University of Idaho Campus Survey, Latah County, Idaho. Unpublished manuscript, May 9, 2024. [^2]: Ibid. [^3]: Ibid. [^4]: Walker-Harmon, Shelley. National Register of Historic Places Historic Context and Evaluation for: ASUI Golf Course Clubhouse, Carol Ryrie Brink Hall, Graduate Art Studio, Radio/TV Center – ARCH 504/LARC 404/HIST 504, University of Idaho Campus Survey, Latah County, Idaho. Unpublished manuscript, April 21, 2024. [^5]: Ibid. [^6]: Ibid. [^7]: Ibid. [^8]: Ibid. [^9]: BC Golf House Society. “Francis (Frank) James – Golf Architect & Builder Biography.” BC Golf House, June 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20250123224345/https://www.bcgolfhouse.com/francis-frank-james-golf-architect-builder-biography

• Course History, University of Idaho, https://web.archive.org/web/20240603114624/https://www.uidaho.edu/dfa/auxiliary-services/golf/about/course-history

Images of Golf Course and Clubhouse