Kevin Mendik Author July 2022
Kevin Mendik plays pure hickory golf; since 2004 using exclusively vintage hickory shaft clubs and (on occasion) period golf balls from the early 20th century; the same type of technology available to Golden Age golf architects and players. He is the Club Historian at the Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Massachusetts, the home club of Wayne Stiles from 1905 to 1915. He was formerly at the Pine Brook Country Club in Weston, MA (Stiles 1924) where he served on the Grounds and Greens Committee, and was involved in the development of their Master Plan and ongoing course restoration work. Kevin has a digital photo archive of golf courses visited from 2004 to present and is happy to provide images to clubs and individuals.
Kevin has written or contributed to numerous publications about golf history and architecture, speaks at golf history functions, consults on restoration projects at Stiles’ and other courses, and is a course rater for GolfWeek Magazine. Mr. Mendik has worked for the Northeast Region of the National Park Service since 1990, where he handles environmental compliance associated with historic structure and landscape restorations at various NPS Units. He has assisted various clubs regarding listing of their courses and/or clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places or for designation as a National Historic Landmark.
To visit the National Register Information System where you can search to determine golf courses and/or clubhouses that have either been placed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as National Historic Landmarks, go to National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Please note that all listed golf courses and clubhouses are not contained in a single section and may require multiple queries.
Kevin in familiar territory at the Myopia Hunt Club.
Co-Author Bob Labbance
On June 8, 2010. The New York Metropolitan Area Golf Writers Association posthumously presented the 2010 Linc Werden Award for Golf Journalism to Bob Labbance . His wife Kathie Hickman accepted the award.
Obituary from the August 30, 2008 edition of The Barre Montpelier Times Argus, written by his wife Kathie Hickman.
ALS, the Disease – This link is provided for visitors to better understand the disease which took Bob from us. Please visit the site and contribute if you can to these wonderful communities helping to change people’s lives.
A Tribute to Bob written by Kevin Mendik for the USGA, where Bob was a member of the USGA Museum & Library Committee
A Tribute to Bob’s life and work which appeared in several New England Golf Magazines in 2008. Written by his long time friend and fellow golf writer David Cornwell.
A Tribute to Bob Labbance which appeared in the New York Post. Written by Ralph Wimbish, friend and fellow golf writer.
A Tribute to Bob Labbance (see bottom paragraph) written by Jim McCabe, formerly of the Boston Globe. More Globe links on Bob and the book can be found here.
Click here for GolfWeek’s June 16, 2008 tribute to Bob’s career.
