Interview with Brian Hampson
PGA Professional
Burden Lake Country Club
1. How did you hear about Burden Lake Country Club?
Well, I grew up in the Averill Park area, so when I was a youngster I came over looking for summer work at which was at that time the Burden Lake Country Club. Through that, there were still some structures across the street, some of the remnants of the old buildings that were formerly of the old Totem Lodge. Basically, same as what you’re doing, just started asking some questions about what that was, you know, as a youngster, what went on there. And there were some photos that explained it as something very similar to the Catskills, or if you were familiar with the movie Dirty Dancing, sort of like that kind of resort area.
2. How long have you been working at Burden Lake Country Club?
Well, I worked here as a child. I came back here seven years ago as head golf professional, so I was actually working at other facilities as I was going through my PGA and golf training, but I came back here seven years ago to become the head professional. But my family grew up literally five minutes from the golf course, which is how I got over here, by riding my bike, started working when I was thirteen or fourteen years old.
3. What is the history of the golf course?
The golf course was originally nine holes and it was actually a side activity for those who were staying at the Totem Lodge, which was actually a lakefront property across the street from our original clubhouse. It was basically just like anything else: they had baseball, tennis, golf, basketball, I believe they even had indoor activities with pool and darts inside. So it’s basically just when you stayed here, it was another option for families to be able to go across the street and play golf.
4. When did you begin to find out about the old resort in the woods?
Like I said, most of it was curiosity when I was a youngster working here. Actually, you could see some of the old structures from the parking lot, which have since been torn down.
5. How did you begin to find out about the history of Totem Lodge?
Through asking some of the older members and players that were here, people that live on Burden Lake, which was the opposite side of that, we started to get a feel for some of the history. Some of the information was probably embellished, or incorrect, but for the most part, the gist of it was that it was quite the place back in the day.
6. Have you ever explored the land back there?
So basically, after work, a couple of us would walk over, we saw the old basketball courts, the old swimming pool, and we saw basically the framework of the old structure, which still had some equipment in it, there was a fire actually which took it out.
7. Were any of the structures still in place?
You could see the old staircases that went down to the lake, with lake access. You could see the old swimming pool, and I told Bob actually, the old swimming pool through time actually was historically brought back simply because what was happening was it was actually one of the premier top 100 destinations for skateboarders to skate in. So it became kind of a cult skateboard park. Kids would come from as far as California with their cross country skateboarding and all and the old Totem Lodge pool became one of those that was actually written up as a place to stop on the way to your destination and skateboard.
8. Is that still a big place to go skateboarding?
No, I think now, they’re starting to do some development over there now, so that’s been shut down or filled in. I’m not positive about that, I haven’t been back there in years. But I don’t see nearly the traffic that I used to so I think that they’ve actually made that private property and filled that in. They were getting a bit of an element back there that I think they didn’t want on the property. But for a while, it was pretty big. It was pretty good.
9. So of the structures, what buildings were still standing?
When I was there, it was basically some of the smaller cottages were still up, and this is way back in the early eighties, so, since then, that’s changed too. Obviously they’re all gone now. You could see the framework of the basketball court, including the bleachers and whatnot, and all that stuff, but it was certainly a powerful presence. The one building was very very big and very formidable. You could see the dance hall, a stage, and all that in there. They had affairs during the twenties and thirties that were, to my knowledge, famous celebrities coming to perform and entertain there.
10. Do you know any of the famous celebrities? Which ones came to perform?
I do not know too much off to the top of my head unfortunately, I would have to go back and ask some of the other ones, but I’m guessing—I don’t know if they ever had Sinatra there—but before that, Sammy Davis Jr. performed there, but I couldn’t corroborate that or say for 100% on that one.
11. How long has Totem Lodge been closed?
I don’t know when the actual fire was, you can probably find that data out, but it certainly wasn’t open, I don’t think it was even open much past the fifties to be honest with you. If it were, it wasn’t very long after that. I don’t know when the actual fire was, I don’t know if [The Sand Lake Town Historian's Office] has more access to those records, there have to be some records of when the fire happened, and what happened. The overlying theory behind that was that actually the owners started the fire for insurance reasons. And as the transportation systems became better, and the thruway system was put in, that it sounds as if what happened was it became easier for people from New York to access the Catskills and those regions than get all the way up to here. From what the old timers tell me, it’s that most of the people that came up to Totem Lodge basically came up on the train, and then it was a short ride out from the train. Once the thruway system and everything got in, or the road systems were better, it became easier for people to access the Catskills and whatnot, by going via car instead of train, and that was the demise in some respects, of Totem Lodge.
12. So there were a lot of factors that lead to the demise of Totem Lodge?
It was easy to get to via the rail system and then it became not easy to get to. And I think that was really part of the problem here.
13. When did Totem Lodge first open as a summer resort/camp?
I want to say it was in the twenties to be honest with you, but I know its heyday was in the thirties. So I’m going to say late twenties, early thirties, to be honest with you.
14. What were some of the attractions offered at Totem Lodge?
Like I said before, it was basically they had full bars, lounges, everything was self-sustained. They had obviously swimming, basketball, tennis, golf, and I know they had a billiards room and whatnot, so they had a lot of activities there for the average guest.
15. Did the golf course continue to operate immediately after Totem Lodge closed?
It had a period where it was closed, but for the most part the golf course has been running since that time.
16. Was there ever a time when it became overgrown?
The golf course has always been, well it had to be touched up and spruced up in some areas during the time that the bank owned it for a bit. But for the last basically thirty years, the golf course has been owned by one individual, and before that it was owned by various individuals at different times, so the golf course for the most part has been running. It had its times when it became a bit overgrown and a bit unplayable but for the most part the golf course has been the one variable that has been open the whole time.
17. Does the golf course have any type of homage to Totem Lodge on the property?
No, none whatsoever. Because actually, once it became its own separate entity, it really stands on its own.
18. What condition is the abandoned pool in?
I think it’s filled in now. They’re doing some development. I think it became more of a destination for skateboarders, the owners of that wanted to keep them out and went back and filled it in because there was too much trespassing and whatnot. They were trying to get that element out of there because they were looking to develop it down the road.
19. Was the pool ever opened as a swim club?
No, never did. Once the lodge closed, it closed.
20. What happened to the buildings associated with Totem Lodge?
The main building had a fire. It did some major damage and once it became a safety issue, then it was actually taken down and bulldozed and removed as well, so that no one would get hurt and the owners would run the risk of a lawsuit.
21. How will the future construction affect the golf course?
I think now Totem Lodge’s development, with the lake access, they’re going to be more expensive homes and whatnot, so I think it’ll be beneficial for the golf course. I don’t think it was ever going to go back to anything of that nature where it was with Totem Lodge, but certainly it’ll help us out at the golf course, you know, having seventy or eighty homes across the land.
Well, I grew up in the Averill Park area, so when I was a youngster I came over looking for summer work at which was at that time the Burden Lake Country Club. Through that, there were still some structures across the street, some of the remnants of the old buildings that were formerly of the old Totem Lodge. Basically, same as what you’re doing, just started asking some questions about what that was, you know, as a youngster, what went on there. And there were some photos that explained it as something very similar to the Catskills, or if you were familiar with the movie Dirty Dancing, sort of like that kind of resort area.
2. How long have you been working at Burden Lake Country Club?
Well, I worked here as a child. I came back here seven years ago as head golf professional, so I was actually working at other facilities as I was going through my PGA and golf training, but I came back here seven years ago to become the head professional. But my family grew up literally five minutes from the golf course, which is how I got over here, by riding my bike, started working when I was thirteen or fourteen years old.
3. What is the history of the golf course?
The golf course was originally nine holes and it was actually a side activity for those who were staying at the Totem Lodge, which was actually a lakefront property across the street from our original clubhouse. It was basically just like anything else: they had baseball, tennis, golf, basketball, I believe they even had indoor activities with pool and darts inside. So it’s basically just when you stayed here, it was another option for families to be able to go across the street and play golf.
4. When did you begin to find out about the old resort in the woods?
Like I said, most of it was curiosity when I was a youngster working here. Actually, you could see some of the old structures from the parking lot, which have since been torn down.
5. How did you begin to find out about the history of Totem Lodge?
Through asking some of the older members and players that were here, people that live on Burden Lake, which was the opposite side of that, we started to get a feel for some of the history. Some of the information was probably embellished, or incorrect, but for the most part, the gist of it was that it was quite the place back in the day.
6. Have you ever explored the land back there?
So basically, after work, a couple of us would walk over, we saw the old basketball courts, the old swimming pool, and we saw basically the framework of the old structure, which still had some equipment in it, there was a fire actually which took it out.
7. Were any of the structures still in place?
You could see the old staircases that went down to the lake, with lake access. You could see the old swimming pool, and I told Bob actually, the old swimming pool through time actually was historically brought back simply because what was happening was it was actually one of the premier top 100 destinations for skateboarders to skate in. So it became kind of a cult skateboard park. Kids would come from as far as California with their cross country skateboarding and all and the old Totem Lodge pool became one of those that was actually written up as a place to stop on the way to your destination and skateboard.
8. Is that still a big place to go skateboarding?
No, I think now, they’re starting to do some development over there now, so that’s been shut down or filled in. I’m not positive about that, I haven’t been back there in years. But I don’t see nearly the traffic that I used to so I think that they’ve actually made that private property and filled that in. They were getting a bit of an element back there that I think they didn’t want on the property. But for a while, it was pretty big. It was pretty good.
9. So of the structures, what buildings were still standing?
When I was there, it was basically some of the smaller cottages were still up, and this is way back in the early eighties, so, since then, that’s changed too. Obviously they’re all gone now. You could see the framework of the basketball court, including the bleachers and whatnot, and all that stuff, but it was certainly a powerful presence. The one building was very very big and very formidable. You could see the dance hall, a stage, and all that in there. They had affairs during the twenties and thirties that were, to my knowledge, famous celebrities coming to perform and entertain there.
10. Do you know any of the famous celebrities? Which ones came to perform?
I do not know too much off to the top of my head unfortunately, I would have to go back and ask some of the other ones, but I’m guessing—I don’t know if they ever had Sinatra there—but before that, Sammy Davis Jr. performed there, but I couldn’t corroborate that or say for 100% on that one.
11. How long has Totem Lodge been closed?
I don’t know when the actual fire was, you can probably find that data out, but it certainly wasn’t open, I don’t think it was even open much past the fifties to be honest with you. If it were, it wasn’t very long after that. I don’t know when the actual fire was, I don’t know if [The Sand Lake Town Historian's Office] has more access to those records, there have to be some records of when the fire happened, and what happened. The overlying theory behind that was that actually the owners started the fire for insurance reasons. And as the transportation systems became better, and the thruway system was put in, that it sounds as if what happened was it became easier for people from New York to access the Catskills and those regions than get all the way up to here. From what the old timers tell me, it’s that most of the people that came up to Totem Lodge basically came up on the train, and then it was a short ride out from the train. Once the thruway system and everything got in, or the road systems were better, it became easier for people to access the Catskills and whatnot, by going via car instead of train, and that was the demise in some respects, of Totem Lodge.
12. So there were a lot of factors that lead to the demise of Totem Lodge?
It was easy to get to via the rail system and then it became not easy to get to. And I think that was really part of the problem here.
13. When did Totem Lodge first open as a summer resort/camp?
I want to say it was in the twenties to be honest with you, but I know its heyday was in the thirties. So I’m going to say late twenties, early thirties, to be honest with you.
14. What were some of the attractions offered at Totem Lodge?
Like I said before, it was basically they had full bars, lounges, everything was self-sustained. They had obviously swimming, basketball, tennis, golf, and I know they had a billiards room and whatnot, so they had a lot of activities there for the average guest.
15. Did the golf course continue to operate immediately after Totem Lodge closed?
It had a period where it was closed, but for the most part the golf course has been running since that time.
16. Was there ever a time when it became overgrown?
The golf course has always been, well it had to be touched up and spruced up in some areas during the time that the bank owned it for a bit. But for the last basically thirty years, the golf course has been owned by one individual, and before that it was owned by various individuals at different times, so the golf course for the most part has been running. It had its times when it became a bit overgrown and a bit unplayable but for the most part the golf course has been the one variable that has been open the whole time.
17. Does the golf course have any type of homage to Totem Lodge on the property?
No, none whatsoever. Because actually, once it became its own separate entity, it really stands on its own.
18. What condition is the abandoned pool in?
I think it’s filled in now. They’re doing some development. I think it became more of a destination for skateboarders, the owners of that wanted to keep them out and went back and filled it in because there was too much trespassing and whatnot. They were trying to get that element out of there because they were looking to develop it down the road.
19. Was the pool ever opened as a swim club?
No, never did. Once the lodge closed, it closed.
20. What happened to the buildings associated with Totem Lodge?
The main building had a fire. It did some major damage and once it became a safety issue, then it was actually taken down and bulldozed and removed as well, so that no one would get hurt and the owners would run the risk of a lawsuit.
21. How will the future construction affect the golf course?
I think now Totem Lodge’s development, with the lake access, they’re going to be more expensive homes and whatnot, so I think it’ll be beneficial for the golf course. I don’t think it was ever going to go back to anything of that nature where it was with Totem Lodge, but certainly it’ll help us out at the golf course, you know, having seventy or eighty homes across the land.