Famous Golf Course Designers

Posted on April 3, 2018

Throughout the history of golf there have been many great golf course architects. Let’s explore some of the top course architects that’ve helped shaped the way the game is played.

Old Tom Morris (1821 – 1908)

Old Tom Morris, the “Grandfather of Golf”, was an innovator in greenskeeping and many modern golf course design techniques. Old Tom Morris got his start apprenticing for Allan Robertson and the pair worked together on a ten-hole design Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland in 1842. Carnoustie would become one of the homes to the Open Championship. After parting ways with Robertson, Morris would go on to develop many more courses across Scotland. Some notable courses that Morris designed include Prestwick Golf Club which was home to the first Open Championship, Muirfield which was where Jack Nicklaus earned his first Open Championship and subsequently named his course in the U.S. after it, and both the New Course and Jubilee Course at the “home of golf” St. Andrews Links.

Old Tom Morris innovated many greenskeeping techniques which are still in use today. Dressing the top of greens with sand to assist turf growth was one concept introduced by Morris. Hazards, like bunkers, used to be just left alone until Morris began managing the state of these hazards. He introduced strategic design of hazards with the idea that hazards could work as markers and players could plan their play around them. This was a novel idea as hazards were first looked at as just obstacles to be shot over or to penalize a bad ball flight. Yardage markers, a pivotal device seen on practically all golf courses, were another idea Morris brought to light. He widen the fairways at St. Andrews to improve play and handle more golfers. Morris also improved the greens at St. Andrews and created the first tee boxes, previously golfers would tee off for the next hole from the green they just played.

Charles B. MacDonald (1855 – 1939) & Seth Raynor (1874 – 1926)

Seth Raynor & Charles MacDonald.
(Raynor Photo from friedegg.co)

Charles B. MacDonald and Seth Raynor developed a professional relationship after Raynor impressed MacDonald with his engineering skills and the two formed a partnership which resulted in the construction of many wonderful golf courses. MacDonald spent his college years in 1872 at St. Andrews University in Scotland where he took up golf and was tutored by the great Old Tom Morris. After spending time as a stockbroker MacDonald returned to golf as the game was brought to New York by Scottish immigrants. He then founded the Chicago Golf Club in 1892 with some associates and designed a simplistic nine-hole course, the first built west of the Allegheny Mountains. The following year MacDonald expanded on his design to create an 18-hole course, making Chicago Golf Club the first full-length course in the United States.

MacDonald’s next project began in 1908 with the construction of the National Golf Links of America, in Southampton, New York. The National Golf Links of America was the first project which brought together Charles MacDonald and Seth Raynor, whose initial job was to survey the property as a civil engineer but he impressed MacDonald with his engineering knowledge. Raynor was hired on to oversee the construction of the golf course. MacDonald and Raynor developed golf courses based off a “template” that MacDonald originally created basing hole layouts off British courses. The pair would create new courses by selecting the best holes from their templates that would fit the terrane. This system worked to create some elegant golf courses on the east coast including Yale University’s golf course, the Piping Rock Club, the Old White Course at The Greenbrier, Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, and the old Lido Golf Club which has since been replaced by a course designed by Robert Trent Jones under the same name. MacDonald has become known today as the “Father of American Golf Architecture.”

Willie Park Jr. (1864 – 1925)

His father, Willie Park Sr., claim to golf fame is being the first Open Championship winner. Following in his footsteps Willie Park Jr. won 2 Open Championships of his own in 1887 and 1889. As his playing career was coming to a close Willie Park Jr. got into designing golf courses becoming one of the early golf course architects. It was at a time when golf was expanding from the United Kingdom to the United States. Throughout his career as a golf course architect Park helped design and redesign 170 courses within the UK, Europe, Canada and the United States.

One of Park’s early designs that became well-known is the Old Course at the Sunningdale Golf Club located near London which he worked on in 1900. The golf club has since been home to the British Masters, Walker Cup, Women’s British Open and the Senior Open Championship. Park designed the Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto, which was home to Arnold Palmer’s first win at the 1955 Canadian Open. Other notable course designs include the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario which hosted the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open, the North Course of the Olympia Fields Country Club close to Chicago which was host to the 2003 U.S. Open, and course numbers 2 and 3 at the Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland which hosted Open Championship qualifiers and many Amateur Championships. The Weston Golf and Country Club hosts an amateur event the ‘Willie Park Jr. Memorial’ tournament annually to honor Park’s memory which began following his passing in 1925. The last course that Park designed was the Castine Golf Club in Castine, Maine.

James Braid (1870 – 1950)

Before getting into course design James Braid was first known as part of golf’s first “Great Triumvirate” of players along with Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor. Braid became a prominent golf course architect and has been noted by some as the innovator of the dogleg, however existing courses had a design feature similar to a dogleg. During his time as a course architect he designed and redesigned numerous courses throughout England and Scotland.

James Braid’s greatest golf course designs can be found at Gleneagles where he created the King’s and Queen’s course. Gleneagle has been home to the Curtis Cup, Women’s British Open, Scottish Open and other prestigious tournaments. More notable courses by Braid include the St. Enodoc Golf Club in Devon, England, and the Renfrew Golf Club in Erskine, Scotland which have hosted the Scottish Amateur Championship and qualifiers for the Open Championship. Some of his redesign work includes historic championship courses like Carnoustie Golf Links, Royal Troon Golf Club, Nairn Golf Club and Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales.

Dr. Alister MacKenzie (1870 – 1934)

Dr. Alister MacKenzie
(Photo from golfcourseranking.com)

Dr. Alister MacKenzie was a surgeon before changing career paths to become a prolific golf course architect. MacKenzie’s first project as a course architect was the Alwoodley Golf Club, which is still regarded as one of the finest courses in Britain. With his design at Alwoodley he introduced some key features which would become his signature style including undulating greens, free-form large bunkers, narrow and long greens angled from the center of the fairway, and more substantial contours.

Perhaps the most famous MacKenzie designed course was when he partnered with Bobby Jones on the design and construction of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, which opened in 1933. Another highly regarded course that bares MacKenzie’s design signature is Cypress Point Club near Monterey, California which was co-designed with Robert Hunter. MacKenzie designed the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia which has hosted the Presidents Cup, multiple Australian Opens, and the LPGA Tour’s Women’s Australian Open. Overall MacKenzie designed and redesigned 55 courses throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and the United States.

Donald Ross (1872 – 1948)

Donald Ross began his life in Scotland and learned golf course design, greenskeeping and clubmaking under the apprenticeship of Old Tom Morris in St. Andrews. After learning from Morris, Ross moved to the United States where he began designing prestigious golf courses. Perhaps his most iconic golf course is the No. 2 Course at Pinehurst Resort, which has hosted the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, and multiple U.S. Opens. Another home to those major tournaments that was designed by Donald Ross is Oak Hill Country Club.

Ross left his mark on over 400 golf courses total throughout his career. Some other notable works of Ross that have also been host to the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship and U.S. Open include Oakland Hills, Scioto Country Club where Jack Nicklaus learned to play, and Inverness Club. Ross left a significant mark on golf courses across America with magnificent layouts that have strategic bunkers and give a great golfing experience.

A.W. Tillinghast (1874 – 1942)

Albert Warren Tillinghast was born in Philadelphia and spent time in St. Andrews learning golf from Old Tom Morris. The lessons he gained from Morris would inspire his works in golf course architecture. Throughout his career “Tillie,” as he was known, designed and remodeled over 250 golf courses in the United States and Canada. In 1907 a close friend Charles C. Worthington commissioned Tillinghast to design his first golf course the Shawnee Country Club in Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania which opened in 1909. Using the turf, sand and natural contours of the land in a challenging and demanding combination became Tilly’s trademark which began at the Shawnee Country Club.

In 1923 one of Tillinghast’s most famous courses Winged Foot Golf Club opened in Mamaroneck, New York. The Winged Foot Golf Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship, two U.S. Women’s Opens, a U.S. Senior Open, and two U.S. Amateur championships. Another major championship caliber course designed by Tillinghast is the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey which has hosted seven U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships. Tillinghast was an original member of the PGA of America and after the stock market crash he assisted the PGA in refurbishing and designing courses. This partnership helped ensure and encourage growth of the game despite the financial turmoil of the time. He was one of the first architects to focus on making a beautiful golf course with less concern on the length of holes. He had been quoted as saying “The merit of any hole is not judged by its length but rather by its interest and its variety as elective play is apparent. It isn’t how far but how good!”

Perry Maxwell (1879 – 1952)

Perry Maxwell
(Photo from oklahomasportshalloffame.org)

Perry Maxwell was known in his time as the “father of Oklahoma golf” as he not only designed courses there but brought great golfers to compete there as well. The first golf course Maxwell designed was the Dornick Hills Golf and Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Maxwell while not formally trained in golf course architecture became one of the finest golf course architects of the time and designed nearly 70 courses and remodeled around 50. One of his greatest golf courses he designed was the main 18-hole course at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Southern Hills Country Club has hosted the PGA Tour Championship twice, three U.S. Opens, and four PGA Championships. The PGA Championship has been held at another Maxwell designed course Twin Hills in Oklahoma City.

Maxwell’s style and approach to golf course architecture was to integrate the existing landscape to create challenging holes along with undulating greens. In 1931 Maxwell was invited by Dr. Alister MacKenzie, who was working on Augusta National, to become a partner. The two had originally met during a Scotland trip in 1919. Their work together include the Crystal Downs Country Club in Michigan, the Ohio State University Golf Course which Maxwell did the construction while MacKenzie did the design, the Melrose Country Club in Pennsylvania, and the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. The partnership ended after MacKenzie’s passing in 1934. In 1937, Maxwell was brought in to make some alterations and renovations to MacKenzie’s famed Augusta National Golf Club.

Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1906 – 2000)

Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
(Photo from baitinghollowclub.com)

Robert Trent Jones, Sr. has been credited with designing or redesigning over 500 golf courses throughout 45 states in the United States and 35 countries worldwide. Jones began his golf course architecture career after college as a partner with Canadian Stanley Thompson. Together the pair designed courses around Canada. In the 1930s Jones went into business for himself and developed courses in the United States. Following World War II Robert Trent Jones was brought in by golfing icon Bobby Jones to assist with the construction of Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta. Bobby Jones also brought “Trent” Jones, which he began going by to avoid confusion, to rework holes 11 and 16 at the famous Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.

Robert Trent Jones designed many major championship caliber courses during his illustrious course architect career. His design at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri has been host to the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. His course Hazetline National Golf Club in Minnesota staged the Ryder Cup, PGA Championships, and U.S. Open Championships for Men, Women and Seniors. In Ohio his course Firestone Country Club has been host to multiple PGA Championships along with other PGA Tour and World Golf Championship events. Jones’ golf course designs can be found from coast to coast in the United States from his Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California to the North Hills Country Club in North Hills, New York. He even designed a course in Spain, the Valderrama Golf Club.

Pete Dye (1925 – 2020)

Pete Dye
(Photo from golfdigest.com)

Pete Dye began his career as a golf course designer during his mid-30s after a successful career as an insurance salesman and an amateur golfer. His wife Alice joined Pete in his new career path and the two designed the nine-hole El Dorado course near Indianapolis. The nine holes are now part of the Royal Oak course at Dye’s Walk Country Club. Dye drew inspiration from Robert Trent Jones in his early work and later incorporated Alister MacKenzie features after visiting his courses. Dye later traveled to Scotland and brought aspects such as pot bunkers and undulating greens into his designs. He brought a dynamic thought process to golf course architecture with both a bold and minimalistic style which incorporated the natural landscape to create challenging and sophisticated courses.

Pete Dye is responsible for nearly 150 golf courses including some of the most stunning golf courses that are regular stops on the PGA Tour. The Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina was designed by Dye with the assistance of Jack Nicklaus in 1969. Harbour Town Golf Links is host to the RBC Heritage tournament. In 1980 Dye’s course design at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, TPC at Sawgrass, opened in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida which features the infamous island green on the 17th hole. TPC at Sawgrass is home to the PGA Tour headquarters and The Players Championship annually. In Wisconsin near the town of Kohler you’ll find another gem designed by Pete and Alice Dye, Whistling Straits. Whistling Straits has been host to multiple PGA Championships, the U.S. Senior Open, and the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Dye’s course design at the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, California was host to the 1987 Bob Hope Classic, now the CareerBuilder Challenge. Following the tournament PGA Tour professionals refused to return to the course the next year and even petitioned to remove the course from competition due to the immense challenge the course presented. In 2016 the ban was lifted and the PGA West Stadium Course once again hosted the CareerBuilder Challenge. Dye’s golf courses continue to provide stunning views and thought-provoking designs which will put every golfer to the test.

Categories: Golf History