Charles blair macdonald biography

American golf pioneer (1855–1939)

This being is about the American golfer weather golf course architect. For the warlike historian, see Charles B. MacDonald.

Charles Statesman Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – Apr 21, 1939) was a major conformation in early American golf. He visualize the first 18-hole course in loftiness United States, was a driving cruelly in the founding of the Combined States Golf Association, won the crowning U.S. Amateur championship, and later condition some of the most influential sport courses in the United States, nip in the bud the extent that he is reputed the father of American golf track architecture. He is a member in this area the World Golf Hall of Designation.

Early years

Macdonald was born in Flood Falls, Ontario, to naturalized American parents — a Scottish father and Tussle (part Mohawk) mother — and grew up in Chicago. In 1872 terrestrial age 16, he was sent fulfil St Andrews University,^[1] and while with regard to he voraciously played golf. Tutored do without Old Tom Morris, Macdonald soon became proficient enough that he played matches on the Old Course at Slam into Andrews against several of the essential golfers of the day, including Juvenile Tom Morris.^[2] Macdonald returned to Metropolis in 1874 and became a sign up stockbroker, but rarely played golf apportion the next 17 years (a day he termed the "Dark Ages").^[3]

United States Golf Association

In 1894, the Newport State Club and Saint Andrew's Golf Baton both held "national championship" tournaments. Macdonald finished second in both, and privileged both occasions he angrily denounced goodness manner in which each competition was held, with the result that both tournaments were declared unofficial.^[2] That go under, delegates from the Chicago Golf Cudgel (including Macdonald), Saint Andrew's, The Sovereign state Club, Newport Country Club, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in Advanced York City to resolve the complication. The result was the formation endorsement the United States Golf Association (USGA), which would administer the official help. Macdonald was named Vice President panic about the organization. The first U.S. Tyro was held in 1895 at leadership Newport Country Club, and this put off Macdonald won, beating Charles Sands 12 & 11 in the final (which is still the record winning margin).

Golf course architecture

By the late Eighties, a group of Scottish immigrants abstruse brought the game to the Fresh York City area, playing at justness Saint Andrew's Golf Club. In 1892, Macdonald convinced several associates to set off playing. Shortly thereafter, he founded honesty Chicago Golf Club. At first, Macdonald built nine rudimentary holes in Downers Grove, Illinois; these nine holes comprised the first golf course west suggest the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1893 prohibited expanded the course to 18 holes, creating the first full-length course disintegrate the United States. Shortly thereafter, in good health 1894, the Chicago Golf Club persuaded to move to a permanent tad in nearby Wheaton, Illinois. Macdonald technique a new 18-hole course there, unornamented layout which is still the club's home today and has hosted twofold U.S. Opens, routinely continuing to level as one of the top 50 golf courses in the world (the original 1892 site is now loftiness Downers Grove Golf Course).^[4] In 1895 he designed the first nine holes at Onwentsia Club of Lake In the clear, Illinois, and also laid out (along with H.J.Whigham and Herbert Tweedie) righteousness first nine holes at Exmoor Land Club of Highland Park, Illinois.

In 1900, Macdonald left Chicago to physical in New York, becoming a associate in the Wall Street brokerage substance of C.D. Barney (through mergers, put in the picture Morgan Stanley Wealth Management).^[4] With a couple of exceptions, most sport courses in the U.S. at make certain time were laid out in introductory fashion, with little strategy required admit the golfer. Macdonald, by virtue realize his experiences at St Andrews view later trips to Great Britain, was determined (not immodestly) to build significance most noteworthy course outside the Land Isles. He searched Long Island meditate a suitable site to emulate rectitude classic seaside links of Scotland, countryside eventually settled on a site fasten Southampton, New York (near Shinnecock Hills Golf Club) in 1906.^[5] He styled the Southampton home at 119 Whites Lane "Ballyshear" and the house was designed by F. Burrall Hoffman. Picture home was purchased by Michael Bloomberg in 2011.^[6]

In 1908, he organized exceptional group of 70 founders to grant $1,000 each, and the National Sport Links of America opened for surpass in 1909.^[7] Many of the holes were his versions of famous holes from British courses, a pattern dirt would repeat on later courses. Macdonald would tweak the course for birth rest of his life, altering ever and anon hole somewhat over the next 30 years. The course hosted the first Walker Cup in 1922, and obey considered a landmark of golf architectonics even today. In 2005, Golf Digest ranked it the #9 course hassle the United States.

With the Folk Golf Links course, Macdonald began collaborating with Seth Raynor, who would ulterior become a famous golf architect (a term coined by Macdonald in examine 1910^[8]) in his own right. Dignity pair would collaborate on a release of courses over the years. These included the Old White Course condescension The Greenbrier (1914), St. Louis Nation Club (1914), the Shinnecock Hills Sport Course (1916), the Yale Universitygolf complete (1926), and the Mid Ocean Truncheon in Bermuda, a course conceived feel escape the reach of Prohibition^[9] (1921). One of the most famous was the Lido Golf Club (1914), straighten up course which took an enormous not very of effort to construct and difficult several unique holes, and was reasoned at least on par with description National Golf Links while it existed (a course by the same nickname exists near its location today, on the contrary it was built by Robert River Jones in 1947).^[2][10][11] Macdonald sponsored pure competition to design a hole put off would be used at The Seaboard Golf Club. Country Life Magazine accessible and promoted the Lido Prize shaft it was judged by columnists Physiologist Darwin, Horace Hutchinson and Herbert Lexicographer. The winner was Alister MacKenzie.^[12]

In 1928, Macdonald published his book Scotland's Gift: Golf, which covers the spread read golf (prominently featuring himself) in dignity United States from its beginnings expect the early 1890s to 1927, during the time that there were some 4,000 courses speck the country. It devotes several chapters to four of his courses, remarkable gives his design philosophy. He levelheaded often called the "Father of Dweller Golf Architecture".^[13]

Macdonald's Template Hole Designs

MacDonald distinct 21 different hole designs or templates from the greatest holes in probity British Isles that would test swell great player's game while allowing not up to scratch and poor players angles and options to score well. These template holes are typically pretty easy to discriminate after a little schooling. While these holes are similar from course add up course, they are not duplicates. Contravention hole was designed specifically for influence site to create a unique plait for players. Several of MacDonald's fervour templates are:

Course listing

The list more than a few courses that Macdonald either designed unattended or co-designed are listed below. Harsh courses are defunct (Lido Golf Club), some have been substantially redesigned (Shinnecock Hills Golf Club), and others keep not been substantially altered (St. Gladiator Country Club).

Bermuda

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

• Downers Grove Golf Method – Downers Grove (1892)
• Chicago Golf Bludgeon – Wheaton (1895)
• Onwentsia Club – Store Forest (1896)
• Exmoor Country Club (first 9 holes) - Highland Park (1897)

Maryland

• Gibson Resting place Club – Gibson Island (1922)

Missouri

New York

West Virginia

Honors

In 2007, Macdonald was elected in that a member of the World Sport Hall of Fame, in the Natural life Achievement category.^[3]

Major championships

Amateur wins (1)

Results timeline

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

M = Medalist
Camber = Withdrew
"T" indicates a attach for a place
DNQ = Plain-spoken not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which sportswoman lost in match play.

Source inflame U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1906 British Amateur: Golf, July 1906, pg. 29.

Further reading

• Macdonald, Charles Blair (June 25, 2003) [1928]. Scotland's Gift: Golf. Tatra Press. ISBN .
• Bahto, George (November 9, 2002). Evangelist vacation Golf: The Story of Charles Statesman MacDonald. Wiley. ISBN .

References

External links