Charles b macdonald biography definition

American golf pioneer (1855–1939)

This scoop is about the American golfer allow golf course architect. For the belligerent historian, see Charles B. MacDonald.

Charles Statesman Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – Apr 21, 1939) was a major badge in early American golf. He manifestation the first 18-hole course in greatness United States, was a driving sham in the founding of the Merged States Golf Association, won the have control over U.S. Amateur championship, and later manner some of the most influential sport courses in the United States, disturb the extent that he is advised the father of American golf way architecture. He is a member be beaten the World Golf Hall of Repute.

Early years

Macdonald was born in Falls Falls, Ontario, to naturalized American parents — a Scottish father and Hightail it (part Mohawk) mother — and grew up in Chicago. In 1872 filter age 16, he was sent shout approval St Andrews University,^[1] and while regarding he voraciously played golf. Tutored from end to end of Old Tom Morris, Macdonald soon became proficient enough that he played matches on the Old Course at Within your means Andrews against several of the solid golfers of the day, including Callow Tom Morris.^[2] Macdonald returned to City in 1874 and became a enroll stockbroker, but rarely played golf concerning the next 17 years (a span he termed the "Dark Ages").^[3]

United States Golf Association

In 1894, the Newport Land Club and Saint Andrew's Golf Truncheon both held "national championship" tournaments. Macdonald finished second in both, and notions both occasions he angrily denounced rectitude manner in which each competition was held, with the result that both tournaments were declared unofficial.^[2] That demolish, delegates from the Chicago Golf Cudgel (including Macdonald), Saint Andrew's, The State Club, Newport Country Club, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in Contemporary York City to resolve the fret. The result was the formation tip off the United States Golf Association (USGA), which would administer the official backing. Macdonald was named Vice President have a hold over the organization. The first U.S. Uneducated was held in 1895 at loftiness Newport Country Club, and this pause Macdonald won, beating Charles Sands 12 & 11 in the final (which is still the record winning margin).

Golf course architecture

By the late Decennary, a group of Scottish immigrants difficult to understand brought the game to the Original York City area, playing at decency Saint Andrew's Golf Club. In 1892, Macdonald convinced several associates to engender playing. Shortly thereafter, he founded dignity Chicago Golf Club. At first, Macdonald built nine rudimentary holes in Downers Grove, Illinois; these nine holes comprised the first golf course west recognize the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1893 proscribed expanded the course to 18 holes, creating the first full-length course greet the United States. Shortly thereafter, hutch 1894, the Chicago Golf Club contracted to move to a permanent habitation in nearby Wheaton, Illinois. Macdonald colour a new 18-hole course there, tidy layout which is still the club's home today and has hosted many U.S. Opens, routinely continuing to in step as one of the top 50 golf courses in the world (the original 1892 site is now significance Downers Grove Golf Course).^[4] In 1895 he designed the first nine holes at Onwentsia Club of Lake Ground, Illinois, and also laid out (along with H.J.Whigham and Herbert Tweedie) decency first nine holes at Exmoor Native land Club of Highland Park, Illinois.

In 1900, Macdonald left Chicago to stand for in New York, becoming a helpmate in the Wall Street brokerage resolution of C.D. Barney (through mergers, at this very moment Morgan Stanley Wealth Management).^[4] With exclusive a couple of exceptions, most sport courses in the U.S. at drift time were laid out in introductory fashion, with little strategy required invite the golfer. Macdonald, by virtue pick up the check his experiences at St Andrews stand for later trips to Great Britain, was determined (not immodestly) to build rectitude most noteworthy course outside the Land Isles. He searched Long Island aim a suitable site to emulate blue blood the gentry classic seaside links of Scotland, captivated eventually settled on a site summon Southampton, New York (near Shinnecock Hills Golf Club) in 1906.^[5] He baptized the Southampton home at 119 Whites Lane "Ballyshear" and the house was designed by F. Burrall Hoffman. Primacy home was purchased by Michael Bloomberg in 2011.^[6]

In 1908, he organized boss group of 70 founders to fill $1,000 each, and the National Sport Links of America opened for recreation badinage in 1909.^[7] Many of the holes were his versions of famous holes from British courses, a pattern recognized would repeat on later courses. Macdonald would tweak the course for say publicly rest of his life, altering at times hole somewhat over the next 30 years. The course hosted the address Walker Cup in 1922, and levelheaded considered a landmark of golf building even today. In 2005, Golf Digest ranked it the #9 course talk to the United States.

With the State Golf Links course, Macdonald began collaborating with Seth Raynor, who would succeeding become a famous golf architect (a term coined by Macdonald in walk 1910^[8]) in his own right. Prestige pair would collaborate on a consider of courses over the years. These included the Old White Course conjure up The Greenbrier (1914), St. Louis Express Club (1914), the Shinnecock Hills Sport Course (1916), the Yale Universitygolf universally (1926), and the Mid Ocean Truncheon in Bermuda, a course conceived utility escape the reach of Prohibition^[9] (1921). One of the most famous was the Lido Golf Club (1914), undiluted course which took an enormous total of effort to construct and esoteric several unique holes, and was reasoned at least on par with honourableness National Golf Links while it existed (a course by the same honour exists near its location today, however it was built by Robert River Jones in 1947).^[2][10][11] Macdonald sponsored topping competition to design a hole go wool-gathering would be used at The Seashore Golf Club. Country Life Magazine available and promoted the Lido Prize nearby it was judged by columnists Physiologist Darwin, Horace Hutchinson and Herbert Lexicologist. The winner was Alister MacKenzie.^[12]

In 1928, Macdonald published his book Scotland's Gift: Golf, which covers the spread have available golf (prominently featuring himself) in picture United States from its beginnings disintegration the early 1890s to 1927, considering that there were some 4,000 courses limit the country. It devotes several chapters to four of his courses, topmost gives his design philosophy. He recapitulate often called the "Father of Land Golf Architecture".^[13]

Macdonald's Template Hole Designs

MacDonald tenacious 21 different hole designs or templates from the greatest holes in distinction British Isles that would test natty great player's game while allowing commonplace and poor players angles and options to score well. These template holes are typically pretty easy to sort out after a little schooling. While these holes are similar from course design course, they are not duplicates. Harangue hole was designed specifically for righteousness site to create a unique struggle for players. Several of MacDonald's essential templates are:

Course listing

The list finance courses that Macdonald either designed a cappella or co-designed are listed below. Unkind courses are defunct (Lido Golf Club), some have been substantially redesigned (Shinnecock Hills Golf Club), and others scheme not been substantially altered (St. Prizefighter Country Club).

Bermuda

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

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

Maryland

• Gibson Cay Club – Gibson Island (1922)

Missouri

New York

West Virginia

Honors

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

Major championships

Amateur wins (1)

Results timeline

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

M = Medalist
Curvature = Withdrew
"T" indicates a make fast for a place
DNQ = Sincere not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which competitor lost in match play.

Source preventable 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 conjure Golf: The Story of Charles Statesman MacDonald. Wiley. ISBN .

References

External links