By Design - Issue 54, 75 Years Special Report

8 THE FOUNDING FATHERS T he American Society of Golf Course Architects was formed in 1947 when a group of designers banded together to “organize and promote good fellowship among golf course architects.” • # 1 William P. Bell ‘Billy Bell’ held several golf jobs, including caddie master and course superintendent, before entering the golf course design profession in 1920. He would forge a strong reputation with numerous projects along the West Coast, serve as ASGCA President from 1952-53 and provided the routing for Torrey Pines, which his son, Billy Bell II, made a reality following Bell Sr.’s death in 1953. Designs include: Stanford Golf Course, Bel-Air CC, Woodland Hills (all California) # 6 Robert Trent Jones In a career spanning several decades, Jones designed over 400 courses in 23 countries and is regarded as one of the most influential architects of his era. His ‘hard par, easy bogey’ philosophy is represented throughout his work, and he was one of the first golf course architects to establish his own brand of ‘signature’ layouts. He became known as the ‘Open Doctor’ for his work preparing courses to host elite championships. Designs include: Congressional (Maryland), Hazeltine National (Minnesota), Spyglass Hill (California), Valderrama (Spain) # 11 # 1 # 14 # 7 # 5 # 3 William H. Diddel Diddel won five Indiana State Amateur Championships between 1900-12 before working on his first golf course project - finishing off Willie Park Jr’s Highland Golf and Country Club. The Indiana native would forge a successful design career, producing many courses across the Midwest, even into his 80s. Many of his projects had a small budget, leading Diddel to get creative, designing courses without bunkers or in the way he shaped fairways and greens. Designs include: Northwood Club (Texas), Meridian Hills, Beechwood Golf Course (both Indiana) # 2 Jack Daray Designs include: Coronado Golf Course (California), Tchefuncta CC (Louisiana), Cascade Hills CC (Michigan) # 4 William F. Gordon Designs include: Saucon Valley CC (Grace Course), Sunnybrook CC (both Pennsylvania), Stanwich Club (Connecticut) # 5 Robert Bruce Harris Designs include: Lakewood CC (Louisiana), Grand Forks CC (North Dakota), Oro Valley CC (Arizona) Ten of the 14 ASGCA Founding Fathers attended the first Annual Meeting in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in 1947