MONTGOMERY COUNTY

A Hall Of Fame Of Golf Course Architects

BY TONY LEODORA

There is the World Golf Hall of Fame, near St. Augustine, Florida.

There is the newly proposed Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst.

There is Golf House, which stands as the Hall of Fame of the United States Golf Association, in Far Hills, New Jersey.

But if you want a living, breathing hall of fame for golf course architecture, all you need to do is take a trip to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Montgomery County has many classic golf courses – most of which were designed by some of the greatest golf course architects of all time. This longproclaimed golf capital of Pennsylvania is home to 50 golf courses. At one time, it had 60 golf courses – the most golf courses per square mile of any county in America.

“I was very lucky to grow up in an area like this,” says Jay Sigel, America’s second-most accomplished amateur golfer, behind only the legendary Bobby Jones. “I gained an appreciation of these classic courses at an early age. As a result, I never really became a fan of the newer courses. I like the old golf courses.”

The esteemed group of A.W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, George C. Thomas, Jr., Hugh Wilson, George Crump, and William Fownes make up what has come to be known as the “Philadelphia School” of golf course architecture. Together, the group designed over 300 courses, 27 of which are in the top 100 golf courses in the world.

They are the cornerstone of American golf, and all are either credited with the chief design of courses in Montgomery County or did substantial work on the courses.

Again, their contributions comprise a golf course architecture hall of fame, with its epicenter in Montgomery County.