WILLIAM FLYNN

By far the most active star in Montgomery County’s golf course architecture hall of fame is William Flynn.

A native of Milton, Massachusetts, Flynn got his big break when he was hired to assist Hugh Wilson in the construction of Merion’s famed East Course in Ardmore. He stayed on for 25 years at Merion, serving as superintendent, at the same time he partnered with engineer Howard Toomey and formed their golf course architecture firm.

They gained national acclaim for the design of many courses – most notably Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, Cherry Hills in Colorado, The Cascades in Virginia, Lancaster Country Club, and The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

During his tenure at Merion, Flynn was selected to design many courses in Montgomery County. They include Huntingdon Valley Country Club,

Manufacturers Golf & Country Club, Philadelphia Country Club, Philmont Country Club (North Course), Plymouth Country Club which is now the 1912 Club (9 holes), and Bala Golf Club.

It was at Bala that Jay Sigel played his first rounds of golf and gained a great appreciation for classic architecture.

“I loved that course and I miss playing it,” said Sigel.

He won his first club championship at the club at the age of 15. He played a veteran businessman, Howard Rexford, who reveled in telling the story that, in the first 18 holes of his final 36-hole match with Sigel, he shot 71 and was 10-down.

Bala also became somewhat of a broadcasters’ golf hall of fame. During the 1950s and ‘60s, due to Bala’s proximity to the television and radio offices on City Line Avenue, Bala claimed as members: sports legend Jack Whitaker, Phillies play-by-play radio voice Gene Kelly, Phillies broadcaster Byrum Saam, Eagles voice Bill Campbell and the legendary Frank Chirkinian – who went on to be the driving force behind Masters telecasts from Augusta National.