

Open, he finished in the top 10 four times and placed fifth in 1903.Īs he aged, Ross focused less on playing and more on architecture. He claimed the Massachusetts Open in 19, and won the prestigious North and South Open three times (1903, 1905, 1911). Overall, he had a major hand in the upgrades that turned Pinehurst into one of the premier resorts in America.ĭuring the same time, Ross built a formidable reputation as a player. 2 course, which opened in its first iteration in 1907. To this day, Pinehurst’s crown jewel remains Ross’s No. He was immediately tasked with building a new nine-hole loop to supplement the resort’s existing 18 holes (Pinehurst No. With the rising popularity of golf and resort life in general, Pinehurst expanded quickly, and Ross did much more than your typical pro. Soon after arriving in the states, Ross picked up a winter job at James Tufts’s Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. If you visit Oakley today, you will find 11 original Donald Ross holes. His first golf course design would be the new course at Oakley CC, which opened in 1901. The course was somewhat mediocre when he arrived.

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Upon arriving, he took a job as the professional at Oakley Country Club in Massachusetts. In 1899, Ross took his talents to the United States. Ross was soon named the golf professional at his home course. He met Old Tom Morris in Dornoch and ended up serving as an apprentice for him in St. He got his start in golf by caddying at one of the finest courses in the world, Royal Dornoch, and he later became a club-maker. Backgroundĭonald Ross was born in 1872, in the town of Dornoch, Scotland. Ross’s transcendent skills were his genius for routing courses and his ability to create playability for beginners while still challenging the best players. His name appears more than any other on the magazines’ top-100 rankings, and over 100 major championships and USGA events have been hosted at his courses.

Ross was one of the first professional golf course architects to build a successful and efficient business in America. Donald Ross, a giant of the Golden Age of golf architecture, was stunningly prolific, with over 400 designs to his name.
