Want to know more about Alexander Findlay?
If you're interested in learning more about the "Father of American Golf", More information can be found here.
Legendary golf architect, Alexander Findlay located Walnut Lane Golf Club along the rim of the Wissahickon Valley. Now a challenging, family friendly parkland golf course, it was completed in 1940 as a part of the WPA.
Findlay took full advantage of the topography, placing tees and greens next to precipitous banks, gullies, swales and valleys both in and out of play. Two par thees offer severely uphill tee shots. The undulating greens vary in size and cant, and just when the fairways get tighter in the back 9, the greens are more often protected by deep bunkers that can test every aspect your short game.
Despite being re-routed several times throughout the years, We feel that Walnut Lane retains more charm and character of its original design than any other City course, including Hugh Wilson's venerable offering.
Born: Scotland. Died: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age 76
Alex Findlay emigrated to the United States in the early 1880's to manage a ranch in Nebraska. There he introduced the game of golf and laid out a golf course in 1885. Findlay was later in charge of planning, constructing, and operating courses for the Florida East Coast Railroad, the same position as that held by John Duncan Dunn with the rival Florida West Coast Railroad.
Findlay for a time was associated in course development with Wright and Ditson and later with the Wannamaker's, both prominent East Coast Sporting goods firms. In addition, he continued to plan courses on his own, doing over 100 layouts in his design career, many of them constructed by his sons Norman, Ronald, and Richard.
Alex Findlay was one of the genuine pioneers in the game. He played a series of American exhibitions with the great Henry Vardon, played some 2400 courses during his lifetime and established dozens of course records. In 1926 he visited the Vatican where he tried unsuccessfully to establish a 6-hole golf course.
Findlay designed courses in sixteen (AK, FL, ME, MA, MD, MT, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, & WV) of the 50 United States and Nassau Golf Links in the Bahamas. His most notable local efforts include Coatesville Country Club, Llanerch Country Club, Reading Country Club, and Tavistock Country Club.
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