Donald Ross

Born and raised in Dornoch, Scotland in 1872, Donald Ross immersed himself in golf from a very young age. Ross started as a caddie at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, one of the finest links courses in the world. He then spent a year as Scottish golf icon Old Tom Morris’s apprentice at St. Andrews, learning the tricks of the trade. Soon after, Ross earned the title of head golf professional at his home course.

In 1899, Ross emigrated to the United States to take a job as the professional at Oakley Country Club near Boston. In short order, Ross redesigned Oakley, launching what would eventually become a massive architectural portfolio. He was soon offered a job as the winter professional at James Tufts’s Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. 

It was Ross’s work at Pinehurst that ultimately paved the way for the rest of his career. Over time, he designed, built, and remodeled four courses at Pinehurst, including Pinehurst No. 2 (1907), one of America’s greatest championship golf courses.

In the meantime, Ross enjoyed a successful playing career. He claimed victory at the North and South Open three times (1903, 1905, 1906), and the Massachusetts Open twice (1905, 1911). From 1901 to 1910, Ross played in seven U.S. Opens, collecting four top 10s and a fifth-place finish in 1903. Ross retired from professional golf in 1911. 

On the back of his brilliant work at Pinehurst, Ross’s services became a hot commodity in the industry, and he continued to design courses across the U.S. From 1912 to 1929, Ross produced over 200 courses, many of which he was unable to visit after their completion because of his tremendous workload. During this time, he designed the well-known likes of East Lake Golf Club (1913), Seminole Golf Club (1929), Oakland Hills Country Club (1918), Oak Hill Country Club (1926), and Aronimink Golf Club (1928).

During the depression and war years of the 1930s and 40s, Ross continued to design courses, just far less frequently. In 1947, he hosted the first ever annual meeting for the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASCGA), a still-powerful organization that he co-founded.

In total, Ross played a part in the design of over 400 courses in North America before his passing in 1948. For good reason, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential golf architects in history.