William Flynn

William Flynn was born in Milton, Massachusetts, in 1890 and grew up to be a decorated amateur golfer, regularly competing against “father of amateur golf,” Francis Ouimet. Flynn’s career in the golf industry began at Merion Golf Club, where he was hired as a construction supervisor by Hugh Wilson. At Merion, Flynn played a role in the design of both the East and West courses, and he even served as superintendent for a brief period before resigning to focus solely on architecture. 

Flynn had initially hoped to continue working with Hugh Wilson, but Wilson’s declining health prevented the partnership. After World War I, Flynn teamed up with Howard Toomey to form the firm Toomey & Flynn. The firm became extremely active in the Philadelphia area, creating a collection of first-rate courses in a region that desperately needed them. Flynn would become a member of the “Philadelphia School of Golf Architecture”, a group of prominent golfers in the Philly area that studied and explored golf architecture. The membership of the Philadelphia School included four Philadelphia natives Hugh Wilson, A.W. Tillinghast, George Crump, and George Thomas; one Boston transplant, William Flynn; and one Pittsburgh resident, William Fownes. A clear theme that emerged from this transcendent group of architects was their unique ability to build ageless championship venues. Together, this group of architects produced many of America’s greatest courses. 

Over the next decade, Flynn bolstered his design portfolio with courses like Cherry Hills Country Club (1922), Lancaster Country Club (1920), The Country Club at Brookline (Primrose 9, 1927), and the Kittansett Club (1923), among others. In addition to his original designs, he also assisted in the completion of holes 12-15 at Pine Valley Golf Club (1918), one of the most hallowed courses in the game. 

The crowning achievement of Flynn’s career came in 1931 when he designed Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. Using the natural rolling topography of the Long Island property, Flynn produced one of the sternest tests of golf in the country. Since 1986, Shinnecock has hosted four U.S. Opens and is set to hold three more in the next twelve years.