John Abercromby
Name:
John Frederick AbercrombyAlso known as:
"Aber"Country:
EnglandLived:
[1861-1935]. Born in 1861 in Cape Town, South Africa. Died on Sept 29, 1935 at home (The Addington Golf Club), aged 74.Original/Home Club:
Occupation:
Amateur golfer; golf course architect.Turned Pro:
n/aJohn Abercromby designed golf courses are predominantly to be found in England. His best known work includes, but is not limited to: The Addington (1913) / Bovey Castle (1926) / Coombe Hill (1911) / Knole Park (1924; with Herbert Fowler) / Mill Hill (1923; with Harry Colt) / West Byfleet (1922; redesign) / Worplesdon (1908).
Born in 1861 in Cape Town, South Africa, John Frederick "Aber" Abercromby was one of the leading golf course architects of the early-1900s ... a period often referred to as the "Golden Age of golf course architecture" (*see below).
John Abercromby's layouts were mainly confined to England, and are rather low in number compared to some of his British contemporaries like Harry Colt (b.1869), Alister MacKenzie (b.1870), James Braid (b.1870), Harry Vardon (b.1870) and J.H. Taylor (b.1871). However, what "Aber" lacked in quantity, he certainly made up for in terms of quality and boldness of the designs.
The "Golden Age of golf course architecture" roughly spanned 1900 to 1935. This period saw around 20 renowned UK and North American designers (all covered in our Who's Who section) create some of the world's best loved and most enduring golf courses . Specific design concepts from their layouts have been incorporated into golf course designs ever since.
The legendary designers of the "Golden Age" typically include the following:
British-born architects: John Abercromby; Charles Hugh Alison; James Braid: Harry Colt; Tom Dunn; Herbert Fowler; Alister MacKenzie; John Morrison; Willie Park Jr; Donald Ross and Tom Simpson.
North American-born architects (USA unless stated): Devereux Emmet; William S. Flynn; Charles Blair Macdonald (Canadian-born); Perry Maxwell; Seth Raynor; George C. Thomas Jr; Stanley Thompson (Canadian) and Albert W. Tillinghast.
124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.
79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).
Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.
Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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