Old Tom Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908) designed or remodelled about 75 golf courses throughout his life in the British Isles, including The Open Championship courses of Prestwick, the Old Course at St Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Portrush, and Carnoustie. GolfPass has said that "You could make an argument that Old Tom Morris is the greatest golf course architect who ever lived".

Career

Morris started designing golf courses whilst working at Carnoustie, when he was employed as an apprentice to Allan Robertson. Many of the courses that he subsequently designed have since been remodelled, but not all of them. In 1850, Allan Robertson initially designed the Carnoustie Golf Links, Old Tom Morris remodelled and extended it to a full 18 holes in the early 1870s. Carnoustie's only surviving Morris hole is the par 5 6th hole, previously known as "Long", it was officially renamed on 24 September 2003 as "Hogan’s Alley" by the 1999 Open Championship winner at Carnoustie Paul Lawrie in honour of Ben Hogan's victory at the same course in The Open in 1953.

He also laid out The Himalayas, 9-hole putting course in St Andrews in 1867 for the St Andrews Ladies Golf Club. It lies next to the Old Course, north of the Swilcan Burn. It is thought that it was the first minigolf or 'miniature links' course in the world, and it's now both a 9-hole and 18-hole putting course.

Morris introduced many of the greenskeeping techniques that are still used today, including:

He standardised the length of a golf course to 18 holes. The first to use a lawn mower to cut putting greens. He is said to have accidentally discovered the benefits of routinely dressing the tops of greens with sand to improve the density and uniformity of the putting turf, when he accidentally spilled a wheelbarrow full of sand onto a green. Using fertilisers, lime, sulfates, and compost to improve the growth of the turf. Using drainage and irrigation to improve linksland golf courses, by digging shallow wells at each green for irrigation and with making minor drainage improvements to bunkers. The first strategic design of hazards such that hazards could work as markers so that players could plan their play around them. Before his time, hazards, such as bunkers, were left alone. Morris began managing the state of these hazards. Yardage markers, which tell golfers how far they are from the green. The markers can indicate that they are for example 200 yards, 150 yards, or 100 yards from the green. The first tee boxes, also known as the teeing area. Before his time, golfers would tee off for the next hole from the green they had just played.

Golf courses designed by Old Tom Morris

Denotes that there is no corroborating evidence to suggest that any other architect was involved in designing the golf course

Country Golf Club (golf course) Location Other architects ScotlandAlyth Golf ClubAlythJames Braid Anstruther Golf ClubAnstrutherArbroath Golf LinksElliotWillie Fernie, James Braid Askernish Golf ClubAskernishMartin Ebert Bridge of Allan Golf ClubBridge of AllanCallander Golf ClubCallanderWillie Fernie Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship)Carnoustie Allan Robertson, James Braid, James Wright Crail Golfing Society (Balcomie Links)Crail Crieff Golf Club (Ferntower)Crieff Robert Simpson, James Braid, John Stark Cruden Bay Golf Club (Championship Course)Cruden BayArchie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler Cruden Bay Golf Club (St Olaf Course) Cruden BayArchie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler Cullen Links Golf ClubCullenCharlie Neaves Dunbar Golf ClubDunbarBen Sayers, James Braid Dunkeld and Birnam Golf ClubDunkeldForfar Golf ClubForfarJames BraidGlasgow Golf ClubBearsdenJames Braid, Dave ThomasThe Golf House ClubElieHelensburgh Golf ClubHelensburghTom Turnbull, James BraidKinghorn Golf ClubKinghornWillie FernieKing James VI Golf ClubPerth Kingussie Golf ClubKingussieHarry VardonKirkcaldy Golf ClubKirkcaldyLadybank Golf ClubLadybankLanark Golf ClubLanarkGeorge Sayers, James BraidLeslie Golf ClubLeslie Leven Links Golf CourseLevenLuffness New Golf ClubAberladyLundin Golf ClubLundin LinksJames BraidMachrihanish Golf Club (Championship)MachrihanishCharles Hunter, John Henry Taylor, Guy CampbellMontrose Golf LinksMontroseWillie Park Jr., Harry ColtMoray Golf Club (old course)LossiemouthMuirfieldGullaneHarry Colt, Tom SimpsonNairn Dunbar Golf ClubNairnJames Braid Nairn Golf Club NairnArchie Simpson, James Braid, Ben Sayers, Mackenzie & Ebert Newtonmore Golf ClubNewtonmoreTom Watson, Tom Turnbull North Berwick Golf Club (The West Links)North BerwickUnknown, David Strath, Ben Sayers, C. K. (Cecil Key) Hutchison North Inch Golf CoursePerthPanmure Golf ClubBarryJames BraidPrestwick Golf ClubPrestwick —The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of EdinburghBarnton, Edinburgh Willie Park Jr., James Braid, Mackenzie RossRoyal Dornoch Golf ClubDornoch John Henry Taylor, George DuncanScotscraig Golf ClubTayportJames BraidSt Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club (The Himalayas) St AndrewsSt Andrews Links (Jubilee Course)St AndrewsJohn Angus, Willie Auchterlonie, Donald SteelSt Andrews Links (New Course)St AndrewsWilliam Hall Blyth St Andrews Links (Old Course)St AndrewsUnknown, Allan Robertson, Martin Hawtree St Michaels Golf ClubLeucharsHugh HamiltonStirling Golf ClubStirlingHenry Cotton, Howard Swan, Willie Fernie, James Braid Strathpeffer Spa Golf ClubStrathpeffer Willie Park Jr., Tom Vardon Tain Golf ClubTain Tarland Golf ClubTarlandThornhill Golf ClubThornhillThe West Kilbride Golf ClubWest KilbrideJames Braid EnglandCleeve Hill Golf CourseCheltenhamAlister MacKenzie Cleveland Golf ClubRedcarHarry Colt, Donald Steel Dewsbury District Golf ClubMirfieldTed Ray, Peter Alliss, Dave Thomas Kendal Golf ClubKendalHarry Vardon, Tom Vardon, John Henry Taylor Kettering Golf Club Kettering Mackenzie & Ebert Kirby Muxloe Golf ClubKirby MuxloeSimon Gidman Lindrick Golf ClubAnstonTom Dunn, Willie Park Jr., Alister MacKenzie Mitcham Golf ClubMitchamTom Dunn Newcastle United Golf ClubNewcastle upon Tyne Northampton Golf ClubHarlestoneCameron Sinclair, Donald Steel, Willie Park, Jr., James Braid Royal Cromer Golf ClubCromerJames Braid, John Henry Taylor Royal North Devon Golf ClubWestward Ho!Herbert Fowler Wallasey Golf ClubWallaseyJames Braid, John Henry Taylor, Sandy Herd, Harold Hilton, Fred Hawtree Warkworth Golf ClubWarkworth West Herts Golf ClubCroxley GreenJohn Henry Taylor, Alister MacKenzie, Harry Colt Northern IrelandRoyal County Down Golf Club (Annesley Links) NewcastleDonald Steel, Mackenzie & Ebert Royal County Down Golf Club (Championship Links)George L. Baillie, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Donald Steel Royal Portrush Golf ClubPortrushHarry Colt, Mackenzie & Ebert Republic of IrelandLahinch Golf ClubLahinchCharles Gibson, Alister MacKenzie, Martin Hawtree Rosapenna Golf Links (Old Tom Morris Links)DowningsJames Braid, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Pat RuddyIsle of ManCastletown Golf LinksDerbyhavenMackenzie Ross King Edward Bay Golf ClubDouglas Ramsey Golf ClubRamseyGeorge Lowe, James Braid, Steve MarnochWales Pwllheli Golf ClubPwllheliJames Braid

Open Championship courses designed by Old Tom Morris

See also List of golf course architects Tom Morris Golf Shop

Notes

References

Further reading

External links