Donald Ross

Donald Ross  1872—1948

 As a founding member and honorary president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Donald Ross was one of the foremost architects in his field.  He designed a total of 413 courses all over the United States, on which 100 U.S. National Championships have been played. 

Ross was born in 1872 in Dornach , Scotland, where he first became interested in the maintenance of golf courses and the making of golf clubs. In 1899 and American professor invited him to America to build his first course in Boston at Oakely Golf Club. Ross Was then asked to build a course in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he then chose to reside for much of the remainder of his life. His reputation grew quickly, and he began designing more courses — first in New England, then spreading out to the Midwest and the Southeast coast.

 As he became increasingly well-known for his designs, Ross continued to work out of his cabin in Pinehurst and may never have gotten to see up to one-third of his courses as long-distance travel was so difficult to arrange.  Ross included simply-worded instructions for the construction of his courses along with his blueprints.

 Ross offered his famous “test”. 

   The test should call for long and accurate tee shots, accurate iron play, precise handling of the short game and consistent putting. These activities should be called for in a proportion that will not permit excellence in any one department to largely offset deficiencies in any other.

 Ross designed the Tupper Lake Golf Course in 1932. The course has been maintained to stay true to his design and his “test” to this day.