George Cobb (golf)
Encyclopedia
George W. Cobb, ASGCA
(July 2, 1914 - January 15, 1986) is a notable and prolific golf course designer who created the Par-3 Course at Augusta National Golf Club
among more than one hundred courses and renovated many, including his own early work. He strove to create attractive layouts that the average golfer would find enjoyable, not frustrating.
, learned to play as a child and was a scratch golfer. He had an older brother, W.E. and a younger sister, Mary A.
Cobb attended the University of Georgia
, where he played on the college golf team. He studied landscape architecture and graduated in 1937. He was hired by the National Park Service
and worked as a landscape architect until 1941.
, Cobb was a Marine Corps
engineering officer at Camp Lejeune
in North Carolina. Because he was an avid golfer and landscape architect, he was assigned the task of constructing a golf course for use in physical rehabilitation of injured GIs, but he had no experience in course design. Cobb was permitted to hire experienced course architect Fred Findlay to provide design assistance. Cobb handled the construction superintendent responsibilities on this and a subsequent course at Lejeune.
In 1946, Cobb designed and built the course at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
on his own, then was discharged from the Marines during 1947.
escalated, he was recalled to active duty in 1951. Released from service, Cobb initially moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
and was working on the Country Club of Sapphire Valley when he was hired to build the Green Valley Country Club. While working on Green Valley in the spring of 1956, he was offered and accepted a position as a director of Hollyridge Corporation, the developer. He and his family settled in Greenville, South Carolina, where they remained. In 1958 he was named general manager of the club, but resigned when his design business proliferated during 1960, when he had eight South Carolina courses under construction or being designed.
Cobb was design consultant at Augusta National Golf Club
from the mid-1950s and became good friends with Bobby Jones
and Clifford Roberts
, chairman of Augusta National. The club decided to add a par 3, nine-hole course in 1958, which Alister MacKenzie
had suggested in the 1930s. Cobb was asked to design it with input from Roberts, and the 1,060 yard "little course" opened in 1959. The Par-3 Contest has been held on Wednesday of Masters week since 1960. In fifty years of Masters play, no one has ever won the Par-3 and the main tournament in the same week.
Cobb added a fresh touch to the "big course" in 1967 and 1977. The only other Par 3 course Cobb ever designed was the Par 3 course at Vestavia Country Club in Birmingham, AL.
in 1968. He apprenticed with George Cobb before the Vietnam War
forced him into the service. Like Cobb, LaFoy chose the Marine Corps. After his discharge, LaFoy returned to work with Cobb, and in 1971, he became Cobb's partner. They collaborated on every subsequent course the firm built, and when Cobb's health began to fail in the early 1980s, he ran the company. After Cobb's death in 1986, LaFoy continued designing and remodeling courses, and in 1999, he served as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects
.
Click arrow box in column heading to sort by that attribute.
American Society of Golf Course Architects
The American Society of Golf Course Architects is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existing courses in the United States and Canada. One of its founders was noted...
(July 2, 1914 - January 15, 1986) is a notable and prolific golf course designer who created the Par-3 Course at Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
among more than one hundred courses and renovated many, including his own early work. He strove to create attractive layouts that the average golfer would find enjoyable, not frustrating.
Early life
George was born into a family of golfers in Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, learned to play as a child and was a scratch golfer. He had an older brother, W.E. and a younger sister, Mary A.
Cobb attended the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, where he played on the college golf team. He studied landscape architecture and graduated in 1937. He was hired by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and worked as a landscape architect until 1941.
Military
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Cobb was a Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
engineering officer at Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in North Carolina. The base's of beaches make it a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allows for fast deployments.The main base is supplemented by five satellite...
in North Carolina. Because he was an avid golfer and landscape architect, he was assigned the task of constructing a golf course for use in physical rehabilitation of injured GIs, but he had no experience in course design. Cobb was permitted to hire experienced course architect Fred Findlay to provide design assistance. Cobb handled the construction superintendent responsibilities on this and a subsequent course at Lejeune.
In 1946, Cobb designed and built the course at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...
on his own, then was discharged from the Marines during 1947.
Vocation
After the experience provided by the military, Cobb decided that he enjoyed building golf courses. He started his own golf design business and created six courses, but when the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
escalated, he was recalled to active duty in 1951. Released from service, Cobb initially moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
and was working on the Country Club of Sapphire Valley when he was hired to build the Green Valley Country Club. While working on Green Valley in the spring of 1956, he was offered and accepted a position as a director of Hollyridge Corporation, the developer. He and his family settled in Greenville, South Carolina, where they remained. In 1958 he was named general manager of the club, but resigned when his design business proliferated during 1960, when he had eight South Carolina courses under construction or being designed.
Augusta
Cobb's shortest course may actually be his most prominent creation.Cobb was design consultant at Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
from the mid-1950s and became good friends with Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
and Clifford Roberts
Clifford Roberts
Clifford Roberts was an American investment dealer and golf administrator.-Biography:Born in Morning Sun, Iowa, Roberts had a troubled family life as a boy, and left school in the ninth grade. He worked at a great variety of jobs all around the United States, and eventually chose the investment...
, chairman of Augusta National. The club decided to add a par 3, nine-hole course in 1958, which Alister MacKenzie
Alister MacKenzie
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was an internationally renowned, British golf course architect whose course designs, on three different continents, are consistently ranked among the finest golf courses in the world...
had suggested in the 1930s. Cobb was asked to design it with input from Roberts, and the 1,060 yard "little course" opened in 1959. The Par-3 Contest has been held on Wednesday of Masters week since 1960. In fifty years of Masters play, no one has ever won the Par-3 and the main tournament in the same week.
Cobb added a fresh touch to the "big course" in 1967 and 1977. The only other Par 3 course Cobb ever designed was the Par 3 course at Vestavia Country Club in Birmingham, AL.
Associate
John LaFoy grew up in Greenville, and was close friends with Cobb's son, George, Jr. LaFoy studied architecture and graduated from Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in 1968. He apprenticed with George Cobb before the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
forced him into the service. Like Cobb, LaFoy chose the Marine Corps. After his discharge, LaFoy returned to work with Cobb, and in 1971, he became Cobb's partner. They collaborated on every subsequent course the firm built, and when Cobb's health began to fail in the early 1980s, he ran the company. After Cobb's death in 1986, LaFoy continued designing and remodeling courses, and in 1999, he served as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects
American Society of Golf Course Architects
The American Society of Golf Course Architects is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existing courses in the United States and Canada. One of its founders was noted...
.
Courses designed
The following is a (partial) list of courses that George Cobb either designed alone (prior to 1971) or co-designed with John LaFoy:Click arrow box in column heading to sort by that attribute.
| Facility Name | Access | City | State | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lake Golf Club | Private | Atlanta | GA | 1904 |
| Coosa Country Club | Private | Rome | GA | 1909 |
| Cane Creek Golf Course | Public | Fort McClellan | AL | 1942 |
| Gold at Paradise Point Golf Course | Military | Camp Lejeune | NC | 1945 |
| Paradise Point Golf Club (Gold course) | Military | Camp Lejeune | NC | 1945 |
| Cherry Point Golf Club | Private | Cherry Point | NC | 1946 |
| Green Valley Country Club | Private | Greenville | SC | 1955 |
| Fort Mill Golf Club | Semi-Private | Fort Mill | GA | 1948 |
| Fort Jackson Golf Course | Military | Columbia | SC | 1949 |
| Wildcat at Fort Jackson Golf Club | Military | Fort Jackson | SC | 1949 |
| Carmel Country Club (North course) | Private | Charlotte | NC | 1950 |
| Lake/Cedar at Greenwood Country Club | Private | Greenwood | SC | 1950 |
| University of North Carolina Finley Golf Course Finley Golf Course UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the home of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's and women's golf teams. It was originally built by Raleigh businessman A. E. Finley in 1949 to a design by George Cobb. Further holes were added in the 1980s along with renovation of the... |
Semi-Private | Chapel Hill | NC | 1951 |
| Jacksonville Country Club | Private | Jacksonville | NC | 1951 |
| Prospect Hill Country Club \ | Private | Bowie | MD | 1956 |
| High Hampton Inn & Country Club | Resort | Cashiers | NC | 1956 |
| University of Maryland Golf Course University of Maryland Golf Course The University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Maryland, is the home of the Maryland Terrapins men's and women's golf teams. The semi-private championship course was designed in 1955 by George Cobb, the course has been a longtime host of state and regional tournaments and hosts over 50,000... |
Semi-Private | College Park | MD | 1956 |
| Fort Eustis Golf Club | Military | Fort Eustis | MD | 1956 |
| Parks at Courses at Fort Meade | Military | Fort Meade | MD | 1956 |
| Glenn Dale Country Club | Semi-Private | Glenn Dale | MD | 1956 |
| Laurel Pines Country Club | Public | Laurel | MD | 1956 |
| Laurel Country Club | Public | Laurel | MD | 1957 |
| JC Long Estate Golf Club | Semi-Private | Mount Pleasant | SC | 1957 |
| Vestavia Country Club | Private | Birmingham | AL | 1958 |
| Willowhaven Country Club | Semi-Private | Durham | NC | 1958 |
| Raleigh Golf Association (9) | Public | Raleigh | NC | 1958 |
| Country Club of Sapphire Valley | Private | Cashiers | NC | 1958 |
| Lakeside Golf Club | Public | Atlanta | GA | 1960 |
| The Nine Hole at Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual... |
Private | Augusta | GA | 1960 |
| Green Island Country Club | Private | Columbus | GA | 1960 |
| Surf Golf & Beach Club | Semi-Private | North Myrtle Beach | SC | 1960 |
| Vestavia Country Club-Par 3 Course | Private | Birmingham | AL | 1960 |
| Quail Hollow Club Quail Hollow Club The Quail Hollow Club is a country club and golf course located in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is a private member club, founded by James J. Harris on April 13, 1959... |
Private | Charlotte | NC | 1961 |
| Spring Valley Country Club | Private | Columbia | SC | 1961 |
| Sea Pines Resort (Sea Marsh course, renamed Heron Point) | Resort | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1961 |
| Deerwood Club Deerwood Country Club Deerwood is the oldest gated community and country club in Jacksonville, Florida. After it was established in the mid-1960s, it was the most exclusive residential area on the south side of Jacksonville and remains so today, with round-the-clock guard service at two entrances and high standards for... |
Private | Jacksonville | FL | 1961 |
| Berkeley Country Club | Semi-Private | Moncks Corner | SC | 1961 |
| Mountain Valley Golf Course | Semi-Private | Waynesville | NC | 1961 |
| Oak Island Golf Club Caswell Beach, North Carolina Caswell Beach is a small seaside town located on the eastern part of Oak Island in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and is adjacent to the North Carolina Baptist Assembly and the island's United States Coast Guard station. It was incorporated as a town in 1975. The population was 370 at the 2000... |
Semi-Private | Caswell Beach | NC | 1962 |
| Wildcat Cliffs Country Club | Private | Highlands | NC | 1962 |
| Windsor Forest Country Club | Private | Savannah | GA | 1962 |
| Hound Ears Club | Resort | Boone | NC | 1963 |
| Dublin Country Club | Private | Dublin | GA | 1963 |
| Gainesville Golf & Country Club | Private | Gainesville | FL | 1963 |
| Botany Woods Golf Club | Private | Greenville | SC | 1963 |
| Timuquana Country Club Timuquana Country Club Timuquana Country Club is a private golf and country club in Jacksonville, Florida. Located in Jacksonville's Ortega neighborhood, it was founded in 1923. Its golf course was originally designed by legend Donald Ross, and members have included PGA Tour professionals Steve Melnyk and David Duval... |
Private | Jacksonville | FL | 1963 |
| Milledgeville Country Club | Public | Milledgeville | GA | 1963 |
| Mountain Glen Golf Course | Semi-Private | Newland | NC | 1963 |
| Waynesboro Country Club | Private | Waynesboro | GA | 1963 |
| Doublegate Country Club | Private | Albany | GA | 1964 |
| Ocean Point at Fripp Island Resort | Resort | Fripp Island | SC | 1964 |
| Barony at Port Royal Golf Club | Private | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1964 |
| Eighteen Hole at Indian Lake Estates Golf & Country Club | Semi-Private | Indian Lake Estates | FL | 1964 |
| Rolling Hills Country Club | Private | Monroe | NC | 1964 |
| High Meadows Golf & Country Club | Private | Roaring Gap | NC | 1964 |
| Croasdaile Country Club | Private | Durham | NC | 1965 |
| Adventure Inn Golf Club | Resort | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1965 |
| Robber's Row at Port Royal Golf Club | Private | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1967 |
| Sharon Golf Club | Private | Sharon Center | OH | 1965 |
| Wrenwoods Golf Club at Charleston Air Force Base | Military | Charleston | SC | 1966 |
| Clarksville Country Club | Private | Clarksville | TN | 1966 |
| Cabarrus Country Club | Private | Concord | NC | 1966 |
| Burningtree Country Club | Private | Decatur | AL | 1966 |
| Myrtlewood Golf Club (Pines Course) | Private | Myrtle Beach | SC | 1966 |
| Forest Heights Country Club | Private | Statesboro | GA | 1966 |
| Sea Pines Resort (Ocean course) | Resort | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1967 |
| North Ridge Country Club North Ridge Country Club North Ridge Estates & Country Club is a residential neighborhood and country club located in northern Raleigh, North Carolina off Falls of the Neuse Road... (Lakes course) |
Private | Raleigh | NC | 1967 |
| Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort (Tall Pines course) | Resort | Saint Simons Island | GA | 1967 |
| Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort (Great Oaks course) \ | Resort | Saint Simons Island | GA | 1967 |
| Hunter Golf Club | Military | Savannah | GA | 1967 |
| Mary Calder Golf Club | Public | Savannah | GA | 1967 |
| Twin Falls Resort State Park | Resort | Mullens | WV | 1968 |
| Santee Cooper Country Club | Semi-Private | Santee | SC | 1968 |
| Pine Tree Country Club | Private | Birmingham | AL | 1969 |
| Country Club of Charleston | Private | Charleston | WV | 1969 |
| Star Fort National Golf Course | Private | Ninety Six | SC | 1969 |
| Edgewood Country Club | Private | Sissonville | WV | 1969 |
| Browns Mill Golf Club | Private | Atlanta | GA | 1970 |
| Pope AFB Golf Course | Military | Fayetteville | NC | 1970 |
| Clipper/Galleon at Shipyard Golf Club | Resort | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1970 |
| Brigantine/Clipper at Shipyard Golf Club | Private | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1970 |
| Galleon/Brigantine at Shipyard Golf Club | Resort | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1970 |
| Spanish Wells Club | Private | Hilton Head Island | SC | 1970 |
| Warrior's Path State Park Golf Course | Public | Kingsport | TN | 1970 |
| Snee Farm Country Club | Private | Mount Pleasant | SC | 1970 |
| Fort McClellan Golf Club | Military | Fort McClellan | AL | 1971 |
| Goose Pond Colony Golf Course | Public | Scottsboro | AL | 1971 |
| Red Wing Lake Golf Course | Public | Virginia Beach | VA | 1971 |
| Brookfield West Golf & Country Club | Private | Atlanta | GA | 1972 |
| Connestee Falls Golf Course | Semi-Private | Brevard | NC | 1972 |
| The Resort at Glade Springs | Resort | Daniels | WV | 1972 |
| Stonebridge Golf Course | Public | Lakeland | TN | 1972 |
| Cleghorn Plantation Golf & Country Club | Public | Rutherfordton | NC | 1972 |
| Eisenhower College Golf Course (9) | Private | Seneca | NY | 1972 |
| Bald Head Island Country Club | Semi-Private | Southport | NC | 1972 |
| Glade Springs Country Club | Private | Beckley | WV | 1973 |
| Inverness Country Club | Private | Birmingham | AL | 1973 |
| StillWaters Golf Club - The Legend Course | Private | Dadeville | AL | 1973 |
| Bryan Park Golf Course | Private | Greensboro | NC | 1973 |
| Holly Tree Country Club | Private | Greenville | SC | 1973 |
| Bryan Park Players Course | Private | Brown Summit | NC | 1974 |
| Frank G. Clemment Golf Club | Semi-Private | Dickson | TN | 1974 |
| Nine Hole Par 3 at Indian Lake Estates Golf & Country Club | Semi-Private | Indian Lake Estates | FL | 1974 |
| Stonebridge Golf Course | Public | Memphis | TN | 1974 |
| Cobb's Glen Country Club | Semi-Private | Anderson | SC | 1975 |
| Woodlands Golf & Country Club | Private | Columbia | SC | 1975 |
| Clemson University Golf Course | Semi-Private | Clemson | SC | 1976 |
| The Tides Inn The Tides Inn The Tides Inn is a luxury waterfront resort just off the Rappahannock River in Irvington, Virginia. It was opened in 1947 by entrepreneur E.A. Stephens, and is now owned by Enchantment Group and managed by Carters Creek Management. It is a leading East Coast resort on Virginia's Northern Neck,... (Golden Eagle course) |
Resort | Irvington | VA | 1976 |
| Mountwood Park Golf Course | Semi-Private | Waverly | WV | 1977 |
| Keowee Key Golf & Country Club | Private | Seneca | SC | 1977 |
| New Quarter Park Golf Club | Semi-Private | Williamsburg | VA | 1977 |
| Pohick Bay Golf Course | Public | Lorton | VA | 1978 |
| Mallard Head Country Club | Semi-Private | Mooresville | NC | 1979 |
| Oak Ridge Country Club | Semi-Private | Spartanburg | SC | 1979 |
| Linville Ridge Country Club>Linville Ridge Country Club|Linville | NC | 1983 | ||
| North/East at Athens Country Club | Private | Athens | GA | 1985 |
| Sanctuary Golf Club | Private | Beaufort | SC | 1985 |
| Cat Island Country Club | Private | Fripp Island | SC | 1985 |
| Tartan Golf Club | Resort | Weems | VA | 1958 |
Further reading
- Golf In The Upstate - Since 1895, The Biography of George Cobb with Mark William ShawMark William ShawMark William Shaw is an American lawyer, television personality and author of more than 20 books. His latest, Road to a Miracle, A Wandering, A Knightmare, An Awakening, was published in August 2011.- Early/Later life :...
, ISBN 0809226812 published by McGraw-Hill, March 1999