William Flynn (golfer)
Encyclopedia
William Stephen Flynn was a prominent golf course architect during the early part of the 20th century. Among Flynn's most notable work are the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
on Long Island
, Cherry Hills Country Club
, Lancaster Country Club and his work at the Merion Golf Club
.
. He graduated from Milton High School, where he had played inter-scholastic golf and competed against his friend Francis Ouimet
. He laid out his first course at Heartwellville, Vermont, in 1909 and was then hired to assist Hugh Wilson
with completion of the East Course at Merion Golf Club
in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
. He worked as the construction supervisor at Merion and remained on as superintendent for a short time helping establish the course.
Flynn would continue his involvement with Merion for 25 years perfecting the course. He and Wilson had hoped to form a design partnership, but Wilson's failing health prevent it. Instead, Flynn partnered with Howard Toomey just after World War I
with Flynn the designer and Toomey handling the engineering side of the work. They started their own golf architectural firm Toomey & Flynn. William Gordon, Robert Lawrence and Dick Wilson all started out as assistants with the firm of Toomey and Flynn and all later became prominent designers in their own right. Flynn was particularly active around Philadelphia producing numerous highly rated courses which compete with each other for attention. Although his body of work is found around Philadelphia, his most recognizable work is outside the area at places like Cherry Hills
in Denver, The Cascades in Virginia, The Country Club
in Brookline, Massachusetts
, and Shinnecock Hills
on Long Island
. In 1927 Flynn added the Primrose nine at The Country Club
. Three holes from the Primrose are used on the course's Composite Course for the U.S. Open
, but much of Flynn's renovation work at The Country Club goes unnoticed.
The climax of Flynn's career would be Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
where he had his finest site and certainly produced his greatest work. Toomey and Flynn were hired to redesign the original course in 1931 with the addition of new land to build the back nine. Flynn kept only two holes from the original course in a total makeover. Shinnecock is praised for its beautiful routing and Flynn's use of the natural terrian. It is currently ranked 3rd in Golf Digest
's 100 Greatest Courses Ranking; the highest of any course Flynn was involved in. Flynn died at the age of 53 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Cherry Hills Country Club
Cherry Hills Country Club
Cherry Hills Country Club is a private country club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The club was founded in 1922 and designed by William Flynn. The club features a championship 18-hole golf course, a 9-hole par three course, eight tennis courts, and a lap pool...
, Lancaster Country Club and his work at the Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...
.
Life and career
Flynn was born in Milton, MassachusettsMilton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
. He graduated from Milton High School, where he had played inter-scholastic golf and competed against his friend Francis Ouimet
Francis Ouimet
Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American golfer, who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the 1913 U.S. Open, and was the first American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews...
. He laid out his first course at Heartwellville, Vermont, in 1909 and was then hired to assist Hugh Wilson
Hugh Irvine Wilson
Hugh Irvine Wilson was a golf course designer. He is most famous for designing Merion Golf Club, consistently ranked among the top golf courses in the country. Wilson also finished the last four holes at the famous Pine Valley Golf Club.-Career:Wilson was a Scottish immigrant who was very talented...
with completion of the East Course at Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...
in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
. He worked as the construction supervisor at Merion and remained on as superintendent for a short time helping establish the course.
Flynn would continue his involvement with Merion for 25 years perfecting the course. He and Wilson had hoped to form a design partnership, but Wilson's failing health prevent it. Instead, Flynn partnered with Howard Toomey just after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with Flynn the designer and Toomey handling the engineering side of the work. They started their own golf architectural firm Toomey & Flynn. William Gordon, Robert Lawrence and Dick Wilson all started out as assistants with the firm of Toomey and Flynn and all later became prominent designers in their own right. Flynn was particularly active around Philadelphia producing numerous highly rated courses which compete with each other for attention. Although his body of work is found around Philadelphia, his most recognizable work is outside the area at places like Cherry Hills
Cherry Hills Country Club
Cherry Hills Country Club is a private country club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The club was founded in 1922 and designed by William Flynn. The club features a championship 18-hole golf course, a 9-hole par three course, eight tennis courts, and a lap pool...
in Denver, The Cascades in Virginia, The Country Club
The Country Club
The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest country club in the United States. It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the...
in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, and Shinnecock Hills
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. In 1927 Flynn added the Primrose nine at The Country Club
The Country Club
The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest country club in the United States. It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the...
. Three holes from the Primrose are used on the course's Composite Course for the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, but much of Flynn's renovation work at The Country Club goes unnoticed.
The climax of Flynn's career would be Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...
where he had his finest site and certainly produced his greatest work. Toomey and Flynn were hired to redesign the original course in 1931 with the addition of new land to build the back nine. Flynn kept only two holes from the original course in a total makeover. Shinnecock is praised for its beautiful routing and Flynn's use of the natural terrian. It is currently ranked 3rd in Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
's 100 Greatest Courses Ranking; the highest of any course Flynn was involved in. Flynn died at the age of 53 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Courses designed by Flynn
This list is incomplete- Concord Country Club – Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
- Bala Golf Club – Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
- Shinnecock Hills Golf ClubShinnecock Hills Golf ClubShinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...
– Shinnecock Hills, New YorkShinnecock Hills, New YorkShinnecock Hills is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,749 at the 2000 census. It is the home of a leading golf club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. This is the highest point on Long Island's east end. At its highest point it is the only place on Long Island,... - The Cascades Golf Course – Hot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs is a census-designated place in Bath County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 738. It is located about 5 miles southwest of Warm Springs on U.S. Route 220. Hot Springs is the site of a number of resorts that make use of the springs.The area is...
- Lancaster Country Club – Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
- The Kittanset Club – Marion, MassachusettsMarion, MassachusettsMarion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
- The Country ClubThe Country ClubThe Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest country club in the United States. It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the...
– Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, MassachusettsBrookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:... - Huntingdon Valley Country ClubHuntingdon Valley Country ClubThe Huntingdon Valley Country Club is a golf, tennis and swim club located in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to a golf course, the club offers banquet and dining facilities...
– Huntingdon Valley, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon Valley, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in a small section of Upper Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of... - Philmont Country Club - Huntingdon Valley, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon Valley, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in a small section of Upper Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of...
- Philadelphia Country Club – Gladwyne, PennsylvaniaGladwyne, PennsylvaniaGladwyne is a suburban community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Main Line. The population was 4,050 at the 2000 census...
- Rolling Green Golf Club – Springfield, PennsylvaniaSpringfield Township, Delaware County, PennsylvaniaSpringfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
- Manufacturers Golf & Country Club – Fort Washington, PennsylvaniaFort Washington, PennsylvaniaFort Washington is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.-Prior to the Revolutionary War:...
- Cherry Hills Country ClubCherry Hills Country ClubCherry Hills Country Club is a private country club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The club was founded in 1922 and designed by William Flynn. The club features a championship 18-hole golf course, a 9-hole par three course, eight tennis courts, and a lap pool...
– Cherry Hills Village, ColoradoCherry Hills Village, ColoradoThe city of Cherry Hills Village is a Denver suburb and Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,958 at the 2000 census. It is one of the most affluent places in Colorado and the United States.... - Eagles Mere Country Club – Eagles Mere, PennsylvaniaEagles Mere, PennsylvaniaEagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 120 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Atlantic City Country ClubAtlantic City Country ClubThe Atlantic City Country Club is a golf club located in Northfield, New Jersey, west of Atlantic City. In addition to a golf course, the club offers banquet and dining facilities. The course resides on in a coastal setting with skyline views of Atlantic City.-History:The club was established in...
– Northfield, New JerseyNorthfield, New JerseyNorthfield is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,624.Northfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 21, 1905, from portions of Egg Harbor Township... - Lehigh Country Club – Allentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
- Country Club of Harrisburg – Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
- Doylestown Country Club – Doylestown, PennsylvaniaDoylestown, PennsylvaniaDoylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
- Glen View Club - Golf, Illinois
- Indian Creek Country Club – Indian Creek Village, Florida
- Woodcrest Country ClubWoodcrest Country ClubWoodcrest Country Club is a private 18-hole golf course located in the Woodcrest section of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The course was founded in 1929 and was originally a 9-hole course in 1930. An additional 9 holes were added in 1931....
– Cherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census... - U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club – Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, MarylandAnnapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
- Manor Country Club – Rockville, MarylandRockville, MarylandRockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
- The Homestead – Hot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs is a census-designated place in Bath County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 738. It is located about 5 miles southwest of Warm Springs on U.S. Route 220. Hot Springs is the site of a number of resorts that make use of the springs.The area is...
(Cascades Course) - Pepper Pike Club – Pepper Pike, Ohio
- Eighteen Hole at Cherry Hills Country Club – Englewood, ColoradoEnglewood, ColoradoThe city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...
- Green Valley Country Club – Lafayette Hill, PennsylvaniaLafayette Hill, PennsylvaniaLafayette Hill is a small unincorporated community in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Lafayette Hill is located just west of Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and south of Plymouth Meeting...
- The Country Club – Pepper Pike, Ohio
- Plymouth Country Club – Plymouth Meeting, PennsylvaniaPlymouth Meeting, PennsylvaniaPlymouth Meeting is a census-designated place in the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the northern terminus of the "Blue Route" and the southern terminus of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension . The population was 6,177 at the 2010 census...