Who's who: John Morrison

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: John Morrison

  • Name:

    John Stanton Fleming Morrison
  • Country:

    England
  • Lived:

    [1892-1961]. Born on April 17, 1892 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. Died on Jan 28, 1961 in Farnham, Surrey, aged 68.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Golf course architect; military pilot.
  • Turned Pro:

    n/a
  • Website:

    https://www.coltassociation.co.uk

Roll of Honour

In addition to his sporting achievements and drinking prowess, Morrison was recognised by many clubs and golf writers for his common sense and great knowledge as a golf course architect. He also served with great distinction as a pilot in two world wars.

Golf course design

Morrison's best known work includes, but is not limited to (* = assisting Harry Colt):

BRITAIN & IRELAND:
Prince's GC, Kent (1950; major redesign with Sir Guy Campbell).

CONTINENTAL EUROPE:
Barlassina, Italy (1956) / Biella GC - Le Betulle, Italy (1958) / Frankfurter GC, Germany (1928*) / Hamburg-Falkenstein, Germany (1928*) / Hamburg-Hittfeld, Germany (1957) / Hossegor, Fra (1927) / Lubeck-Travemünder, Germany (1927) / Royal Haagsche, Nld (1938, assisting Hugh Alison) / Royal Knocke, Belg (1928, Lekkerbek course, which permanently closed in 1939; club now called Royal Zoute) / St Cloud GC, Fra (1930, Yellow course*) / Stockholm GC, Sweden (1932) / Torino GC - La Mandria, Italy (1956) / Toxandria, Nld (1928).

Did you know?

Educated at Charterhouse School in Surrey and Trinity College, Cambridge, Morrison was a talented all-round sportsman. While at Cambirdge he won three Blues (first-team colours) for cricket, football and golf. As an amateur he represented England at football and played first-class cricket at county level with Somerset (as his future golf design partner Hugh Alison had done).

During the 1914-18 War, Morrison joined the Royal Flying Corps and won the DFC and Bar and Italian silver and bronze medals for valour flying "stringbag" torpedo bombers in Italy. He then joined the newly formed Royal Naval Air Service, and is reported to have been one of the first pilots to land a plane on an aircraft carrier. In the Second World War, he was initially a Wing Commander then a Group Captain in charge of a training wing.

Starting out in golf architecture as an assistant to Harry Colt in 1924, Morrison worked on a number of courses and remodelling projects. In 1928 his relationship with Colt and Colt's long-time partner Charles Hugh Alison was formalised with the establishment of the golf architecture firm of Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd. Morrison carried the firm's banner, particularly into Continental Europe.

When Colt died in 1951 and then Alison a year after that, it was left to Morrison to continue the firm, which he did until his own death in 1961.

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Tournaments

The Masters: The 88th Masters Tournament at Augusta National sees LIV golfer Jon Rahm defend his title against the world’s best. Pressing hard will be world No.1 and 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler and world No.2 Rory McIlroy (April 11-14).

Chevron Championship: the women’s major championship season gets underway for the second year at its new Carlton Woods home outside Houston, Texas. World No.2 Lilia Vu defends (April 18-21).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: records a perfect start to 2024 with five wins out of her last five starts on the LPGA Tour. Winning the Chevron Championship also brought the second major championship win of her career.

Scottie Scheffler: narrowly missed out on matching Nelly Korda's five wins in five starts, when he placed second at the Houston Open. Either side of that, he won The Arnold Palmer, The Players, and then The Masters and The Heritage.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

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.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

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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