Who's who: Ted Robinson

  • 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: Ted Robinson

  • Name:

    Theodore G. "Ted" Robinson
  • Also known as:

    Ted "Snr"; King of Waterscapes.
  • Country:

    USA
  • Lived:

    [1923-2008]. Born on May 17, 1923 in Long Beach, California. Died on March 2, 2008 in Laguna Beach, California (aged 84).
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Golf course architect.
  • Turned Pro:

    n/a

Roll of Honour

President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) (1983-84); ASGCA Fellow from 1995.

Golf course design

The heaviest concentration of Ted Robinson layouts are to be found in the western United States, and especially in California. Whether designing in his own name, or with his son Ted Robinson Jr (between 1991 and 2008), Robinson's best known work includes, but is not limited to:
(* designed with son Ted Robinson Jr):

UNITED STATES:
Blacklake, CA (1990, redesign) / Desert Springs Resort, CA (1987, Palm & Valley courses) / Glen Ivy, CA (1999*) / Indian Wells CC, CA (1965, Cove course, with Eddie Susalla) / Indian Wells ResortI, CA (1986, East & West courses; now called Players & Celebrity courses) / Inn of the Mountain Gods, NM (1975) / Kapolei, HI (1995) / King Kamehameha, HI (1991 design and 2005* renovation; formerly called Waikapu Valley GC) / Ko Olina, HI (1990) / Koele, HI (1991, with Greg Norman) / Legends GC, CA (1995) / Mission Bay, CA (1964) / Newport Beach CC, CA (1985 & 1998, modifications) / Oakmont GC, CA (1964, East & West courses) / Ocotillo, AZ (1986) / The Phoenician, AZ (1990s*, modifications and addition of Canyon-nine) / CC of Rancho Bernardo, CA (1980, modifications) / Rhodes Ranch, NV (1997*) / Riverwalk, CA (1998*, redesign) / Riviera CC, CA (modifications) / Royal Oaks CC, WA (modifications) / Sahalee, WA (1969) / Sand Canyon, CA (2000*, Mountain & Valley courses; originally called Robinson Ranch) / Seattle GC, WA (modifications) / Singing Hills, CA (1967 & 1980, redesign of Oak Glen & Willow Glen courses) / Sudden Valley, WA (1971) / Sunbrook, UT (1990) / Tahquitz Creek, CA (1995*, Resort course) / Temecula Creek Inn, CA (1970, with Dick Rossen) / Thunderbird CC, CA (1980, renovation) / Tokatee, OR (1966) / Trysting Tree, OR (1986) / Tustin Ranch, CA (1989).

BEYOND THE UNITED STATES:
Hiratsuka Fujimi CC, Jpn (renovation of Oiso course) / Lakewood CC, Kanagawa, Jpn (1970, East & West courses) / Lakewood GC, Yamanashi, Jpn (1991, Sunpark Akeno course) / Lakewood GC, Gunma, Jpn (1996*, Tomioka course) / Pinx CC, Korea (1999*) / Rancamaya G&CC, Indonesia (1995*) / Turtle Hill, Costa Rica (1964, with Alfred Tull; formerly called Southampton Princess).

TED ROBINSON JR DESIGNS
(
not involving Ted Robinson Sr; includes but not limited to):
Arrowood, CA (2005) / Chimera, NV (2003; formerly called Tuscany GC) / La Iguana, Costa Rica (1999) / Whistling Rock, Korea (2011).

Did you know?

Ted Robinson established his golf course architecture business in 1954. Based out of Laguna Beach, California, Robinson completed more than 180 projects over the next 50 years, many in the Western United States, but also a few in Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, Japan, Korea and Indonesia. Leaving a successful career in finance, his son Ted Robinson Jr joined the firm in 1991, and continued it on after Ted Sr's death in 2008.

Robinson gained something of a reputation for his prodigious use of water hazards in several of his designs. This earned him the nickname "the King of Waterscapes", but probably would not have impressed many legendary course designers ... who recognised that losing balls in water is not the favourite pastime of the average golfer.

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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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