Willie Park Jr
Name:
Willie Park Jr.Country:
ScotlandLived:
[1864-1925]. Born on Feb 4, 1864 in Musselburgh, East Lothian. Died on May 22, 1925 in Craighouse, nr Edinburgh, Scotland (age 61).Original/Home Club:
Musselburgh Links (Old course)Occupation:
Professional golfer, course designer, golf writer, instructor, golf equipment maker and businessman.Turned Pro:
1880 (aged 16)MAJORS (2): Open Championship (1887, '89). Winner of numerous professional tournaments and challenge matches from 1880 into the early 1900s. World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 2013).
By his middle-20s Park was already established in golf course design, with a reputation that quickly grew. During his lifetime he designed an impressive portfolio of courses in Britain, Europe, the USA and Canada. His best known designs include, but are not limited to:
BRITAIN & EUROPE:
Aldeburgh (1907, modifications) / Bruntsfield (1898) / Burhill (1907, Old Course) / Formby (1912) / Gullane No.2 (1898) / Huntercombe (1901) / Kilspindie (1898) / Monte Carlo, Mont Agel (1911) / Montrose (1903) / Notts Hollinwell (1900) / Portstewart (1920s, Strand course redesign) / Royal Antwerp (1910) / Silloth on Solway (1890s, redesign) / Southerndown (1913, modifications) / Stoneham (1909) / Sunningdale (1901, Old Course) / Temple (1910).
NORTH AMERICA:
Atlantic City CC, NJ (1915, remodelling) / Maidstone Club, Long Island NY (1922) / Mount Bruno, Quebec (1918) / Olympia Fields, nr Chicago (1916, North Course) / Weston G&CC, Toronto (1909.
Willie Park Jr was born into a golfing family that was based in and around Musselburgh in East Lothian, a few miles downstream along the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. His father, Willie Park Sr won the Open Championship four times, including the inaugural Open in 1860, and then again in 1863, 1866 and 1875. Willie Jr's uncle, Mungo Park (younger brother of Willie Park Sr), won The Open in 1874. Willie Park Jr would weigh-in with two Open Championship wins himself, in 1887 and 1889.
Among Willie Park Jr's many contributions to golf were his books, starting with the title "The Game of Golf", first published in 1896. It was one of the first golf instruction books written by a golf professional. He was also a much sought after course designer, and has an excellent portfolio of layouts to his name, which are located in Britain, Europe and the United States.
Although he spent much of his later life in the USA, Park returned home to his native Scotland when he knew he was terminally ill. Park's daughter Dorothy carried on the family's competitive tradition, reaching the final of the 1937 British Ladies Amateur Championship, where she lost out to Jessie Valentine.
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (29th) (Nov 8). Park (Scot) beat Andrew Kirkaldy (Scot) in a 36-hole playoff: Park 158, Kirkcaldy 163. [The Old Course, Musselburgh Links, nr Edinburgh].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (27th) (Sept 16). Second-placed Bob Martin (Scot) finished 11 shots behind Willie Park Jr (Scot). [Prestwick GC, Ayrshire, Scotland].
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
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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