Who's who: Harry Colt

  • 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: Harry Colt

  • Name:

    Harry Shapland Colt
  • Country:

    England
  • Lived:

    [1869-1951]. Born on Aug 4, 1869 at Bishopwood House, Highgate, London. Died on Nov 21, 1951 in East Hendred, nr Wantage, Oxfordshire (aged 82).
  • Original/Home Club:

    Worcester GC, England.
  • Occupation:

    Golf Club Secretary, golf course architect and amateur golfer.
  • Turned Pro:

    n/a
  • Website:

    https://www.coltassociation.co.uk

Roll of Honour

R&A Jubilee Vase winner (1891, '93). Selected to play for England v Scotland at golf (1908).

Golf course design

Harry Colt is one of the greatest golf course designers of all time. He either designed alone, or at different times in collaboration with the likes of Dr Alister MacKenzie, Charles Hugh Alison and John Morrison. Colt's portfolio of courses are mainly found in Britain, Ireland, France and the Netherlands, with some notable exceptions "across the pond." His best known work includes, but is not limited to:

BRITAIN & IRELAND:
Aberdovey (modifications, 1910) / Belvoir Park (1927) / Berkhamsted (with James Braid, 1890) / Betchworth Park (1911) / Blackmoor (1913) / Broadstone (redesign, 1914) / Burnham & Berrow (1890) / Camberley Heath (1913) / County Sligo, Rosses Point (redesign, 1927) / East Devon (redesign, 1920) / Effingham (1927) / Ganton (improvements, 1907, 1911 & 1931) / Hankley Common (redesign, 1935) / Ilkley (with MacKenzie, 1896) / Isle of Purbeck (1892) / Moor Park (High course, 1923) / Northamptonshire County (1909) / Pyle & Kenfig (1922) / Royal Cromer (with JH Taylor, 1913) / Royal County Down (improvements incl creation of the famous 4th & 9th holes, 1925) / Royal Dublin (1921) / Royal Lytham & St Annes (improvements, 1919) / Royal Porthcawl (improvements, 1913) / Royal Portrush (Dunluce course redesign, 1929) / Rye (1894) / Sherwood Forest (1895) / Southerndown (modifications, 1920) / St Andrews (Eden course, 1914) / St George's Hill (1912) / Stoke Park (1908) / Sudbury (1920) / Sunningdale (New course, 1922) / Swinley Forest (1909) / Thorndon Park (1920) / Trevose (1924) / Wentworth (East course, 1924) (West course, 1927) / Woodhall Spa (redesign, 1911).

CONTINENTAL EUROPE:
Ascona, Switz (1928) / Eindhoven, Nld (1930) / Granville, Fra (1912) / Hamburg-Falkenstein, Ger (with Alison & Morrison, 1930) / Hilversum, Nld (1918) / Kennemer, Nld (1910) / Le Touquet, Fra (La Mer course, 1931) / Noordwijk, Nld (1931) / Puerta de Hierro, Spain (Arriba course, 1914) / Royal Haagsche, Nld (with Alison, 1938) / Royal Zoute, Belg (1909) / Saint Cloud, Fra (1913) / Saint Germain, Fra (1924) / Saint-André-sur-mer, Coxyde, Belg (1922, course closed in 1928) / Utrecht "De Pan", Nld (1894).

UNITED STATES & CANADA:
CC of Detroit, MI (1912) / Hamilton G&CC, Ontario (1915) / Milwaukee CC, WI (with Alison, 1929) / Pine Valley, NJ (with owner George Crump, 1919) / Sea Island, GA (Seaside course, with Alison, 1929) / Toronto GC (1911).

Did you know?

If Harry Shapland Colt's middle name had been "Shapeland," it would have been one of the most prophetic names ever given. As the son of George Nathaniel Colt (barrister) and Georgianna Colt, young Harry learned to play golf on his summer holidays in Worcestershire. He was educated at a traditional English boarding school (Monckton Combe) near Bath, and later, while studying law at Cambridge, was elected Captain of the Cambridge Univesity Golf Club.

While working as a solicitor in Hastings, Colt joined and was made inaugural Captain of the fledgling Rye GC. Assisted by his boyhood friend Douglas Rolland, Colt laid out the first of his many golf courses on the Camber sandhills at Rye. A year later, in 1894 Colt (a devout Anglican) married his partner for life, Charlotte "Laura" Dewar (a devout Catholic). Throughout their lives together they tolerated each others religious differences.

In 1901 Colt became Secretary of Sunningdale GC, where he ran a "tight ship," with a reputation as "no easy man to serve." His time at Sunningdale allowed him to develop his skills as a leading amateur golfer (in 1906 he reached the semi-finals of the British Amateur Championship) and also work on his growing business as a course architect.

It seems Colt was equally at home working alone on design projects, or in collaboration with other course architects, most notably Dr Alister MacKenzie, Charles "Hugh" Alison and John Morrison. In 1920 the already acclaimed architect Alister MacKenzie joined Colt and Alison in a formal partnership agreement, as Messrs. Colt, Mackenzie & Alison. However, this arrangement lasted just four years; in late-1923 MacKenzie broke away on his own. In 1928 the firm Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd was established, formalising Colt's 20-year working relationship with Alison, and with Morrison, with whom he had worked since the early 1920s.

It is often said that "the sun never sets" on a course designed by architect Robert Trent Jones (and his sons Robert Jr and Rees); this statement is equally applicable to the works of Colt, Alison and Morrison.

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

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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