Albert Warren (A. W.) Tillinghast
(1874-1942)
Albert W. Tillinghast Consults Local Golf Courses for the PGA
In the late 1920s Albert W. Tillinghast designed 27 holes for the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. While working on that project he struck up a friendship with the golf professional, George Jacobus. Soon after that the Great Depression arrived. Like other businesses golf was hard hit. Golf courses were closing and golf professionals were losing their jobs. In 1933 Jacobus was elected president of the PGA of America. He knew that something had to be done to keep the golf courses from closing and save the PGA members from unemployment. Through the leadership of Jacobus the PGA hired Tillinghast as a consultant. For three years (1935-37) he traveled across the USA giving advice to the people who ran golf courses on how to save money. Much of Tillinghast’s advice concerned the removal of unneeded bunkers or mounds that had become outdated by modern technology in golf equipment. The steel shafted golf club was the leading culprit. During that three-year period Tillinghast visited more than 500 golf courses. He only visited a club at the invitation of its PGA golf professional and his fee was paid by the PGA. After each visit Tillinghast reported to the PGA by writing a letter to Jacobus detailing his day’s visit.
Below is a list of the nineteen golf courses that Tillinghast visited in the Philadelphia area and thirteen letters to Jacobus that relate to those visits.
We want to thank the Tillinghast historians for allowing us to use these letters and information from their website. To see a complete list of the golf courses and the letters you can go to the “PGA Course Service” website address which is below.
-Pete Trenham
www.tillinghast.net/Tillinghast/Tour_Service.htmlPhotos courtesy of www.tillinghast.net & www.whosyourcaddie.net/blog/?page_id=1053
Click on any of the Club listings below to read that Tillinghast Letter
September 17-20, 1935 – Philadelphia, PA
Meeting with Pros at LuLu CC
Melrose CC and Ashbourne CC
Tavistock CC and Woodrest CC
Baederwood, Old York Road and LuLu CCs
Riverton, Merchantville and Woodcrest CCs
October 3-4, 1935 – Reading, PA
Manor CC and Berkshire CC
Riverside GC and Reading CC
August 11-16, 1936 – Philadelphia, PA
Springdale GC
Woodcrest CC
Kennett Square G&CC
Llanerch CC
Concord CC
St. Davids GC
Trenham Golf History 