History of Donald Ross

Donald James Ross was Born in 1872 into a working-class family and, as a young teenager, faced a choice of how to make his living. It was a given he would work with his hands; the question was whether he'd be a woodsmith or a stonemason. Fortunately for the golf world, he chose to be a carpenter.

"Ross, the young carpenter, was encouraged by Dornach members to learn the art of golf clubmaking. They told him an opportunity existed at the club for a professional, someone to make clubs and give lessons full time. So Ross set off for St. Andrews at age 18 to learn to make clubs and gutta-percha balls under Morris and Robert Forgan, and no doubt the disciplines of greenkeeping and course design were introduced as well. In 1892 Ross returned home to Dornoch to become pro and greenkeeper."

All the while, Ross picked up bits and pieces of information about the new land of opportunity in America-particularly as it applied to golf.

Ross set about his myriad of responsibilities-teaching the game, making clubs, shepherding the guests around the courses, supervising the caddies and administering tournaments created to generate publicity for the resort. What he enjoyed the most, though, was designing new golf holes. He began retooling No. 1 in 1901 and built five new holes in 1913. He built nine for the No. 2 course by 1903. Then a full 18 by 1907. No 3 opened in 1910. No. 4 in 1919.

By 1910, Donald Ross was a golf course architect full-time.

Over the half-century Donald Ross spent in the United States prior to his death in April 1948, he designed 416 courses and remodeled dozens more. He gave the game much more as well: He established an indoor golf school in Boston in 1900; he devoted space at Pinehurst to a "practice ground" in 1913 at a time when the Playing lesson was the accepted method of teaching: he helped pioneer agronomic advances in southern golf.

Ross' designs were predicted on using the natural flow of the land to dictate the routing, on instituting as much thinking as swinging into the game and demanding a player be adept at every kind of shot. He particularly believed that chipping in a variety of circumstances and the ability to hit long irons were the true measuring sticks of quality players. He didn't like water, believing the loss of two shots was too severe. The two courses that most molded Ross's design philosophy. Royal Dornach and St. Andrews, are affected by water mostly from the wind whipping off the sea.

His first step in evaluating any site was to pick 18 natural sites for greens. No doubt a direct reflection of a Morris design dictum. Other parts of a course could be manufactured if needed, but the green sites had to come with the ground. He left the greatest margin for error on the longest shot, the tee shot, and drew the fairways in tighter where the shots of longer hitters were likely to land. There was always plenty of room for the average player to hit, but for good players, there was always a specific point in the fairway that afforded the best angle of approach into the green.

Trips around Ross golf courses today are history lessons. They're special because no designer, present or future, will have quite the opportunities Ross had.

Ross arrived in Pinehurst on Dec. 7, 1900, and shot an 80 on his first inspection of the Pinehurst course. He was immediately struck by the similarity between the sandy ground at Pinehurst and that of his native Scotland. The terrain at the time was basically treeless as well-just like the windswept landscapes of St. Andrews and Dornach.

History of the Mark Twain

The History of the name Mark Twain starts on a nine hole course laid out by the Riverside Association on the East hill city farm. This group had a 6 hole semi private course on lower Maple Avenue, which needed financial assistance. They proposed erection of a city course on the city property and to be owned by the City of Elmira. Council approved and the course was built and dedicated June 1928. It was named Mark Twain Park. It included a golf course, tennis courts and a baseball diamond. Its longest hole was 385 yards long and had three par threes. It was never a class golf course.

The great depression hit in 1929. With difficult times the U.S. Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the WPA (The Works Progress Administration) to help the National economy. It created manual labor jobs in construction and other industries; it also created jobs for white-collar workers and helped them in the performing and fine arts. These “make work” programs continued in the development and improvement of public facilities such as parks, education, and other community projects. Harris Hill, the Mark Twain Golf Course, and the grandstand at Dunn Field were three of those projects.

Harry B. Schwartz owner of Schwartz Smart Women’s Shop sent the first letter to council on January 11, 1937 asking the Council to include funds in the budget for a golf course. The Elmira Typographical Union led by the Star Gazette continuant petitioned Council by letter dated January 19, 1937, to build a golf course with WPA funds. It was approved unanimously. Council was then advised by the Elmira office of WPA to obtain a golf architect for consulting service before submitting an application. The city sent Mr. Thomas Supple to confer with Mr. Ross at Pinehurst, N.C. Mr. Supple obtained the necessary estimates and information to submit an application.

On February 11, 1937 the application was approved by the Division Engineer of WPA in Albany and the City Manager, Colus C. Hunter was requested by Mr. Myers, WPA Assistant State Administrator, to proceed immediately with the formation of the project so that all moving papers can be prepared for final action prior to April 1. Mr Donald Ross was chosen over Robert Trent Jones as his fee was the lower of the two architects solicited. Mr. Ross agreed to undertake the layout plans, stakeout and supervision of construction for a sum of $2,000.00 as fee, same to include all services and expenses. Because of Mr. Ross's reputation, Elmira received a quick and favorable action. It was necessary to obtain lands by the State Condemnation Law. They were portions of the Eclipse Machine Co. property, & Lands of Luie E. McCann and Owen O’Hanlon. That same resolution made on June 1, authorized the City Manager to proceed with construction as soon as formal approval was received from the WPA. The project started and 200 men were given employment all of whom were paid out of WPA funds.

No story about the present Mark Twain would be complete with out a few chapters about Donald Ross. The son of a stonemason , he was born in a north Scottish coastal town of Dornoch, and at the age of 16 apprenticed as a greens keeper and golf pro, serving under British Open Champion “Old” Tom Morris at St. Andrews. It was here that he learned to utilize the natural terrain that was to be his trademark. He became an accomplished golfer, greens keeper and club maker He then accepted and spent six years as greens keeper and professional at Dornoch Golf Club. At the age of 27 at the invitation of Harvard professor Robert Wilson, he came to America and took a job at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, Mass. The following year, through the friendliness of James Tufts, he accepted an appointment as golf professional at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. It was at this resort that he started his golf course design career. He continued his playing career but eventually gave it up to concentrate on course design.

At Pinehurst, he designed and built the famous Pinehurst #2 and rebuilt four other courses. He has left behind a legacy of 413 courses built, including many with rankings of the best courses featured in a number of national championships. Regrettably some of his courses have been re-designed. Which brought the comment from Golf Professional Miller Barber “You don’t change a Donald Ross course; you copy it.” Without question Ross is among the greatest golf architects of all time. Jack Nicklaus himself a great course architect said to Pro. Mike Ryback while here for a exhibition “Ross’s stamp as an architect was to use the natural topography and the Mark Twain is a good example of that.” Nicklaus added “I think you also need to add a lot of trees”.

With approval from the WPA, the golf course project became job number 22. All expenditures including wages were charged to that project number. Construction started July 1 , 1937 . The workers were taken from the City relief rolls and included all kinds of craftsmen. An unemployed Civil Engineer Hugh R. Murry who lived at the WMCA became the works superintendent for 1937. He resigned in 1938 to take another job. He was replaced by Charles L. Harris a golf course expert sent in by Architect Ross. Harris was to stay on until the job was finished.

Earth was moved with a single horse and earth scraper. All the fine tune grading, stone removal, terracing, seeding, planting of trees and shrubs was done by hand. Thus the two main objectives were accomplished by putting men to work and developing a golf course. The work continued through December when winter closed the project down till spring when it started up again. Some sodding and greens were brought from the East hill course. 3000 feet of fencing installed and 22,000 linear feet of water pipe and 23,000 feet of drainage pipe were constructed. A brick club house, caddy house, starter booth, brick pump house, an equipment building and a bridge over the creek to that site. The last part of the project was the parking lot and service roads. The magnitude of this accomplishment should be appreciated by today’s golfers. 60,000 cubic yards of earth was moved, 19 greens and 22 tees were built, 50 acres of fairway developed with 83 sand traps built, and an artificial pond developed.

Harry Shepard was selected the first manager and professional at a salary of $100.00 a month with live in privileges in the clubhouse. He was to have all concessions, the right to give lessons and sell golf equipment. Wilber Stone became the greens keeper. The first nine holes were opened in May of 1939 with an exhibition match featuring National known professional Walter Hagen and amateur Atty. William Phillips against Elmira Country Club Professional Tom Bonnor and amateur Jimmy Hunter who was the medalist. The full eighteen holes were opened in the fall of that year. Ross stated in a letter to city manager Ralph Klebes that, “The course as a whole is fully up to my expectations, and given two more years of careful maintenance it will standout as one of the finest courses owned by any city in America.”

The Mark Twain course is now nearly 70 years of age. It remains very close to the wonderful design of its creator. For this we have to give thanks to many past Elmira Building and Ground Superintendents, especially Leslie “Jake” Hover who saw to its maintenance was observed and preserved. Before other area courses were built, membership reached 1300 members. Some simple modifications were necessary because of six to seven hour rounds. Modifications as: turning sand traps into grass bunkers and mowing everything so not to lose balls were done. Even to having two holes in each green so that greens would not be worn out. Under “Jake” The Mark Twain has updated the watering system and rebuilt worn out holes such as the 11th and 14th but did not change their originality. Hole contours were established. And traps re-established. Cart paths built and senior tees established but the course remains very close to the wonderful design of its creator.

Written by: J.Arthur Kieffer Chemung County Historian
Edited by Bill Mecum April 2008

Credits:
Chemung County Historical Society archives
Research of Howard Williams
Research of Leslie Hover
Articles from Elmira Star Gazette by:Al Mallette—Charlie Barber—Tom McCarthy—Alan Gould—Wayne Boucher
Interview of Jack Fassett
Proceedings of the Elmira City Council
Community Service pamphlet
Overview of the WPA by Margaret Bing
WPA –Encyclopedia of American History
Donald Ross by Brian M. Silva—Golf Journal
Donald Ross Biography by Bradley S. Klein
Donald Ross Course Architect Extraordinaire by Bradley S, Kline
Recollections of Mike Ryback Mark Twain Professional
Article March 1993 The Chemung Historical Journal by Art Kieffer