John Frederick Abercromby

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As a British golf architect, John Frederick Abercromby (* 1861 in Felixstowe , † 1935 in Addington in the London borough of Croydon ) was a main representative of the golden age of golf architecture .

life and work

JF Abercromby was born the son of a doctor and began practicing golf from a young age. He made it up to the scratch golfer ( handicap 0) and played successfully in tournaments around London. “But”, as he was nicknamed, was one of the group of well-known amateur golfers that Willie Park junior was able to win as a member for his own course in Huntercombe, which became an important nucleus for the development of golf architecture. At the turn of the century, he was also hired by an investor as private secretary and a few years later commissioned to build a Sunningdale, Walton Heath and Woking-style course.

Since Abercromby had no practical experience in golf course construction, he first sought advice from Willie Park junior. In the further course he took responsibility for the heathland course of Worplesdon, which opened in 1908. This success earned the team a second major contract (Coombe Hill, 1909) where Abercromby ballooned to find the best route through a forest. He was probably the first to look for a perspective from above when exploring the available terrain - a procedure that is now part of the standard repertoire of golf architects.

As a result, like Willie Park junior previously in Huntercombe, he launched his own project: The Addington (1912), which is now considered his best place. For many years he acted as the “benevolent dictator” of the club and continuously improved the course. He also added a second place, but this New Course no longer exists today.

After World War I , Abercromby teamed up with Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson, but only Knole Park (1924), the Old Course at Bovey Castle (1926) and Mill Hill (1927) can be safely attributed to him. Despite this low productivity compared to other golf architects, Abercromby is one of the most important representatives of the golden age, as he significantly shaped the new style with his early work.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pat-Ward Thomas (Ed.): World Atlas of Golf . Mitchell Beazley, 1976, ISBN 0855330880

literature

personal data
SURNAME Abercromby, John Frederick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES JF Abercromby, But
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English golf architect
DATE OF BIRTH 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH Felixstowe
DATE OF DEATH 1935
Place of death Addington