Ross served an apprenticeship with Old Tom Morris in St Andrews before investing his life savings in a trip to the U.S. in 1899 with the encouragement and support of Harvard astronomy professor and Salem and Petersham, Massachusetts resident Robert W. Willson, who helped him obtain his first job in America at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, Massachusetts. In 1900 he was appointed as the golf professional at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, where he began his course design career and eventually designed four courses. He had a successful playing career, winning three North and South Opens (1903, 1905, 1906) and two Massachusetts Opens (1905, 1911), and finishing fifth in the 1903 U.S. Open and eighth in the 1910 Open Championship. As his fame grew, he began to teach and play less and to focus on golf course design, running a substantial practice with summer offices in Little Compton, Rhode Island. At its height, Donald J. Ross and Associates, as his practice was known, oversaw the work of thousands of people. However, Ross always kept up his professional golf standing. His brother Alec won the 1907 U.S. Open.
Ross's most famous designs are Pinehurst No. 2, Aronimink Golf Club, East Lake Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill, Memphis Country Club, Inverness Club and Oakland Hills. Some of his early work was in Virginia and includes Jefferson Lakeside Country Club and Sewell's Point Golf Course. He also designed the Municipal Golf Course at Asheville, North Carolina in 1927.[2] He displayed great attention to detail. Often he created challenging courses with very little earth moving; according to Jack Nicklaus, "His stamp as an architect was naturalness." His most widely known trademark is the crowned or "turtleback" green, most famously seen on Pinehurst No. 2, though golf architecture writer Ron Whitten argued in Golf Digest in 2005 that the effect had become exaggerated compared to Ross's intention because greenkeeping practices at Pinehurst had raised the centre of the greens. Ross also designed one of Westchester, New York's best courses, Whippoorwill Country Club, in Armonk, New York; however, Charles Banks was hired by Whippoorwill to redesign the course in 1928. He also designed a 9-hole course in northern New York, known as the Schroon Lake Municipal Golf Club in 1918. He designed the Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, North Carolina in 1927.[3]
Ross often created holes which invited run-up shots but had severe trouble at the back of the green, typically in the form of fallaway slopes. In the 1930s he revolutionized greenskeeping practices in the Southern United States when he oversaw the transition of the putting surfaces at Pinehurst No. 2 from oiled sand to Bermuda grass. Ross also designed the course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolinawhich is home to the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship. Currently, Sedgefield Country Club is the only regular Donald Ross design on the PGA Tour. Aronimink Golf Club, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, played host to the AT&T National in 2010 and 2011.
Ross was a founding member and first president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, which was formed at Pinehurst in 1947. He was admitted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977, a high honor rarely awarded for anything other than playing success.
Ross died while completing his final design at Raleigh Country Club in North Carolina. Ross is buried in Newton Cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts.[4]
England: Grant Books, 1990. 69p. cloth, 175/600 limited edition of the 1920 classic. Contributions by Dr. A. MacKenzie, Horace G. Hutchinson, John L. Low, and others. Introduction and commentary by Geoffrey S. Cornish and Fred Hawtree. Illustrated from photographs, old original ads, and a few other reproductions. D&J C16870. More
New York: Harper Collins, 1993. 648p. cloth dust Jacket, 1st edition, 1st impression. To this day the only such title, listing all known architects and their works. An absolute must have for anyone interested in this subject. More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2002. Simulated leather, Limited editions each 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword various. Each volume contains a worldwide tour of great essays on all aspects of course architecture, from the likes of Tom Doak, Donald Steel, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Gil Hanse, Neil Crafter, Pete Dye........ More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2008. 365p. simulated leather Ltd ed. 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword by Michael Hurdzan. Fourth of six volumes in this series. Each volume is a series of essay's gathered by Paul Daley. Contributors include, Tom Doak, Lorne Rubenstein, Donald Steel, Scott MacPherson... Essay's include; The Castle Course St..... More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2002. 240p. simulated leather Ltd ed. 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword by Geoffrey Cornish Great essays on all aspects of course architecture, from the likes of Tom Doak, Donald Steel, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Gil Hanse, Neil Crafter, Pete Dye.... Part one of six volumes..... More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2002. 239p. oblong cloth. Foreword by Geoffrey Cornish. Great essays on all aspects of course architecture, from the likes of Tom Doak, Donald Steel, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Gil Hanse, Neil Crafter, Pete Dye.... Part one of six volumes, published in trade and limited editions (see our..... More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2013. 378p. simulated leather Ltd ed. 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword by Paul Daley. More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2005. 352p. simulated leather Ltd ed. 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword by Bill Coore. More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2003. 304p. simulated leather Ltd ed. 1 of 100 signed by author. Foreword by Donald Steel Second of six volumes, more essays from around the world by some of the best architects. Interesting essays, A review of HS Colt. Golf architecture in Italy. CH Alison's designs and Influence. Golf Cours..... More
Glen Waverly, Victoria, Australia. Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2003. 304p. oblong cloth. Foreword by Donald Steel. D&J D2050. More
Victoria: Full Swing Golf Publishing, 2003. 304p. oblong cloth. Foreword by Donald Steel Second of six volumes, more essays from around the world by some of the best architects. Interesting essays, A review of HS Colt. Golf architecture in Italy. CH Alison's designs and Influence. Golf Cours hazards, placement and design. D&J D2050. More
2017. This book is an unprecedented view of how one of our era's best architects thinks about his craft, his peers and his business. It reads like a long conversation about a craft he has loved, studied and honed for nearly 40 years-golf course architecture. As well as being a delightful..... More
2017. This book is an unprecedented view of how one of our era's best architects thinks about his craft, his peers and his business. It reads like a long conversation about a craft he has loved, studied and honed for nearly 40 years-golf course architecture. As well as being a delightful..... More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2014. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. Volume 1 Great Britain & Ireland Volume 2 The Americas (Winter destinations) Volume 3 The Americas Northern destinations Volume 5 Asia, Australia and New Zealand Little Red Book of Golf Architecture All..... More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2014. 188pp. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. Voted one of the best 25 golf books of all time. Signed by author Tom Doak. More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2014. 188p. Cloth. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. This volume covers Great Britain and Ireland. Voted one of the best 25 golf books of all time. More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2015. 361pp. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. Voted one of the best 25 golf books of all time. Signed by author Tom Doak. More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2016. 361pp. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. Voted one of the best 25 golf books of all time. Signed by author Tom Doak. More
USA: Renaissance Golf Publishing, 2018. 226p. Dust Jacket, 1st edition. A unique, entertaining and honest review of the world's best golf courses by world renowned golf architect Tom Doak. Royal Melbourne comes out as the top course in this volume scoring an impressive 10,10,10,9 Voted one of the best 25..... More
Wentworth: European Tour, 2009. 720p, illustrated wrappers. Annual publication of all the seasons events and players. The book has been used to collect signatures and each relevant page is signed by the following; Padraig Harrington, (superb signature holding both his major trophies) Felipe Aguilar Robert Allenby Phillip Archer Seve Benson Wil Besling John Bickerton Thomas Bjorn Richard Bland Gregory Bourdy Markus Brier Paul Broadhurst Angel..... More
U.S.A. 2001. A.L.S. written by U.S. Open champion Jack Fleck on his Golf architect stationary, long letter to Bob Blyth. ; Provenance; Part of a collection of letters and photographs to Bob Blyth of Dundee, Scotland who corresponded with various American and international Golfers over a long period of time..... More
Oswestry: Hughes & Son, 1954. 70p, dec. cloth Book is dedicated to the Golfer George Duncan. This copy inscribed by the author to well known golf architect J.J.F. Pennick. D&J F10810. More
Scotland: The Sutherland Press, Golspie, 1973. 40p 1st ed. wrappers. Hard to find first edition of this title. D&J G34780. More
England: The Golf Clubs Association. ca 1970. 20p. photo and white wrappers with blue text. James Braid architect. More
England: Temple Publicity, ca 1965. 16p. green wrappers, with dark green text. Willie Park Jnr architect. More
