Background

Albert Warren (A.W.) Tillinghast was born in 1876 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and became one of the most heralded American golf course architects. Like many other great architects, Tilly spent time in Scotland with Old Tom Morris where he learned how to be a world-class player and student of the game.

Tillinghast was a forefront member of “The Philadelphia School of Architecture” which included several other great architects – George Crump, William Flynn, William Fownes, George Thomas and Hugh Wilson. All friends and accomplished players, this group would chat regularly and shaped the landscape of American golf, particularly on the East and West coasts. The majority of Tillinghast’s work can be found in the Northeast, where he spent most of his time. In New York’s Westchester County alone there are 16 courses designed by Tillinghast.

Design Principles

Tillinghast’s iconic and challenging designs have stood the test of time as many of his designs are among the greatest championship courses in the world. Tillinghast’s overarching design strategy was that each hole and course deserved its own identity, resulting in very little redundancy with TIllinghast’s holes and courses. This is a stark contrast to that of Macdonald and Raynor who believed in adapting hole templates to their land. While Tillinghast would occasionally employ some of Macdonald’s “Template Holes,” they appear only sporadically throughout his designs. A common design theme across Tillinghast’s courses was the value he placed on a player’s ability to hit precise approach shots.

Off the tee, his fairways were typically wide, but there is usually a correct side. In order to get to that side, a player will generally have to take on some risk. A good example is the 9th hole at Philadelphia Cricket Club, where the left side of the fairway yields an ideal approach, but also brings out of bounds into play.