Indianwood, Olympic Share Architect

The Sixth at Indianwood, site of the 2012 US Senior Open

In an interesting coincidence, the 2012 US Open Course and 2012 US Senior Open venues share an architect. The courses at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and the Old Course at Indianwood both were designed by Wilfred Reid.

Reid, (1884 – 1973) was both a golf pro and course designer, although his legacy surely is in design. His career began as a club and ball making understudy to Willie Armour in Edinburgh. He turned pro at 17, and was a protege of Harry Vardon. He served as a club pro at La Boulie Golf Club in France and Banstead Downs Golf Club.

In 1913, Reid traveled to the US with Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, where he played in the now-famous 1913 US Open, which was won by Francis Ouimet. Reid played with Ouimet in the third round, eventually finishing sixteen.

Two years later, Reid immigrated to the US to become golf professional at Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. He became a citizen in 1921. During his years in the US, he served as the pro at many of the era’s top courses, including the Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pte. Farms, Michigan, Beverly Country Club, Chicago, Illinois, Broadmoor Golf Club, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Seminole Golf Club, North Palm Beach, Florida, and Atlantic City Country Club, Northfield, New Jersey.

In addition to his club pro duties, Reid estimated that he designed 58 courses, and remodeled some 43 others. In the 1920s, he paired with club pro William Connellan to design 20 courses in Michigan, including Port Huron Golf Club, (Reid, Connellan), Fort Gratiot, Michigan; Indian River Golf Club, (original 9 hole), (Reid), Indian River, Michigan; Birmingham Country Club, (Reid), Birmingham, Michigan, 1916; Water’s Edge Golf Course, (Reid), Grosse Ile, Michigan (9-hole course commissioned by William S. Knudsen); Brae Burn Golf Club, (Reid, Connellan), Plymouth, Michigan, 1923; Gaylord Country Club, (Reid), Gaylord, Michigan, 1924; Indianwood Golf and Country Club – Old Course, (Reid), Lake Orion, Michigan, 1925; Tam-O’Shanter Country Club, (Reid, Connellan), West Bloomfield, Michigan, 1926 (redesigned); Bald Mountain Golf Course, (regulation course), (Reid, Connellan), Lake Orion, Michigan, 1929 and the Flushing Valley Country Club, (Reid, Connellan), Flushing, Michigan, 1940.

I’ve now played three Reid courses, including the Indian River Club (many times—my in-laws are members), Brae Burn and Indianwood. I’ll have to make an effort to play some of the others.