Albert Warren Tillinghast was one of the most prolific and famous American golf course architects in the history of the game. Better known as A.W. Tillinghast or “Tillie” to his friends and admirers, he’s accredited with designing or contributing to more than 260 courses across North America.
You’ve probably heard of many of them, including Winged Foot, Bethpage (Red and Black), Ridgewood, and Baltusrol (Upper and Lower). An astounding 50 major championships have been played across 24 of Tillinghast’s designs.
Tillinghast also has made his imprint across the state of Texas with timeless tracks like Brackenridge Park and Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio and Brook Hollow in Dallas.
One of the best distinctions of Tillinghast’s work was his ability to design a golf hole that is challenging to the competitive golfer and still enjoyable for the casual player.
This September, the TGA’s Fun Golf Calendar is honoring Tillinghast’s work with a month-long “Architecture Series,” featuring playing opportunities at a few of his courses in Texas.
First up in the series will be Cedar Crest Golf Club in Dallas on Sept. 10. This legendary course designed by Tillinghast opened in 1919. The great Walter Hagen won the 1927 PGA Championship at Cedar Crest, the first of the six men’s majors (so far) to be held in Texas.
The series will take a short trip south to Corsicana Country Club on Sept. 17 for the second stop. The club dates to 1917 and the challenging design of the 18-hole golf course is attributed to Tillinghast and Scotsman Willie Lorimer.
The final leg on the historic journey is a tour of Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio on Sept. 26. Designed by Tillinghast in 1917, “Old Brack” hosted the first Texas Open in 1922 and for many years thereafter. This is your chance to play where legends of the game have hoisted trophies, including Byron Nelson (1940), Sam Snead (1950), Jack Burke, Jr. (1952), and Mike Souchak (1955).
The delightful parkland track, which was carefully restored in 2008 by Colligan Golf Design, is located next to the San Antonio Zoo. It is also home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.
If one of these events doesn’t catch your eye or September is a busy month for you, be sure to check our full Fun Golf event calendar for 2023. We can’t wait to see you at one of our Play Days soon!
