Harry Colt


Henry Shapland Colt was a British golf course architect born in Highgate, England, the sixth child and younger son of a barrister. He worked predominantly with Charles Alison, John Morrison, and Alister MacKenzie, in 1928 forming Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd. He participated in the design or redesign of over 300 golf courses in all six inhabited continents, including those at Wentworth Club, Sunningdale, Muirfield, Royal Portrush, and Royal Liverpool.
Colt teamed up with George Crump in 1918 to design the course at Pine Valley Golf Club, which has been ranked almost continuously since 1985 as the #1 golf course in the United States, by Golf magazine and Golf Digest. The classic Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield, Michigan, was designed by Colt and Alison in 1921. The course played host to the 1947 PGA Championship, the 1957 Western Open, and Ryder Cup Challenge Matches in 1943.
Colt was educated at Monkton Combe School near Bath between 1881 and 1887, before taking a law degree at Clare College, Cambridge, where he captained the Cambridge University Golf Club in 1890.
In 1897 he became a founder member of the Royal & Ancient Rules of Golf Committee.

Career

Colt's courses of note in the UK include: Stoke Poges Golf Club, Tandridge Golf Club, which features Colt Corner, Oxford Golf Club, Ladbrook Park Golf Club, Denham Golf Club, St George's Hill, Sunningdale, Belfairs Golf Club, Rye, Blackmoor, Swinley Forest, Brancepeth Castle, Peebles Golf Club, Brokenhurst Manor, Camberley Heath, Calcot Park, Goring and Streatley Golf Club, Alnmouth Golf Club, Grimsby Golf Club, Hendon Golf Club, Tyneside and the East & West Courses at Wentworth Club. He performed extensive revisions of Sunningdale, Woodhall Spa, Muirfield and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake.
In Ireland Colt & Co. were responsible for new courses at , , and in Belfast. Extensive revisions were also carried out at and . Colt & Company were also active in Continental Europe, throughout Northern France, The Netherlands and Germany.
In Canada, his courses for the Hamilton Golf and Country Club and the Toronto Golf Club are highly respected. He also designed in 1914 the first Spanish course bigger than 4.300 yards, the Club de Golf Sant Cugat, promoted by the Barcelona Traction Light and Power Company Ltd.

Results in major championships

Note: Colt played in only The Open Championship and The Amateur Championship.
Tournament189118921893189418951896189718981899
The Open ChampionshipT38DNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNP
The Amateur ChampionshipDNPDNPDNPDNPR64R32R32R64R32

Tournament191019111912
The Amateur ChampionshipR32QFR32

DNP = Did not play

"T" indicates a tie for a place

R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play

Yellow background for top-10

Team appearances

  • England–Scotland Amateur Match : 1908