Walter Travis
Early Life and Introduction to Golf
Walter J. Travis was born on January 10, 1862, in Maldon, Victoria, Australia, a small gold-mining town. Raised in a modest family, he developed an early interest in outdoor activities like hunting, tennis, and cricket, though golf was not yet part of Maldon’s culture. After completing his education, Travis joined McLean Brothers and Rigg, an Australian hardware and construction export company. In 1886, at age 23, he was sent to New York City to represent the firm, marking the beginning of his American journey.
Travis embraced life in New York, immersing himself in its social scene and enjoying tennis and cycling. On January 9, 1890, he married Anne Bent of Middletown, Connecticut, and later that year became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The couple settled in Flushing, Queens, before moving to Garden City, Long Island, in 1900. It wasn’t until 1896, at age 34, that Travis discovered golf—a late start that belied the extraordinary career to come.
His introduction to the game came at Oakland Golf Club in Bayside, Queens, where friends from the Niantic Club persuaded him to try it. Within a month, he won a handicap competition, and a year later, in 1897, he claimed the club championship with a score of 82. Travis’s rapid rise was fueled by a methodical, almost scientific approach to mastering golf, studying limited available literature and practicing relentlessly without formal instruction.
Competitive Career: The Dominant Amateur
Travis burst onto the national stage in 1898, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 36—just two years after picking up a club. His breakthrough came in 1900 at Garden City Golf Club, where he won his first U.S. Amateur title, defeating Findlay Douglas 3 and 2 and earning the medalist honors for the lowest qualifying score. He defended his title in 1901, beating Walter Egan 5 and 4, and won again in 1903, solidifying his status as America’s preeminent amateur golfer.
His crowning achievement came in 1904 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, where he became the first non-British player to win the British Amateur Championship. Using his innovative center-shafted Schenectady putter, Travis outplayed formidable opponents, including Harold Hilton, Horace Hutchinson, and Ted Blackwell, winning the final 4 and 3. The victory was controversial; his unsociable demeanor and the unconventional putter (later banned by the R&A in 1910) irked British golfing circles, and he never returned to defend his title.
From 1900 to 1910, Travis dominated amateur golf, winning more tournaments than any U.S. player of the era, including numerous state and regional titles. Known for his exceptional putting—honed on a practice green with smaller-than-regulation cups at Garden City—he earned a reputation as one of history’s greatest putters. His competitive career waned after 1916 due to declining health from a bronchial condition that later developed into tuberculosis, but not before he left a lasting imprint on the game.
Golf Course Architecture: A Self-Taught Innovator
Travis’s foray into golf course design began in 1899, just three years into his golfing journey, when he assisted Scotsman John Duncan Dunn in laying out Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, Vermont. Lacking formal training in landscape architecture, Travis learned through hands-on experience, likely overseeing construction while Dunn shaped the initial plan. This collaboration marked the start of a design career that would span over 50 courses.
A pivotal influence came during an extended trip to the United Kingdom in 1900–1901, where Travis studied renowned courses like Prestwick, North Berwick, and St. Andrews. He admired their treeless landscapes, strategic bunker placement, natural green undulations, and firm turf—elements starkly different from the tree-heavy, cross-bunkered American courses of the time. These observations shaped his design philosophy, which he later articulated in writings like his 1902 article “Hazards,” advocating for aesthetically pleasing, scientifically placed bunkers that rewarded precision while offering weaker players safer routes.
Travis’s first major design project was a redesign of Garden City Golf Club, his home course originally laid out by Devereux Emmet. Starting in 1902 and continuing over years as greens chairman, he transformed it into a strategic masterpiece, adding bunkers and refining greens to reflect his vision. His work there, particularly for the 1914 U.S. Amateur, earned him recognition as a serious architect. Over the next two decades, he designed or redesigned courses across the U.S. and Canada, including:
Journalism and Publishing: The Voice of Golf
Travis’s influence extended beyond playing and designing through his prolific writing. In 1900, he began contributing instructional articles to magazines like Golf and Outing, offering precise, witty insights on technique. His 1902 “Hazards” article in The American Golfer challenged American design norms, while his putting essays showcased his expertise—born of experiments with countless putter designs.
In 1908, he founded The American Golfer, a magazine he edited and published until 1920. It became the era’s most influential golf publication, covering architecture, rules, equipment, and turf management. His series “Twenty Years of Golf” (1920) chronicled his career, including his role in advising Donald Ross on Pinehurst No. 2’s redesign. Travis’s direct, authoritative style made him a trusted voice, shaping golf’s intellectual landscape.
Innovations and Equipment
Travis was a tinkerer, relentlessly experimenting with equipment. His most famous innovation was the Schenectady putter, a center-shafted, mallet-headed club he used to win the 1904 British Amateur. Its ban by the R&A sparked a rift with the USGA and strained his friendship with architect C.B. Macdonald, who sided with British traditionalists. He also tested driver shafts up to 50 inches long for added distance, reflecting his relentless pursuit of improvement.
Later Years and Legacy
By the 1920s, Travis’s health declined, limiting his competitive play and forcing him to focus on design and writing. He spent summers in Manchester, Vermont, near Ekwanok, a course he cherished. On July 31, 1927, he died in his sleep in Denver, Colorado, at age 65, likely from tuberculosis complications. Per his wishes, he was cremated and buried at Dellwood Cemetery in Manchester, just 400 yards from Ekwanok.
Travis’s legacy endures. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1979, he is celebrated as a polymath who elevated American golf. His courses—many still in play—offer a tangible link to his era, blending challenge with charm. Hollywood Golf Club, restored in 2021, and Cape Arundel remain testaments to his genius. Modern architects like Tom Doak cite his influence, seen in restorations like Garden City’s Redan-inspired 18th hole.
As a player, Travis won three U.S. Amateurs and a British Amateur, proving age was no barrier to excellence. As an architect, he crafted courses that demand strategy and reward skill. As a writer, he educated generations. On March 22, 2025, nearly a century after his death, Walter Travis remains a towering figure—the “Grand Old Man” who helped forge American golf’s golden age.
Walter J. Travis was born on January 10, 1862, in Maldon, Victoria, Australia, a small gold-mining town. Raised in a modest family, he developed an early interest in outdoor activities like hunting, tennis, and cricket, though golf was not yet part of Maldon’s culture. After completing his education, Travis joined McLean Brothers and Rigg, an Australian hardware and construction export company. In 1886, at age 23, he was sent to New York City to represent the firm, marking the beginning of his American journey.
Travis embraced life in New York, immersing himself in its social scene and enjoying tennis and cycling. On January 9, 1890, he married Anne Bent of Middletown, Connecticut, and later that year became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The couple settled in Flushing, Queens, before moving to Garden City, Long Island, in 1900. It wasn’t until 1896, at age 34, that Travis discovered golf—a late start that belied the extraordinary career to come.
His introduction to the game came at Oakland Golf Club in Bayside, Queens, where friends from the Niantic Club persuaded him to try it. Within a month, he won a handicap competition, and a year later, in 1897, he claimed the club championship with a score of 82. Travis’s rapid rise was fueled by a methodical, almost scientific approach to mastering golf, studying limited available literature and practicing relentlessly without formal instruction.
Competitive Career: The Dominant Amateur
Travis burst onto the national stage in 1898, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 36—just two years after picking up a club. His breakthrough came in 1900 at Garden City Golf Club, where he won his first U.S. Amateur title, defeating Findlay Douglas 3 and 2 and earning the medalist honors for the lowest qualifying score. He defended his title in 1901, beating Walter Egan 5 and 4, and won again in 1903, solidifying his status as America’s preeminent amateur golfer.
His crowning achievement came in 1904 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, where he became the first non-British player to win the British Amateur Championship. Using his innovative center-shafted Schenectady putter, Travis outplayed formidable opponents, including Harold Hilton, Horace Hutchinson, and Ted Blackwell, winning the final 4 and 3. The victory was controversial; his unsociable demeanor and the unconventional putter (later banned by the R&A in 1910) irked British golfing circles, and he never returned to defend his title.
From 1900 to 1910, Travis dominated amateur golf, winning more tournaments than any U.S. player of the era, including numerous state and regional titles. Known for his exceptional putting—honed on a practice green with smaller-than-regulation cups at Garden City—he earned a reputation as one of history’s greatest putters. His competitive career waned after 1916 due to declining health from a bronchial condition that later developed into tuberculosis, but not before he left a lasting imprint on the game.
Golf Course Architecture: A Self-Taught Innovator
Travis’s foray into golf course design began in 1899, just three years into his golfing journey, when he assisted Scotsman John Duncan Dunn in laying out Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, Vermont. Lacking formal training in landscape architecture, Travis learned through hands-on experience, likely overseeing construction while Dunn shaped the initial plan. This collaboration marked the start of a design career that would span over 50 courses.
A pivotal influence came during an extended trip to the United Kingdom in 1900–1901, where Travis studied renowned courses like Prestwick, North Berwick, and St. Andrews. He admired their treeless landscapes, strategic bunker placement, natural green undulations, and firm turf—elements starkly different from the tree-heavy, cross-bunkered American courses of the time. These observations shaped his design philosophy, which he later articulated in writings like his 1902 article “Hazards,” advocating for aesthetically pleasing, scientifically placed bunkers that rewarded precision while offering weaker players safer routes.
Travis’s first major design project was a redesign of Garden City Golf Club, his home course originally laid out by Devereux Emmet. Starting in 1902 and continuing over years as greens chairman, he transformed it into a strategic masterpiece, adding bunkers and refining greens to reflect his vision. His work there, particularly for the 1914 U.S. Amateur, earned him recognition as a serious architect. Over the next two decades, he designed or redesigned courses across the U.S. and Canada, including:
- Hollywood Golf Club, NJ (1913): A heavily bunkered, challenging layout.
- Westchester Country Club, NY (South & West Courses, 1922): Known for dramatic green sites.
- Cape Arundel Golf Club, ME (1919): A short but clever course with chocolate-drop mounds and blind shots.
- Country Club of Scranton, PA (1927): His final work, completed shortly before his death.
- Ekwanok Country Club, VT (1899): His debut, co-designed with Dunn.
- Stafford Country Club, NY (1921): Featuring detailed green elevation maps he personally drafted.
Journalism and Publishing: The Voice of Golf
Travis’s influence extended beyond playing and designing through his prolific writing. In 1900, he began contributing instructional articles to magazines like Golf and Outing, offering precise, witty insights on technique. His 1902 “Hazards” article in The American Golfer challenged American design norms, while his putting essays showcased his expertise—born of experiments with countless putter designs.
In 1908, he founded The American Golfer, a magazine he edited and published until 1920. It became the era’s most influential golf publication, covering architecture, rules, equipment, and turf management. His series “Twenty Years of Golf” (1920) chronicled his career, including his role in advising Donald Ross on Pinehurst No. 2’s redesign. Travis’s direct, authoritative style made him a trusted voice, shaping golf’s intellectual landscape.
Innovations and Equipment
Travis was a tinkerer, relentlessly experimenting with equipment. His most famous innovation was the Schenectady putter, a center-shafted, mallet-headed club he used to win the 1904 British Amateur. Its ban by the R&A sparked a rift with the USGA and strained his friendship with architect C.B. Macdonald, who sided with British traditionalists. He also tested driver shafts up to 50 inches long for added distance, reflecting his relentless pursuit of improvement.
Later Years and Legacy
By the 1920s, Travis’s health declined, limiting his competitive play and forcing him to focus on design and writing. He spent summers in Manchester, Vermont, near Ekwanok, a course he cherished. On July 31, 1927, he died in his sleep in Denver, Colorado, at age 65, likely from tuberculosis complications. Per his wishes, he was cremated and buried at Dellwood Cemetery in Manchester, just 400 yards from Ekwanok.
Travis’s legacy endures. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1979, he is celebrated as a polymath who elevated American golf. His courses—many still in play—offer a tangible link to his era, blending challenge with charm. Hollywood Golf Club, restored in 2021, and Cape Arundel remain testaments to his genius. Modern architects like Tom Doak cite his influence, seen in restorations like Garden City’s Redan-inspired 18th hole.
As a player, Travis won three U.S. Amateurs and a British Amateur, proving age was no barrier to excellence. As an architect, he crafted courses that demand strategy and reward skill. As a writer, he educated generations. On March 22, 2025, nearly a century after his death, Walter Travis remains a towering figure—the “Grand Old Man” who helped forge American golf’s golden age.
Walter Travis Designs
Original Designs
Ekwanok Country Club - Manchester, Vermont (1899)
Travis’s first design, co-created with John Duncan Dunn. A heathland-style course with strategic bunkering, it remains a classic.
Essex County Club - West Orange, New Jersey (1905)
An early solo project featuring his signature contoured greens and penal bunkers.
Round Hill Club - Greenwich, Connecticut (1910)
A strategic layout with rolling terrain and challenging green complexes.
Hollywood Golf Club - Deal, New Jersey (1913)
One of his masterpieces, known for deep bunkers and restored in 2021 to reflect his original intent.
Lookout Point Country Club - Fonthill, Ontario, Canada (1916)
A rugged, scenic design with dramatic elevation changes overlooking Lake Ontario.
Cape Arundel Golf Club - Kennebunkport, Maine (1919)
A short, quirky course with chocolate-drop mounds and blind shots, still largely intact.
Stafford Country Club - Stafford, New York (1921)
Features detailed green elevation maps Travis drafted himself; a late-career gem.
Westchester Country Club (South Course) - Rye, New York (1922)
A bold layout with elevated greens and strategic hazards; paired with his West Course redesign.
Cherry Valley Club - Garden City, New York (1923)
A lesser-known but elegant design with subtle strategic elements.
Country Club of Scranton (Old Course) - Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania (1927)
His final design, completed shortly before his death; known for its challenging par-3s.
Major Redesigns
Garden City Golf Club - Garden City, New York (1902–1914)
Originally designed by Devereux Emmet, Travis transformed it with bunkers and green refinements, notably for the 1914 U.S. Amateur.
Westchester Country Club (West Course) - Rye, New York (1922)
A redesign of an existing layout, paired with his South Course, featuring dramatic green sites.
Columbia Country Club - Chevy Chase, Maryland (1911–1921)
Travis reworked the original course, adding his trademark bunkers and green contours.
Yahnundasis Golf Club - New Hartford, New York (1924)
A significant overhaul that introduced strategic depth to the layout.
Country Club of Troy - Troy, New York (1920s)
Travis enhanced the course with his penal bunkering and green design principles.
Onondaga Golf & Country Club - Fayetteville, New York (1920s)
A redesign that incorporated his British-inspired ground-game elements.
Stockbridge Golf Club - Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1920s)
Modifications to an earlier layout, emphasizing natural contours.
Additional Courses with Travis Involvement
Travis’s portfolio includes several courses where his role ranged from consultation to partial design or redesign. These are less definitively documented but often credited to him in historical accounts:
18. Lakewood Country Club - Lakewood, New Jersey (early 1900s)
- Early work with possible collaboration; details are sparse.
19. Flushing Country Club - Flushing, New York (1900s)
- Likely a redesign or consultation tied to his Queens roots.
20. Salisbury Golf Club - East Meadow, New York (1910s)
- Attributed to Travis in some records; may have been a minor project.
21. Green Meadow Country Club - Harrison, New York (1920s)
- A redesign project with his characteristic bunkering.
22. North Jersey Country Club - Wayne, New Jersey (1920s)
- Consultation or partial redesign; specifics are unclear.
23. Pinehurst No. 2 (Consultation) - Pinehurst, North Carolina (1910s)
- Travis advised Donald Ross on green complexes and bunkering, though Ross retains primary credit.
24. Upper Montclair Country Club - Clifton, New Jersey (1920s)
- Likely a redesign or consultation late in his career.
25. Orchard Park Country Club - Orchard Park, New York (1920s)
- Attributed to Travis in regional histories; details are limited.
Lost or Altered Courses
Some Travis designs have been lost to development, war, or significant alteration:
26. Equinox Links - Manchester, Vermont (1900s)
- An early companion to Ekwanok, now defunct or absorbed.
27. Schenectady Golf Club - Schenectady, New York (1900s)
- An early project that no longer exists in its original form.
28. Brighton Golf Club
Ekwanok Country Club - Manchester, Vermont (1899)
Travis’s first design, co-created with John Duncan Dunn. A heathland-style course with strategic bunkering, it remains a classic.
Essex County Club - West Orange, New Jersey (1905)
An early solo project featuring his signature contoured greens and penal bunkers.
Round Hill Club - Greenwich, Connecticut (1910)
A strategic layout with rolling terrain and challenging green complexes.
Hollywood Golf Club - Deal, New Jersey (1913)
One of his masterpieces, known for deep bunkers and restored in 2021 to reflect his original intent.
Lookout Point Country Club - Fonthill, Ontario, Canada (1916)
A rugged, scenic design with dramatic elevation changes overlooking Lake Ontario.
Cape Arundel Golf Club - Kennebunkport, Maine (1919)
A short, quirky course with chocolate-drop mounds and blind shots, still largely intact.
Stafford Country Club - Stafford, New York (1921)
Features detailed green elevation maps Travis drafted himself; a late-career gem.
Westchester Country Club (South Course) - Rye, New York (1922)
A bold layout with elevated greens and strategic hazards; paired with his West Course redesign.
Cherry Valley Club - Garden City, New York (1923)
A lesser-known but elegant design with subtle strategic elements.
Country Club of Scranton (Old Course) - Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania (1927)
His final design, completed shortly before his death; known for its challenging par-3s.
Major Redesigns
Garden City Golf Club - Garden City, New York (1902–1914)
Originally designed by Devereux Emmet, Travis transformed it with bunkers and green refinements, notably for the 1914 U.S. Amateur.
Westchester Country Club (West Course) - Rye, New York (1922)
A redesign of an existing layout, paired with his South Course, featuring dramatic green sites.
Columbia Country Club - Chevy Chase, Maryland (1911–1921)
Travis reworked the original course, adding his trademark bunkers and green contours.
Yahnundasis Golf Club - New Hartford, New York (1924)
A significant overhaul that introduced strategic depth to the layout.
Country Club of Troy - Troy, New York (1920s)
Travis enhanced the course with his penal bunkering and green design principles.
Onondaga Golf & Country Club - Fayetteville, New York (1920s)
A redesign that incorporated his British-inspired ground-game elements.
Stockbridge Golf Club - Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1920s)
Modifications to an earlier layout, emphasizing natural contours.
Additional Courses with Travis Involvement
Travis’s portfolio includes several courses where his role ranged from consultation to partial design or redesign. These are less definitively documented but often credited to him in historical accounts:
18. Lakewood Country Club - Lakewood, New Jersey (early 1900s)
- Early work with possible collaboration; details are sparse.
19. Flushing Country Club - Flushing, New York (1900s)
- Likely a redesign or consultation tied to his Queens roots.
20. Salisbury Golf Club - East Meadow, New York (1910s)
- Attributed to Travis in some records; may have been a minor project.
21. Green Meadow Country Club - Harrison, New York (1920s)
- A redesign project with his characteristic bunkering.
22. North Jersey Country Club - Wayne, New Jersey (1920s)
- Consultation or partial redesign; specifics are unclear.
23. Pinehurst No. 2 (Consultation) - Pinehurst, North Carolina (1910s)
- Travis advised Donald Ross on green complexes and bunkering, though Ross retains primary credit.
24. Upper Montclair Country Club - Clifton, New Jersey (1920s)
- Likely a redesign or consultation late in his career.
25. Orchard Park Country Club - Orchard Park, New York (1920s)
- Attributed to Travis in regional histories; details are limited.
Lost or Altered Courses
Some Travis designs have been lost to development, war, or significant alteration:
26. Equinox Links - Manchester, Vermont (1900s)
- An early companion to Ekwanok, now defunct or absorbed.
27. Schenectady Golf Club - Schenectady, New York (1900s)
- An early project that no longer exists in its original form.
28. Brighton Golf Club