Jump to content

George C. Thomas Jr.: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
5,439,563 edits
Removed parameters. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:1932 deaths | #UCB_Category 950/2792
→Legacy: updated golf digest rankings from 2010 to 2023 <ref>https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking</ref>
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American golf course architect, botanist, and writer (1873-1932)}}
⚫
[[File:Whitemarsh 1913.png|thumb|350px|16th hole, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, 1913.]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
⚫
'''George Clifford Thomas Jr.''' (October 3, 1873 – February 28, 1932) was an American golf course architect, botanist, and author. He designed the original course at [[Whitemarsh Valley Country Club]], outside [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]; and more than twenty courses in California, including [[Riviera Country Club]] in Pacific Palisades and Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
{{Infobox person
| name = George C. Thomas Jr.
| image = George Clifford Thomas Jr. (1873–1932).png
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1873|10|03}}
| birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1932|02|23|1873|10|03}}
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], California
| burial_place =
| occupation = Golf course architect, botanist, writer
| awards =
| spouse = {{Marriage|Edna H. Ridge|July 6, 1901}}
| children = 2
| education = [[University of Pennsylvania]]
| signature = Signature of George Clifford Thomas Jr. (1873–1932).png
| party =
}}
⚫
'''George Clifford Thomas Jr.''' (October 3, 1873 – February 23, 1932) was an American golf course architect, botanist, and writer. He designed the original course at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, outside [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]; and more than twenty courses in California, including [[Riviera Country Club]] in Pacific Palisades and Red Hill Country Club in [[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]].

Thomas, along with [[A.W. Tillinghast]], [[William Flynn (golfer)|William Flynn]], [[Hugh Irvine Wilson|Hugh Wilson]], [[George Arthur Crump|George Crump]], and [[William C. Fownes Jr.|William Fownes]] together made up the "Philadelphia School" of golf course architecture. Together, the group designed over 300 courses, 27 of which are on in the top 100 golf courses in the world.<ref>[https://thefriedegg.com/philadelphia-school-of-golf-architecture/ Philadelphia School]</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
⚫
[[File:Whitemarsh 1913.png|thumb|250px|16th hole, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, 1913]]
⚫
Thomas grew up in Philadelphia, attended [[Episcopal Academy]], and graduated from the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1894. His father was a partner in the investment bank [[Drexel Burnham Lambert|Drexel & Company]], where the son worked until 1907. As a teenager, he began designing a golf course on his family's suburban estate, Bloomfield Farm.<ref name="arch">{{cite web|url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp |title=National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania |publisher=CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System |format=Searchable database }} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web|url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H001351_04H.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Compton and Bloomfield |accessdate=2012-05-24 |author=George E. Thomas |date=August 1978 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He sold the course in 1908 to a group of golfers who converted it into Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. He designed a 9-hole course in [[Marion, Massachusetts]], and a course in [[Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey]].

⚫
Thomas was born in Philadelphia on October 3, 1873.<ref name=PennBio>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xAI9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA45 |title=Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Illustrated |volume=XIII |editor-first=John W. |editor-last=Jordan |publisher=[[Lewis Historical Publishing Company]] |place=New York |page=63 |date=1921 |access-date=2023-06-22 |via=Google Books}}</ref> He attended [[Episcopal Academy]], and graduated from the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1894. His father was a partner in the investment bank [[Drexel Burnham Lambert|Drexel & Company]], where the son worked until 1907. As a teenager, he began designing a golf course on his family's suburban estate, Bloomfield Farm.<ref name="arch">{{cite web |url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp |title=National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania |publisher=CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System |format=Searchable database |access-date=2013-08-25 |archive-date=2007-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070721014609/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp |url-status=dead }} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web |url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H001351_04H.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Compton and Bloomfield |accessdate=2012-05-24 |author=George E. Thomas |date=August 1978 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He sold the course in 1908 to a group of golfers who converted it into Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. He designed a 9-hole course in [[Marion, Massachusetts]], and a course in [[Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey]].


In the 1910s, he was able to observe some of the pioneers of golf course design working near Philadelphia. He was a founding member of [[Sunnybrook Golf Club]], and witnessed [[Donald Ross (golfer)|Donald Ross]]'s 1914-15 construction of its original course in [[Flourtown, Pennsylvania]].<ref>[http://www.gapgolf.org/clubs.asp?cmd=&cid=116 Sunnybrook Golf Club History]</ref> He was friends with [[Hugh Irvine Wilson|Hugh Wilson]], who designed [[Merion Golf Club]]'s original East Course in 1912, and its original West Course in 1914; with [[George Arthur Crump|George Crump]], who designed [[Pine Valley Golf Club]]'s original course in 1915; and with [[A. W. Tillinghast]], who later designed the [[Philadelphia Cricket Club]]'s original course in Flourtown. Crump, Tillinghast, Wilson, [[William Flynn (golfer)|William Flynn]] (who constructed Wilson's courses at Merion), and Thomas were masters of the "Philadelphia School" of golf course design, which encouraged high-risk/high-reward play.<ref>[http://www.out-and-back.net/?p=2603 William Flynn biographical sketch]</ref>
In the 1910s, he was able to observe some of the pioneers of golf course design working near Philadelphia. He was a founding member of [[Sunnybrook Golf Club]], and witnessed [[Donald Ross (golfer)|Donald Ross]]'s 1914-15 construction of its original course in [[Flourtown, Pennsylvania]].<ref>[http://www.gapgolf.org/clubs.asp?cmd=&cid=116 Sunnybrook Golf Club History]</ref> He was friends with [[Hugh Irvine Wilson|Hugh Wilson]], who designed [[Merion Golf Club]]'s original East Course in 1912, and its original West Course in 1914; with [[George Arthur Crump|George Crump]], who designed [[Pine Valley Golf Club]]'s original course in 1915; and with [[A. W. Tillinghast]], who later designed the [[Philadelphia Cricket Club]]'s original course in Flourtown. Crump, Tillinghast, Wilson, [[William Flynn (golfer)|William Flynn]] (who constructed Wilson's courses at Merion), and Thomas were masters of the "Philadelphia School" of golf course design, which encouraged high-risk/high-reward play.<ref>[http://www.out-and-back.net/?p=2603 William Flynn biographical sketch]</ref>
Line 9: Line 33:
He served in the [[United States Army Air Service|Army Air Service]] during [[World War I]], attaining the rank of captain. "The Captain" remained his nickname for the rest of his life.
He served in the [[United States Army Air Service|Army Air Service]] during [[World War I]], attaining the rank of captain. "The Captain" remained his nickname for the rest of his life.


He moved to California in 1919, where he designed the course at [https://www.lacumbrecc.org/] [https://www.lacumbrecc.org/ La Cumbre Country Club] in Santa Barbara. [[William P. Bell]] collaborated and supervised its construction. He and Bell later collaborated on courses for [[Los Angeles Country Club]], Ojai Country Club, [[Bel-Air Country Club]], Fox Hills Golf Course, Red Hill Country Club, and others.
He moved to California in 1919, where he designed the course at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. [[William P. Bell]] collaborated and supervised its construction. He and Bell later collaborated on courses for [[Los Angeles Country Club]], Ojai Country Club, [[Bel-Air Country Club]], Fox Hills Golf Course, Red Hill Country Club, and others.


In 1926, he published a seminal book, ''Golf Course Architecture in America,'' in which he stated the goal behind his work: “When you play a course and remember each hole, it has individuality and change. If your mind cannot recall the exact sequence of the holes, that course lacks the great assets of originality and diversity.”<ref>''Golf Course Architecture in America'' (1926), p. 136.</ref>
In 1926, he published a seminal book, ''Golf Course Architecture in America'', in which he stated the goal behind his work: "When you play a course and remember each hole, it has individuality and change. If your mind cannot recall the exact sequence of the holes, that course lacks the great assets of originality and diversity."<ref>''Golf Course Architecture in America'' (1926), p. 136.</ref>


He considered the course at Red Hill Country Club to be his masterpiece. It is the only one of his courses that has never been altered.
He considered the course at Red Hill Country Club to be his masterpiece. It is the only one of his courses that has never been extensively altered.


===Dogs and roses===
===Dogs and roses===
[[File:BloomfieldAbundance.jpg|thumb|150px|"Bloomfield Abundance Rose," hybridized by Thomas in 1920.]]
[[File:BloomfieldAbundance.jpg|thumb|150px|"Bloomfield Abundance Rose", hybridized by Thomas in 1920]]
He raised [[English setter]]s, and was one of the founders of the English Setter Club of America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.englishsetterclub.com/BriefHistory.html |title=English Setter Club of America history |access-date=2012-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203044254/http://www.englishsetterclub.com/BriefHistory.html |archive-date=2011-02-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He raised [[English setter]]s, and was one of the founders of the English Setter Club of America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.englishsetterclub.com/BriefHistory.html |title=English Setter Club of America history |access-date=2012-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203044254/http://www.englishsetterclub.com/BriefHistory.html |archive-date=2011-02-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Line 22: Line 46:


===Family===
===Family===
He married Edna H. Ridge in Philadelphia on July 6, 1901. They had two children: George Clifford III, born April 13, 1905; and Josephine Moorehead, born April 14, 1907.<ref>"George Clifford Thomas," in ''Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Volume 10'' (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1918).</ref> Thomas died of a heart attack at their home in Beverly Hills in 1932.
He married Edna H. Ridge in Philadelphia on July 6, 1901. They had two children: George Clifford III, born April 13, 1905; and Josephine Moorehead, born April 14, 1907.<ref name=PennBio/> Thomas died of a heart attack at their home in Beverly Hills on February 23, 1932.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-thomas-obit-ph/69590056/ |title=Geo. C. Thomas, Jr., Dies in California |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |page=3 |date=1932-02-24 |access-date=2023-06-22 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>


===Legacy===
===Legacy===
Line 29: Line 53:
In 2008, Thomas was posthumously inducted into the [[Southern California Golf Association]]'s Hall of Fame.<ref>[http://www.scga.org/news/halloffame.aspx SCGA Hall of Fame]</ref>
In 2008, Thomas was posthumously inducted into the [[Southern California Golf Association]]'s Hall of Fame.<ref>[http://www.scga.org/news/halloffame.aspx SCGA Hall of Fame]</ref>


In 2010, [[Gil Hanse]] restored the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club to Thomas's 1921 design.<ref>[https://www.thelacc.org/files/NorthCourse_Commemorative_Edition.pdf North Course, Los Angeles Country Club restoration]</ref> On [[Golf Digest]]'s 2010 list of the '''100 greatest golf courses in America''', Riviera Country Club was ranked 31st, and the restored North Course at Los Angeles Country Club was ranked 47th.<ref>[http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/golf-courses/2009-05/100_greatestgolfcourses 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America (2010)] from Golf Digest.</ref>
In 2010, [[Gil Hanse]] restored the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club to Thomas's 1921 design.<ref>[https://www.thelacc.org/files/NorthCourse_Commemorative_Edition.pdf North Course, Los Angeles Country Club restoration]</ref> On ''[[Golf Digest]]''{{'s}} 2023 list of the 100 greatest golf courses in America, Riviera Country Club was ranked 19th, and the restored North Course at Los Angeles Country Club was ranked 16th.<ref>[https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking] from ''Golf Digest''.</ref>


In June 2012, the first ''George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational Tournament'' was held on the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club.<ref>[http://www.amateurgolf.com/8027-GolfNews-Shaw-takes-George-C-Thomas-Invite George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational]</ref>
In June 2012, the first George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational Tournament was held on the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club.<ref>[http://www.amateurgolf.com/8027-GolfNews-Shaw-takes-George-C-Thomas-Invite George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational]</ref>


==Golf courses==
==Golf courses==
* Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, [[Erdenheim, Pennsylvania]] (1892?-1908).
* Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, [[Erdenheim, Pennsylvania]] (1892?-1908).
* Marion Golf Club, Marion, Massachusetts (9 holes, 1900).
* [https://www.mariongolfclub.com/ Marion Golf Club], Marion, Massachusetts (9 holes, 1900).
* Spring Lake Golf Club, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey (1911).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://springlakegolfclub.net/About-Us/History.aspx |title=Spring Lake Golf Club history |access-date=2012-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915025000/http://springlakegolfclub.net/About-Us/History.aspx |archive-date=2012-09-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Spring Lake Golf Club, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey (1911).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://springlakegolfclub.net/About-Us/History.aspx |title=Spring Lake Golf Club history |access-date=2012-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915025000/http://springlakegolfclub.net/About-Us/History.aspx |archive-date=2012-09-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* La Cumbre Country Club, [[Santa Barbara, California]] (1920, with William P. Bell, demolished).
* La Cumbre Country Club, [[Santa Barbara, California]] (1920, with William P. Bell, demolished).
* [http://redhillcc.com/ Red Hill Country Club], [[Rancho Cucamonga, California]] (1921, with William P. Bell).<ref>[http://www.redhillcc.com/viewCustomPage.aspx?id=2 Red Hill Country Club history]</ref>
* [http://redhillcc.com/ Red Hill Country Club], [[Rancho Cucamonga, California]] (9 holes, 1921 and 9 holes with William P. Bell, 1946).<ref>[http://www.redhillcc.com/our-story Red Hill Country Club Our Story]</ref>
* North Course, [[Los Angeles Country Club]], Los Angeles, California (1921 redesign, with [[William Herbert Fowler|Herbert Fowler]]; 1927-28 redesign, with William P. Bell). Now restored to Thomas's 1921 design.
* North Course, [[Los Angeles Country Club]], Los Angeles, California (1921 redesign, with [[William Herbert Fowler|Herbert Fowler]]; 1927-28 redesign, with William P. Bell). Now restored to Thomas's 1921 design.
* Saticoy Country Club, [[Ventura, California]] (9 holes, 1923).<ref>[http://www.saticoycountryclub.com/About-the-Club/History-213.html Saticoy Country Club history]</ref> Now Saticoy Regional Golf Course.
* Saticoy Country Club, [[Ventura, California]] (9 holes, 1923).<ref>[http://www.saticoycountryclub.com/About-the-Club/History-213.html Saticoy Country Club history]</ref> Now Saticoy Regional Golf Course.
Line 49: Line 73:
* Fox Hills Golf Course, [[Culver City, California]] (1927, with William P. Bell, demolished). Now the site of Culver City Shopping Mall.
* Fox Hills Golf Course, [[Culver City, California]] (1927, with William P. Bell, demolished). Now the site of Culver City Shopping Mall.
* Stanford University Golf Course, [[Stanford, California]] (1930, with William P. Bell).<ref>[http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/stan-golfcourse.html Stanford Golf Course]</ref>
* Stanford University Golf Course, [[Stanford, California]] (1930, with William P. Bell).<ref>[http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/stan-golfcourse.html Stanford Golf Course]</ref>
{{external media | width = 210px | align = right | headerimage = [[File:RivieraCountryClub9th.jpg|200px]] | video1 = {{YouTube|SGhO9hOWKQU|Hole 1, Riviera (U.S. Open)}} | video2 = {{YouTube|3HmZm0OLCAE|George C. Thomas Jr.}} }}
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage = [[File:RivieraCountryClub9th.jpg|200px]] | video1 = {{YouTube|SGhO9hOWKQU|Hole 1, Riviera (U.S. Open)}} | video2 = {{YouTube|3HmZm0OLCAE|George C. Thomas Jr.}} }}
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Griffith Park from the air.jpg|Wilson and Harding Golf Courses (center, far left), [[Griffith Park]], Los Angeles, California.
File:Griffith Park from the air.jpg|Wilson and Harding Golf Courses (center, far left), [[Griffith Park]], Los Angeles, California
⚫
File:RivieraCountryClub18th.jpg|18th hole, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California. Because of the half-bowl shape of the topography, this hole is nicknamed "The Amphitheater".
File:11th hole at Palos Verdes Golf Club.jpg|11th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California.
File:PVGC-12-12.jpg|12th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California
⚫
File:RivieraCountryClub18th.jpg|18th hole, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California. Because of the half-bowl shape of the topography, this hole is nicknamed "The Amphitheater."
File:14th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club (2003).jpg|14th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Course - designed by George C. Thomas & William P. Bell (photo taken in 2003)
</gallery>
</gallery>


==References==
==References==
⚫
{{Reflist}}

* [[Geoffrey Cornish|Geoffrey S. Cornish]], Ronald E. Whitten: ''The Architects of Golf''. HarperCollins, New York 1993. {{ISBN|0062700820}}
* [[Geoffrey Cornish|Geoffrey S. Cornish]], Ronald E. Whitten: ''The Architects of Golf''. HarperCollins, New York 1993. {{ISBN|0062700820}}
* Geoff Shackelford: ''The Riviera Country Club; A Definitive History''. Riviera Country Club 1995.
* Geoff Shackelford: ''The Riviera Country Club; A Definitive History''. Riviera Country Club 1995.
Line 64: Line 89:
* George C. Thomas Jr.: ''Golf Course Architecture in America: Its Strategy and Construction''. John Wiley & Sons, New York 1926. Reprint: Clocktower Press, Ann Arbor 1997. {{ISBN|1886947147}}
* George C. Thomas Jr.: ''Golf Course Architecture in America: Its Strategy and Construction''. John Wiley & Sons, New York 1926. Reprint: Clocktower Press, Ann Arbor 1997. {{ISBN|1886947147}}
* George C. Thomas Jr.: ''Breeding Roses at Home''. American Rose Society, 1929.
* George C. Thomas Jr.: ''Breeding Roses at Home''. American Rose Society, 1929.
⚫
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A17F6355B13738DDDAE0A94DA405B828FF1D3 New York Times obituary, February 29, 1932]
*[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A17F6355B13738DDDAE0A94DA405B828FF1D3 ''New York Times'' obituary, February 29, 1932]
*[http://www.whitemarshvalleycc.com/Golf-Course/George-C--Thomas.aspx George C. Thomas Jr. from Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.]
*[http://www.whitemarshvalleycc.com/Golf-Course/George-C--Thomas.aspx George C. Thomas Jr. from Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.]
*[http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/geoff-shackelford-a-historians-dream-article/ Riviera Country Club: A Historian's Dream Article]
*[http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/geoff-shackelford-a-historians-dream-article/ Riviera Country Club: A Historian's Dream Article]

Latest revision as of 17:42, 29 April 2024

George C. Thomas Jr.
Born(1873-10-03)October 3, 1873
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DiedFebruary 23, 1932(1932-02-23) (aged 58)
Beverly Hills, California
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)Golf course architect, botanist, writer
Spouse
Edna H. Ridge
​
(m. 1901)​
Children2
Signature

George Clifford Thomas Jr. (October 3, 1873 – February 23, 1932) was an American golf course architect, botanist, and writer. He designed the original course at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and more than twenty courses in California, including Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades and Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.

Thomas, along with A.W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, Hugh Wilson, George Crump, and William Fownes together made up the "Philadelphia School" of golf course architecture. Together, the group designed over 300 courses, 27 of which are on in the top 100 golf courses in the world.[1]

Biography

[edit]
16th hole, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, 1913

Thomas was born in Philadelphia on October 3, 1873.[2] He attended Episcopal Academy, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1894. His father was a partner in the investment bank Drexel & Company, where the son worked until 1907. As a teenager, he began designing a golf course on his family's suburban estate, Bloomfield Farm.[3] He sold the course in 1908 to a group of golfers who converted it into Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. He designed a 9-hole course in Marion, Massachusetts, and a course in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey.

In the 1910s, he was able to observe some of the pioneers of golf course design working near Philadelphia. He was a founding member of Sunnybrook Golf Club, and witnessed Donald Ross's 1914-15 construction of its original course in Flourtown, Pennsylvania.[4] He was friends with Hugh Wilson, who designed Merion Golf Club's original East Course in 1912, and its original West Course in 1914; with George Crump, who designed Pine Valley Golf Club's original course in 1915; and with A. W. Tillinghast, who later designed the Philadelphia Cricket Club's original course in Flourtown. Crump, Tillinghast, Wilson, William Flynn (who constructed Wilson's courses at Merion), and Thomas were masters of the "Philadelphia School" of golf course design, which encouraged high-risk/high-reward play.[5]

He served in the Army Air Service during World War I, attaining the rank of captain. "The Captain" remained his nickname for the rest of his life.

He moved to California in 1919, where he designed the course at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. William P. Bell collaborated and supervised its construction. He and Bell later collaborated on courses for Los Angeles Country Club, Ojai Country Club, Bel-Air Country Club, Fox Hills Golf Course, Red Hill Country Club, and others.

In 1926, he published a seminal book, Golf Course Architecture in America, in which he stated the goal behind his work: "When you play a course and remember each hole, it has individuality and change. If your mind cannot recall the exact sequence of the holes, that course lacks the great assets of originality and diversity."[6]

He considered the course at Red Hill Country Club to be his masterpiece. It is the only one of his courses that has never been extensively altered.

Dogs and roses

[edit]
"Bloomfield Abundance Rose", hybridized by Thomas in 1920

He raised English setters, and was one of the founders of the English Setter Club of America.[7]

In 1912, he began breeding roses on Bloomfield Farm, trying to create a variety that would thrive in Philadelphia's Mid-Atlantic climate. His botanical work continued in California, where he cultivated some 1,200 varieties, including his own "Bloomfield" hybrids.[8] He wrote two books on roses.

Family

[edit]

He married Edna H. Ridge in Philadelphia on July 6, 1901. They had two children: George Clifford III, born April 13, 1905; and Josephine Moorehead, born April 14, 1907.[2] Thomas died of a heart attack at their home in Beverly Hills on February 23, 1932.[9]

Legacy

[edit]

Geoff Shackelford, a golf course architect and author, wrote a 1995 history of Riviera Country Club and a 1996 biography of Thomas.[10]

In 2008, Thomas was posthumously inducted into the Southern California Golf Association's Hall of Fame.[11]

In 2010, Gil Hanse restored the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club to Thomas's 1921 design.[12] On Golf Digest's 2023 list of the 100 greatest golf courses in America, Riviera Country Club was ranked 19th, and the restored North Course at Los Angeles Country Club was ranked 16th.[13]

In June 2012, the first George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational Tournament was held on the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club.[14]

Golf courses

[edit]
External videos
video icon Hole 1, Riviera (U.S. Open) on YouTube
video icon George C. Thomas Jr. on YouTube
  • Wilson and Harding Golf Courses (center, far left), Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California
    Wilson and Harding Golf Courses (center, far left), Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California
  • 18th hole, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California. Because of the half-bowl shape of the topography, this hole is nicknamed "The Amphitheater".
    18th hole, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California. Because of the half-bowl shape of the topography, this hole is nicknamed "The Amphitheater".
  • 12th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California
    12th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California
  • 14th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Course - designed by George C. Thomas & William P. Bell (photo taken in 2003)
    14th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Course - designed by George C. Thomas & William P. Bell (photo taken in 2003)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Philadelphia School
  2. ^ a b Jordan, John W., ed. (1921). Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Illustrated. Vol. XIII. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 63. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on July 21, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2013. Note: This includes George E. Thomas (August 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Compton and Bloomfield" (PDF). Retrieved May 24, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Sunnybrook Golf Club History
  5. ^ William Flynn biographical sketch
  6. ^ Golf Course Architecture in America (1926), p. 136.
  7. ^ "English Setter Club of America history". Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  8. ^ Dan McMasters, Two Centuries of the Rose in California (American Rose Society, 1977), p. 27.
  9. ^ "Geo. C. Thomas, Jr., Dies in California". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 24, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Geoff Shackelford blog
  11. ^ SCGA Hall of Fame
  12. ^ North Course, Los Angeles Country Club restoration
  13. ^ [1] from Golf Digest.
  14. ^ George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational
  15. ^ "Spring Lake Golf Club history". Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  16. ^ Red Hill Country Club Our Story
  17. ^ Saticoy Country Club history
  18. ^ Harding Memorial Golf Course
  19. ^ Ojai Country Club history
  20. ^ Riviera Country Club -- A hole-by-hole tour
  21. ^ Stanford Golf Course
  • Geoffrey S. Cornish, Ronald E. Whitten: The Architects of Golf. HarperCollins, New York 1993. ISBN 0062700820
  • Geoff Shackelford: The Riviera Country Club; A Definitive History. Riviera Country Club 1995.
  • Geoff Shackelford: The Captain: George C. Thomas Jr. and His Golf Architecture. Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea 1996. ISBN 1886947287
  • George C. Thomas Jr.: The Practical Book of Outdoor Rose-growing for the Home Garden. J.B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia 1914.
  • George C. Thomas Jr.: Golf Course Architecture in America: Its Strategy and Construction. John Wiley & Sons, New York 1926. Reprint: Clocktower Press, Ann Arbor 1997. ISBN 1886947147
  • George C. Thomas Jr.: Breeding Roses at Home. American Rose Society, 1929.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=George_C._Thomas_Jr.&oldid=1221394893"