Old Tom Morris

Old Tom Morris was a professional golfer, greenkeeper and golf course architect, born on June 16, 1821 at St Andrews in Scotland. His name was Thomas Mitchell Morris, and he is called Old Tom to distinguish him from his son of the same name, Young Tom Morris. He finished second in the first Open Championship in 1860 and afterwards won it four times, in 1861, 1862, 1864 and 1867. His victory by 13 strokes in 1862, and his win in 1867 at 46 years and 99 days as the oldest champion, both stand as Open records to this day. His son Young Tom took the Open in 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1872.

At eighteen he was apprenticed to Allan Robertson at St Andrews, and in 1851 he became the first keeper of the green — the man in charge of the course — at the newly formed Prestwick Golf Club. After returning to St Andrews in 1864 he looked after the links for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club for some forty years, and kept a clubmaking shop besides. He is remembered for introducing top dressing, the spreading of sand on greens to help the grass along, and the use of the push mower for cutting them, and is regarded as the man who laid the foundations of modern course maintenance.

He designed and remodelled a great many courses. In 1842 he helped Robertson build the ten holes at Carnoustie, and he went on to lay out Prestwick, where he won his Open titles, and Muirfield in 1891. In 1886 he came to Royal Dornoch and extended the course, and in Ireland he designed Lahinch in 1892. Machrihanish, Rosapenna and Royal North Devon (Westward Ho!) in England are his work as well.

He died at St Andrews on May 24, 1908, at the age of 86, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976. The American golf course architect A. W. Tillinghast was another who, as a young man, was taught the game by Old Tom Morris. GoGolf does not at present list any course designed by Old Tom Morris.

See the other golf course architects here.