Charles Dundas Lawrie

Charles D. Lawrie, left, non-playing captain of the Great Britain team at the 1961 Walker Cup, with Jack Westland, right, America's non-playing captain.

Charles Dundas Lawrie (8 February 1923 – 31 August 1976) was a Scottish amateur golfer,[1] administrator, and golf course architect; described as one of the best golfers of his era[2] and as one of golf architecture's finest representatives.[3]

Personal life

Lawrie was born on the 8 February 1923, in Edinburgh, son of Alfred Ainslie Lawrie and Jean Maxwell Lawrie (née Cook). He and his family moved to North Berwick where he learned to play golf, winning the Elco Medal in 1937 at the children's course at North Berwick Golf Club.[4] He won the Gold Medal at a junior tournament at Carnoustie in 1939. He was educated at Fettes and Oxford, where 'he was a cricket star'.[5] Whilst at Oxford University he gained five "Blues" in different sports.[6] His cousin, James Haldane Lawrie, was a businessman, financier and patron of the arts. James was Chairman of the English Opera Group, and Benjamin Britten dedicated The Beggar's Opera (1948) to him.

Charles fought in World War II as a 2nd Lt.[7] in the Coldstream Guards.[5] As Sheriff of Anglesey, he took part in the Queen's coronation visit in 1953 in Caernarvon Castle.[8] He died aged only 53 in his birthplace, Edinburgh.[5] He is buried in North Berwick.

Playing and administrative career

Lawrie competed as an amateur in The Open Championship in 1955 and 1957.[9] He was the non-playing captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team in the 1960 and 1962 Eisenhower Trophy, and the non-playing captain of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team in 1961 and 1963;[4] teams which included Michael Bonallack and Joe Carr. The 1961 American team included a young Jack Nicklaus, playing well enough to ensure a dominant victory that year.[10] It was much closer the next time the two teams met. In the 1960s and 70s, Lawrie held various posts with the Royal & Ancient, including Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Championship Committee, and Chairman of the Selection Committee.[6] In "Palmer's Open" in 1962, Lawrie was referee for the final round pairing between Arnold Palmer and Kel Nagle. James Cusick of The Independent reports how the crowd were so fierce that year at Royal Troon that at the 15th, Lawrie was 'knocked head-first into a bunker during one of the crowd's surges'.[11]

Golf architecture

Lawrie went on to design golf courses as a partner of the golf architecture firm "Cotton Pennink Lawrie & Partners", which designed golf courses around the world. He designed the Duke's Course (1976), the location of the British Masters for 20 years,[12] and the Duchess' course (1978) at Woburn Golf Club.[13] The Duke's course has been described by Today's Golfer as a masterpiece,[14] and regularly appears in the top 100 ranked courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Golf courses designed by C.D. Lawrie

References

  1. ↑ "Obituary: John Beharrell, former golfer, 72". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  2. ↑ "2011 Past News". British Golf Collecters Society. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  3. ↑ "David White meets Neil Whitaker, down amongst the sheltering pines of Woburn, and learns how once Poa-dominated greens were tran" (PDF). webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  4. 1 2 "North Berwick Golfing Pioneers". www.northberwick.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  5. 1 2 3 Cornish, Geoffrey (1993). The Architects of Golf. HarperCollins. ISBN 0062700820.
  6. 1 2 Goldie, William C. (1964). 1964 Golfer's Handbook. The Golfer's Handbook. p. 98.
  7. ↑ "4352 Supplement to the London Gazette, i October, 1943" (PDF). webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  8. ↑ Coronation Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Caernarvon Castle Friday July 10 1953 (PDF). Cardiff: Her Majesty's Stationary Office. 1953. p. 7.
  9. ↑ Brenner, Morgan G. (2009-07-01). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of The Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. McFarland. ISBN 9780786453955.
  10. ↑ "Wayback Machine: The Northwest’s ‘majors’ | Sportspress Northwest". Sportspress Northwest. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  11. ↑ "The Open: Troon Talk". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  12. ↑ "Woburn Golf Club". www.ispygolf.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  13. 1 2 "History The Duchess' Course". www.woburngolf.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  14. ↑ "Today's Golfer Article: Woburn (Duke's)". Today's Golfer. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  15. ↑ "Ballyliffin". Signature Golf UK. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  16. ↑ "Fleming Park Golf Club, Eastleigh, Hants.". www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  17. ↑ "Open Fairways Haverhill Golf Club". www.openfairways.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  18. ↑ "Keerbergen Golf - Geschiedenis". www.golfkeerbergen.be. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  19. ↑ "Southwick Park GC Review". www.warksgolf.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  20. 1 2 "The 18-hole course". www.activeluton.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  21. ↑ PowerShock. "About Westhill". aberdeenshire.me. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  22. ↑ "History | Winter Hill Golf Club". www.winterhillgolfclub.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
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