William P. Bell

William P. Bell ( April 19, 1886, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania - June 21, 1953, Pasadena, California) was a noted golf course architect, active from the 1920s into the 1950s.

Biography

Bell studied agriculture at Duff's Business Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He moved to California in 1911, and held a series of golf jobs at the Pasadena Country Club, including caddymaster and course superintendent. Bell worked on golf course construction for architect Willie Watson, including serving as Watson's superintendent, before going into golf course design and development on his own in 1920.[1]

Most of Bell's courses were designed and built in Southern California. He is considered one of the most important golf course architects in California, with more than 50 courses credited to his work and design, and he designed and built courses in other Western states as well, including Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Early in his design career, Bell worked closely with famous designer and fellow Pennsylvanian George C. Thomas, Jr., on courses which included the Riviera Country Club, often cited as one of the world's best courses. Although Thomas is listed as architect of record, Bell made significant contributions to many of the designs. Bell's son William F. Bell (born in Pasadena in 1918) trained with him, joined him in partnership after World War II, and later became an important golf course architect in his own right. Bell Sr. served as a turf consultant to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, and was awarded a commendation by the Southern California chapter of the PGA, in honor of his work creating golf courses for wounded servicemen. Bell Sr. was a founder member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, and served as ASGCA President in 1952.[2]

Golf Courses designed and built by William P. Bell

(List of courses:[3])

References

  1. ↑ The Golf Course, by Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten, 1981, New York, The Rutledge Press, ISBN 0-8317-3947-9, p. 166
  2. ↑ The Golf Course, by Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten, 1981, New York, The Rutledge Press, ISBN 0-8317-3947-9, p. 166
  3. ↑ www.worldgolf.com
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