George Arthur Crump

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George Arthur Crump (1871–1918) was a hotelier and golf course architect primarily known for designing and building Pine Valley Golf Club.

Crump was born in Philadelphia in 1871, but spent most of his formative years in Camden and Merchantville. He attended local primary and secondary schools and did not attend college. George married Isabelle Henry in 1898; at that time, he listed his profession as the 'Hotel Business'. With the hotel in capable hands, George was free to pursue golf and within a few years, he was a fanatic, eventually holding memberships at Philadelphia Country Club, St. David's, Torresdale, Huntingdon Valley Country Club and Atlantic City Country Club.

In 1910 Crump and his friend Joseph Baker embarked on a European trip in order to play and study the premier golf courses of Britain and the Continent. Their itinerary included rounds at St. Andrews, Prestwick, Turnberry, Hoylake, Sandwich, Deal, Princes, Sunningdale, Walton Heath as well as golf courses in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

During the construction of the Pine Valley Golf Course, marshlands had to be drained and approximately 22,000 tree stumps had to be pulled out with special steam-winches and horse-drawn cables. This was all done at a time when many golf courses were still built with minimal earth moving, and the course was called "Crump's Folly" by some.

Crump committed suicide on the morning of the January 24, 1918 at his home in Merchantville. The coroner's report listed the cause of death as a gun shot wound to the head. At the time of his death four holes—12 through 15—were incomplete. Since Crump's death alterations have been made by several other leading golf course designers.

The Crump Cup, established in 1922 was named after Crump and is played to this day at Pine Valley Golf Club.

[edit] External links

• George Arthur Crump: Portrait of a Legend

Persondata
NAME	Crump, George Arthur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	hotelier and gold course architect
DATE OF BIRTH	1871
PLACE OF BIRTH	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH	1918
PLACE OF DEATH	Merchantville, New Jersey