Archie Simpson

For the Degrassi: The Next Generation character, see List of Degrassi: The Next Generation characters#Archie.
Archie Simpson
— Golfer —
Personal information
Full name Archibald Simpson
Born 14 March 1866
Earlsferry, Scotland
Died January 1955 (aged 88)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality  Scotland
Career
Status Professional
Best results in major championships
The Open Championship 2nd/T2: 1885, 1890
PGA Championship DNP

Archibald "Archie" Simpson (14 March 1866[1] – January 1955) was a Scottish golfer, golf course designer and club maker. He was runner-up in The Open Championship in 1885 (won by Bob Martin), and 1890 (won by John Ball).

Early years

Simpson was born in 1866 in Earlsferry.[1] His was a notable golfing family, which included an elder brother, Bob Simpson, a Carnoustie-based club maker.[2] His cousin was the golfer James Braid.[3] As a boy, Simpson was the favourite caddy of Sir Alexander Grant, Principal of Edinburgh University and a regular at the course in Earlsferry, where Simpson grew up.[4]

Career

Hutchinson speculated that Simpson was first engaged in golf at Bembridge, before removing to Carnoustie, and then several years at the end of the 19th century at Balgownie, near Aberdeen, where he partnered with Ben Sayers.[3] He was a professional and greenkeeper at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club course between 1894 and 1911,[5] during which he designed the new Murcar Links course to the north in 1909.[6] He is credited with building at least two other golf courses at Aberdeen city's Deeside Golf Club, the Blair's Course as well as the Haughton Course.[7]

He was later a professional at Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club from 1890–91, Prestwick Golf Club from 1892–93, and Carnoustie Golf Links in 1891–92, 1893–94 and again in 1921, after spending 10 years in Detroit, Michigan, US.[4] In Scotland, aside from the Murcar Links course, he designed the courses at Balgownie, Nairn, and Cruden Bay (with Braid).[8] He returned to the United States in 1922, where he designed the Vincennes Country Club course in Indiana, and became a professional member there. He later moved to Tam O'Shanter in Detroit and Clovernook in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as working in Illinois,[2] but retired in Detroit, where he died in 1955.[4]

Archie Simpson, golf club maker

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Births in the District of Kilconquhar in the County of Fife". Statutory Births 436/00 0009. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 19 February 2015. (subscription required (help)).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Archibald (Archie) Simpson". The Editors of The Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hutchinson, Horace Gordon (1900). The Book of Golf and Golfers (Public domain ed.). Longmans, Green, and Company. p. 128.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Archie Simpson". Antiquegolfscotland.com. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Pioneer: Archie Simpson". Golfcoursearchitecture.net. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Murcar Links Golf Club". Top100golfcourses.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Archie Simpson – Courses Built". World Golf. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Sieg, Terence (3 November 1997). Golf travel's guide to the world's greatest golf destinations: the ultimate resource for the discriminating golfer. Broadway Books. p. 20.