Page 110 - Western Amateur 120th Championship Program 2022, Exmoor Country Club

History of the Western Amateur at Exmoor

Highlights from the 50th Western Amateur
ONE OF GOLF’S GREATEST
FIELDS: THE WESTERN
AMATEUR OF 1952
Few amateur championships—before
or since—have offered a more colorful
Exmoor course in 1904 and talented field of players than the
50th Western Amateur. As golf’s
Western Amateur by C.B. Macdonald, with initial work
popularity surged after World War II,
Course of 1904 by H.J. Whigham and H.J. Tweedie.
America’s amateur ranks exploded
Exmoor’s golf course was expanded to
A solid drive with the gutta percha ball with new stars.
18 holes in 1901 and played 5,880 yards
would travel 190 yards. But the new
in length. Built on 93 acres, it retained In all, 223 competitors from 20 states
wound-rubber Haskell ball of 1898,
as many as six holes from the original traveled to test their skill at “the
with its improved distance, was quickly
nine-hole course of 1897–1898 designed elegantly tailored property of
forcing clubs to lengthen their courses, as
Exmoor.” (Chicago Tribune)
Exmoor did in 1906, and then again with
the new course by Donald Ross in 1915. A thick fog off Lake Michigan delayed
the first day of play, but an unheralded
paper salesman from Kenosha,

WGA magazine, September 1904 1952 Western Amateur scoreboard

108 A Pioneering Club in American Golf Exmoor Country Club