Herbert James Tweedie, Jr. (July 21, 1864 – July 9, 1906) was an English golf course architect. Tweedie was one of the first golf course designers to build courses in the American midwest.

Early life

Tweedie was born in Bombay, India, on July 21, 1864, to parents of Scottish ancestry. He spent his formative years in Hoylake, England, where his father was a founding member of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in 1869. Growing up next to the links, Tweedie learned the game alongside the great English amateurs John Ball and Harold Hilton and twice defeated Ball to win Hoylake's Junior Championship in the 1870s. He was also a frequent playing companion of Bernard Nicholls at Hoylake.

Emigration to the U.S.

He sailed from Liverpool aboard the RMS ''Umbria'' of the

Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...

and arrived in New York City on July 26, 1886. He and his family then relocated to Chicago in 1887. Tweedie was instrumental in working with

Charles B. Macdonald Charles Blair Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – April 21, 1939) was a major figure in early American golf. He built the first 18-hole course in the United States, was a driving force in the founding of the United States Golf Association, won the f ...

to establish golf in the Chicago area. Tweedie designed a number of golf courses, primarily in Illinois. Among them was the

Midlothian Country Club Midlothian Country Club is a historic golf course in Midlothian, Illinois. It is located southwest of Chicago and built on of land. It was designed by Herbert J. Tweedie and opened in 1898. In 2003 the course was updated by the Ken Killian, Ric ...

in Midlothian, Illinois, located southwest of Chicago and built on of land. The course opened for play in 1898. Another was Waukegan Country Club which he designed and built in 1900 which later re-organized as Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan in 1911. Tweedie's last place of employment before his death was at Belmont Golf Club in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he was the president. He laid out the original course in 1899. In 1902, Tweedie was a contestant in the U.S. Amateur Championship which was played at the

Glen View Club Glen View Club is a private country club located in Golf, Illinois, a suburb just north of Chicago. History Founded by a group of Chicago businessmen on March 29, 1897, it was originally the Glen View Golf and Polo Club; its name was shortened a ...

in Chicago, Illinois, where he was a member. He lost one of his matches to Phelps B. Hoyt by the score of 5 and 3. The tournament was won by Louis N. James by a score of 4 and 2 over

Eben Byers Ebenezer McBurney Byers (April 12, 1880 – March 31, 1932) was a wealthy American socialite, sportsman, and industrialist. He won the 1906 U.S. Amateur in golf. He earned notoriety in the early 1930s when he died from multiple radiation-induce ...

. Ironically, Hoyt spearheaded an effort to raise funds for Tweedie's widow and children who were left without provisions for their future after Tweedie's death.

Courses designed

''Note: This list may be incomplete''. * Exmoor Country Club (1902) – Private in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...

Flossmoor Country Club Flossmoor Golf Club is a private country club located in Bloom Township, Cook County, just outside the village limits of Flossmoor, Illinois. Founded in 1899 as Homewood Country Club and designed by Herbert J. Tweedie, its name was later changed ...

(1899) – Private in Flossmoor, Illinois *

La Grange Country Club La Grange Country Club is a private golf club in La Grange, Illinois, a suburb southwest of Chicago. Founded in 1899 and designed by Herbert J. Tweedie as a nine-hole golf course, the club relocated to its present location in 1913 and was expande ...

(1899) – Private in

La Grange, Illinois ''(the barn)'' , nickname = , motto = ''Tradition & Pride – Moving Forward'' , anthem = ''My La Grange'' by Jimmy Dunne , image_map = File:Cook County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas La Grange Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 26 ...

* Maple Bluff Country Club (1899) – Private in Madison, Wisconsin *

(1898) – Private in Midlothian, Illinois * Park Ridge Country Club (1906) – Private in Park Ridge, Illinois * Ridge Country Club (1902) – Private in Chicago, Illinois * Rockford Country Club (1899) – Private in

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

* Belmont Golf Club (1899) – Public in Downers Grove, Illinois * Waukegan Country Club (1900) - Private in Waukegan, Illinois *

^† (1897) – Private in Chicago, Illinois

Death

At his death on July 9, 1906, Tweedie left a widow and eight children, seven of whom were step-children. A committee made up of Phelps B. Hoyt, president of the Western Golf Association, and others, sent out an appeal to raise funds for Tweedie's estate. According to an article dated July 24, 1906, and published in ''The Sun'' newspaper in New York, Tweedie's large family was left with "absolutely no means of support".

Notes

^† Architect was Richard Leslie, with consultation from Tweedie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tweedie, Herbert J. Golf course architects English emigrants to the United States Artists from Mumbai People from Hoylake British people in colonial India People from Bombay Presidency 1864 births 1906 deaths