Marion B. Hollins (December 3, 1892 – August 27, 1944) was an American amateur golfer. She is known as an athlete and as a golf course developer, one of the only known female golf course developers in history. She won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and was runner-up in 1913. She also had many other amateur wins. She was the captain of the first U.S.

Curtis Cup The Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match. It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and The R&A and is contested by teams representing the United States and ...

team in 1932.

Early life

Hollins was born on December 3, 1892 in

East Islip, New York East Islip is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 14,475. History and overview Originally referred to as "East of Islip", the name was ac ...

. Her father, Henry (Harry) Bowly Hollins Sr. (1854–1938), owned a Wall Street brokerage firm, H.B. Hollins & Co. Her mother was Evelina Meserole Knapp (1854–1938). The family lived on the Meadow Farm at East Islip on Long Island. By 18, Hollins learned how to ride and drive horses, row, swim, play tennis, and golf. She won a four-in-hand carriage competition against male drivers. In 1913, she was runner-up in the U.S. Women's

Metropolitan Amateur The Metropolitan Amateur or Met Amateur is an amateur golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1899 and is one of the oldest amateur golf tournaments in the United States along with the U.S. ...

, and at 20 she won the Metropolitan Amateur and went into the finals of the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1916, Hollins came to California to play polo with the Sam Mateo team.

Career

Hollins returned to California as early as 1920 to play polo on the Bebble Beach men's polo team, and play golf at the

Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course on the west coast of the United States, located in Pebble Beach, California. Regarded by ''Travel and Leisure'' blog as one of the most beautiful courses in the world, it hugs the rugged coastlin ...

. She set a women's record with a score of 90. Hollins then bought a piece of property overlooking the Pebble Beach course and

Carmel Bay Carmel Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California in Monterey County. The bay is long and wide with its mouth about across, between Point Carmel to the south and Point Cypress to the north; Monterey Bay is about f ...

. She won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur at the Hollywood Golf Club, against

Alexa Stirling Alexa Stirling Fraser (September 5, 1897 – April 15, 1977) was an American-Canadian amateur golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur golf championship in 1916, 1919, and 1920. She also won the Canadian Women's Amateur title in 1920 and 1934. ...

. Hollins moved to the

Monterey Peninsula The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach. History Monterey Monterey was founded in 17 ...

in 1922 where she met S.F.B. Morse and began working as athletic director for Del Monte Properties. The first Pebble Beach Championship for Women was played February 9-12, 1923, with Hollins as champion over defeated Doreen Kavanaugh in the final match. Hollins won the Pebble Beach Championship title six times (1924-1926, 1928, 1933, and 1942). In her time, she helped develop three world-class golf courses: The Women's National Golf and Tennis Club in Glen Head, Long Island, New York;

Cypress Point Club Cypress Point Club is a private golf club located in Pebble Beach, California, at the northern end of the Central Coast. Its single 18-hole course has been named as one of the finest in golf, best known for a series of dramatic holes along th ...

, and Pasatiempo Golf Club. Hollins was responsible for hiring

Alister MacKenzie Alister MacKenzie (30 August 1870 – 6 January 1934) was a golf course architect whose course designs span four continents. Originally trained as a surgeon, MacKenzie served as a civilian physician with the British Army during the Boer War ...

to design Cypress Point and Pasatiempo. Seth Raynor routed Cypress Point but died before it was built; she was ultimately the reason Bobby Jones hired MacKenzie to design

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does n ...

. In 1927, Hollins bought in Carmel Valley from Morse's Del Monte Properties, where she entertained guests such as

Sir Montagu Allan Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan, (October 13, 1860 – September 26, 1951) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the principal heir of his father, Sir Hugh Allan, and became deputy chairman of the family-owned A ...

, his wife, and daughter from

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Canada. In 1936, she sold of her ranch to real estate developer

Frank B. Porter Franklin Benjamin Porter (March 23, 1886 – May 9, 1977), was a pioneer businessman and real estate developer of Monterey Peninsula. In 1926, he launched the first residential subdivision in Carmel Valley, California that became Robles del Rio, C ...

Hollins for $32,000 (). In December 1937, Hollins was in an automobile accident near

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...

, that caused lasting physical and mental injuries. After the

Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

, Hollins was forced to sell property she had in

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...

and her Pasatiempo home. Morse stepped in and helped Hollins get back on her feet with work at the Del Monte Properties Company. Hollins played golf with friends or hotel guests. In 1942, she won the Pebble Beach Women's Championship for the eighth and final time.

Death

Hollins died from complications of a stroke on August 27, 1944, in

Pacific Grove, California Pacific Grove is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, in the United States. The population at the 2020 census was 15,090. Pacific Grove is located between Point Pinos and Monterey. Pacific Grove has numerous Victorian-era houses, so ...

, at the age of 51, and was buried in Monterey, California.

Legacy

Hollins was inducted posthumously into the

Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is an American sports hall of fame based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. The non-profit was established during 1990 to honor outstanding people, living or deceased, who have gained prominence and made ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

in the Golf and Historic Recognition Categories with the Class of 2002. She will be inducted into the

World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site honors both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 go ...

in 2021.

Team appearances

(representing the United States):

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

(winners, playing captain)

References

External links

Marion Hollins Memorial Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, Marion American female golfers Amateur golfers Golf course architects Winners of ladies' major amateur golf championships World Golf Hall of Fame inductees Golfers from New York (state) People from East Islip, New York 1892 births 1944 deaths 20th-century American women