Wilfrid Ewart "Wilfie" Reid (3 November 1884 – 24 November 1973) was an English

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

and

golf course design A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The ...

er. Reid was born in

Bulwell Bulwell is a market town in the City of Nottingham, in Nottinghamshire, England. It is south-west of Hucknall and to the north-west of Nottingham. The United Kingdom Census 2011 recorded the population of Bulwell at 29,771 which amounted to o ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

, England, and died in

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

, United States. He posted three top-10 finishes in major championship tournaments.

Early life

Reid, the son of Arthur Reid and his wife Elizabeth Reid née Potter, studied club and ball making under

Tommy Armour Thomas Dickson Armour (24 September 1896 – 11 September 1968) was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot. He was the winner of three of golf's major championships: 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA, and 1931 Open C ...

's father, Willie, in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland. A

scratch golfer The following is a glossary of the terminology currently used in the sport of golf. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. Old names for clubs can be found at Obsolete golf clubs. 0–9 ...

at 15, Reid turned professional at 17 and became head professional at Seacroft Golf Club in

Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...

, England and was a protégé of

Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...

who helped him get a club professional job at La Boulie Golf Club,

Versailles, France Versailles () is a commune in the department of the Yvelines, Île-de-France, renowned worldwide for the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the western suburbs of the Fren ...

, in 1903. In 1905 he became the professional at Banstead Downs Golf Club in Sutton, London, England, for roughly nine years and was a successful tournament player. Reid – who was never short on confidence – was a fine competitive golfer despite being small of stature, and he beat his mentor, Vardon, on several occasions. In March 1906, Reid married Stella Toft at

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

, England. The couple had three daughters.

1913 U.S. Open

On 7 August 1913 Reid set sail from

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

aboard the RMS ''Celtic'' :File:Alien Passenger Manifest dated August 7, 1913 - SS Celtic.jpg#Summary and visited America with Vardon and Ted Ray where they played in a number of tournaments including the famous 1913 U.S. Open in which he tied for 16th. Reid tied Vardon for the 2nd round lead and played with

Francis Ouimet Francis DeSales Ouimet () (May 8, 1893 – September 2, 1967) was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected ...

in the 3rd round. In

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

he tied 10th. His best finish, a tie for fourth, came in the 1916 U.S. Open held at the

Minikahda Club The Minikahda Club is a private country club in southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota. The club is located just west of Bde Maka Ska and is the oldest country club west of the Mississippi River. The clubhouse, which is situated on a high hill, overloo ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, Minnesota.

Emigration to America

In February 1915 Reid emigrated to America at the invitation of Clarence H. Geist to be the golf professional at Seaview Golf Club in

Galloway, New Jersey Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. At of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state.World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He later, at the suggestion of the DuPont family, became the golf professional at the Wilmington Country Club,

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. He became a member of the

PGA of America The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 men and women members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish ...

in 1917 and was appointed to the national PGA Executive Committee as a vice-president at large, a position he held for two years. In August 1920 he was elected vice-president of the PGA of America and he was re-elected in 1921. In 1920 and 1921 he also held the office of secretary of the Southeastern Section PGA. In 1921 Reid obtained

U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

and in December of that year attended the founding meeting of the Philadelphia Section PGA and was a member of the organising committee. Later in 1929 he was the president of the Michigan Section PGA for three years.

Golf career

Reid served as a professional at several of America's top clubs, including

Country Club of Detroit Country Club of Detroit, founded in 1897, is a private country club in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The architectural firm of Smith Hinchman & Grylls, known today as the SmithGroup, designed the Tudor Revival styled country club in 1927. H. S. C ...

, Grosse Pointe Farms,

Grosse Pointe Farms Grosse Pointe Farms is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,479 at the 2010 census. As part of the Grosse Pointe collection of cities, it is a northeastern city of Metro Detroit and shares a small wester ...

, Michigan,

Beverly Country Club The Beverly Country Club, located in the American city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of Chicago's historical cornerstones. The club was founded in 1908 and initially designed by George O'Neil, also the club's first professional golfer. Shortly after ...

, Chicago, Illinois,

Broadmoor Golf Club The Broadmoor Golf Club is a pair of golf courses, located on the grounds of The Broadmoor, a historic hotel and resort Colorado Springs, Colorado. Originally opened in 1918 and designed by Donald Ross, the course format was expanded in 1965 ...

, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Seminole Golf Club, North Palm Beach, Florida, and Atlantic City Country Club, Northfield, New Jersey. He won the 1926 Michigan PGA Championship and had 26

holes-in-one In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one (also known as an ace, mostly in American English) occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup. A ball hit from a tee following a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or water hazard is not a ho ...

in his long playing career. The border of his stationery – that he used to send customers' golf club orders to club-makers such as George Izett of Bailey & Izett Inc. – listed so many of his accomplishments as a golfer and course designer that there was very little room left for him to write his message.

Golf course designer

Reid was also a golf course designer. Reid began designing golf courses at an early age and laid out courses in Europe and Britain before settling in the United States. He once estimated that he had designed 58 courses and remodeled some 43 others during his design career. While based in Michigan during the 1920s, he partnered with another club professional, William Connellan. The firm of Reid and Connellan designed some 20 courses in Michigan alone. Reid retired to Florida in the early 1950s and consistently improved his game in both social and competitive rounds. Even into old age he continued to "beat his age" in score on his birthday.

Death and legacy

Reid died on 24 November 1973 at

. He was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1985, and the Michigan Section PGA of America Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.

Tournament wins

*1926 Michigan PGA Championship

Results in major championships

''Note: Reid never played in the

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...

, founded in 1934.''
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Team appearances

England–Scotland Professional Match The England–Scotland Professional Match was an annual men's professional golf competition between teams representing England and Scotland. It was played from 1903 to the start of World War I and was then revived in 1932 and played until the star ...

(representing England): 1906 (winners) 1907 (winners), 1909 (winners), 1910 (winners), 1912 (tie), 1913 (winners) *Coronation Match (representing the Professionals):

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

(winners) * Great Britain vs USA (representing America): 1921

Delaware designs

DuPont Country Club Along Delaware Route 141 there are a number of historic sites that trace the history of both the Du Pont family and the DuPont company. At the southwest end is DuPont’s Chestnut Run Plaza and at the northeastern end is the Alfred I. duPont Ho ...

– the original DuPont Course,

, 1921 *Wilmington Country Club – original course, now Ed Oliver Golf Club,

Newark Country Club

Newark, Delaware Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington. According to the 2010 United States Census, ...

, 1921

Michigan designs

Black River Country Club
(Reid, Connellan),

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

, 1927
Indian River Golf Club
(original 9 hole), (Reid),

Indian River, Michigan Indian River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,950 at the 2020 census. The CDP is located in Tuscarora Township between Burt Lake and Mu ...

* Birmingham Country Club, (Reid),

Birmingham, Michigan Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103. History The area comprising what is now the c ...

, 1916
Water’s Edge Golf Course
(Reid),

Grosse Ile, Michigan Große or Grosse is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Demetrius Grosse *Maurice Grosse *Katharina Grosse *Ben Grosse *Hans-Werner Grosse *Heinz-Josef Große *Julius Grosse Julius Waldemar Grosse (25 April 1828 – 9 ...

(9-hole course commissioned by

Bunkie Knudsen Semon Emil "Bunkie" Knudsen (October 2, 1912 – July 6, 1998) was an American automobile executive. Early life Semon Emil Knudsen was born on October 2, 1912 in Buffalo, New York. He was the son of former General Motors President, and Army thr ...

)
Brae Burn Golf Club
(original 9 hole - now the back 9 holes), (Reid, Connellan),

Plymouth, Michigan Plymouth is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States. The population was 9,370 at the 2020 census. The city of Plymouth is surrounded by Plymouth Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Plymouth is a western suburb of Metro ...

, 1923
Gaylord Country Club
(Reid),

Gaylord, Michigan Gaylord is a city in and the county seat of Otsego County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Gaylord had a population of 4,286 at the 2020 census, an increase from 3,645 at the 2010 census. Gaylord styles itself as an "alpine village" and contain ...

, 1924 * Indianwood Golf and Country Club – Old Course, (Reid, Conellan),

Lake Orion, Michigan Lake Orion ( ) is a village in the northern outskirts of Metro Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" can refer to either the village or the much larger Orion Township, of wh ...

, 1925
Tam-O'Shanter Country Club
(Reid, Connellan),

West Bloomfield, Michigan West Bloomfield Township, officially the Charter Township of West Bloomfield, is a charter township in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, within the Detroit metropolitan area. It is one of the most expensive ...

, 1926 (redesigned)
Bald Mountain Golf Course
(regulation course), (Reid, Connellan),

, 1929
Flushing Valley Country Club
(original 9 hole), (Reid, Connellan),

Flushing, Michigan Flushing is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,411 at the 2020 census. Flushing is considered a suburb of Flint. It is situated within the survey area of Flushing Charter Township, but is administrat ...

, 1930

Other designs

Olympic Club The Olympic Club is an sports club, athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest sports club, athletic club in the United States. Established o ...

– original Lakeside Golf Club course,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, 1917 *La Boulie Golf Club – France *La Vallee course – Belgium

Photo gallery

File:WReid.jpg, Copy of Wilfrid Reid's stationery File:Reid Devany.jpg, Golf professionals Wilfrid Reid (left) and Joe Devany circa 1925 File:RiedPGA.jpg, Michigan Section PGA President 1928-29-30 File:WilfridReid.png, Wilfrid Reid File:Wilfrid.png, A young Wilfrid Reid File:Wilfrid Reid.jpg, Reid seated near his golf clubs, c. 1926 File:England Team v's Scotland 1913.jpg, England Team 1913 File:WER-1902-2.jpg, Professional Tournament, Kings Norton, October 1902. Head pro at Seacroft GC in Skegness

Notes

His first name is often misspelled as "Wilfred", such as in the movie and book

. Occasionally, his middle initial is incorrectly documented "A." as well.

References

External links

Wilfred Reid Taking a SwingAndrew Carnegie II, Wilfred Reid and George Crocker GolfingAndrew Carnegie II Learning to Play Golf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Wilfrid English male golfers American male golfers Golf course architects People from Bulwell English emigrants to the United States 1884 births 1973 deaths