Wilfrid Reid

Wilfrid Ewart "Wilfie" Reid (3 November 1884 – 24 November 1973) was an English professional golfer and golf course designer. Reid was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and died in West Palm Beach, Florida, 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's father, Willie, in Edinburgh, Scotland. A scratch golfer at 15, Reid turned professional at 17 and became head professional at Seacroft Golf Club in Skegness, England and was a protégé of Harry Vardon who helped him get a club professional job at La Boulie Golf Club, Versailles, France, 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, England. The couple had three daughters.

1913 U.S. Open On 7 August 1913 Reid set sail from Liverpool aboard the RMS Celtic 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 in the 3rd round. In 1915 he tied 10th. in Galloway, New Jersey, after the outbreak of World War I. He later, at the suggestion of the DuPont family, became the golf professional at the Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Delaware. He became a member of the PGA of America in 1917 and was appointed to the national PGA Executive Committee as a vice-president at large, a position he held for two years. 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, 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 (representing England): 1906 (winners) 1907 (winners), 1909 (winners), 1910 (winners), 1912 (tie), 1913 (winners) Coronation Match (representing the Professionals): 1911 (winners) Great Britain vs USA (representing America): 1921

Delaware designs DuPont Country Club – the original DuPont Course, Wilmington, Delaware, 1921 Wilmington Country Club – original course, now Ed Oliver Golf Club, Wilmington, Delaware Newark Country Club, Newark, Delaware, 1921

Michigan designs Black River Country Club, (Reid, Connellan), Port Huron, Michigan, 1927 Indian River Golf Club, (original 9 hole), (Reid), Indian River, Michigan Birmingham Country Club, (Reid), Birmingham, Michigan, 1916 Water’s Edge Golf Course, (Reid), Grosse Ile, Michigan (9-hole course commissioned by Bunkie Knudsen) Brae Burn Golf Club, (original 9 hole - now the back 9 holes), (Reid, Connellan), Plymouth, Michigan, 1923 Gaylord Country Club, (Reid), Gaylord, Michigan, 1924 Tam-O'Shanter Country Club, (Reid, Connellan), West Bloomfield, Michigan, 1926 (redesigned) Flushing Valley Country Club, (original 9 hole), (Reid, Connellan), Flushing, Michigan, 1930

Other designs Olympic Club – original Lakeside Golf Club course, San Francisco, 1917 La Boulie Golf Club – France La Vallee course – Belgium

Photo gallery