Robert W. White (June 2, 1876 – July 15, 1959)[2][3] was born in St Andrews, Scotland, and was a school teacher there before emigrating in 1894 to the United States to study agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked as a professional and greenkeeper at several clubs and was an excellent clubmaker. He first took up a post as professional at the Myopia Hunt Club in 1895[4] and served at a number of other clubs, including Shawnee Country Club in 1914. White helped many young men from the British Isles find work in the United States as golf professionals and greenkeepers. White, who was best known as a golf course architect and golf administrator, was an accomplished golfer but didn't post many notable results. He entered and played in a few U.S. Open tournaments around the turn of the century, in 1897 and again in 1901.[5] In the 1897 U.S. Open, White carded rounds of 89-97=186 and finished well back in the field.[6]
White served as president of the Western Professional Golfers' Association in 1908 and became the first president of the Professional Golfers' Association of America in 1916.[4] He held the office through 1919. During his career he also designed a number of golf courses, many located in eastern Pennsylvania. White also was one of the founders of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.[7][8] He was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 1994.[1] White is also credited with the initial design and construction of the first putting green for Dwight Eisenhower at The White House in Washington D.C. in 1954.[9]
Scotland
United States
