Fred W Hawtree 1916 - 2000

In Memoriam

Fred Hawtree was born in 1916. He was the son of F.G. Hawtree who founded in 1912 the golf architectural practice and construction company, originally called Hawtree and J.H. Taylor [the name was subsequently changed to Hawtree and Son in the 1950s]. Fred Hawtree was educated at Tonbridge School between 1932-35 and Queen’s College, Oxford 1935-38 where he read modern languages. Soon after the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Artillery and fought in Indonesia where he was a prisoner of war from 1942-45.

In the early 1950s the construction company was wound up and the firm then concentrated solely on design. Fred was noted for his phenomenal energy and industry and apart from designing many new courses and travelling extensively across the world he also ran and developed the Addington Court Public Courses in Surrey during this period.

Like his father before him Fred was a very enthusiastic supported of the Greenkeepers’ Association, which his father founded in 1912, and Fred himself was a long standing Vice President of the British Golf Greenkeepers’ Association. He also edited The Greenkeeper and regularly contributed editorials between 1960-74. During the 1960’s and 70s he served on the English Golf Union Council and Executive and also on the Golf Development Council and Executive until its winding up in the 1980s.

He was a founder member in 1971, and later President, of the British Association of Golf Course Architects, which was the first attempt in this country to establish a profession of golf course architects.

For many years he served as a private member on the board of the Sports Turf Research Institute at Bingley and was also a member of the Turfgrass Advisory Committee.

In his later years Fred Hawtree was a prolific writer not only for magazine publications but also books and other literary works. His publications include:-

“The Golf Course, Planning, Design, Construction & Maintenance” - Spons 1984

“Colt & Co. Course Architects” - Cambuc Archives 1991

“Triple Baugé, Promenades in Medieval Golf” - Cambuc Archives 1996

“Aspects of Golf Course Architecture I, 1889-1924, an Anthology” - Grant Books 1998

“Simpson & Co” - Rhod McKewen

“Aspects of Golf Course Architecture II” - Grant Books

In 1989 he received the National Turfgrass Council’s award for his outstanding contribution to the turf grass industry. In 1996 he received the silver medal of the British Institute of Golf Course Architects and was made an honorary member of the Institute in 1998. He was awarded a distinguished honorary membership of the British and International Greenkeepers’ Association in 1999.

Between 1945 – 80 Fred Hawtree designed some 80 new courses over four continents and re-modelled 400 others. Among his most notable designs must include Hillside G.C. [re-design], Royal Birkdale G.C. [re-design], King Norton G.C. [18 holes], Foxhills G.C. [36], St. Nom de la Bretêche G.C. [36], Domont G.C. [18], Le Prieuré G.C. [36], Royal Waterloo G.C. [36], Pals G.C. [18], Valromanas G.C. [18], Johannesburg Country Club [27], Plettenburg Bay G.C. [18], Mount Mitchell G.C. [18] in North Carolina.

Fred Hawtree died in September 2000 at his home in Woodstock, Oxford.