Herbert Leeds
| Herbert Leeds | |
|---|---|
Leeds, c. 1896 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Herbert Corey Leeds |
| Nickname | Papa |
| Born | January 30, 1855 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 29, 1930 (aged 75) Hamilton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Sporting nationality | United States |
| Career | |
| College | Harvard University |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T7: 1898 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Herbert Corey Leeds (January 30, 1855 – September 29, 1930) was an American amateur golfer, yachtsman, and golf course architect. He designed the Myopia Hunt Club golf course. Leeds tied for eighth place in the 1898 U.S. Open.
Early life
Leeds was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 30, 1855. Leeds was born into a wealthy family and was a life-long sportsman, being adroit at both sailing and golf.[1]
He graduated from Harvard University where, in addition to completing his Bachelor of Arts studies in 1877, he played baseball and football.[2] While at Harvard, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon (aka The Dickey Club).[3]
Career
Sports
Leeds was an amateur golfer. He tied for eighth place[4] in the 1898 U.S. Open held at Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, a golf course of his own design.[5][2][1] The U.S. Open was played at the Myopia Hunt Club four times, in 1898, 1901, 1905, and 1908.[4]
He was a member of the United States Golf Association executive committee in 1905.[1]
Sailing
Leeds was a crewmen for the International Cup.[6] He was on the Vigilant in 1893, the Defender in 1895.[6] In 1899, he was the advisor to C. Oliver Iselin of the Columbia A.[6] He wrote the book, The Log of the Columbia.[6]
Architect
It was no accident that Leeds played so well at Myopia Hunt Club—he designed the course himself in 1894 and worked there for thirty years.[2]
His course at Myopia Hunt Club measured 6,335 yards and within the confines of the course Leeds made certain that pars would not be easy, let alone birdies. Golfers were challenged with myriad features on the course such as tall mounds, numerous deep sand traps, long blind carries, deep swales, and extremely quick greens. For good measure Leeds added multi-tiered greens and deep gnarly rough.
To further menace the players' wayward shots, Leeds added a pond and a paddock. The golf course was so difficult that in the 1901 U.S. Open not a single professional in the field was able to break 80 in any round. Willie Anderson's 331 for four rounds is a record that has stood for 114 years and counting and remains the highest winning score ever in the U.S. Open.[2]
Leeds designed several golf courses, including the private Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the Kebo Valley Club in Bar Harbor, Maine.[7][8] He also designed the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina, completed in 1895.[1][9]
Personal life
Leeds died in Boston on September 29, 1930, at the age of 75.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d Andrew, Ian. "Architect #24 - Herbert Leeds". thecaddyshack.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Labbance, Bob. "Myopia Hunt Club". Links. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ Catalogue of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. New York: Council Publishing Company. 1900. p. 134 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ "Member Clubs: Myopia Hunt Club". mgalinks.org. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Herbert Corey Leeds, Yachtsman, Dead". Saint John Times Globe. September 30, 1930. p. 1. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bass Rocks Golf Club". worldgolf.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Kebo Valley Club". worldgolf.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Palmetto Golf Club History" (PDF). palmettogolfclub.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.