At the risk of reviving a dormant topic (and, having spent hours reading his work on this site, as well as the tributes paid to Mr. MacWood on his passing, I’m fully aware that I’m standing on the shoulders of a giant in the field), I wonder if more is now known about Whigham’s contributions to golf course architecture?
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[/size]My interest in Whigham stems from the two years that I spent teaching and coaching at Sedbergh School, in England, from 2001-2003. The most famous golfing Sedberghian is Lt. FG Tait, The Black Watch, who was killed at Koodoosberg during the Boer War, having won the Amateur Championship in 1896 and 1898. HJ Whigham, US Amateur champion in 1896 and 1897, was also a student there and The Sedberghian records Whigham and Tait competing in a swimming race in the River Rawthey during their schooldays, though I haven’t yet found any further connections. There were also two Old Sedberghian Amateur Golf Champions of India, NM Mitchell-Innes and G Maitland-Heriot, but they don’t seem to have played as large a role in the history of the game.
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[/size]In addition to Whigham’s victories at Shinnecock and Chicago in 1896 and 1897, respectively, and his marriage to CBM’s daughter, Frances, plus his work as a foreign correspondent and editor of Town and Country, his niece was the (in)famous Margaret, Duchess of Agyll, of “headless man” renown. Whigham is also recorded as having been involved with at least NGLA (including that redolent passage where CBM describes riding over the property with him), Onwentsia, Chicago, Piping Rock, Sleepy Hollow, and the Lido, but the details of those contributions are not readily apparent, at least to me.
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[/size]With Sedbergh celebrating its Quincentenary this coming year, I have been thinking of a short profile of Whigham, but wanted to check if any already exists. John Low’s excellent book more than suffices for Tait, but I’d like to know more about, and perhaps raise the profile of, this most interesting man. Any guidance, assistance, or insights would be much appreciated.