Sandy Herd

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I'm involved in the centenary book of Stockport Golf Club whose present course was laid out in 1909 by Sandy Herd and constructed by Peter Barrie the club's first Professional.  What other courses did Herd design?  Are any of them still intact?  Stockport is intact, apart from some rebunkering, a revised 3rd hole and the planting of millions of trees.  As laid out it was a very open course, resembling an inland links.  Now it is almost a forest course!  I should be grateful if you could direct me to other surviving Herd courses.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Cornish & Whitten

Alexander Herd

"during his golf career, Sandy Herd participated in the design of several courses"

England
Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands GC with Charles Willmott
Harrogate GC 1897
Heysham GC 1910 with F G Hawtree
Lees Hall GC 1909
Malden GC 1926 with H Bailey
Pannal GC 1906
Ulverston GC 1894
Wakefield GC 1912

Isle of MAN
Peel gc 1895

[Mark_Rowlinson]

When I was attempting an English eclectic I put in a hole from Pannal as being by Herd and was corrected by Tom MacWood.  I wonder if anyone has ever written a biography of Herd?

[Paul_Turner]

Mark

Yeah, I remember he did the original course at Ulverston.  I think it's pretty much all Colt now;  he redesigned it quite early in his career approx 1910 I think.

I saw Ulverston a year or two back:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=14871;start=msg253538#msg253538

I've played Aspley Guise many times and today's back 9 is the original Herd 9.  Pretty good stuff too...heathy and sandy in nature. I suspect it's close to original.

I think one of Darwin's books has an affectionate written portrait  on Herd as a player.

[Andy Levett]

Mark
Pleasington sounds more Sandy Herd than anybody else's. This is what they say on their website, http://www.pleasington-golf.co.uk/club/history.asp

Pleasington Golf Club was established in 1891 and opened as a nine-hole course. Set in some 142 acres of delightful East Lancashire open countryside, it was laid out with a hole cutter, hole guards and flags by George Lowe, the professional at Lytham St.Annes, at the invitation of Mr Fred T. Marwood (see photo) of Pleasington Lodge.

In 1909 Alexander "Sandy" Herd was invited to plan the extension of the course to a full 18 holes. Sandy was the professional at Fixby Golf Club near Huddersfield. He had a fine reputation as a golf course architect and he was a very good golfer, having won the Open in 1902.

He examined the land over the railway and made proposals for 8 holes on what was then known as the North Course, which with an extra hole on the original South Course, made up the first 18-hole course of about 5,000 yards. At the same time, the Club also built the first clubhouse, which was the scene of a fine dinner on Saturday 4th February 1911.

The course has undergone many changes in subsequent years, and still continues to develop. Most recently, new blue championship tees have been opened on several holes, in particular extending the length of the 3rd, 8th and 17th holes, and creating a spectacular new blue tee high on the hill for the 12th hole.

The Centenary book "Pleasington Golf Club 1891 - 1991" compiled and edited by Roland C. Peagram (past Captain 1987 and Vice President) gives much detail of the history of the Club.

One thing I did notice was that Herd left them with 8 holes over the railway  and there are now only six. As pure speculation I suggest the unique par 5 7th was originally three holes - par 4 along the top, drop shot par 3 down the hill and another par 4 down below.
I was a bit taken aback to see Stockport described as almost a forest course. It must be over 25 years since I last played it and I don't remember it being that claustrophobic. Scary.
For what it's worth (not a lot!) it was my favourite in the immediate area, ahead of the old Hazel Grove, Romiley and even Royal Werneth.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Andy, a lot of those trees were planted in the 70s.

[Tom MacWood]

I've been doing some research on Herd and discovered he was lot more active as a golf architect than I realized.

1895- Abbeydale, Peel, Tramore
1896-
1897- Harrogate
1898-
1899-
1900-
1901-
1902- Halifax, Howley Hall
1903- Rotherham
1904- Keighly
1905- Huddersfield
1906- Rotherham-new 9, Pannal, Halifax Bradley Hall
1907- Hornsea, Stamford, Huddersfield
1908- Kingsknowe, Portrush, Bramhall, Chester-le-Street, Turton, Meltham
1909- Stockport, St. Annes Old Links, Pleasington
1910- Wilmslow, Ulvertson, Wakefield, Heysham
1911-
1912-
1913- Lytham Green Drive

Some of these are redesigns, for example Portrush, Wilmslow and Huddersfield. Some of these were collaborations too, George Lowe was involved at St. Annes, and there may be others. I'm curious he ever collaborated with Mackenzie since both active in Yorkshire. He also designed Westerhope in 1940, forty-five years after his first design and four years before he died.

[Scott Warren]

I take it Alex Herd and Sandy Herd are one and the same?

Malden (10mins W of Wimbledon) is a Herd course that I believe hasn't been changed all that much. It was quite fun, albeit short in places.

The 3rd was a particularly smart long four with creek running diagonally in the driving zone, the 7th had a really cool green for a short four and the 11th had a really clever centreline drive bunker on a downhill hole a bit reminiscent of the 3rd at Worpy. 17 was a downhill R-to-L driveable par four that could be a super hole with some tree clearing.

Some info/pics:

http://theglobalgolfer.blogspot.com/2009/02/malden-golf-club.html

http://www.thelondongolfer.co.uk/blog4.html#malden

I think I have a few other pics if you're interested.

[Neil_Crafter]

Tom
Another Herd involvement was at Preston GC.

[Tom MacWood]

1895- Abbeydale, Peel, Tramore
1896-
1897- Harrogate
1898-
1899-
1900-
1901-
1902- Halifax, Howley Hall
1903- Rotherham
1904- Keighly
1905- Huddersfield
1906- Rotherham-new 9, Pannal, Halifax Bradley Hall
1907- Hornsea, Stamford, Huddersfield
1908- Kingsknowe, Portrush, Bramhall, Chester-le-Street, Turton, Meltham
1909- Stockport, St. Annes Old Links, Pleasington
1910- Wilmslow, Ulvertson, Wakefield, Heysham, Lees Hall
1911-
1912-
1913- Lytham Green Drive
1914- Asple Guise & Woburn Sands

1926- Malden

1940- Westerhope

Neil
Any idea when Herd was involved at Preston?

[Jon Wiggett]

I did my apprenticeship at Howley Hall. All that is left of the Herd course are 1 & 2 plus the last 3 hole though not all of these are probably original. Good course though and worth a visit if you are in the area.

Jon

[Neil_Crafter]

Tom
On re-reading what I have on Preston it would seem Herd was asked for a proposal around 1921/22 but Braid got the work, so apologies for leading you on somewhat.

Not listed in DSH, Hawtree or C&W. Club website indicates "18 holes were planned and designed with the help of George Lowe and extended over 4210 yards of fairly open but undulating meadowland. Since then the course has been changed a number of times for a variety of reasons and plans of these courses are still available for inspection. In these early years the Club enlisted the help of some very eminent golf players to design and to shape the course, notably Harry Vardon, James Braid, Alistair Mackenzie and Sandy Herd  and much of what they suggested is still in place today." Moreton (1996) records that changes to the course became necessary in 1921 and Mackenzie's proposals were rejected by the club council. Further proposals were sought from Vardon, Herd and Braid, with Braid's plan being chosen. Work began in 1922 and the course opened in 1923.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Tom,

Was there a brother called David?

The Irish Times of 15 April 1896 has the following report on Tramore:

Waterford and Tramore Golf Club - This club has secured the services of David Herd, of St Andrews, not the least distinguished member of a well-known golfing family. Herd, who holds the record for the Portrush links, ... , is an excellent coach, and it is expected that Waterford golfers will improve very much in their style of play by his presence among them for the next six weeks.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Here are the ones I have listed for him
HALIFAX with braid
KINGSHOWE with braid

ASPLEY GUISE
HARROGATE
HEYSHAM
RUISLIP
ST ANNES OLD LINKS
STAND
WAKEFIELD
WERNETH

[Adrian_Stiff]

I take it Alex Herd and Sandy Herd are one and the same?

Yes Sandy was his nickname, he won the Open in 1902 I think, he was the 4th best golfer in that era of Taylor, Vardon and Braid... he kinda missed out as the other three won most of the Opens from 1894 thru to 1914

[Tom MacWood]

Tom,

Was there a brother called David?

The Irish Times of 15 April 1896 has the following report on Tramore:

Waterford and Tramore Golf Club - This club has secured the services of David Herd, of St Andrews, not the least distinguished member of a well-known golfing family. Herd, who holds the record for the Portrush links, ... , is an excellent coach, and it is expected that Waterford golfers will improve very much in their style of play by his presence among them for the next six weeks.

I do think Alex Herd did have brothers that were involved in the profession. The reference I saw (Golf Illustrated) just said Herd designed the course.

[Tom MacWood]

1895- Abbeydale, Peel
1896-
1897- Harrogate
1898-
1899-
1900-
1901-
1902- Halifax, Howley Hall
1903- Rotherham
1904- Keighly, Stand
1905- Huddersfield
1906- Rotherham-new 9, Pannal, Halifax Bradley Hall
1907- Hornsea, Stamford, Huddersfield
1908- Kingsknowe, Portrush, Bramhall, Chester-le-Street, Turton, Meltham, Werneth
1909- Stockport, St. Annes Old Links, Pleasington
1910- Wilmslow, Ulvertson, Wakefield, Heysham, Lees Hall
1911-
1912-
1913- Lytham Green Drive
1914- Asple Guise & Woburn Sands

1926- Malden

1936- Ruislip

1940- Westerhope

[Tom MacWood]

Yes Sandy was his nickname, he won the Open in 1902 I think, he was the 4th best golfer in that era of Taylor, Vardon and Braid... he kinda missed out as the other three won most of the Opens from 1894 thru to 1914

I would concur with that. He was often mentioned in the same breath with those three.

http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/AmericanGolfer/1916/ag165c.pdf