John Titus Ball

[Tony Dear]

Does anyone know much about a course designer named John Ball (not the Hoylake John Ball) who I believe, constructed the course at Town and Country Club in St. Paul, MN. and Seattle GC's first course? I think he also designed the first nine holes at Bellingham GCC and a course in Tacoma.

[Mike Erdmann]

From the history of Bellingham Country Club on NWhickoryplayers.org:

"John Titus Ball (1848 – 1938), born in England, gained his reputation as a golf architect by building the Town and Country Golf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. He went on to construct the old Seattle Golf Club course at Laurelhurst in 1901 as well as the now defunct Earlington Golf Club in 1908. Contrary to some sources, Ball did not design the Seattle Golf Club at its current location at the Highlands. It was designed by the club professional Robert Johnstone, but the construction work was performed by Ball.
Ball, with his son Ray W. Ball, a golf professional and architect in his own right, would go on to build numerous other courses in the Northwest, including the Grays Harbor Country Club, Meadow Park Golf Course and Allenmore Golf Course in Tacoma."

[Tony Dear]

From the history of Bellingham Country Club on NWhickoryplayers.org:

"John Titus Ball (1848 – 1938), born in England, gained his reputation as a golf architect by building the Town and Country Golf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. He went on to construct the old Seattle Golf Club course at Laurelhurst in 1901 as well as the now defunct Earlington Golf Club in 1908. Contrary to some sources, Ball did not design the Seattle Golf Club at its current location at the Highlands. It was designed by the club professional Robert Johnstone, but the construction work was performed by Ball.
Ball, with his son Ray W. Ball, a golf professional and architect in his own right, would go on to build numerous other courses in the Northwest, including the Grays Harbor Country Club, Meadow Park Golf Course and Allenmore Golf Course in Tacoma."

Thanks Mike. I actually came across that document for the first time yesterday. Then I read the history of Meadow Park in Tacoma which said he had also designed courses in Seattle, Everett and Aberdeen. I thought 'what course did John Ball design in Aberdeen?', before realizing they meant Aberdeen in Washington (Grays Harbor GC) not Aberdeen, Scotland.