MY HIGHLY APPROXIMATE TIME LINE OF ROBERT WHITE'S CAREER IN GOLF FROM SOME SUSPECT INTERNET SOURCES!
Here is a brief Robert White timeline from a few different internet sources plus Cornish and Whitten. It does say he collaborated with Ross on the first course in MB, but that was much later, in about 1927, which suggests he was open to collaboration with Raynor and others, but probably doesn't affect any accredition in my mind. He was clearly well respected and highly thought of. I get the impression that he just liked to move around and build courses. I found nothing on his personal life, like wives or families in my brief search.
1874 –Born in St. Andrews, Scotland, and became a school teacher there.
1894 – He was one of the Scottish exiles who flocked to America at the turn of the century put an indelible stamp upon the game in America. Almost immediately, White seems to find work in teaching, and laying out golf courses, with New Salem Golf Links (NLE) opening in 1895, suggesting he came over at their behest to take the pro/greenskeeper/designer job. (Not confirmed)
It would be probably stretching the truth to call him an architect at this early stage of his career, although later on he put his stamp on many fine courses. His fee for laying out a 9 hole course was $25, and it took him a morning. After walking the property he would decide on 9 tee locations and nine green locations, and he would probably also suggest the location of a few bunkers. Also included in his fee was instruction to some local farmer (put into writing should they fail to negotiate his Scottish brogue) about mowing the greens and fairways, and some suggestions on how to dig out the bunkers. He would inform the clubs founders where they could buy mowing machines for greens and fairways, and give the names and addresses of some seed merchants who could provide the Bent grass mixes suitable for greens.
Cornish and Whitten say he emigrated from St. Andrews to the United States to study agronomy, but that appears to come later.
1896-7– Pro/greenskeeperat Myopia Country Club
+/- 1897-8 (approx) – pro greens keeper at Louisville Golf Club, (and CW lists him as adding 9 holes to the club).
+/- 1895-1901 - (approx)pro greens keeper at Cincinnati Golf Club (where CW credit him with remodeling 9 holes and adding 9 holes)
1902-1912(?) - Worked as a professional/ greens keeper at Ravisloe in Chicago.
In 1902 Robert White had helped found a society of Golf professionals in Illinois - the second association of professional golfers in the world (the British PGA was founded in 1901) - and was also appointed their president. He proved to be a fine administrator. While in Chicago White was instrumental in two important advances in American golf - professional club making and professional green keeping. During the winter months he started attending 'farmer’s classes' at the University of Wisconsin, and soon made himself an expert on grass and turf management. He attended 11 years in all, neary every year he was in Chicago. With his new knowledge, and the manure from the close to hand Chicago stock yards, he was able to revitalize many local courses and he was responsible for the introduction of many courses on golf course maintenance at University Agriculture Departments.
He did enter several US Opens over the years, but never finished in the top half of the field, so he was a decent player.
1912-13 -Worked as a professional/ greens keeper at Shawnee Country Club in 1914 to grow Tillie redesign in (Phil Young). He wanted to be known as a green superintendent rather than a golf professional because he felt that more training was required for that profession. He thought that anyone who played well could be a golf professional. White helped many young men from the British Isles find work in the United States as golf professionals and green keepers.
1914 – White goes to North Shore as pro/ greens keeper and to superintend construction of renovation under direction of Seth Raynor.
1915-6 – White leaves North Shore. The PGA has him going to Wykagl, where it is said that R. Wannamaker suggests they form the PGA. (One account has him moing from Chicago directly to Wykagl at 1914, but it seems that he went to North Shore, after a stop in Shawnee. Whitten says he remodeled Wykagl CC in1923. I don’t know if he still served as pro there then, as the club website merely notes he was the "long time pro." Perhaps he worked at WCC from 1916 until moving sourth, doing design only on the side.
1916-1919 - Co Founder and First President of US PGA. He apparently starts to obtain some independent commissions, with Richmond County CC (1916) and a remodel of 6 holes at Echo Lake (NJ) in (1919) Lake Hopatcong in NJ (1918) One source says that “self-advertisement was never his strong suit” which limited his career.
By this time he is said to have known, sponsored or been related to about 1/3 of golf professionals in the US and was instrumental in job placements.
1919-1923 – Robert White continued designing golf courses after serving as PGA President through 1919, and while never gaining the number of commissions of more famous golf course architects, White became a respected architect of golf courses and helped to design over 30 golf courses around the United States, with most in PA, CT, NJ, NY during the 1920’s. This looks like the busiest time of his career, although as mentioned, he was probably still at WCC the entire time.
+/-1926-7 – Working closely with Ross, White designed the Ocean Forest Club – While seeing how Myrtle Beach values were enhanced by golf course development, he nurtured an extensive property portfolio that included partial ownership of a golf course.
1949 - Charter Member of ASGCA, and sits on first board of governors, by luck of drawing name out of a hat. At age 75, probably well past his career, as CW shows last design in 1937.
1959 – Dies in Myrtle Beach. Said to have managed his finances well, like most of these early Scots, he went to his grave a relatively wealthy, and well respected.