About
Sankaty Head Golf Club, Armstrong’s only credited design, is renowned as the last course in the United States to operate a traditional “caddy camp,” a unique feature that draws golfers and history enthusiasts alike.
Emerson Armstrong, known for his pivotal role in the creation of Sankaty Head Golf Club on Nantucket, stands out for his deep local knowledge and intuitive approach to golf architecture. Born into a family with deep golf roots—his father, George Armstrong, was a prominent championship golfer—Emerson developed a profound appreciation for the game early in life. Though not formally trained as a golf architect, his expertise as a two-time reigning Nantucket golf champion and his intimate familiarity with the island’s landscape allowed him to lay out Sankaty Head’s original routing in 1921. Armstrong designed the course as a classic links, strategically using the rolling terrain, natural contours, and prevailing Atlantic winds to craft a challenging and memorable playing experience reminiscent of great Scottish courses. His only credited course, Sankaty Head is widely considered a masterpiece of natural design, and subsequent architects have praised Armstrong’s routing and vision, which continue to define the course nearly a century later.
