Herbert Strong

Herbert Strong was an influential golf course architect born in Kent, England in 1879. Strong's career began at Royal St. George’s Golf Club where he worked as both a professional and clubmaker. After immigrating to the United States in 1905, he became a club professional at Apawamis Club in New York and later at Inwood Country Club, where his remodels helped the course host major championships including the 1921 PGA and 1923 U.S. Open. Strong soon dedicated himself fully to golf course design, completing the original layouts for over 30 notable courses such as Canterbury Golf Club, Engineers Country Club, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, and Saucon Valley Country Club. Renowned for his unique and strategically challenging holes, Strong’s style often featured severe green complexes, cavernous bunkers, and minimal earth moving. His pioneering work includes creating one of golf’s first true island greens at Ponte Vedra, cementing his legacy among the select geniuses of early golf architecture.