Donald Ross
Donald James Ross (November 23, 1872 - April 26, 1948) was born in Dornoch, Scotland, but became a U.S. citizen and spent most of his adult life in the United States.
Donald Ross started his career by being an apprentice to Old Tom Morris at St Andrew's in Scotland around 1899. After moving to America, Ross got his first job at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, Massachusetts. He quickly rose to the position of golf professional at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, where he began his course designing career.
In his time as a designer, he is credited with roughly 400-course designs or redesigns between 1900-1948. Ross's most famous designs are Pinehurst No. 2, Aronimink Golf Club, East Lake Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Glen View Club, Memphis Country Club, Inverness Club, Miami Biltmore Golf Course, and Oakland Hills Country Club.
In the 1930s, amongst other achievements Ross revolutionized greenkeeping practices in the southern United States when he oversaw the transition of the putting surfaces at Pinehurst No. 2 from oiled sand to Bermuda grass. He was a founding member and first president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and was admitted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977, a high honor rarely awarded for anything other than playing success.
Golf Courses designed by Donald Ross
Bartow Golf Course
Bartow, FL, United States
Distance: 6,623yd Par: 72
The semi-private golf course at Bartow golf course is a par-72 layout that weaves through the Bermuda grass. The hole-18 golf course is designed by the renowned golf architect Donald Ross measures 6,623-yards in length. The golf course features driving and putting practice areas and other amenities for golfers. There are also lockers, changing rooms,...
Belleair Country Club, East Course
Belleair, FL, United States
Distance: 6253m Par: 71
Belleair Country Club is perched on top of Belleair's high ground, with a clear view of Clearwater Bay right beneath its edges. Because of its wide landscape, the original golf course at Belleair, which was designed by Donald Ross, expanded from nine holes to 18-holes, and finally, 36-holes. It was then that it was divided...
Belleair Country Club, West Course
Belleair, FL, United States
Distance: 6541yd Par: 71
Sitting on top of Belleair's elevated location, Belleair Country Club has the perfect view of Clearwater Bay from the top. Waterside golf courses are hard to come by in America and Belleair Country Club happens to have two such golf courses. The two Belleair layouts were originally designed by Donald Ross as a single nine-hole...
Bobby Jones Golf Club, American Course
Sarasota, FL, United States
Distance: 6,032yd Par: 71
The Bobby Jones Golf Club is a municipal golf facility located in Sarasota, Florida, with a total of 45-holes of premier golf. This club, named after legendary golfer Bobby Jones, who is popularly known for winning a Grand Slam, is the pride of publicly accessible golf in Sarasota. Bobby Jones Golf Club has two 18-hole...
Bobby Jones Golf Club, British Course
Sarasota, FL, United States
Distance: 6,710yd Par: 72
The Bobby Jones Golf Club is a municipal golf facility located in Sarasota, Florida, with a total of 45-holes of premier golf. This club, named after legendary golfer Bobby Jones, who is popularly known for winning a Grand Slam, is the pride of publicly accessible golf in Sarasota. Bobby Jones Golf Club has two 18-hole...
Bradenton Country Club
Bradenton, FL, United States
Distance: 6,708yd Par: 71
Founded in 1924, the classic Donald Ross, designed 18-hole golf course at the Bradenton Country Club offers a challenge to players of all ages and handicaps. The private par 71 layout was restored in 1999 by Ron Garl and was more recently renovated by Hall of Famer Tony Jacklin, CBE, n 2018. Renowned as one...
Daytona Beach Golf Club, South Course
Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Distance: 6,229yd Par: 71
Volusia County’s Daytona Beach Golf Club is located close to the cool waters of Daytona Beach and just minutes from the Daytona Beach International Airport and the Daytona International Speedway. The City owns and operates the facility which offers two championship layouts, the South Course and the North Course. The Daytona Beach Golf Club, South...
Delray Beach Golf Club
Delray Beach, FL, United States
Distance: 6,907yd Par: 72
Delray Beach Golf Club is the 18-hole championship sister course to the executive Lakeview Golf Club, which is located less than a mile away. Opened in 1926, Donald Ross designed the layout, and over the years touring professionals on their way to Miami have made it a habit to stop and play the classic design....
Dunedin Golf Club
Dunedin, FL, United States
Distance: 6625yd Par: 72
The Dunedin Golf Club is perhaps best known as the PGA's national golf course from 1944 to 1962. Numerous golf superstars such as Tommy Aaron, Skip Kendall, Bobby Jones, Paul Runyan, etc. have played the 18-hole championship course or participated in tournaments held here. Dunedin Golf Club is so rich in history that it will...
Granada Golf Course
Coral Gables, FL, United States
Distance: 3001yd Par: 36
One of the historic golf courses in Florida, the Granada Golf Course, is a public 9-hole layout. The Par 36 Course has a distance of 3001 yards which can accommodate beginners or pro golfers looking to practice. The Granada is smaller than neighboring Courses providing an ideal course for beginners, who comprise the majority of...
Gulf Stream Golf Club
Delray Beach, FL, United States
Distance: 6578yd Par: 71
Gulf Stream Golf Club is a private invitation-only golf club established in 1924 by a group of Palm Beach residents, all of whom were close friends and dedicated to the game of golf and its traditions. Under the direction of this innovative group and with a zeal for the game of golf, Gulf Stream was...
Hollywood Beach Golf Club
Hollywood, FL, United States
Distance: 6,376yd Par: 70
The scenic Hollywood Beach Golf Club offers a golf experience that cannot be duplicated in Hollywood Beach, Florida, and is home to a challenging 18-hole championship golf course that is perfect for golfers of all levels. The picturesque course gives players an experience reminiscent of old Florida and lets them focus on their golf game...
Keystone Golf and Country Club
Keystone Heights, FL, United States
Distance: 3,214yd Par: 36
Designed by Donald Ross and built in 1927, Keystone Golf and Country Club is located just south of Keystone Heights, Florida, just off State Road 21. This makes the golf course convenient not only to Keystone Heights but also to Starke, Hawthorne, Gainesville and surrounding areas. Donald Ross was a golf course designer born in...
Lake Wales Country Club
FL, United States
Distance: 7,072yd Par: 72
Lake Wales Country Club is a place where members, public players, public player outing organizations, and community groups can host their next golf outing or competition. The 18-hole golf course was designed by the renowned golf architect Donald Ross and measures 7,072-yards in length. Everyone can take advantage of the outstanding practice facilities and Lake...
Lake Worth Beach Golf Club
Lake Worth, FL, United States
Distance: 6,184yd Par: 70
Located beside Lake Worth Lagoon and the nearby beach resorts, Lake Worth Beach Golf Club offers one of the finest golf courses in Florida, with an 18-hole layout that is open to all golfers and offers a great balance of accessibility and challenge. The semi-private par 70 golf course has a rich history starting from...
Mark Bostick Golf Course at UF
Gainesville, FL, United States
Distance: 6,701yd Par: 70
The Mark Bostick Golf Course at UF is a private 18-hole golf course located in Gainesville, Florida. It is the home course of Florida’s own professional men’s and women’s golf teams, the Florida Gators. The golf course is owned and operated by the University Athletic Association (UAA). The par 70 golf course first opened in...
Palm Beach Country Club
Palm Beach, FL, United States
Distance: 6,155yd Par: 70
The very private 18-hole golf course at the Palm Beach Country Club facility in Palm Beach, Florida, features 6,155-yards of championship golf from the longest tees. Built on just 83-acres in 1917 by legendary golf course architect Donald Ross, ASGCA, the Palm Beach Country Club's par 70 layout spans the island of Palm Beach from...
Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club
Tampa, FL, United States
Distance: 6,211yd Par: 70
Founded in 1916, the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club are one of Tampa's premier 18-hole golf courses, offering the best of what the sport has to offer combined with the rich traditions of one of the oldest private golf clubs in Florida. This par 70 layout has been graced by some of golf’s greatest...
Pelican Golf Club
Belleair, FL, United States
Distance: 6,933yd Par: 70
Pelican Golf Club combines the beauty of old-world courses of the past with state-of-the-art infrastructure. The private 18-hole layout features manicured fairways and uninterrupted rough, with greens and tees maintained to the highest levels. Golfers will not find a more striking course anywhere else in the region. Pelican Golf Course is the first location on...
Pinehurst Country Club - No. 2 Course
Pinehurst, Moore County, NC, United States
Distance: 7588 m Par: 70
Pinehurst Country Club - No. 2 Course is established in 1903, North Carolina's Pinehurst Country Club offers world-class golf and recreation amenities to its members as well as the general public. The 18-hole Pinehurst No. 2 Course, the centerpiece of Pinehurst, remains one of the world's most celebrated golf courses. No. 2, which measures 7,588...
Riviera Country Club Miami
Coral Gables, FL, United States
Distance: 6,511yd Par: 71
The Riviera Country Club Miami in Coral Gables is the sister Course of the Biltmore Golf Course located at the Biltmore Hotel. Unlike the latter, Riviera offers a private golf course with an 18-hole 6,511-yard layout. The Course and fairways are always in perfect condition, enabling players to stay on track and enjoy their game. The...
Seminole Golf Club
Juno Beach, FL, United States
Distance: 6836m Par: 72
Located in Juno Beach, Florida, the outstanding Seminole Golf Club and its private 18-hole links-style golf course has consistently ranked as one of the finest courses in the United States. Throughout its history, Seminole has long been known as a golf club for the corporate elite and has hosted both kings and presidents throughout its...
The Biltmore Golf Course
Coral Gables, FL, United States
Distance: 7112yd Par: 71
Coral Gables is home to some of the best golf courses in Florida, one of which is the Biltmore Golf Course. Situated inside the grounds of the avant-garde Biltmore Hotel the golf course is a popular attraction of the hotel, along with many relaxing amenities for guests. The Biltmore Golf Course continues to attract new...
The Country Club Of Orlando
Orlando, FL, United States
Distance: 6,686yd Par: 72
Built-in 1911, the Country Club Of Orlando is just five minutes from the city’s central business district and about 25-minutes away from Orlando International Airport. Among Florida’s oldest golf courses, the Country Club Of Orlando is a private, members-only sports and recreational facility and leisure and social hub. Originally designed with only nine holes by...
Vinoy Golf Club
St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Distance: 6626yd Par: 71
The Vinoy Golf Club at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort features an 18-hole championship golf course originally designed by Donald Ross in 1925. The par 71 layout underwent a few curations through the years by different architects until a major renovation was done by Ron Garl for its reopening in 1992. The course perfectly sits on...
