Harry Cowie

Henry “Harry” Alexander Cowie, born 21 May 1891, was a leading light of the Montrose Junior Club in the early years of the twentieth century with Charlie Adams, Archie Tosh, Eddie Towns and others who also went on to professional careers. Having then sailed from Glasgow on the Furnessia Harry arrived in New York on 16 May 1910, and found work in the city with the clubmakers Wanamakers.

Although he was associated with golf in the south, beginning with a spell as instructor at Orlando in the winter of 1913, ‘he had something to do with almost every golf course in Florida’, wrote the Tampa Tribune, an article in the Montrose Standard in 1916 linked him with a course in Buffalo, NY, and one in St Louis, MO.

Harry Cowie was in charge of construction at the Boca Grande Gulf Shore GC between 1913 and 1915 and then retained as professional and instructor. “The very best that time and money can produce,” wrote Golf in August 1914, “with the result that the grounds are second to none in Florida.”

Cowrie designed the first nine-hole course in Arcadia, De Soto County, Florida, in 1922 having looked at five possible locations for it with A C Polk in 1920. In June 1928 he took over as professional at Fort Myers and made significant improvements to the course. The town is, of course, now well known as a golfing destination but Cowan helped to put it on the map, both by the course improvements, and by promoting the 1928 Open tournament which brought Gene Sarazen and Horton Smith as high-visibility competitors.

Sadly, the next year, Harry passed away on 24 August 1929, aged just 38.

Website: https://www.antiquegolfscotland.com/antiquegolf/maker.php3?makerid=1311

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