John Jacob “Frank” Pennink

John Jacob "Frank" Pennink (1913-1984) was born in the town of Delft, Holland, and like his father before him, Frank was a great sportsman. He attended Rose Hill prep school and went on to Tonbridge School, Kent. Following university, Frank joined an insurance company in the City and continued to play golf.

After the war, when John Jacob "Frank" Pennink was a Squadron Leader in the RAF, he turned to sports journalism as his next challenge, first with the Sunday Express and then the Daily Mail. He became well known for his informed comment on golf, his intimate knowledge of the game, and its exponents.

Perhaps somewhat inevitably Pennink soon became involved in golf course architecture, becoming a partner with Ken Cotton and Charles Lawrie, later appointing Donald Steel and Cameron Sinclair to the firm. Frank worked on many British courses while also handling most of the firm's overseas work and became one of the most highly acclaimed architects of his day and some of his courses, such as Vilamoura in Portugal and Noordwijk in Holland, considered amongst the best in the world.