Redford hits the ‘Big Apple’

Guy Redford, the Director of Golf at Loch Lomond Golf Club, made the opposite journey to the man dubbed the "father of American golf course architecture" to speak at a dinner in New York honouring Tom Morris.

Charles Blair (CB) Macdonald was a key figure in golf's emergence in America, building the first 18-hole course in the country and then being involved in the creation of some of the best-known US courses.

The Links, a club which is located on 62nd Street in New York, was founded by Macdonald and his friends in 1916 as a place where golfers that played at Shinnecock Hills and The National could meet in the city.

It was the venue for an evening reception that followed The Tom Morris Pro-Am at the Meadow Brook Golf Club, where Redford was invited to play in the 2018 edition before delivering his speech on the connection between CB and four-time Open champion Morris.

"The pro-am is called The Tom Morris in honour of the great man and his role as perhaps the first professional golfer," said Redford. "As such, the event honours PGA Professionals for their role in upholding the history and traditions of the game.

"The pro-am had 52 teams, a PGA professional and amateur partner, pros from 17 states across the US and also from the UK were represented.

"CB Macdonald was sent to St Andrews as a 16 year old from Chicago to study and learn to play the game. His grandfather was a Member of the R&A and introduced him to Tom Morris in September 1873.

"He spent two years at uni in St Andrews and became a good friend of Tom Jnr and his golfing friends.

"Ken Goodwin at Prestwick Golf Club kindly agreed to loan me the club's replica of the Challenge Belt, whicb was used in the recent Tommy's Honour film. I was given a slot to speak about the belt, connection of the club to Tom Morris and St Andrews with CB Macdonald.

"Pete Bevacqua, the former CEO of the PGA of America, was also at the event and spoke about the contribution PGA Professionals make to golf clubs. It was a great honour for me to be in attendance."