Alex Findlay

Alex Findlay emigrated to the United States in the early 1880's to manage a ranch in Nebraska.  There he was introduced to the game of golf and laid out a golf course in 1885.  Findlay was later in charge of planning, constructing, and operating courses for the Florida East Coast Railroad, the same position as that was held by John Duncan Dunn with the rival Florida West Coast Railroad.

Findlay for a time was associated in course development with Wright and Ditson and later with the Wannamaker's, both prominent East Coast Sporting goods firms. In addition, he continued to plan courses on his own, doing over 100 layouts in his design career, many of them constructed by his sons Norman, Ronald, and Richard.

Alex Findlay was also one of the genuine pioneers in the game.  He played a series of American exhibitions with the great Henry Vardon, played some 2,400 courses during his lifetime and established dozens of course records. In 1926 he visited the Vatican where he tried unsuccessfully to establish a 6-hole golf course!

Findlay has designed courses in sixteen (AK, FL, ME, MA, MD, MT, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, & WV) of the 50 United States and Nassau Golf Links in the Bahamas.  His most notable local efforts include Coatesville Country Club, Llanerch Country Club, Reading Country Club, and Tavistock Country Club.