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Herbert Barker (golfer)

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Herbert Barker
Barker in RFC uniform, c. 1916
Personal information
Full nameHerbert Haydn Barker
Born1883
Huddersfield, England
Died14 June 1924 (aged 41)
Rastrick, Yorkshire, England
Sporting nationality England
SpouseEvelyn Barker[1]
Career
Turned professionalc. 1907
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenT7: 1909, 1911
The Open ChampionshipT31: 1907

Herbert Haydn Barker (1883 – 14 June 1924) was an English professional golfer and golf course architect who played in the early 20th century. Barker's best performance came in the 1909 U.S. Open when he tied for seventh place. He had an identical finish in the 1911 U.S. Open.[2]

Early life

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Barker was born in Huddersfield, England, in 1883.

Golf career

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Barker had a successful amateur career, winning several tournaments in Great Britain in the early 1900s representing Huddersfield Golf Club. His wins included the Yorkshire Amateur[3] in 1904 and 1906, the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 1906[4] and the Dartmouth Bowl for three consecutive years starting in 1905. He played in the Amateur Championship in 1905 and 1907 and qualified for the 1907 Open Championship. He also played for the England amateur team against Scotland in 1907. He sailed from Southampton on 21 September 1907 to take up a professional position in America.[5]

Barker served as head professional at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, from 1908 to 1911. He found golf to be more competitive in America and failed to win any events. But he also discovered less challenging courses and soon began designing and remodelling layouts with the intention of elevating the game in the United States.[6] After 1911 his appearances in tournaments were less frequent and he concentrated more on his work as a golf course architect.

Golf course designer

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Barker moved to the southern United States after leaving Garden City, and laid out Roebuck Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama,[3][7] and stayed on as head professional for a time before taking a position at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond in the fall of 1914.[3]

Military service

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Barker took a two-month leave of absence from the Country Club of Virginia and sailed back to Britain on 30 July 1915[3][8] to enlist in the military, joining the Royal Flying Corps. He was stationed at South Shields, Seaton Carew,[9][10][11] and RNAS Killingholme.[12]

Death

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Although he told friends he intended to return after the war, Barker never returned to America. He died on 14 June 1924[1] after an extended illness. A death certificate, registered two days after his death, in the Sub-District of Brighouse in the County of York, WR, states that he died of "1) Myocarditis-6 months and 2) Auricular Fibrillation-2 months" and also had "Rheumatism 18 years ago". The death, which occurred at 23 Clough Lane, Brighouse, was in the presence of his wife, Evelyn Barker. The certificate listed Walker's date of death as 14 June 1924, his age as 41 and his occupation as "Timber Merchant", and was certified by A. Latimer Walker MB.[13]

Courses designed

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Sources:[7][14]

The following is a partial list of courses designed by Herbert Barker:

  • OD denotes courses for which Barker is the original designer
  • R denotes courses reconstructed by Barker
  • A denotes courses for which Barker made substantial additions
  • E denotes courses that Barker examined and on the construction of which he consulted
Name Contribution Year built City / Town State / Province Country Comments
Don Hawkins Municipal GC OD 1914 Birmingham Alabama United States Public, formerly Roebuck CC
Capital City CC OD 1911 Atlanta Georgia United States Private
Druid Hills CC OD 1912 Atlanta Georgia United States Private
Columbia CC OD 1911 Chevy Chase Maryland United States Private
Arcola CC OD 1909 Paramus New Jersey United States Private
Raritan Valley CC OD 1911 Bridgewater New Jersey United States Private
Rumson CC OD 1910 Rumson New Jersey United States Private
Grove Park Inn CC OD 1911 Asheville North Carolina United States Private
Mayfield CC OD 1911 Cleveland Ohio United States Private, with Bert Way
The Springhaven Club OD 1904 Wallingford Pennsylvania United States Ida Dixon design (1904), alterations by Barker (1910)[15]
CC of Virginia (Westhampton Course) OD 1908 Richmond Virginia United States Private

Results in major championships

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Tournament 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915
The Amateur Championship R128 R32 – – – – – – – –
Open Championship T31
U.S. Open T17 T7 T8 T7 ? T36 ? T24

Note: Barker only played in the Amateur Championship, the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.

  Top 10
  Did not play

? = finish unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play

Team appearances

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Amateur

Notes

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† Remodelled by A. W. Tillinghast (1935) and Bob Cupp (2003)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Probate Search: Herbert Haydn Barker".
  2. ^ Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860–2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
  3. ^ a b c d "Professionals to Play on Indoor Links on Top of Hotel Astor". New York Tribune. 19 December 1914. p. 13. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Past winners of the Irish Amateur Open Championship Date" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Golf". The Times. 23 September 1907. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Herbert H. Barker (1883–1924)" (PDF). rvcc1911.org. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Herbert Barker – Courses Built". worldgolf.com. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Stuart Jones Leads in Branch Cup Race". Richmond Times Dispatch. 25 July 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Seaton Carew (Landplane)". Airfields of Britain. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  10. ^ "Seaton Carew (Seaplane)". Airfields of Britain. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  11. ^ Charles, Dave. "History of Usworth Aerodrome". Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  12. ^ Van Wyen, Adrian O. (1969). Naval Aviation in World War I. Washington, D.C.: Chief of Naval Operations. p. 80.
  13. ^ "Deaths, Jun 1924/Halifax District/Vol. 9A/Page 504/Scan ANC-04/A–J/1924D2-B-0033.jpg". freebmd.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Club History: Columbia Country Club". ColumbiaCC.org. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Golfing at Springhaven Club". The Springhaven Club. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
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