Robert J. Ross & Robert D. Pryde

Connecticut has had the fortune and privilege of many world-renowned golf architects designing golf courses in the Nutmeg State. The state has also been fortunate to have several local architects who created uniquely Connecticut golf courses. Robert J. Ross and Robert D. Pryde are two of those architects -- all of Ross' known designs and nearly all of Pryde's are in Connecticut.

Hartford native and municipal city engineer Robert J. Ross is somewhat lost to the annals of golf history, probably due to his very local impact. Nonetheless Ross deserves credit for designing (or re-designing) at least seven courses in greater Hartford, one of the most golf-rich parts of the state. His layouts are sometimes portrayed negatively because they were put in direct contrast with other golf greats. For example, Ross added the back nine to Keney Park, where Devereux Emmet had designed a beautiful nine hole layout on a prime piece of land in Keney Park. Ross, on the other hand, had to shoehorn his nine into a less interesting part of the property. Still, Ross made an outsized positive impact on golf in Connecticut.

Robert D. Pryde was born in Scotland and apprenticed as a club maker, but found himself in Connecticut building cabinets. He was building a wardrobe for a client in New Haven who happened to ask Pryde if, as a Scotsman, he knew anything about golf. This led to Pryde being introduced to the New Haven Lawn Club and subsequently laying out a nine hole course, which was the first New Haven Golf Club. He took the position of greenskeeper and eventually became the first golf coach at Yale University. He would go on to redesign New Haven Country Club at its new location and design several more golf courses in greater New Haven, as well as a few courses in Pennsylvania. While he is not credited with many course layouts today, an article from the Hartford Courant suggests that by the time he designed Wethersfield in 1916 he had designed over 25 courses in New England.

Ross and Pryde may have (coincidentally) combined their efforts to construct Wethersfield Country Club -- Pryde built the first nine, and some have credited Ross with the second nine, but the history there is a little murky. He is credited here, but more research is needed.

Courses

• Alling Memorial Golf Course - New Haven - Public - 1932 - Robert D. Pryde

• Buena Vista Golf Course - West Hartford - Public - 1925 - Robert J. Ross

• Golf Club of Avon - Avon - Private - 1925 - Robert J. Ross

• Goodwin Park Golf Course (South) - Hartford - 1906 - Robert J. Ross (1937) - Public

• Hunter Golf Club - Meriden - Public - 1929 - Robert J. Ross

• Indian Hill Country Club - Newington - Private - 1899 - Robert J. Ross (1925)

• Keney Park Golf Course - Hartford - Public - 1927 - Devereux Emmet & Robert J. Ross

• New Haven Country Club - Hamden - Private - 1898 - Robert D. Pryde; Willie Park, Jr. (1918)

• Orange Hills Country Club - Orange - Public - 1927 - Robert D. Pryde, Robert McNeil; Geoffrey Cornish (modern)

• Race Brook Country Club - Orange - Private - 1912 - Robert D. Pryde

• Stanley Golf Course - New Britain - Public - 1931 - Robert J. Ross

• TPC River Highlands Golf Course - Cromwell - Private - 1928 - Robert J. Ross

• Wethersfield Country Club - Wethersfield - Private - 1916 - Robert D. Pryde, Robert J. Ross