Fred G. Hawtree – The Great Courses

Frederick George Hawtree (1883 – 1955) was the founder of the longest continuously operating golf course design and construction firm – Hawtree. Started in 1912, the firm was then run by his son, Frederick William Hawtree, after World War Two before his grandson Martin Hawtree took over the reins in the early 1980s. 

Fred’s golf design work continued after he finished his service in the Army during World War One and he worked on his own until he began collaborating with J. H. Taylor in 1922. According to The Golf Course by Geoff Cornish and Ron Whitten: “Hawtree was responsible for the day-to-day details and design work, while Taylor handled the interviews with clients and appeared at official openings.” 

Hawtree and Taylor designed and built approximately fifty layouts while a further fifty were redesigned up until the end of the 1930s. Fred was also jointly responsible, along with Taylor, for founding the National Association of Public Golf Courses in 1927. After Hawtree’s son joined the firm in 1938 the two co-designed several courses until his passing at the age of seventy-two. 

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