Henry Gullane

Background

Henry Gullane was born on 19 May 1874 at 4 Market Place, North Berwick, Scotland, to James Gullane, a fisherman, and his wife Janet Gullane née Taylor.

Education

Gullane finished in eighth place in the 1899 United States. Open, held 14–15 September 1899, at Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland. He had the winning score of 319 while Willie Anderson finished twelve strokes back in second place and Jimmy Campbell completed the North Berwick trio, finishing third.

Career

Gullane played in the Open Championship at Muirfield in 1896. This was the last Open that Old Tom Morris played in at the age of 75. Gullane emigrated to America, sailing from Liverpool on the Steamship Rhynland of the Red Star Lincolnshire and arrived in Philadelphia on 20 January 1897.

In 1898 he was appointed assistant pro and greenkeeper at the Philadelphia Country Club, where he also held the course record of 77 strokes.

There were ten entries and the club provided a free lunch for the contestants. They played the nine-hole course four times each day to make it a 72-hole tournament.

1899 United States. Open

The day before the championship they held a driving contest and Gullane finished second with a drive of 264 yards 2 feet 9 inches. Willie Hoare had the winning drive which was 269 yards 7 feet 6 inches.

The big drives were long by 19th century standards as the gutta-percha ball was still in use at that time.

In 1900 Gullane was the professional at the Philadelphia Cricket Club (Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania). In April that year he partnered Willie Thompson of the Huntingdon Valley Country Club in an exhibition match against Harry Vardon at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. lieutenant was reported in The New York Times that Gullane outdrove Vardon by 10 to 15 yards.

Gullane entered the 1900 United States. Open from Pittsburgh where he laid out the course for Pittsburgh Golf Club (Pennsylvania).

Golf course designs

Gullane was the first pro to be appointed to the nine-hole Saint David"s Golf Club in Wayne, Pennsylvania. He supervised the extension of that course to 18 holes which was completed in April 1899.

Also that year Gullane laid out a nine-hole course at West Chester Golf and Country Club, Pennsylvania. In 1899 Gullane set a new course record at Cape May Golf Club (New Jersey) and in 1900 at Catasauqua Golf Club (Pennsylvania).

In 1908 The American Golfer magazine compiled a composite golf course taken from the best 18 holes in the United States of America. Among them were the 7th and 16th holes at Saint David"s, laid out by Gullane and the only course to have two holes featured.

The nine-hole course at West Chester Golf and Country Club in Pennsylvania also remains as a testimony to Gullane"s short life. Thinking he had killed her, Henry climbed North Berwick Law and in a state of remorse threw himself off the quarry, plunging 70 feet to his death.

Achievements

• Gullane won the first professional golf tournament in the Philadelphia area, played in 1898 at the Huntingdon Valley Country Club. The purse totaled $150 and the winner received $100. His best finish in the United States. Open Championship was eighth place at Baltimore Country Club in 1899 when he received $25 in prize money. Vardon, however, won the match.