Background
Barker was born in Huddersfield, England, in 1883.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Herbert Barker
Edit ProfileCareer
Barker"s best performance came in the 1909 United States. Open when he tied for seventh place. He had an identical finish in the 1911 United States. Open. 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 in 1904 and 1906, the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 1906 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. Barker served as head professional at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, from 1908 to 1911.
But he also discovered less challenging courses and soon began designing and remodeling layouts with the intention of elevating the game in the United States.
After 1911 his appearances in tournaments were less frequent and he concentrated more on his work as a golf course architect. Barker moved to the southern United States. after leaving Garden City, and laid out Roebuck Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, 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. Barker took a two-month leave of absence from the Country Club of Virginia and sailed back to Britain on 30 July 1915 to enlist in the military, joining the Royal Flying Corps.
He was stationed at South Shields, Seaton Carew, and Royal Naval Air Service Killingholme.
Although he told friends he intended to return after the war, Barker never returned to America. He died on 14 June 1924 after an extended illness, reportedly related to injuries he sustained in the war.
