Pinehurst, N.C. touts itself as the “Home of American Golf,’’ thanks in part to Donald Ross and his masterpiece, Pinehurst No. 2. But before there was Ross, there was Alexander Findlay.
A Scotsman like Ross, Findlay came to the U.S. in 1887 — basically to be a cowhand at the Merichiston Ranch near Fullerton, NE., a not-so unusual occupation for young British men of that era seeking better lives outside of Victorian England.
But Findlay, a champion golfer, couldn’t get the game out of his system. Thus, he’s credited with building the first contiguous golf holes in the U.S. — now lost on the plains of Nebraska — sometime between 1887 and 1889.
In 1896 — four years before Ross moved from Massachusetts to the Sandhills — railroad tycoon Henry Flagler signed Findlay to design the Palm Beach Golf Club, adjacent to his Breakers resort. That course, which opened in 1897, now is the Breakers Ocean Course. It’s generally considered the oldest active course in Florida, although the Belleair Country Club is sometimes listed as a tie for opening that same year. The Breakers Palm Beach is still considered the standard-bearer for luxury resorts in Palm Beach and South Florida.
But let’s stay with golf. On Feb. 22, 1900, at Palm Beach Golf Club, Harry Vardon — then the world’s best golfer — won a 36-hole one-up against his old friend, Findlay. The Palm Beach Tribune called it the “greatest golf match ever played at Palm Beach.” Findlay and Vardon, who stayed on to win the 1900 U.S. Open at the Chicago Golf Club, played more than 4,000 holes of exhibition golf over the next few years and laid the groundwork for golf in America.
The course is immaculately landscaped and offers great views of The Breakers classic hotel building with its Mediterranean-style architecture. The Ocean Course plays only 5,778 yards (par 70) from the tips. But that’s enough for most resort guests and members.
In late 2018, the course emerged from a full-scale renovation by renowned golf course architect Rees Jones.
Meanwhile, The Breakers Rees Jones Course in West Palm Beach — about a 20-minute shuttle ride away from the resort — gives even low-handicap players all they can handle. Jones in 2022 renovated the course (7,104 yards, par 72) by reconstructing several holes to allow for expanded shot selections and modified bunkers to improve sightlines and playability.
Play at the courses is open to members and resort guests.
