ON A Wing & A Prayer
Albert Warren (A.W) Tillinghast was a star among the great architects of the golden age of course design.
A former player who was good enough to finish 25th in the 1910 US Open, ‘Tillie’ became renowned as much for his high living as his incredible course creations during the Roaring 20s. While the Philadelphia socialite travelled extensively throughout the United States, designing, redeveloping and adding to courses throughout the country. But it was in New York where he was it his most prolific, creating more than 30 original courses.
He was the imaginative mind behind critically acclaimed layouts like Bethpage State Park, Quaker Ridge and Fenway Country Club. But it was the West and East Courses at Winged Foot Golf Club – in the town of Mamaroneck about 40 minutes’ drive north from downtown Manhattan – which remain his finest work. Both courses opened for play in 1923 with the West being the crowning glory of his brilliant career.
While both courses have withstood the test of time, highly regarded designer Gil Hanse was
