Arthur Vernon Macan Jr. (1882–1964) was an Irish immigrant to Canada who designed golf courses in western North America, primarily in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.[5][6][7] He won the Pacific Northwest Amateur in 1913.
A.V. Macan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1882 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | August 1964 (aged 82) Sequim, Washington, U.S.[1] |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, Golf course architect |
| Known for | golf course design |
| Spouse | Juliet Adelaide Richards Macan[2] |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | A.V. Macan, Sr. (1843–1908) Mary A. Wanklyn Macan (18xx–1886)[3][4] |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Canada |
| Service |  Canadian Army, (CEF) |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles / wars | World War I: Battle of Vimy Ridge |
A lawyer by trade, Macan was born in Ireland, the son of Dr. A.V. Macan (1843–1908), a noted physician who was knighted.[3][8]
Early years
editMacan's mother died in 1886 when he was four; he was raised in Dublin. He attended the Shrewsbury School in England and Trinity College Dublin.[8] Introduced to golf around age nine, he became one of the top players in Ireland, and quickly tired of the legal profession. He moved his family to western Canada and settled in British Columbia at Victoria in 1912.[7]
World War I
editIn his early 30s, he volunteered for service in World War I in 1916 as an officer in the Canadian Expeditionary Force of the Canadian Army,[9][10] and was wounded by a shell casing fragment in 1917 at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France.[11] Blood poisoning in his left foot resulted in the amputation of his lower left leg.[12][13] After the war, he returned to Canada and continued to play competitive golf and design courses.
Courses designed
editCanada
editBritish Columbia
editQualicum (1913), Royal Colwood (1913; 1921–1922 renovation), Cowichan (1922), Marine Drive (1923), Gleneagles (1927), Gorge Vale (1920 & 1930), Langara Golf Course (1926), old Shaughnessy Heights (1927; 1940 renovation), Stanley Park Par-3 (1927), University (1927), Victoria (1930 & 1955 renovations), Cowichan (1947), Kelowna (1949 & 1959 renovations), Nanaimo (1953 & 1961), McCleery (1956), Richmond (1959), new Shaughnessy (1959), Capilano (1960 renovation), Penticton (1961 renovation), and Queen Elizabeth Park (1961).
United States
editWashington
editInglewood (1920, 1928 renovation), Chehalis (1922), Manito (1922),[14] Waverly (1922 – 1950s renovation), Rainier (1923 – front nine), Glen Acres (1924), Fircrest (1924), Broadmoor (1925), Seattle (1950 renovation), Overlake (1953), Sun Willows (1954), Yakima (1956 back nine), Everett (1962 renovation), Lake Spanaway Municipal (1964), and Sunland (1964).
Oregon
editColumbia-Edgewater (1924), Alderwood (1924; 1949 renovation), Astoria (1924), Illahe Hills (1928), Colwood National (1928), Lloyds (1930), Gearhart (1932 renovation)
Idaho
editHillcrest (1940; 1957 & 1961 renovations), Purple Sage Municipal (1963)
California
editCalifornia Golf Club (1925), Contra Costa (1925), San Geronimo (1961)[7]
Death
editMacan died at age 82 in August 1964 on the Olympic Peninsula in Sequim, Washington; he had a fatal heart attack while working on site of what was to become the Sunland Golf Club.[1]
Honours
editMacan was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2018.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b Olson, Arv (2012). Backspin: 120 Years of Golf in British Columbia. Heritage House Publishing Co. Ltd. pp. 34–36. ISBN 9781927051412.
- ^ Golf Architecture
- ^ a b Cosgrave, Ephraim MacDowel (1908). "Dublin and Co. Dublin. Contemporary Biographies: Sir A.V. Macan". W.T. Pike & Co. p. 190.
- ^ Rowlette, Robert (1912). . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 2. pp. 498–499.
- ^ Daley, P. (2003). "The resurrection of A.V. Macan in the Pacific Northwest". Golf Architecture, Vol V: A Worldwide Perspective. Pelican Pub. p. 35-46. ISBN 978-1-4556-1591-9.
- ^ Mingay, Jeff (February 10, 2010). "AV Macan: Canada's democrat of golf". Golf Course Architecture. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
- ^ a b c "A.V. Macan: Golf Course Architect for the Pacific Northwest". Nanaimo Golf Club. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "Arthur Vernon Macan, Inducted 1989". Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014.
- ^ Stephenson, Paul (October 16, 2007). "Researching Canadian golf architects: AV Macan and Stanley Thompson". Great War Forum. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
- ^ "Golf child's play to patrol's duty". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. November 27, 1916. p. 16.
- ^ "Macan, golf champ, wounded at Vimy". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. May 10, 1917. p. 20.
- ^ "Macan, golf champ, wounded". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. August 22, 1917. p. 14.
- ^ Sheehan, John (July 18, 2002). "Vernon Macan (long article)". Golf Club Atlas. Retrieved October 3, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Sporty holes on Manito course". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 11, 1921. p. 3, sports.
- ^ "A.V. Macan – Canadian Golf Hall of Fame". Golf Canada.
External links
edit- World Golf: Courses built – Vernon Macan
- Cybergolf – Shaughnessy – Arthur Vernon Macan's crowning achievement
- Inside Golf (Canada) – A.V. Macan's and Royal Colwood's place in course architecture on the Pacific Coast