By Barbara Perkins
As evidenced by the Alfredo Taylor buildings, the Stanford White fountain on the Village Green and the Tiffany windows at the library, Congregational Church and the Manor House, Norfolk is home to numerous works by world renowned architects, artisans and craftsmen. And in true Norfolk fashion, all of these works, though stunning in their own right, are unpretentious and unobtrusive in their bearing and location.
We can now add one more gem to the list. As of this spring, the golf course at the Norfolk Country Club has been officially recognized as the design of legendary golf course architect, A. W. Tillinghast.

The view looking down the ninth fairway from behind the green at the Norfolk Country Club.

For those not familiar with the world of golf course design, it is widely believed that Tillinghast, along with Donald Ross (Pinehurst No. 2, Oak Hill) and Alister MacKenzie (Augusta National, Old Course at Lahinch, Ireland) were the three greatest golf course designers of all time.
While you may never have heard of Tilly, as he’s referred to in the golf world, you no doubt have heard of at least one of his 265 (now 266) courses. The most famous of his designs are Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Newport and Bethpage Black, the site of the 2009 U.S. Open.
According to Joe Passov, the Architecture/Course Ranking Editor at GOLF Magazine, “Donald Ross may have been more prolific and Alister MacKenzie better traveled, but for sheer consistency in design excellence among the Golden Age greats, A.W. Tillinghast takes a back seat to no one.”
While the discovery itself is remarkable, the story behind the discovery is extraordinary. Long has the question been tossed about regarding the origins of the Norfolk course. Spurred on by personal curiosity and a deep passion for golf history, local resident and Norfolk Country Club member Michael Kelly took it upon himself to uncover the answer.
After sorting through a long neglected assemblage of club papers, including minutes and ledgers housed at the Norfolk Historical Society, he came across a series of references to the course. Kelly found an invoice for services rendered and a passage from the minutes of a board meeting which read, “Mr. Smith sketched the new 9-hole course, which has been reconstructed by Mr. Tillinghast and stated in his opinion and in the opinion of the committee appointed to supervise construction that it was going to be one of the best short courses anywhere in the country.”
Armed with this information, Kelly contacted the Tillinghast Association and began the authentication process. While the Tillinghast archives didn’t mention the Norfolk course, the documentation Kelly presented was eventually enough for them to award the course with the Original Design distinction.
When asked about the project, Kelly expressed his elation at the discovery, but was quick to share that though one question had been answered, it only raised more, including “How did Tilly come to Norfolk?” Next stop for Kelly are the library archives to see what else he can dig up. Whether or not he finds any more answers, the fact remains, Norfolk has one more long hidden gem to add to her storied crown.

Photo By Babara Perkins