John Henry Taylor

John Henry Taylor (1871–1963) was an English professional golfer and pioneering golf course architect. Born in Northam, Devon, he was one of the "Great Triumvirate" with Vardon and Braid, winning The Open five times. He helped found the PGA in 1901 and served as its first chairman. Taylor designed or redesigned Royal Birkdale, Royal Dornoch, Royal Porthcawl, Royal Aberdeen, and York Golf Club. At Royal Mid-Surrey (1899–1946) he experimented with "alpinization"—extensive earth-moving to create dramatic contours on flat land. His designs favoured creative use of terrain and bold contouring. He captained the GB Ryder Cup team to victory in 1933 and wrote influential golf books.