The Famous Park Family

The Famous Park Family is a short golf blog post that takes a look at the family that once dominated the world of golf. Where should I start with this family? Why not with the oldest… Willie Park Snr Born in Wallyford, East Lothian in 1833, Willie Snr started his golfing career as a Caddie. Later, he started the trend of ‘Challenge Matches’. The first real spectator golf matches. These matches often involved playing against the other greats of that time, like Old Tom Morris & Allan Robertson. It is through these matches that Willie Snr made a name for himself and also earned his money. Willie Snr was a tall man who seemed to hit the ball a country mile, and he was a great putter. Sadly, he tended to try to always be the hero by taking on impossible shots instead of using his head. In 1860, he married Susanna, and together they had 10 children. During his golfing career, he won the Open Championship 4 times. He won in 1860, 1863, 1866 & 1875. He was runner up in 1861, 1862, 1865 & 1867. Mungo Park This was the famous brother of Willie Park Snr. Mungo was also a keen golfer. He was born in 1836 and learned to play golf at the age of 4. After 20 years of working as a seaman, he returned to Scotland in the early 1870s and picked up the game again. He won the Open Championship in 1874 by beating Old Tom Morris by 2 strokes. Following that up with top 5 finishes in 1875 & 1876, Mungo certainly made his mark. Willie Park Jnr The son of Willie Park Jnr was born in Musselburgh in 1864. He was also to become a dominant golfer after learning at an early age. His long game was erratic and left a lot to be desired, but he had the best short game of any man. Willie Jnr played in his first Open Championship at the age of 16. He later won the Open Championship in 1887 & 1889 and carded 5 top 5 finishes too. Between them, they designed over 200 classic courses including the likes of… The Old Course at Sunningdale, Temple Golf Club, Alnmouth Golf Club and the stunning Portmarnock Golf Club. Weston Golf & Country Club, Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, Maidstone Golf Club & New Haven Country Club. They also wrote a few books between them, including: The Game of Golf & The Art of Putting. I think we can all agree that the Park family were quite dominant in the golfing world. What are your thoughts on The Famous Park Family? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here.