Ida Elizabeth Dixon (December 25, 1854 – November 22, 1916) was an American

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

and

golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

from Pennsylvania. She was the first female golf course architect in the United States and perhaps in the world. She designed the Springhaven Country Club golf course in

Wallingford, Pennsylvania Wallingford is an unincorporated community in Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania, Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County in Pennsylvanias. Founded in 1687, it is named for Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Wallin ...

in 1904.

Early life

Ida Elizabeth Gilbert was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Pennsylvania, on December 25, 1854. She was married to the

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

businessman and

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

executive Henry P. Dixon. In addition to his position at the railroad, Henry Dixon was also the owner of the Henry P. Dixon Company, a manufacturer of grates, fireplaces, and furnaces, and was a dealer in tiles for hearths, halls, and mantel facades. The couple resided part-time in a large mansion called "The Gables" in Wallingford which was designed and custom built by architect Theophilus P. Chandler Jr. in 1889 as a summer home.

Designing Springhaven Club

In 1904, Dixon designed an 18-hole golf course for the Springhaven Club, where she and her husband were enthusiastic golfers. They both served on the Club's governing committee. Co-authors Geoffrey S. Cornish and Ronald E. Whitten, in their book ''The Architects of Golf'', credit Dixon as the first female golf architect in America and perhaps in the world. In addition to her golf course design work, she served as president of the Women's Golf Association of Philadelphia from 1911–16.

Course redesign

In 1910, changes were made to the course by

Horace Rawlins Horace Thomas Rawlins (5 August 1874 – 22 January 1935) was an English professional golfer who won the first U.S. Open Championship in 1895. Early life Rawlins was born at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, England, the son of Thomas Horatio and ...

and Herbert Barker. Today the course plays 6,518 yards at par 70 from the back tees with a course rating of 71.1 and a slope rating of 130.

Death

Dixon died at her Wallingford home on November 22, 1916, following a three-month illness and was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

in Philadelphia. She was survived by her husband and son, Clayton G. Dixon.

Legacy

The Ida E. Dixon Cup golf tournament—established on September 25, 1917—has been held every year since 1917 with the exception of 1943 during World War II, and 1975, when the event was cancelled due to rain. The winner of the golf tournament is awarded the Ida E. Dixon Memorial Cup, which is named in her honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Ida 1854 births 1916 deaths 19th-century American women 20th-century American women American female golfers American socialites Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Golf course architects Golf administrators Golfers from Pennsylvania People from Philadelphia 20th-century American people American women architects