Marion B. Hollins (December 3, 1892 – August 27, 1944) was an American amateur golfer. She is known as an athlete and as a golf course developer, one of the only known female golf course developers in history. She won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and was runner-up in 1913. She also had many other amateur wins. She was the captain of the first U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1932.

Early life

Hollins was born on December 3, 1892, in

East Islip, New York East Islip is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 13,931 at the time of the 2020 census. History Originally referred to as "East of Islip", the name was acquired in 1890 from the es ...

. Her father, Henry (Harry) Bowly Hollins Sr. (1854–1938), owned a Wall Street brokerage firm, H.B. Hollins & Co. Her mother was Evelina Meserole Knapp (1854–1938). The family lived on the Meadow Farm at East Islip on Long Island. By 18, Hollins learned how to ride and drive horses, row, swim, play tennis, and golf. She won a four-in-hand carriage competition against male drivers. In 1913, she was runner-up in the U.S. Women's Metropolitan Amateur, and at 20 she won the Metropolitan Amateur and went into the finals of the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1916, Hollins came to California to play polo with the Sam Mateo team.

Career

Hollins returned to California as early as 1920 to play polo on the Pebble Beach men's polo team, and play golf at the

Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, U.S. Opened in 1919, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, o ...

. She set a women's record with a score of 90. Hollins then bought a piece of property overlooking the Pebble Beach course and Carmel Bay. She won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur at the Hollywood Golf Club, against Alexa Stirling. Hollins moved to the

Monterey Peninsula The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, California, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, California, P ...

in 1922 where she met S.F.B. Morse and began working as athletic director for Del Monte Properties. The first Pebble Beach Championship for Women was played February 9–12, 1923, with Hollins as champion over defeated Doreen Kavanaugh in the final match. Hollins won the Pebble Beach Championship title six times (1924-1926, 1928, 1933, and 1942). In her time, she helped develop three world-class golf courses: The Women's National Golf and Tennis Club in Glen Head, Long Island, New York;

Cypress Point Club Cypress Point Club is a private golf club located in Pebble Beach, California, at the northern end of the Central Coast. Its single 18-hole course has been named as one of the finest in golf, best known for a series of dramatic holes along th ...

, and Pasatiempo Golf Club. Hollins was responsible for hiring

Alister MacKenzie Alister MacKenzie (30 August 1870 – 6 January 1934) was an English golf course architect whose course designs span four continents. Originally trained as a surgeon, MacKenzie served as a civilian physician with the British Army during the ...

to design Cypress Point and Pasatiempo. Seth Raynor routed Cypress Point but died before it was built; she was ultimately the reason Bobby Jones hired MacKenzie to design

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is known for hosting the annual Masters Tournament. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Rob ...

. In 1927, Hollins bought in Carmel Valley from Morse's Del Monte Properties, where she entertained guests such as

Sir Montagu Allan Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan, (October 13, 1860 – September 26, 1951) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the principal heir of his father, Sir Hugh Allan, and became deputy chairman of the family-owned ...

, his wife, and daughter from

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada. In 1936, she sold of her ranch to real estate developer Frank B. Porter Hollins for $32,000 (). In December 1937, Hollins was in an automobile accident near

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 at the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self-designated sanctua ...

, that caused lasting physical and mental injuries. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Hollins was forced to sell property she had in

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from th ...

and her Pasatiempo home. Morse stepped in and helped Hollins get back on her feet with work at the Del Monte Properties Company. Hollins played golf with friends or hotel guests. In 1942, she won the Pebble Beach Women's Championship for the eighth and final time.

Death

Hollins died from complications of a stroke on August 27, 1944, in

Pacific Grove, California Pacific Grove is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city had a population of 15,090 at the 2020 census. Pacific Grove is a popular tourist destination on ...

, at the age of 51, and was buried in Monterey, California.

Legacy

Hollins was inducted posthumously into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

in the Golf and Historic Recognition Categories with the Class of 2002. She will be inducted into the

World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame was, until recently, located at World Golf Village between Jacksonville, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States. It is unusual amongst sports halls of fame in that a single site honored both men ...

in 2021.

Team appearances

* Curtis Cup (representing the United States):

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

(winners, playing captain)

References

External links

Marion Hollins Memorial Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, Marion American female golfers Amateur golfers American golf course architects Winners of ladies' major amateur golf championships World Golf Hall of Fame inductees Golfers from New York (state) People from East Islip, New York Sportspeople from Islip (town), New York 1892 births 1944 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen