Ohio Golf Journal May 2020

Marion Hollins “The Forgotten Woman of Golf” Only hard-core golf fans will be familiar with the name Marion Hollins, but she is more than worthy to be enshrined with the Walter Hagen’s, Ben Hogan’s and Sam Snead’s of the world. Hollins was a very good amateur player. She finished runner-up in the 1913 U.S. Women’s Amateur and later won that title in 1921. Hollins also captained the U.S. squad in the inaugural Curtis Cup in 1932. In the 1920’s women were considered too frail to be involved in business dealings. Yet she was involved in the creation of three courses that would become classics. She created the National Golf and Tennis Club, plus she worked alongside Dr. Alister MacKenzie to design Cypress Point and Pasatiempo, plus MacKenzie sought her advice, when he was creating Augusta National Golf Club. The Rest of the Story Bobby Jones first met Marion Hollins in 1929. He was eliminated in the early rounds of the U.S. Amateur held at Pebble Beach and was invited to play the newly opened Pasatiempo. He became enthralled with the classic design, spread over the rolling sand hills. It was exactly what he wanted for a course that was taking shape in his mind. A few years later, MacKenzie was commissioned by Jones and his partner, Cliff Roberts to come up with a plan to construct a course on the old nursery inAugusta. A plan that would be suitable for tournament golf, but also be accommodating to the membership. MacKenzie sought consul from his old friend Marion Hollins and alerted Jones and Roberts that he wanted to send her to Augusta for a site visit. This was 1932, women were not allowed in private golf clubs, or to hold strenuous jobs in business. Clifford Roberts immediately rejected the idea of Hollins tramping around the muddy and hilly future site of the proposed golf course. MacKenzie sent back this reply, “She has been associated with me in three golf courses and not only are her own Ohio Golf Journal