Founded in 1897, Belleair claims to be the oldest golf course in Florida; the Breakers resort in Palm Beach makes the same claim, but Belleair supporters add ‘continuously operating’ to reinforce their case. Whatever, the club is certainly one of the founding fathers of Florida golf; its West course was originally built in 1897 under the control of railway and steamboat magnate Henry Bradley Plant. Six, presumably rather rough, holes were laid out at Plant’s command. He died in 1899, and his son Morton had the course expanded to nine, and, after extensive experiments with grasses, soils and fertilisers, was responsible for the club having what are believed to be the first grass greens in America’s South. The course expanded to eighteen holes in 1909, and in 1915, Donald Ross came and redesigned it, while also creating the East course, on land inland of the older West. He returned to revise the courses in 1924.

Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design is progressing with a restoration of the Donald Ross-designed West course at Florida’s Belleair Country Club, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.