William Henry Tucker

(1871 - 1854)

Born: Redhill, Surrey, England

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Willie Tucker was born in England in 1871 and was introduced to golf by working for his father who was the greenskeeper at Wimbledon Common Golf Club. At a young age he was an expert sod roller but he wanted to be a champion golfer. In an effort to improve his golf he went to work for Willie Dunn in Biarritz, France. He soon returned to England as a club maker for Slazenger's in London.

Still wanting to be a tournament player, he took the head professional position at the Redhill and Reigate Golf Club, where he stayed five years.

In 1895 he left for the United States to join his brother Sam who was the professional at the St. Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. The brothers set up a business under the title of Tucker Bros., Defiance Clubs and Balls. Another opportunity presented itself that year when Tucker was hired to redesign the Philadelphia Country Club's two-year old course and give golf instruction to the members. While Tucker was at the Country Club the Philadelphia Cricket Club borrowed him to lay out a golf course for its members. John Reid then came on board as the pro and head greenskeeper at the Country Club and Tucker rejoined his brother at St. Andrews. The next year the St. Andrews club moved to Mt. Hope and Tucker designed its new golf course, which featured the first fescue and bent grass greens in the United States.

In 1896 he also found time to play in and win the International Championship of Canada.

Tucker went on to a long career as a club professional and at the same time he was in the golf course construction business. He and his son did design and construction work on numerous golf. They also constructed polo fields and football fields. They built tennis courts for national tournaments at Newport, Rhode Island, West Side Tennis Club for the Davis Cup matches and the Germantown Cricket Club.