Notable Professionals

Alex Smith: Wykagyl’s Carnoustie Connection

In the cozy clubhouse of the Carnoustie Club in Scotland, above the trophy cabinet are the logos of Carnoustie, Nassau Country Club (NY), Diablo Country Club (CA), and Wykagyl. The reason why, sits on display in the glass cabinet below.

1909 predates Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge, and Westchester. Wykagyl was the preeminent club in the area. It had just relocated from Pelham and the members wanted to upgrade the golf course and its reputation and knew the man to do it.

Hiring Alex, the leading professional of the day, away from Nassau was no mean feat, albeit reportedly he became the highest paid pro in America. The club provided Smith with the house still standing at the far end of today’s range and upon winning the 1910 US Open Championship, the members rewarded him with an extension.

Upon his death in 1930 a column appeared in The Sports of the Times and said:

"There was always something flamboyant and picturesque about Alex. He played what one might almost call a dashing game on the links… on the green, he never bothered to sight along the line of a putt. ‘Miss ‘em quick’ was his motto, except that he didn’t miss many."

As a charter member of the PGA and one of the initial class of 12 inductees into the Golf Hall of Fame, Smith could be outspoken. He disliked the match play format of the PGA Championship believing the true test was to match up to the course. When Walter Hagen left the Wanamaker trophy in a cab in 1925, a new cup was commissioned. Once the old Wanamaker was returned, the substitute trophy was named the “Alex Smith Trophy” and presented to the winner of the 36-hole PGA Championship stroke play qualifier.