Biography

An accomplished amateur golfer, Frank Pennink would attend Oxford and captain the golf team in 1935. Eventually, he would go on to win the English Amateur, play on the Walker Cup and represent England internationally before World War Two.

From Player to Writer

After his duty to King and Country, Pennink would turn his hand to sports journalism. It was through writing for the Sunday Express and the Daily Mail he would develop an interest in golf course architecture. A published author, Pennink would release three books.

From Writer to Architect

In 1954, Pennink would join C.K. Cotton and Charles Lawrie to form Cotton, Pennink and Partners Ltd. His work would spread over Europe, Africa and even to the Far East. In time, he would appoint Donald Steel and Cameron Sinclair to the firm.

Final Days

An accomplished player, a gifted writer and highly acclaimed architect, Frank Pennink would live out the final part of his days adjacent to Royal Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.

A Closer Look

We wish to thank friend of Evalu18 and collaborator, Keith Cutten, for the material for this short biography. For a more detailed account, you can find his book by clicking here. Frank Pennink was also known for his writings. His first book, published in 1952, Homes of Sport: Golf, can be seen by clicking here. In 1962, a subsequent book was released, Golfer's Companion.

Architectural Hallmarks

Frank Pennink was known for:

Simple yet effective greens & green complexes.

Limited use of fairway bunkers.

Greens frequently on plateaux with severe run-offs on all sides.