James Foulis

James Foulis was a Scottish-born professional golfer who achieved lasting fame by winning the second U.S. Open in 1896. Born in Scotland in 1871, he emigrated to the United States and became one of the early professional golfers to help establish the game in America during its formative years. Beyond his playing career—which included a third-place finish at the inaugural 1895 U.S. Open—Foulis turned his attention to golf course design across the Midwest and beyond.

His architectural portfolio includes several courses that remain in play today. Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, stands as perhaps his most recognized work, while he also designed Glen Echo Country Club and Ruth Park Golf Club in St. Louis, Nippersink Country Club in Wisconsin, and Denver Country Club in Colorado. His courses from the 1890s and early 1900s reflect the straightforward, strategic design principles of golf's early American era.

Foulis passed away in 1928, leaving a dual legacy as both a champion player and a pioneer course architect who helped shape golf in the United States during its earliest decades.

Sources: Wikipedia article on James Foulis; course list from Course Vaults.