EATON — Alex “Nipper” Campbell was a world class golfer who participated in four U.S. Opens (1901, 1905, 1907, and 1912) as well as the 1923 PGA.
Aside from being a golfing great, Campbell was also a course designer. He arrived from to the United States from Scotland in 1896 before finding himself in Dayton around 1925 – where we played a major role in designing many area golf courses, including Moraine Country Club where he was the head professional.
He was also the golf professional at Miami Valley Golf Club and Losantiville Country Club in Cincinnati.
During his time in Ohio, Campbell even ventured over to Eaton, where he helped redesign the Eaton Country Club as well.
To put into context Campbell’s influence on golf, he was a known mentor to Francis Quimet, who has been coined as the father of the amateur golf and is now a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Quiment was portrayed by Shia LeBeouf in the 2005 movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
“Suffice it to say, this man knew golf,” said ECC member Lee Peffly. “Surely that contributed to his skills as a course designer – including that at the Eaton Country Club.
