# William P. Bell

William Park Bell (April 19, 1886 – June 21, 1953) was a noted golf course architect, active from the 1920s into the early 1950s.

## Biography

Born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Billy Bell studied agriculture at Duff's Business Institute in Pittsburgh. He moved west to California at age 25 in 1911, and held a series of golf jobs at the Pasadena Country Club, including caddymaster and course superintendent. Bell worked on golf course construction for architect Willie Watson, including serving as Watson's superintendent, before going into golf course design and development on his own in 1920.
Most of Bell's courses were designed and built in southern California. He is considered one of the most important golf course architects in the state, with more than fifty courses credited to his work and design, and he designed and built courses in other western states as well, including Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, and Hawaii.
Early in his design career, Bell worked closely with famous designer and fellow Pennsylvanian George C. Thomas Jr., on courses which included the Riviera Country Club, often cited as one of the world's best courses. Although Thomas is listed as architect of record, Bell made significant contributions to many of the designs. Bell's son William F. Bell (1918–1984) trained with him, joined him in partnership after World War II, and later became an important golf course architect in his own right. Bell Sr. served as a turf consultant to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the war, and was awarded a commendation by the Southern California chapter of the PGA, in honor of his work creating golf courses for wounded servicemen. Bell Sr. was a founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, and served as ASGCA President in 1952.
Bell died in Pasadena at age 67 in 1953 and is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena.

## Courses

Golf courses designed and built by William P. Bell:
* OD denotes courses for which Bell is the original designer
* R denotes courses reconstructed by Bell
* A denotes courses for which Bell made substantial additions
* E denotes courses that Bell examined and on the construction of which he consulted
| Name | Contribution | City / Town | State / Province | Country | Comments |
| Adobe Course at Arizona Biltmore Hotel | OD | Phoenix | Arizona | United States | Resort |
| Encanto Park GC | OD | Phoenix | Arizona | United States | Public course |
| Mesa CC | OD | Mesa | Arizona | United States | Private course |
| Tucson CC | OD | Tucson | California | United States | Private course; with William Francis Bell |
| Bakersfield CC | OD | Bakersfield | California | United States | Private course |
| Balboa Park Municipal GC | OD | San Diego | California | United States | Public course |
| Bel-Air CC | OD | Bel Air | California | United States | Private course |
| Brookside GC | OD | Pasadena | California | United States | Public course; 36 holes |
| Chevy Chase CC | OD | Glendale | California | United States | Private course; with William Francis Bell |
| David L Baker GC | OD | Fountain Valley | California | United States | Public course |
| Girard CC | OD | Woodland Hills | California | United States | Private course; now Woodland Hills CC; |
| Hacienda GC | OD | La Habra Heights | California | United States | Private course |
| La Jolla CC | OD | La Jolla | California | United States | Private course |
| Marine Memorial Golf Course | OD | Camp Pendleton | California | United States | Military course that allows Public play |
| Meadowlark GC | OD | Huntington Beach | California | United States | Public course |
| Mesa Verde CC | OD | Costa Mesa | California | United States | Private course |
| Rancho Park GC | OD | Los Angeles | California | United States | Public course |
| Red Hill CC | OD | Alta Loma | California | United States | Private course; with George C. Thomas Jr. |
| San Diego CC | OD | San Diego | California | United States | Private course |
| Stanford University GC | OD | Palo Alto | California | United States | Private course; with George C. Thomas Jr. |
| Sunnyside CC | OD | Fresno | California | United States | Private course |
| Torrey Pines GC (North course, South course) | OD | San Diego | California | United States | Municipal courses; 36 holes |
| Tilden Park GC | OD | Berkeley | California | United States | Public course |
| Virginia CC | OD | Long Beach | California | United States | Private course; with A.W. Tillinghast |
| Woodland Hills CC | OD | Woodland Hills | California | United States | Private course |
| Valley CC | OD | Englewood | Colorado | United States | Private course |
| Kaneohe Klipper GC | OD | Kaneohe | Hawaii | United States | Military course |
| The Legacy GC | OD | Henderson | Nevada | United States | |
| Forest Hills GC | OD | Cornelius | Oregon | United States | Public course; with William Francis Bell |
| Tijuana CC | OD | Tijuana | Baja California | Mexico | Private course |
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