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Famous North Berwick Golfers
Willie Anderson   Ben Sayers   Fred McLeod   Dorothy Campbell   Jimmy Thomson

Arnaud Massy
Golf Professional
Born: July 1877, Biarritz, France.
Died: April 1950, Etretat, France.

[Arnaud Massy]
Arnaud Massy at La Boulie
© Digitalsport UK

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Tournament Record

French Open :1906 1907,1911, 1925
British Open :1907
Belgium Open :1910
Spanish Open:1911,1927,1928
British Open : runner-up,1911
Monte Carlo Open: 1912
French Open :runner-up,1908,1910,1926
2x Inter-Allied Games - First Medals 1919
(Pershing Stadium, Colombes, France)
La Ville De Cannes Au Golf Club, 1907
Societe De Golf De Paris, 1911
Championnat des Professionels Francais, 1911

  Frenchman grasps the
coveted silver jug

By Douglas Seaton
North Berwick Factfile

Arnaud Massy, born 6th July 1877 in Biarritz, southern France, son of Bernard Massy, a road surfaceman and his wife Marie Lauga. On leaving school Arnaud was employed as a sardine fisherman and from the age of fourteen caddied at Biarritz, for mostly English visitors to the Basque region. Massy picked up the rudiments of the game at that Continental Health and Golf resort. The golfers playing the Biarritz course could arrange with Charles, the head waiter at the Palais Hotel to deliver lunch on to the course. Massy's golf was fostered by the liberality of his employer, Mr. Everard Hambro, father of a family of golfing sons who brought him to North Berwick. Massy was also a good pelota player in his youth

Massy was taught the rudimentary skills of club making by sixteen year old Willie Tucker when he was assistant to Willie Dunn at Biarritz. William H. Tucker Snr. was a club maker with Willie Dunn on Wimbledon Common before following him to France.

Massy carried for many well known players at Biarritz including Horace Hutchison, Charles Hutchings and Everard Hambro. It was Hambro, a member of North Berwick New Club since 1894, who brought Massy to North Berwick for the summer season when he was twenty-one. Massy was met at Drem station by Davie Grant in a horse and cart. Grant was an excellent teaching pro at North Berwick where Hambro had made arrangements for Massy to learn the craft of club making in James Hutchison's workshop (present Pros Shop beside the first tee). Arnaud was granted a professional license on the West Links in August 1899 and he returned to North Berwick with Hambro each season. Massy lodged with Robert Slimmand, a master tailor, residing at Glenanbuck, 11 School Road, North Berwick. His daughter Isabella Slimmand was a teacher in the Public School opposite, and may have spoken French.

" He had a distinctive twirl at the top of his backswing which dated back to when he played left handed as a youngster."

Arnaud was a popular figure with a keen sense of humour, and returned to the West Links on six occasions, teaching for four months during the summer season. He was enormously impressed with Harry Vardon when he watched him at North Berwick during a match against Willie Park in 1899.

Massy used a two-handed grip and an open stance. A powerful man, he was a long hitter and highly thought of as a cleek player. He had an unusual action, described as a 'Pig Tail' swing which was very upright with a curious flourish at the top.

Massy played regularly with the best Scottish 'cracks', amateur and professional, until he gained the necessary experience to compete at the highest level. He entered his first Open Championship from Biarritz G.C in 1902, and finished tied for tenth place with Andrew Kirkaldy. This was the first time a foreign player had entered the Open Championship. In 1903 he joined the PGA and listed his employment as assistant to Ben Sayers. In October that year he married North Berwick girl Janet Punton Henderson known as 'Jinty', daughter of Captain Henderson. Jinty worked as a Telephone Operator and her family lived in Harmony Cottage which was demolished to make way for 9 Forth Street, North Berwick. His best-man was Philip Wylie who also boarded with Massy at 11 School Road, North Berwick.

The growth in the popularity of golf in Europe can be attributed to Arnaud Massy, Ben Sayers, Jack White and Davie Grant, who took part in exhibition matches throughout the continent.

Jinty's brother James Henderson, a joiner to trade was a fine golfer and member of Bass Rock Golf Club in North Berwick. Playing off scratch he won the Summer Medal 1892, 1893 and was the first winner of the Fyshe Medal in 1894. The following year James was appointed Burgh Surveyor at Moffat. Their father Captain Thomas Henderson was a founder member of the North Berwick Yacht Club and was appointed the first Commodore in 1901. James was also a keen yachtsman and won many regattas in his boat 'Dragon'.

In 1904 the News of the World Tournament was played at Mid-Surrey Golf Club and Jack White and Andrew Kirkaldy failed to qualify for the finals. Sayers and Massy were drawn together in the first round, and the two men saw no point in both travelling south from North Berwick. They tossed a coin to see who should make the trip and Sayers won the call.

In 1905 Massy entered the Open Championship at St. Andrews from North Berwick, when he finished in 5th place and received £7-10s. The following year he won the inaugural French Open at La Boulie where he was later appointed professional, this was his first of a record four wins in the French Open.

In 1907, Arnaud and his wife Jinty entertained a number of North Berwick pros at his club La Boulie, near Versailles about a dozen miles from Paris when they played in the French Open Championship that year. The group included Ben Sayers, Jack White, Ben Sayers Jnr. and Arthur Grant travelled from Biarritz. Despite the distraction Arnaud successfully retained the title with rounds of 77, 72, 74, 75 = 298. The winning of this event meant a good deal to Massy as he had an engagement hanging on the championship which would not have matured had he failed to win. This was with a French millionaire who had taken to golf and wanted two months coaching. Massy went to the Engadine Valley and played chiefly at Samaden. He returned to North Berwick in September where his matches with Mr. A. J. Balfour and Mr J. E. Laidlay and others were always of a private nature.

At this time George Nicoll from Leven, Fife made clubs stamped A. Massy, La Boulie G.C Paris, for sale at the club. He was also supplied with heads from Tom Stewart, a cleek maker in St Andrews. Massy finished in 6th place at the 1906 Open at Muirfield, and was described by the press as a 'Frenchman with the soul of a Scot' became the first overseas player to win the Open Championship.

The weather was appalling at Hoylake in 1907, but Massy had the game to combat the strong winds and torrential rain. His putting was steady and he used a driving-iron given to him by Andrew Kirkaldy to great effect. The qualifying round were played on June 18th and 19th and the Championship itself on the 20th and 21st. The new eliminating system claimed Jack White who failed to qualify. Arnaud Massy and Walter Toogood were the first round leaders with 76 each. At the end of 36 holes, Massy held a one stroke lead over Taylor and Tom Ball. In the third round, Taylor shot a 76, while Massy carded a 78, the Englishman now led by one shot. In the final round Taylor reached the turn in 41 and came home in 39 for a total of 314. Massy took the lead by doing the front nine in 38 and came home in 39 for a total of 312, two stokes ahead of J.H. Taylor one of the best bad-weather players of them all.

His wife presented him with a daughter four days prior to his victory in the championship, after finishing the second qualifying round. On the news he cut short his celebrations to return to Scotland. He arrived back in North Berwick accompanied by Ben Sayers and when news spread that the Champion was arriving at 3 o'clock, a large crowd gathered at the Railway Station. A string-band in town for the summer season was hastily assembled, and an open top charabanc put at their disposal. The band played 'See The Conquering Hero Comes' from Judas Maccabeus part of Handel's Auditoria and Massy and Sayers took their seats in the vehicle which proceeded down Station Hill and east into Westgate, then a two way thoroughfare.

Massy holding the claret jug aloft, acknowledged their applause. The motorcade continued slowly along Westgate, the streets lined with people, until the procession reached Captain Henderson's house at Harmony Cottage, 5, Forth Street. There with the cheers still ringing in his ears, and clutching the Open Trophy, Massy was reunited with his wife and daughter, who was born four days before the Open but news did not reach Massy until after the second qualifying round. He cut short his victory celebrations and returned home. They later christened her Margaret Lockhart 'Hoylake' Massy after his triumph.

In 1907, J. P. Cochrane & Co the golf ball manufacturer on Albert Street, Leith ran an advertisement apologising that after publishing the results of tests on their 'Professional Red Dot' balls by Arnuad Massy they were unable to cope with extraordinary demand but hope that by the extra plant they were putting down and by working night and day to be in a position to execute all orders very shortly. The tests were carried out on the 17th fairway at the private course at Archerfield with Massy driving all the current popular balls the 'Professional Red Dot' being the longest. They moved to a new factory in Murano Place, Leith and they had plans to increase the workforce from 300 to 700 and turn out 100,000 golf balls per week.

In 1907 Massy was invited to Cannes to play in the most prodigious golf tournament in Europe up to that date. The event was organised by Grand Duke Michael of Russia and the Cannes Golf Club. Massy won the stroke play event and the four-ball foursome event with Rowland Jones which carried £150 in prize money and £150 in expenses. As part of the summer season in North Berwick many of the local golfers and visiting personalities took part in a putting competition in aid of the North Berwick Parish Church Funds. In 1908, Dorothy Campbell, the current Scottish Ladies Champion, Arnaud Massy, and Ben Sayers were among the competitors.

[Arnaud Massy]

The tournament was played over a week on the nine-hole putting green at the Royal Hotel, now occupied by Craigleith View. Sixpence being charged per round with seven hundred rounds played, raising over £17. Massy tied for first place along with another five on 21 strokes, but scratched to his opponents in the play-off. Campbell tied for second place in the Ladies competition, which was won with 23 strokes by Miss Faith Laidlay Invereil House, the sister of the famous amateur golfer John E. Laidlay. In 1908, Massy was the first winner of a professional tournament to be held at Turnberry. The same year he won a tournament at Blackpool and in 1909 he won the professional competition at the opening of Pitlochry Golf Club.

In July 1909, Arnaud was joined in North Berwick by Frenchman Jean Grassiat, a fellow professional at Biarritz. They played in the 300 guinea tournament on the newly opened North Berwick Burgh course (Glen golf course). Massy finished 4th behind George Duncan, Alex Herd and Harry Vardon. Three years later Jean Grassiat won the French Open for the first time.

In 1911, Massy and his foursomes partner Jimmy Braid defeated Chick Evans and John Ball in the final of an Amateur versus Professional match for the George V Coronation Cup played at Sandwich the week before the Open Championship. Massy representing St.Jean de Luz Golf Club came close to winning that Open when he made up four strokes on Harry Vardon to tie at Sandwich. In the playoff, however, he conceded on the 35th hole. Also in the field were North Berwick former caddies James Souter, Robert Thomson and Arthur Grant. Massy bounced back quickly, crossing the channel to win his third French Open by seven strokes with all the top players in the field.

At the opening of the Monte Carlo course in April 1912, Arnaud Massy won the Professional Tournament. That year he entered the Open at Muirfield from La Nivelle Golf Club, and finished in 10th place. La Nivelle, the other great club in the Basque region was a twelve hour train journey from Paris. The course was laid out between the Rhume mountain, the Nivelle river and the sea. The view from the 10th hole over the Bay of Biscay was described as spectacular.

Massy was the first winner of the French Open (1906), first winner of the Belgium Open (1910) and first winner of the Spanish Open (1912)

Arnaud Massy had an outstanding record in the Open Championship, consistently finishing in the top twenty from 1902 until 1922. Among his pupils at La Nivelle Golf Club, were Andre Vagliano, Pierre Maneuvrier, and Simone Thion de la Chaume. Massy was involved in the first matches between France and the United States in 1913, and he wrote a book titled "Golf" which was translated into English in 1914. A hickory shafted club with Arnaud Massy's signature on the forged head supplied by Tom Stewart is on display in the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

During the First World War he joined the French Army and was wounded at Verdun while attached to a grenade company. Following the conflict he continued his duties as pro at La Nivelle, St Jean de Lux and returned to North Berwick in July 1919. According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, the military training Massy received before WW1 gave him a stiffer, straighter build than most golfers who had a crouching gait and posture. Massy walked from the tee to the ball with a quick, regular step of the military man, and when he came up to the ball he did a right-wheel and presented his club, and played the second with a quickness and lack of hesitation in which he was only second to George Duncan. Massy's putting, especially in the most difficult of all putts, those from five to nine feet was really remarkable. He stroked the ball into the hole as though it were the simplest thing to do.

In 1921, Massy finished 6th in the Open Championship at St Andrews while living at 118 Findhorn Place, Newington, Edinburgh. In 1924, Mlle Simone de la Chaume who was coached as a child by Arnuad Massy played in the British Girls' Championship. She defeated Dorothy Pearson in the final to become the first foreign player to win the Girls’ Championship. Three years later Simone entered the British Ladies' Amateur Championship at Newcastle County Down and amazingly her opponent was again Dorothy Pearson who she beat in the final. Simone de la Chaume was a member of Saint Cloud Golf Club in Paris and she married Rene Lacoste the tennis player.

On 9th October 1925 Massy won his record fourth French Open after a play-off with Archie Compston, the British PGA Champion. During the championship at Chantilly Golf Club, Massy made a hole-in-one at the par-3, 165 yard, ninth and the following day he won the French Native Championship. In 1926, Arnaud Massy accompanied by Archie Crompston the Wolverhampton professional in a series of exhibition matches across America. Their visit was sponsored by John Wanamaker & Co. owner of the famous department store in New York City. They sailed to America from Southampton on the S.S.Homeric and arrived in New York on 23rd December 1925. Their first match was played on New Years Day against Bobby Jones and Watts Gunn the winner and runner-up in the US Amateur Championship. Watched by a record gallery, the Europeans won 3 & 2 and despite Massy being outdriven by Compston and Jones, the Frenchman's chip shots and putting were so accurate that Massy posted the lowest individual score. Later in January, Bobby Jones got his revenge beating Massy and Compston 8&7, this time Joneswas partnered by Tommy Armour the former Scottish Amateur Champion.

Massy set a new course record 68 on the Kings Course at Gleneagles during the Glasgow Herald 1000 Guinea Golf Tournament in 1921

On 1st November 1928, Massy was appointed the first pro at Chantaco Golf Club in the shadow of the Pyrenees at Saint-Jean-de-Lux owned by the Lacoste family. Reno Thion de la Chaume's daughter Simone was a very good golfer and she married Rene Jean Lacoste one of the four French Musketeers of tennis. Massy represented Chantaco in his last Open Championship at Hoylake in 1930. Arnaud and Jinty Massy had two daughters born in Harmony Cottage, 7 Forth Street, North Berwick, Margot Lockhart Hoylake Massy (1907) and Lena Marie Lauga Massy (1909). A third daughter born in 1919, Marthe Davelli Massy married Jindrich Veverka, a Company Director and they lived at 9 Lennox Street Lane, Edinburgh. Margot married George Edgar in the Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh in 1929. Edgar was a member of Watsonians Rugby Club. The marriage ceremony was conducted by Rev. James R. Burt minister of St Andrews Parish Church in North Berwick. Among those present at the wedding was former Open Champion Jack White.

Their mother Janet Punton Henderson moved to Edinburgh and was living at 118 Findhorn Place while Massy was working at Chantaco Golf Club, a few miles from La Nivelle in southwest France. Jiny died on 28th April 1935 in a private nursing home at 22 Moray Place, Edinburgh.

Massy returned to France in 1940 after several years as the private professional to the Pasha of Marakesh in Morocco. A memento from that period is a photograph taken by Arnaud of Winston Churchill and William Gladstone when they visited Morocco. Massy had a spell at Biarritz before moving to Rouen in Normandy. Cabbage and black bread was generally his routine diet under the German occupation and he was forced by hunger to part with such treasured mementoes as the gold cuff-links given by the Duke of Windsor when Prince of Wales. He lost all his possessions but fortunately his prized championship medals were safe in Edinburgh. Following WW2 Arnaud went into semi-retirement teaching at Golf D' Etretat in Normandy, where he had previously extended the course to 18 holes in collaboration with architect Julien Chartepie.

In 1946, Massy aged 69 years was almost destitute and wrote to the R&A requesting assistance but they refused. In 1950 he was lodging with a lady friend in a mansion house at 40 Rue Notre-Dame, Etretat when he suffered a stroke and died three weeks later on 16th April 1950.

Arnaud's daughter Margot had his body returned to Edinburgh and following a service in St Columba's R.C. Church in Upper Gray Street, he was buried beside his wife Janet Henderson in Newington Cemetery. When Margot died 27th June 1955 she was also buried in Section P, headstone 114 beside her parents.

Arnaud Edgar, grandson of Arnaud Massy was assistant to James Brash at Prestonfield for four years before being appointed assistant to Maynard Goldsmith (listed above) pro at Royal Cape Golf Club, South Africa. Jinty's nephew Watson Henderson became a professional at La Nivelle (Saint Jean-de-Luz) (1926-28) where Massy was employed. Watson moved to England and was pro at a club in the London area. Jinty's brother James Henderson was a joiner and boat builder to trade and a fine golfer winning several Bass Rock Golf Club trophies at North Berwick. In 2005, Arnaud's second daughter Lena Massy who married Alex Bellamy, left a legacy of £39,000 to the English Ladies' Golf Association Trust. Lena was a keen golfer and kept up her membership of a golf club in the Edinburgh area until late in life. The Bellamy Bursary continues to be awarded annually to a student studying a golf related subject from Golf Course Management to Greenkeeping.

The headstone over the Massy grave was replaced in February 2013 and a service of commemoration was conducted. In attendance were members of the French Golf Federation (FFG) including Francois Illouz, who won the Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship at Blairgowrie in 1989 during his amateur days. Also in attendance was Pierrie-Alain Coffinier the French Consul in Edinburgh and representatives of the European Association of Golf Historians & Collectors, chief among them being Jean-Barnard Kazmierczak the founder of that organization and its first president. EAGHC were principal in raising the funds to replace the headstone. The board of the French Golf Federation especially Georges Barbaret (president), Pierre Massie (secretaire general), and Christophe Muniesa were strong supporters. The R&A Heritage Committee made a contribution to the new headstone.

Arnaud Massy remains to this day the greatest French golfer ever.

"Et maintenant, a vous la parole, mon cher Massy; continuez votre brillante car- riere, jouissez de votre belle gloire dont nous sommes tous fiers, comme Golfeurs et comme Francaise a cette heure, ou tant de links s'ouvrent chez nous, pour répondre aux besoins d'enthousiastes sportsmen, puis- sent d'autres professionnels de notre race suivre votre exemple, unique encore dans les fastes du 'Royal and Ancient game,' et contribuer a faire de ce sport un jeu na- tional dans notre beau pays de France." Pierre Deschamps 1907

[Cemetery]
Francois Illouz at Newington Cemetery © Greg Macvean

[Arnaud Massy]
Arnaud Massy and Ben Sayers

[Arnaud Massy]
11 School Road, North Berwick were Massy boarded with Philip Wylie
who was Massy's best-man when the Frenchman got married in 1903.

[Arnaud Massy]
Arnaud Massy is featured in 'The Great Tapestry of Scotland' on
display in Galashiels in 2021. (Sticher Kay Speirs)

[Arnaud Massy]
Forth Street with Harmony Cottage second on the right where Captain Thomas Henderson resided.

Copyright © Douglas Seaton 1994 - 2022, All Rights Reserved.