The Robert Trent Jones Collection at Cornell University offers the opportunity to examine the full breadth of an extraordinary life and legacy of a significant American golf course architect. Jones prepared for his career by creating his own course of study at Cornell in order to achieve his goal. He completed his studies in 1930.
In April, 2009 Jones’ two sons, Robert Jr.. and Rees (also famous golf course architects) donated their father’s entire collection of business and personal records that encompass the 70-year period that established him as the father of the modern era of golf course design.
The Robert Trent Jones Society is working with the Cornell Library to assist in the organization of records, with funding for that process and with the promotion of the availability of this significant resource for golf historians, golf researchers, golf writers and the general public.
The Collection covers Jones’ entire career from 1930-through the 1990’s and includes drawings and sketches, course plans, written correspondence and artifacts that relate to the designer’s life and career and the 400+ courses he designed and renovated.
An online guide to the complete and vast contents of the Robert Trent Jones Collection from 1924-2003 can be found at: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM06855.html. To search the entire database, use “Ctrl F” to open a search box that will appear at the lower left of the page and enter your search term.
For those interested in digitized reproductions of particular items in the RTJ Collection, go to: https://rare.library.cornell.edu/services/reproductions for a description of the process. Written inquiries can also be made via the Contact Us page at the RTJ Society website. Assistance by the Collection staff will be required at the present time. For assistance contact rareref@cornell.edu. This Collection is available for public research.
Collection inquiries are especially welcome from all interested parties from RTJ-designed courses around the world who wish to examine original documents, specific course plans, photographs and business records for their own particular course.
