Born: 1882

Died: 20th October 1952: Johannesburg

Married: to Alice

Address: 7 Montpelier Terrace, Brompton SW7

Educated: Malvern and New College Oxford

Sport: During his school career was Head of House and Prefect. He was editor of the school magazine, played cricket for the first eleven and member of the school Fives Team.

Malvern College 1896 - 1901:
At Oxford studied Divinity but records show that he did not take any exams nor obtained a degree. First contact with Harry Colt would have been through the Oxford and Cambridge Golf Society. He represented Oxford in the Varsity match in 1903 and 1904. In the 1904 match at Woking famed for playing off the Clubhouse roof pitching his ball over the holly tree onto the green to gain an important half. Source: - Bernard Darwin's book 'Rub of the Green' printed in 1934 which was dedicated to Alison. In 1903 toured America with the Oxford and Cambridge Golf Society.

Sporting Achievements:
Golf Blue: 1903 - 1904
Played cricket for Somerset

In the 1906 Amateur Championship his club was listed as Burnham and County, he lost in the 4th round. In that year he started assisting Harry Shapland Colt with the design and construction of golf courses.

In 1908 he applied and was appointed the Secretary of Stoke Poges Golf Club, which had been designed by Colt and was under construction at the time opened for play in the summer of 1909. His remuneration being £13.6.8 per month plus a small stipend for accommodation. Whilst secretary at Stoke Poges he assisted Colt with the following courses: -

1908 Kingsthorpe: Northants (9 hole)
1909 Northampton County
1910 Denham
1912 St George's Hill
1913 Camberley Heath

During this period he also spent some time in Ireland when his address was The Club Foxrock Dublin.

In 1907 he is recorded to have driven a ball 340 yards at the Royal Dublin Club Dollymount. He also held the amateur record of 32 for 9 holes at Foxrock. He remained as secretary at Stoke Poges until 1914.

During the First World War he was captain in the army involved in Ciphers. After the war and for the next nine years he took responsibility for North America, designing no less than twenty courses and remodeling a further six. According to his friends and associates Alison was a "great man for humps" giving the 10th green @ the Bristol and Clifton Club as an example. He also helped to complete four holes at Pine Valley at the request of Colt when George Crump the instigator died suddenly.

It appeared that in1923 the partnership of Colt, Alison and Morrison had been formed - Mackenzie having departed the scene to make his own way.

In 1928 on the 24th November Colt formed a limited company with Alison, J. S. F. Morrison and himself as directors its title being Colt Alison and Morrison LTD: Share capital £1,000 - 1,000 x £1 shares Alison and Morrison having 100 shares each. Thereafter they operated as a simple business sharing out all income equally.

As a result of the depression in America following the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and the effect on the golf course market. Alison seemingly a willing traveller took sole responsibility in1932 for three courses in Japan Fuji, Hirona and Tokyo and one more in 1936 Kaiwana (Fuji Course) plus extensive remodeling of six courses between 1930-36. Alison's work is still highly respected in Japan and his 'Muirfield' bunkers and deep steep faced greens are renowned and known as 'Arizons'.

He is also credited with having remodeled Royal Selangor (Malaysia) in 1931. During 1931-39 apart from remodeling and reporting on courses, he designed the following courses: -

Huntingdale in Australia, Auckland in New Zealand and in South Africa Johannesburg Country Club, Vereeniging and Glendower.

In 1939 he remodeled the ninth hole course in Tangier.

With the outbreak of the Second World War he enlisted again at the age of 57 but with the reduced rank of Lieutenant involved as before in decoding.

On New Years Day 1939 all three partners were in England and on January 11th 1940 they met at Colt's home at St Amands a rare event which was out of the question for the next five years. Alison was awarded the O.B.E. but apparently never made much of the distinction himself.

In 1945 he was involved in a Golf Project at Fulwell which was concluded in 1947 then John Morrison completed the revisions from 36 holes to 18 holes in 1951. In 1947 he also submitted a report to the Burnham and Berrow Committee. In that year he saw Colt for the last time. In December 1947 he and his wife sailed for South Africa leaving John Morrison to run the British end which he did until his death in 1961 aged 68.

In 1948 February he undertook work for Bulaweyo Golf Club and advised the Pretoria Golf Club. In September he completed a report on 18 holes at East London and a review for Royal Johannesburg.

In 1949 he designed the Johannesburg Country Club course which opened for play in 1951 in which year he submitted a report to Royal Cape for two new greens. During 1950 Alison reported to his partner Morrison that there was little prospect of work which subsequently was proved correct. This was repeated in 1951 except for the two jobs mentioned above. In December Morrison informed him that Harry Colt had died on 21st November. We could find no records of Alison during 1952 other than he died in Johannesburg one year after Colt in October.

Colt

Morrison

MacKenzie

Colt Alison & Morrison Ltd