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Golf Course Architect
John Dering Harris was an English civil engineer and naval officer who became a prolific golf course architect after World War II. Educated at Pangbourne Nautical College and coming from a family-run golf construction firm (Franks Harris Brothers), he attained the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy, helping with wartime logistics before returning to golf design in the late 1940s and establishing his own international practice in the 1960s.
He is credited with involvement in designing or remodeling over 450 courses worldwide, spanning Australasia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia. His notable works include Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary in New Zealand, Royal Canberra in Australia, and several courses in Jamaica, Barbados, and Tobago.
His style favored practical, contractor-friendly drawings and taking advantage of natural landscapes abroad, often avoiding projects in his native UK in favor of more receptive international settings.
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