The Collection
Four Books on
One Great Club
Huntingdon Valley Country Club is one of the most storied clubs in Philadelphia golf — founded in 1897, home to champions at every level, and the setting for some of the most remarkable competitions in the region's history. Four books. Each one tells a different chapter of the same remarkable story — the men and women who built the club, the champions they produced, the professionals who shaped the game here, and the extraordinary competitions they hosted.
Drawn from extensive research into archives, newspapers, family records, and genealogical sources, these books are written not by a hired historian but by a proud member of over 40 years — someone who knows the club, walks the fairways, and has spent years uncovering the remarkable people behind it.
More Than Golf
Stories of the Original 1897 Membership
At nearly 500 pages and profiling 205 members, More Than Golf is a substantial work — and the title says it all. This is not a history of golf. It is the history of the golfing members themselves: extraordinary individuals who influenced their local communities, the city of Philadelphia, and the United States at the turn of the twentieth century.
The original 1897 membership list reads like a directory of Philadelphia's most powerful and fascinating families. The Widener and Elkins families — titans of industry and transit who shaped the city itself. The Wanamaker family, instrumental in the creation of the PGA and the PGA Championship, whose legacy in American golf endures to this day. John B. Stetson, whose legendary hat became an American icon. Horace Trumbauer, the celebrated architect to the wealthy whose grand commissions defined the Gilded Age. And George Crump, the founder of Pine Valley Golf Club — one of the greatest courses ever built — whose deep connections to Huntingdon Valley run throughout this book. But the stories go far beyond golf and business. Huntingdon Valley's membership is associated with some of the most surprising corners of popular culture: the origins of the Bloody Mary cocktail, the golf terms Birdie and Eagle, the phrase "Sugar Daddy," the cautionary phrase "don't take candy from a stranger" — and, remarkably, a connection to the creation of James Bond, 007. Through extensive research spanning online archives, newspapers, family timelines, and genealogical records, George Henninger brings these remarkable men and women to life. For a taste of the stories inside, visit the Articles tab — many of those pieces are drawn directly from the research behind this book.
The current 2026 edition has been updated and refined to include even more facts, photos, and references about the original 1897 Huntingdon Valley membership compared to the original edition published in 2023.
Approx. 500 pages — softback
|$50
Postage additional — George will confirm the total when you get in touch.
Champions, 1897 to 2024
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
A century and a quarter of champions. This book is the definitive compilation of local, state, and national championship victories by the men, women, and junior golfers of Huntingdon Valley Country Club — from the very first competition in 1897 through the present day.
From day one, Huntingdon Valley attracted the finest golfers in Philadelphia, and that tradition of excellence never wavered. The numbers tell a remarkable story: the club has won an unprecedented 35 Interclub Championships — a premier Philadelphia golf event — a record so dominant that the next closest club has just 7 wins. Club members have captured 25 Philadelphia Amateur titles, 5 Pennsylvania State titles, and 3 USGA National Senior Amateur titles. The ladies of Huntingdon Valley have been equally formidable, producing 12 Philadelphia Amateur champions and a US National Amateur champion. This book documents the sustained golfing dominance of the club's members across every level of competition — club championships, Philadelphia-area titles, Pennsylvania state championships, and national honors — a record that speaks for itself across 129 years.
Approx. 65 pages — softback
|$20
Postage additional — George will confirm the total when you get in touch.
Twelve Scots, an Englishman, and an Aussie
The Golf Professionals of Huntingdon Valley
They came from Scotland, England, and as far away as Australia — to teach, compete, and build careers in American golf. This book tells the stories of the remarkable professionals who made Huntingdon Valley Country Club their home.
The professionals who served at Huntingdon Valley were no ordinary club pros — they were among the most accomplished and storied figures in the game. John Reid, the club's first professional, went on to hold the head pro position at over twelve different clubs across the Philadelphia area, one of the most prolific careers of his era. James Govan joined the club in 1905 and would go on to become the first professional at Pine Valley, holding that position for thirty years. Jack Park joined in 1926, bringing with him one of golf's most celebrated family names — his father, Willie Park Sr., was a three-time Open Champion, and his brother, Willie Park Jr., a two-time winner of Britain's premier golfing event. George Low spent twenty years as head professional at Baltusrol before retiring to St. Andrews, only to return to the United States and take up the head pro position at Huntingdon Valley. And Joe Kirkwood — winner of thirteen professional events and the championships of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — brought his world-famous trick shot artistry to the club, delighting members and cementing his reputation as one of the most entertaining figures in the game. It was only after Kirkwood's tenure that Huntingdon Valley hired its first American-born golf professional, marking the end of a remarkable era in which the club's instruction and competitive tradition had been shaped entirely by men from the British Isles and beyond. George Henninger traces the journeys of all these men from the old world to the new, and the lasting mark they left on American golf.
Approx. 250 pages — hardback
|$35
Postage additional — George will confirm the total when you get in touch.
The Berthellyn Cup, 1911 to 1941
A Premier Women's Amateur Golf Event, 1911 to 1941
In an era before women's professional golf existed, the Berthellyn Cup was a premier invitational for the elite women amateurs of the day — recognised at both the local and national level as one of the most prestigious competitions in the game, considered by many second only in importance to the US Women's Amateur Championship.
The roll call of champions who competed at Huntingdon Valley reads like a who's who of the golden age of women's amateur golf. Glenna Collett, the six-time US Amateur champion widely regarded as the greatest woman golfer of her era, won the Berthellyn Cup an unprecedented six times. Dorothy Campbell, who captured the US Amateur three times as well as the British, Scottish, and Canadian championships, was another regular. Alexa Stirling, a three-time US Amateur champion and childhood friend and playing partner of Bobby Jones, also graced the competition. The Philadelphia Amateur ranks were equally formidable: Mrs. Ronald Barlow of Merion, a nine-time Philadelphia Amateur champion and two-time US Amateur runner-up; Mrs. Clarence Vanderbeck of Philadelphia Country Club, a US Amateur champion; and Helen Sigel Wilson, a six-time Philadelphia Amateur champion. Alongside these stars, Huntingdon Valley produced its own champions: Mrs. Fox, Helen B. Stetson — the 1926 US Amateur champion — Edith Flippen, two-time Philadelphia Amateur champion, and Mildred Caverly, later Mrs. Ed Marshall, a two-time Philadelphia Amateur champion and US Amateur runner-up in 1916. George Henninger reconstructs the full thirty-year history of the Cup from its founding in 1911 through its final competition in 1941, drawing on scorecards, newspaper accounts, and club records to tell the complete story of this remarkable event.
Approx. 300 pages — softback
|$35
Postage additional — George will confirm the total when you get in touch.
Buying for a Club or Event?
George's books make ideal gifts for golf club members, holiday events, and historical society libraries. Ask about bulk pricing for orders of five or more copies.