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Texas Golf Hall of Fame
Anchor Physical Addresses:
2315 Avenue B
San Antonio, TX 78215
16124 Championship Drive
Frisco, TX 75033
Mailing Address:
448 West 19th Street, Suite #1082
Houston, TX 77008
Phone Number:
713-382-8723
Copyright ©2025
All Rights Reserved
Class of 2016
Lifetime Achievement
This Exhibit is Generously Sponsored by the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation
Joe Finger was born in Houston, Texas, where he lived until moving to Kerrville in 1988.
Mr. Finger earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rice Institute and a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at Rice, he was a four-year golf letterman, serving as Co-Captain of the golf team that won the Southwest Conference Championship.
In 1941, Mr. Finger began his professional career as a chemical engineer with positions at Pan America Refining Corp (AMOCVO), J.S. Abercrombie & Company, where he was instrumental in the design, startup, and operation of the 100 octane aviation gasoline refinery at Old Ocean, Texas. Despite many attempts to get into the armed forces, he was consistently deferred by the Petroleum Administration for War.
After the war, Mr. Finger raised the money and founded Corrulux, where his innovative work with plastic was lauded. Corulux was eventually sold to Libbey Owens Ford Glass Company, where he remained President of the Corrulux Division for four years. He held several patents on the manufacturing process, which is used worldwide. He then turned to his favorite pastime, golf, for his next venture.
Mr. Finger was an accomplished golfer who held the Westwood Golf Club championship for 13 years while developing golf course architecture as a serious hobby. Starting as an unpaid superintendent and doing all of the engineering work for the golf course, he was asked by Ralph Plummer, the Westwood architect, to assist in adding nine holes to their course. Mr. Plummer eventually recommended Mr. Finger apply at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio to lead the renovation. He got the job.
From that humble beginning, he became one of the top golf course architects in the country, as judged by the number of his works included in the Golf Digest list of America’s 100 Greatest Courses. His courses from New York through the southeast, southwest, and into California and Mexico earned him many honors over the 45 years he spent in the business. He also built nine courses for the Air Force, and his consulting work took him to Canada, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
He was particularly honored when Byron Nelson asked him to help rebuild the eighth green at the Masters. During his career, he was a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and served as Director of the National Club Association.
In 1988, he moved to Kerrville and worked with Byron Nelson to redesign the Riverhill Country Club golf course. His final undertaking was remodeling the Scott Schreiner Municipal Golf Course in Kerrville.
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Born: June 4, 1918
Died: September 28, 2003
Legacy Video
According to family and friends, one of Joe Finger's proudest moments was when Byron Nelson invited him to assist in redesigning the 8th green at The Masters. The long and narrow green is bunkerless, and Nelson and Finger restored the distinctive greenside mounds in 1979. The 8th Hole is named Yellow Jasmine. Texas Golf Hall of Fame member Bruce Devlin scored the second double eagle in Masters history on this hole in 1967.
Joe Finger received the Distinguished "R" Award from Rice University in 1996. Rice University describes this award as "bestowed upon a Rice University alum and member of the “R” Association who has led an exemplary life; is well-adjusted with respect to his or her personal, family, civic and public responsibilities; and has achieved distinction and success in his or her chosen field of business or profession, while maintaining an interest in athletics at Rice after graduation."
Ever had heavy duty fiber glass plastics over an awning, storage area or even skylights in the roof of your home? You can thank Joe Finger for this technology! Joe's work in developing this practical product in the early 1950's made it easy to use in residential and commercial applications and holds true today.
In 1967, Joe Finger was hired to renovate River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. He retooled all of the greens and tees and rerouted some of the holes. He built four new lakes that brought water into play on five holes. Donald Ross designed the course at River Oaks back in 1923, which is now the architect’s only surviving course in Texas, and was renovated again in 2014 by Tom Fazio.
Joe Finger Original Designs (photo Starr Hollow Golf Club by Avid Golfer)
Joe Finger Renovations (photo Westwood Country Club where Joe was club champion at age 17. As a child, Joe walked with John Bredemus when he was laying out the original 9 holes. Then, in 1957 as a member of the club he worked with Ralph Plummer to oversee the redesign and construction of the 9-hole addition. In 1970 Mr. Finger was the architect who did the renovation and in 2002 Keith Foster redesigned Westwood to its current layout).
Texas Society of Professional Engineers - 1946
Joe Finger (L) with Tommy Bolt (R)
Riverhill Music Club Certificate of Appreciation September 16, 2003
Charter Member of Tau Beta Pi - December 18, 1940
Julia and Joe Finger
Joe Finger and Byron Nelson
American Cancer Society Honor
Joe Finger Monument at Riverhill Country Club
1939 Rice University Golf Team
Disinguished "R" Award Program
Distinguised "R" Award Progam Article
At age 104, Julia Finger shared wonderful stories about Joe Finger and their life.
Julia Finger - Maiden Name
Julia Finger - Meeting Joe
Aviation Gasoline for WWII
Corrulux
Westwood Country Club
Club Champion
Start in Golf Architecture
Over 75 courses
104
Marvin Leonard and Starr Hollow
Byron Nelson and Riverhill CC
Joe and Music
Riverhill CC Womens Clubs
The Julia Finger Challenge
Golfing with Joe
Exploding Golf Ball
Remembering Joe
This Exhibit is Generously Sponsored by the
