Class of 1993

John Marvin Leonard

Pioneer

Biography

Though born in Linden, Texas on February 10, 1895 it was in the depths of the Great Depression that Marvin Leonard was convinced he should build a championship course in Fort Worth, and that the course would be a host of the U.S. Open. In all of this, Leonard proved to be right. The new club, designed by architect John Bredemus, opened in 1936 and was a masterpiece. His dream came true, too. The U.S. Open was held at historic Colonial Country Club in 1941.

The visions of Leonard required imagination and money. The source of his fortune was the Leonard Brothers Department Store. The store was a huge success in the Fort Worth area.

Leonard’s doctor ordered him to get out of the store and get some fresh air. In 1927, Leonard began to play nine holes every day. He played at Glen Garden Country Club, where he occasionally employed a quiet caddy named Ben Hogan. The merchandising genius and the caddy/assistant pro would eventually become business, golf, and gin rummy partners. Leonard eventually built two additional Fort Worth golf courses: Shady Oaks and Starr Hollow. Marvin Leonard's 75 years on this earth changed the very face of golf in Texas.

Legacy Video

Leonard Brothers (and Daughter)

One of the most influential people in Fort Worth history, Marvin Leonard makes up the elder half of the lone father-daughter duo in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Marvin, who passed away in 1970, was inducted into the Hall in 1993.

His daughter, Marty, earned the distinction 18 years later. Opened by Marvin in 1918, the Leonard Brothers Department Store began as a small grocery store before turning into a six-block downtown Fort Worth landmark for more than half a century. The success of the business ultimately played a huge role in the city’s place in golf lore.

Hogan’s Alley

In his 30s, Marvin became enthralled with the game of golf. He played at least nine holes every day at the suggestion of his doctor, who wanted him to get out of the department store more often. Marvin played morning rounds at Glen Garden Country Club, where he met a teenaged caddy named Ben Hogan.

A lifelong friendship was forged. Marvin helped Ben, who had grown up under difficult circumstances, start his professional career. Ben signed a copy of his book to his friend and mentor that read, “To Marvin Leonard, the best friend I will ever have. If my father had lived, I would have wanted him to be just like you.”

Hell-Bent on Bentgrass

Marvin was enamored with the idea of Bentgrass greens and wanted to see if the traditionally northern grass could exist in the Texas heat. He suggested that Fort Worth’s River Crest Country Club redo its Bermuda grass greens and offered to pay for the replacement if the Bentgrass didn’t thrive.

However, Marvin was met with resistance and told that if he wanted Bentgrass greens, he should build his own course. So he did. In 1936, he opened a first-class golf course and country club designed by architect John Bredemus – Colonial Country Club. Marvin later built two more courses in the area – Shady Oaks and Starr Hollow.

A Championship Course

Just five years after its founding, Colonial was selected to host the 1941 U.S. Open, becoming the first course anywhere in the South to host the national championship event.

In 1946, the Colonial National Invitation Tournament was established, starting the longest running tournament on the PGA Tour. Native son and Marvin’s close friend, Ben Hogan, won the tournament five times (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, and 1959), earning the course the nickname of “Hogan’s Alley.”

Hogan’s 71st and final PGA Tour victory came at the historic layout in 1959. Appropriately, the tournament’s champion receives the Leonard Trophy.

Ladies, Please

Alongside his wife, Mary, and their four daughters, Mary, Miranda, Marty, and Madelon, the Leonard family was known as the “Six Ms.” Fittingly, Colonial has strong ties to women’s golf over the years. In 1991, the U.S. Women’s Open, won by Meg Mallon, was contested on the historic layout.

Until 2020, it remained the only U.S. Women’s Open ever staged in the state of Texas. In 2003, Annika Sorenstam competed in the PGA TOUR’s Colonial tournament, becoming the first woman in over half a century to join a PGA Tour event field.

Deep Dive Interviews

Stories about Marvin Leonard's impact on golf from those who knew him best, including his daughter, fellow Texas Golf Hall of Fame Member Marty Leonard.

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