Larry Packard, former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has died aged 101.

A revered and respected member of the industry, Packard leaves behind a legacy of service to the ASGCA and to profession of golf course architecture.

Born in Illinois in 1912, Packard graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Sciences degree, and began his golf course architecture career in his home state in the 1940’s alongside Robert Bruce Harris, a founder of the ASGCA.

Packard started his own firm in 1954 working alongside Brent Wadsworth, and joined the ASGCA as a member in 1964. He served as president of the association in 1970-71, acquiring the moniker ‘Father of the Modern ASGCA’.

The Packard-designed Copperhead course at the Innisbrook Resort remains a staple of the PGA Tour, with the 2014 Valspar Championships to be held this March at the course in Palm Harbor, Florida. Packard also designed courses at Turnberry Country Club and Lake Barrington Shores in his native Illinois.

Packard designed four courses at Innisbrook including the world-renowned Copperhead course.

Packard worked on more than 600 golf courses in North America, as well as numerous foreign projects, including design and renovation work in Egypt, Guatemala, South Korea and Venezuela.

“Larry Packard was a pioneer in the game of golf,” said ASGCA President Rick Robbins. “Those who influenced his work date back to the 1800s, and the courses Larry designed still stand today and will for decades. Those who play the game will be positively impacted by Larry Packard for generations to come.”