Excerpt from The Golf Course Guide, a book published in 1950 by Anthony F. Merrill;
Every championship course has its famous hole and at Ponte Vedra it is the Island Ninth. Whether it is a good golf hole or not is a question, bit it is one of America’s most interesting. The green lies at the far end of a little island in a big lagoon, reached by bridges. The tee is on the mainland and the carry over water is not more than about 40 yards. In fact, the whole hole is only 150 yards, and the island is a decent-sized target. But the par is 3, the water magnetic, the green heavily trapped, and the hole itself is a scenic gem, most artfully designed to please the eye of a golfer and layman alike. Who cares how many of your best balls go into the lagoon? You do.
Brendan Punty writing for NJ.com,True New Jersey claims Baltusrol in Springfield, N.J. had the first island green, but it was a par-4 hole.
“When Baltusrol’s first 18-hole course was laid out near the turn of last century, the 10th hole was surrounded by a shallow moat — making it the first hole of its kind in the sport. The par-4, 330-yard downhill hole was one of the most photographed holes of the day…”
