William Gordon was an outstanding track star in his youth and served as an athletic instructor with the U.S. Navy during World War I. Upon discharge he took a job as salesman with the Peterson Seed Company and in 1920 joined the Carter's Tested Seed Company as superintendent of its golf course-construction division. In this capacity he constructed courses for such well-known golf architects as Willy Park, Jr., Donald Ross and Devereaux Emmet.

In 1923 Gordon joined the firm of Toomey and Flynn, where he remained until 1941. During the Depression, he was also part owner and manager of Marble Hall GC in Philadelphia. Gordon founded the Pennsylvania Public Golfers Association and served as its first president from 1936 to 1940. He was also a member and president (in 1940) of the Philadelphia Public Golfers Association.

In 1941 Gordon formed his own corporation, which was involved until 1945 in the seeding of military installations. For the next five years the firm constructed golf courses for Donald Ross and J.B. McGovern. From 1950 to 1973 Gordon designed and built courses on his own under the incorporated name of William F. Gordon Co. Most of his layouts planned after 1953 were done in collaboration with his son David. Bill Gordon served as first chairman of the ASGCA's Historical Committee and was in part responsible for persuading Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten to collaborate on The Golf Course.