He was the son of William Dinwoodie Ackland-Horman, who was born in Scotland and was an engineer and surveyor for Lloyd's Register of Shipping.

[2] Ackland-Horman first came to notice in 1933 when he lost to Fergus McMahon in a playoff for the South Australian Close Championship and then won the South Australian Amateur Championship, beating Bill Rymill 4&3 in the final.

[5] After World War II, Ackland-Horman won the South Australian Close Championship three times, in 1946, 1947 and 1949.

[10] At the end of 1952 Ackland-Horman was in the Australian team to tour New Zealand, playing in a number of events including the Sloan Morpeth Trophy.

[12] In 1945 Ackland-Horman was sentenced to three months in prison, after he was convicted of causing death by dangerous driver.