The Golden Age Of Golf Design

In Golfweek's recently unveiled ranking of the Top 100 American courses "opened before 1960," a staggering total of 84 were constructed between 1910 and 1937. There was never a more creative, daring, or fruitful period in the history of golf course architecture, and in The Golden Age of Golf Design the classic courses are revisited and celebrated. Using never before seen old photographs and little known anecdotes, Geoff Shackelford shows us how some of America's most famous courses looked in their early years. The finest architects the world has ever known were practicing during this era and each is well-represented in this landmark book. C.B. Macdonald, Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, George Thomas, William Flynn, and so many others are honored in these pages. Every important early American course built or redesigned during the "Golden Age" is included: Oakmont, the National Golf Links, Pine Valley, Merion, Baltusrol, Winged Foot, Riviera, Shinnecock Hills, Pinehurst, Oakland Hills, Cypress Point, Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Prairie Dunes, the Country Club and more. In the Golden Age of Golf Design, the original work of these "master" architects is remembered and their work analyzed. And even though the emphasis is on the newly uncovered photographs of these famous courses as their architects left them, biographical profiles and timeless quotes are included from the famous architects and their prominent counterparts to remind us of the true genius of these artists. On top of the remarkable old photography, original golf landscape paintings by Mike Miller introduce each chapter and serve as a colorful reminder of how stunning many of these classic layouts must have looked. The Golden Age of Golf Design brings to life many forgotten holes courses and great architects and is sure to become a classic in golf literature circles.

Golf Architecture in America is a masterpiece of early golf literature, written by famed architect George C. Thomas. Considered by historians to be the most influential book ever written on early American golf, this guide provides rare insight into the methods and philosophies used to design, construct, and maintain the most renowned golf courses in the United States. According to Thomas, “In this book it has been aimed to aid the beginner by giving actual experiences in course building, and to place before him the practical working methods found by the writer to constitute sound practice; to illustrate strategy and construction, and to consider all the factors which must be included in the up-to-date proposition.” Written in 1927, this book features over 150 black-and-white photographs and drawings, including rare photos of Pine Valley, Pinehurst No. 2, and Pebble Beach. Also included is a foreword by the author and an appendix highlighting his design achievements.

The Art of Golf Design, by Michael Miller and Geoff Shackelford, is a stunning book. Miller is both a golf professional and landscape artist. Shackelford is both a golf historian and writer. Not surprisingly, both love the classic golf holes of the 1920s and ’30s. And that’s what this book is about. Many of Miller’s images take the reader back in time, often to when a classic hole at Pine Valley, Cypress Point or Pinehurst No.2 was in its earliest form. Shackelford, as historian, provides his insight on the architectural thinking that went into the creation of these classic holes.

One of the finest golf courses in America in the early 1900s was the revered Pinehurst No. 2, designed by the legendary Donald Ross and first opened in 1907. Physically and mentally demanding, the course gave players options on every hole and required them to envision and execute recovery shots from the sandy perimeters and the pine forests as well as think creatively around the intricate greens. As a result, No. 2 became a favorite of the nation's top amateurs and professionals. Unfortunately, a modernization of the course over the last four decades stripped it of much of its character. In The Golden Age of Pinehurst, Lee Pace chronicles the breathtaking restoration of No. 2 from its recent slick and monochromatic presentation back to a natural potpourri of hardpan sand, wire grass, and Sandhills pine needles. The restored No. 2--accessible for amateur play, yet challenging enough for the professional--once again stands apart for its beauty, strategic appeal, and Old World flavor.

A masterpiece of architectural literature, "The Links" is the first book that fully addresses the complexities of the golf course in terms of design, construction, and definition of the game. Written in 1926, Robert Hunter conceptualized "The Links" as a complete study, a manual for golf course architects and design enthusiasts, specifically written to advance the field of study in a way that had never been tried before. Although Hunter was not a golf course architect by trade, or even a golfing professional, his background as a dedicated socialist reformer led to his unique understanding of the relationship between golf and its greater contribution to society. The challenges posed by golf, as well as the beauty produced by the singular nature of the world’s most famous links, led Hunter to conclude that diversity is what makes golf the cherished game that it is. In "The Links," he postulates, “It is not the love of something easy which has drawn men like a magnet for hundreds of years to this royal and ancient pastime; on the contrary, it is the maddening difficulty of it.” Supported by over fifty photographs and original drawings, "The Links" details the essential features of an ideal golf course and provides insight into the strategies and methods used to design the world’s most renowned courses. As acclaimed architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie wrote, “I have read "The Links" with the greatest interest. Mr. Hunter is familiar with all the great courses in the world and he has written a most entertaining book, which I am sure every golfer will read with profit. I do not hesitate to say that it is the classic of the subject.”

A decade by decade review of global golf course architecture, commencing from the 1830s.

Golfers dream of playing the legendary courses of the game: St. Andrews, Augusta National, Pinehurst, Pebble Beach. And anyone who has played the royal and ancient sport is an armchair architect at heart. From alterations for their home course to visions of their very own backyard dream course, most golfers would love to test their hands at course design. What makes certain courses timeless? Unlike the venues of other popular recreational sports like tennis and racquetball, whose playing fields are bound by strict measurements that do not vary, each golf course is unique. Offering an endless topographical variety, from short to long, flat or hilly, wet or dry, every course represents a compelling blend of risks versus rewards, with decisions and challenges to test every golfer's game and mental toughness. Combining Geoff Shackelford's informative narrative with detailed illustrations by architect Gil Hanse, Grounds for Golf explains the fundamentals of golf course design in an understandable and entertaining style. Modern photographs, anecdotal sidebars, and witty quotations augment a course design primer that will enhance readers' enjoyment of golf's lore while introducing the fundamentals of course design. By explaining the golf course from the ground up, Grounds for Golf will not only help readers in their understanding of the game, but will help their games themselves.

Literally hundreds of classic courses from golf’s pre-World War II Golden Age have vanished over the years, including nearly 200 designed by legendary architects like Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast and Dr. Alister MacKenzie. In this sister volume to his award-winning book, The Missing Links, historian Daniel Wexler profiles more than 70 of the ver y best courses and holes in America, bringing them back to life with detailed histories, color maps and period photographs. Within Lost Links, the reader can walk William Flynn’s sand-strewn North course at Boca Raton, skirt towering Pacific cliffs at Billy Bell’s mysterious Royal Palms, retrace Seth Raynor’s footsteps at the Greenbrier and revisit George Thomas’s legendary lost holes at La Cumbre.