The Golden Age of Golf Design
One of the great mysteries of the royal and ancient game is how good golf courses leave players convinced they've just spent four hours either floating in heaven or stuck in the bedlam of a Hieronymous Bosch painting. A golf course is not a random creation; the best are truly works of art, and it's remarkable how many of the best were coaxed from the landscape between 1911 and 1937. This was, as the title of this lovely celebration proclaims,The Golden Age of Golf Design, a time when the giants of the craft--A.W. Tillinghast, Marion Hollins, and Alistair McKenzie, to name a few--were in full flourish. Their courses--Riviera, Seminole, and Augusta National among them--dominate any list of the best in the world.Through deft use of archival photographs, sketches, written citations by the architects themselves, and a series of evocative watercolors by golf pro Mike Miller,Geoff Shackelfordaims for why these courses continue to beckon, challenge, impress, and endure. His shot is right on target. He breaks down the designers into their various schools of thought, tracing their import, evolution, and influence. Next he introduces the individual architects themselves through short career summaries accompanied by details about their writings, golfing skills, design theories, characteristics, and, of course, a list of their legacies. Best of all are the wonderful old photos of great holes, many accompanied by snippets of design philosophy from the creating wizard. It adds up to a book golfers should savor--and study. Knowledge is power on the course, and understanding the hows and whys of the demonic challenges that designers subtly and not-so-subtly integrate into their layouts can mean the difference between a scratch handicap and scratching your head in bewilderment.--Jeff Silverman