Masters of the Links: Essays on the Art of Golf and Course Design
Masters of the Linksis a simply stunning collection of  essays; most are lyrically crafted and as varied and intriguing as an  afternoon stroll on a tough 18. Golf-course architects are a  remarkable breed: lovers of the land and lovers of the game, they  sculpt art out of nature as a challenge to those who dare to play on   their masterpieces. InMasters of the Linkssome of the best  designers ever to contour a fairway and tilt a green offer up some of  the madness behind their methods. From pioneers such as Alister  MacKenzie and Albert Warren Tillinghast to contemporary designers such  as Pete Dye and Tom Doak, the collection explores how golf thinking  has changed through the years--and how it's stayed the same. "A  golf hole, humanly speaking, is like life," observed  C. B. MacDonald, who carved the hallowed National Golf Links out of  Eastern Long Island almost a century ago, "in as much as one  cannot judge justly of any person's character the first time one meets  him." Like a great golf hole,Masters of the Linkshas  much to divulge on each meeting, and you don't need to be a golfer to  savor the elegance and insight teed up in its prose.