One of the most romantic parts about golf is that it is a game played on a living, breathing course.
Every course in golf’s history is different from the next. The conditions, the aesthetic, the strategy required—it all changes based on which course you are playing.
That is why appreciating the subtlety in brilliant course design can make your experience in the game even more gratifying. Like understanding the nuances in a glass of pinot noir or a perfectly crafted song, digging into the intricacies of golf course architecture connects people to the game in a singular way.
As a golfer who has a vague understanding of golf course architecture, I wanted to learn what would be the best steps for someone like myself to become a golf design nerd. That is especially because it has become increasingly popular over the past decade as discussion about course architecture is reaching a fever pitch.
To do so, I enlisted the help of Connor Lewis, founder of the Society of Golf Historians and host of the TalkinGolf History podcast.
While I was explaining the concept of this article to Lewis, he came up with a better description than my drunken ramblings: “You want a guide for people who like a golf course but can’t explain why.”
Yep, that is precisely what I was hoping to discover.
Here is what Lewis recommends for those eager to learn more about golf course design so they can finally describe (and better appreciate) why certain courses evoke such emotion from us as golfers.
Start with educational resources
One of the best places to begin is to peruse course architecture books, Lewis insists.
This will really establish a baseline of knowing about each of the legendary designers and their core philosophies.
For total beginner architecture nerds essentially starting from scratch, Lewis recommends starting with Geoff Shackelford’s recent offering which is aptly called “Golf Architecture for Normal People.” This book doesn’t get into the minutia of course design but instead provides a foundation of common terms so you can dive a little deeper.
Next you can go back to some of the books iconic architects have written:
- “Scotland’s Gift, Golf” by C.B. MacDonald, the National Golf Links of America and Chicago Golf Club designer who was a pioneer for bringing golf design to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- “Golf Has Never Failed Me” by Donald Ross, the Scottish-born Pinehurst No. 2 and Seminole Golf Club designer famous for turtleback greens and a natural use of contours.
- “Golf Architecture” and “The Spirit of St. Andrews” by Alister Mackenzie, the Augusta National and Cypress Point architect who developed 13 timeless course design principles.
There is a wide array of historic books available. Most of them have been reprinted and are available on Amazon at reasonable prices.
If you get through those books and want to skew even more to being a golf architecture nerd, there are also many old magazines written by prominent architects that you can find online for free because the copyright dates have passed.
Books and magazines aren’t the only resources available. There are a few prominent websites, podcasts, YouTube series and newsletters that offer a more modern solution to getting invested in architecture.
- The Fried Egg podcast, newsletter and YouTube channel is phenomenal if you are looking for unique takes on course architecture. “The Yolk With Doak”, featuring noted designer Tom Doak, is a recurring episode series within the podcast—I can’t recommend this one enough. The YouTube channel will take 10 or 15-minute forays into specific courses with architect interviews and stunning drone footage to match.
- Golf Club Atlas—which has been a mainstay dating back to the “Internet 1.0” days—is still a thriving community of golf course architecture enthusiasts. It’s known largely for its message board where design topics are discussed.
- Golf Digest’s “Every Hole At” flyover series is straightforward yet incredibly enlightening. Here you can find flyover videos for every hole at some of the most spectacular courses in the world. They are typically narrated by the architect or a notable figure associated with the club, so you are picking up valuable information on design elements. Even if you never play some of these iconic courses, a video series like this is among the next best thing.
- Derek Duncan’s Feed The Ball podcast only has 89 episodes as of this writing, but it’s a tremendous resource for interviews with modern architects like Ben Crenshaw, Rob Collins and Andrew Green. These are long-form, evergreen pieces of content that can be revisited at any time, so feel free to delve into the archives.
- What if you want to be a real golf course architecture nerd? You might start poking around Google Maps to check out a course’s routing. (If you are reaching this point consistently, you are officially diagnosed with architecture nerd disease, which is incurable).
- I would be remiss if I didn’t include the aforementioned TalkinGolf History podcast, hosted by Lewis, which takes deep dives on a variety of topics. That includes the history of courses, restorations/renovations and lengthy discussions with modern architects.
There are a ton of other books, channels, podcasts and other resources available for golfers, but this a good place to start.
But ultimately, appreciation comes down to playing
Reading, listening and watching experts talk about golf course architecture will open some doors, but there is nothing on par with experiencing the game for yourself.
Lewis encourages golfers to seek out Doak’s book series called “The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses”, which is sorted by region.
Doak offers a couple paragraphs on each course and explains why it is meaningful from a design standpoint. This is a great resource if you are searching for architecturally invigorating public golf in your area.
Do you have to belong to a fancy country club to be a golf course architecture aficionado? Absolutely not.
“If you’re just a normal guy and you don’t belong to a country club, the great news is that we live in the renaissance and the golden age of public golf courses and resorts,” Lewis said. “Every American has some level of access to great golf that they didn’t have 20 years ago.”
That comes in the form of resorts like Bandon Dunes, Streamsong and Sand Valley—but it also comes in the form of restorations on local public courses.
“Many of the attributes that private clubs like Cypress Point or Augusta National have, you can now find those attributes in a lot more places now,” Lewis said.”
What if you have a goal of playing a large number of the great golf courses in the world? Being active in the golf course architecture community can open a lot of doors to play at private clubs.
“I truly believe that golfers are the best people,” Lewis said. “And people who belong to great golf clubs love sharing them… I’ve played some of the best golf courses in the world through contacts I’ve made, mostly on social media. If you have a love of golf course architecture, there are members of every single private club that share that love with you. They are more than willing to host you to show you the grandeur of their golf course architecture at their private club.”
Why should you get invested in golf course architecture?
Lewis makes a compelling point about why course architecture is worth the time investment.
“If you are looking at golf like a movie, guys like Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer are the actors,” Lewis said. “But the scenes are all set on these wonderful locations. That is the ground we play on. The golf courses we play on are as close to anything we have to being immortal compared to anything else in the game of golf. Everything else gets replaced.”
That aspect of the game defines golf. Many of the courses you play today were played by people who are long gone—and they will carry on several decades or centuries into the future.
By understanding a course’s subtleties and purpose from a design perspective, it’s a connection to all the golfers who have played there or will play there at some point.
And when a course evolves—through man or nature—grasping the why is part of being a golfer.
I personally look forward to getting into the course architecture space more often. I’ve already ordered a couple of the books on this list and want to find a few courses within driving distance that can unlock more of an appreciation of the game.
Who is your favorite course architecture? What are your favorite type of course to play?
Let me know below in the comments.
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