Chronicling golf course architecture isn't exactly a fast way to riches but someone has to do it! Adam Lawrence, this month's Feature Interviewee, needs no introduction to golf architecture fans, many of whom subscribe to either
Links where he is a frequent contributor or the European-based
Golf Course Architecture magazine, which he edits. In many ways,
Golf Course Architecture magazine and the web site GolfClubAtlas are kindred spirits, right down to their initials “GCA". Given his various platforms, Adam is one of the dominant voices in architecture. That’s as it should be, given his writing skills and all the ground he covers thanks to what’s an obvious zest for exploration.
After years of enjoying his writing, I find him impossible to stereotype. Places that he has written about include Askernish (not a lot of people can claim they went there in March!!), Sweetens Cove, Olympia Fields, and Wolf Point, all absolute favorites of mine. After reading his course critiques on Machrie, Machrihanish Dunes, Ardfin, Aberdovey (seemingly accompanied by his hero Darwin), and the ongoing restoration of Le Touquet, who doesn't want to beat a path to such places as well?! Of course, Adam has been much farther afield than those traditional places. He lights up talking about getting a drink at the bar in La Mamounia where Winston Churchill used to hang out in Morocco, and about the people in Nicaragua and about returning later this year to Lofoten Links in northern Norway
inside 
the Arctic Circle.
Adam was the first journalist to sound the alarm over the excellence of Sweetens Cove. It speaks well of him that a man based in Oxford, England is shrewd enough to beat it to Sweetens and Wolf Point. Happily, his writings and observations are usually in the public domain. He is now consulting for clubs too though and I would LOVE to see the course policy report he did with Tim Lobb for Woking. Great to see clubs like there and Berkshire getting a true fix on their histories.
We should have done a Feature Interview with Adam long ago and I hope this will be the first in a string of ones. Just thinking about the ground he will be covering between each one is amazing. Thankfully, readers of his work get to hop on for the ride.
Hope you enjoy this month’s Feature Interview.
Best,