Best Book on Architecture

[sorley]

JNC Lyon:

Thanks. Basically I think everyone should start with the classics:

Mackenzie - Golf Architecture
Hunter - The Links
Thomas - Golf Architecture in America
Simpson - The Architectural Side of Golf

No collection of golf architecture books is complete without them.

All excellent, can I add more two excellent books from the turn of the century.

Low - Concerning Golf
Sutton - The Book of the Links


Sorley

[ed_getka]

Forrest mentions "Mystery of Golf by Haultain as capturing the essence of golf. For my money Art of Golf by Simpson is the best book I've read at capturing the essence of golf. He touches on most everything at some point.

Another fun book is Hazards by Bauer.

Herb Wind has a section on architecture in one of his books that is pretty good too. I forget which title.

[Frank Pont]

I'm surprised nobody mentions "Some essays on Golf course architecture" by Colt. Admittedly the prose is quite dry, but it gives you the essence of Colt's design filosofy in about 40-50 pages. I think it's a classic, especially given the time at which it was written (1920)

[ed_getka]

Frank,
 You are right, "Some essays..." is excellent, but probably not one of the first 10 architecture books you would buy re: architecture.

[nels]

Sorry.  I didn't state Doak's "Anatomy" in my previous post because I was thinking of his "Confidential Guide".  I should have been more explicit.  By-the-way I like much of Doak's work and I don't necessarily think having an ego that predudices you toward your own work is bad.
Nels

[Tim_Weiman]

Out of curiosity I'm wondering if anyone has read Shunsuke Kato's "What Makes a Good Golf Course Good".

It gives a good flavor of golf in Japan and seems to be a serious text, but I've never spent enough time with it to feel I know it.

Any opinions?

[Brian Phillips]

Tim,

I have that book and enjoy looking at the pictures with all his mad mounding.  Some would say it is poor architecture others would compare it to Pete Dye.

I like the book but it is very expensive.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with your list.  I would like to add one more that I think you recommended to me about a year ago.

Nicklaus by Design - Jack Nicklaus

Now, I despised this book when I first got it.  Jeff Brauer got me to read it again without prejudice and it is a really good simple book about architecture.  As Jeff said to me Jack just says it as it is.  He is honest about his mistakes and the opinions he had in his early days.

It is simply written and there is a lot in there that is sound architecture.  I especially like his section on grasses.

Brian

[Forrest Richardson]

I'm glad to see someone mention Nicklaus By Design. While I would not list it in the "top" by any means, it remains a very solid book among the modern writings. Too bad only one or two among the regulars here probably have it!

[CHC1948]

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of "The Architects of Golf"  that isn't $250?  Also, how about rare books or essays on golf course arch.?  

[Forrest Richardson]

The Architects of Golf, if you wait, should be republished in the next few years so I am told.

[Tim_Weiman]

Brian Phillips:

Thanks for responding to my inquiry on the Kato book. I agree there are many nice pictures of features that would be Tommy Naccarato's nightmare - some pretty ugly mounding. But, it does seem like Kato wanted to write a serious book and I was just wondering if he succeeded.

Your point about the book being expensive is also correct. I think I paid around $150 but wanted it mostly because I had nothing in my collection from Japan.

CHC1948:

If you are serious about rare books, you may want to connect with someone like Goerge Lewis (Golfiana.com). Best thing would be to meet George at his studio not far from Winged Foot.

[CHC1948]

Thanks for the helpful information Tim and Forrest.  

[Jeff Goldman]

Let me also add older editions of "The World Atlas of Golf," which has short essays on many courses, including diagrams of play, etc.  The newer editions have kicked out some older courses in favor of newer ones (the edition I have has Champions GC and a couple others not considered great by cognoscenti).  If you can't find one of those, the newest one is on sale at Borders in paperpack for $10.

Jeff Goldman  

[RSLivingston_III]

If you are looking for reprints of the "classics" check out Classics of Golf - http://shop.classicsofgolf.com/store.asp
I purchased 6-7 books recently to add to my collection.

[Jonathan Davison]

Has anyone forgot about the late Fred Hawtree, the golf course and Colt & co also offers a great insight into British golf architecture, maybe not as glitzy as modern day publications but fits into any golf library.

[jeff kitchen]

I liked Mike Hurzdan's book a lot.

[Forrest Richardson]

Which book, Mike? Hurdzan has two books now.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tim, Your right, I was horrified when I picked up and thumbed through Desmond Muirhead's copy of  Kato's "What Makes a Golf Course Good."

What I found most hilarious about the book is that he imbellishes on Nature's importance, yet with all of the shaping and mounds and the like, its obvious that it was more about the backdrop ans surroundings then what exists on the actual course. The book is loaded with images of courses around Mt. Fuji and many other courses in Japan--many of them designed by Desmond, all shaped to death featuring lush fairways, serene lakes and most important, harmony.

[Tim_Weiman]

Tommy:

The Kato book might be the one golf architecture book I regret buying. I wanted something that covered Japan, yet price wise it was a bit over the top and I was diappointed he really didn't cover Hirono.

Still, there are a couple worse books I own, including a book about Mrytle Beach and one about courses in Northnern California. Nothing wrong with NC, of course, but this book was a real low budget job not worth even a good cup of tea.

FYI, reread parts of George Bahto's book last night - the section on The Lido. I'm not sure I appreciated what a fine job Geroge did the first time through the book.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I think that I'm not the only one here that thinks that George should write a book seperately on the Lido alone. I too missed a lot during my first and second reads of EOG, and it took a two hour conversation with Uncle George last weekend to further the insight. In fact, I think the name of the book should be, The Ghosts of Lido because I can honestly say I don't think I have ever been haunted more by a golf course that is no longer existing.

[Tim_Weiman]

Tommy:

That's now on my short list of books I hope will be written.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

One of my favourites is Patric Dickenson's 'A Round of Golf Courses', (Evans, London, 1951) with a foreword by Bernard Darwin.  It was (in about 1990) briefly issued in paperback by A&C Black.  Patric was a Cambridge Blue who went on to be the BBC's poetry editor.  He died in 1994.  He gave up golf a very long time ago when he got the yips, but his home in Rye was for many years the scene of great parties given during the President's Putter week in January.  I knew him as a poet and made many programmes with him in my BBC days.  His gift for words makes this possibly the most eloquent golf book of all time.  A few quotes:

(Of Ganton) '...Bunkers are of two kinds: there are the solid crushers of golfing crime, obvious as the tread of policemen's boots; these catch and deal with such old lags as the nasty short slice, the smothering quick hook; even the head-up top: but there are other bunkers: beautiful alluring sirens, daring us to steer too near them, rallying our faint hearts to carry over them, and sneering at our feebleness if we take the middle course ("middle-aged course" they mock).  ganton's bunkers are peculiarly sweet-singing creatures that lie about in exquisitely nonchalant attitudes, just off the line...a beautiful example is the long one-shot third hole; another is the 6th.  But there is a great number of them and all of them welcome little golf balls in "with gently-smiling jaws".

(Of Royal Worlington)  'Now for the short 5th.  A superb hole. Played at right angles across the fourth green you are aiming straight for the end of the fir-tree colonnade.  the green lies just under it - a devilish creature, a very Caliban of a green.  It, too, is convex in its upper slopes, falls suddenly, sharply, half-way and at this near end to us from the tee it has a small saucer-like portion where the hole is cut, I imagine, once a year, on the greenkeeper's birthday.....There are no bunkers on this hole - nor need of them.  To the left of it is a deep grassy pit (once full of water), out of which it is possible to stay on the green, but only by an exquisite piece of skill and fortune: to the right a stiff slope down into the rough and into the stream which, all along the right, beckons its way.....If you hit on to the green, into the saucer (and the pin is on the upper half of the green), you are faced with a putt as nearly perpendicular as you are ever likely to see.  If you go right, or left, we will leave you pin-ponging away for a 6.......'

Don't you just want to go there straight away?

[Forrest Richardson]

Mark,

Dickenson is brilliant! I have a first edition of his book, purchased at the bookstore at Pebble for way too much $$. Worlington, by the way, is every bit up to his description. The illustrations in Dickenson's work is equally smart!