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Jeff Schley

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There is no criteria other than pick 4 iconic golf course architects in your opinion deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects.  You can state a sentence or two about your explanation, but it is your opinion which we all have a different one. In any case, there are only 4 faces on the mountain in South Dakota. Tough.... yes, thought provoking of course which is this site. Unlike the 147 Custodians with a set criteria, who you put on your Mount Rushmore of GCA is based on whatever you feel the criteria should be.

My humble list.

Classic or Golden Age
"The Good Doctor" Alister Mackenzie - How could he not be on here right? ANGC, CPCC, etc. Traveled internationally quite a bit, notably to Australia. Great greens IMO.  Tutored a young Maxwell.

CB MacDonald - Father of the template holes and first great American architect and major influence on Raynor's successful career.  Bonus points for being first in the US I guess.


AW Tillinghast - Had his own unique style with groups of fairway bunkers, designed many courses.  Has more designs that have hosted majors than any other designer at one time (maybe still I don't know).


Harry S Colt - There are designers with more iconic courses or volume, but he played a role and influence over many designers and projects.  Probably more of a mentor figure than stand alone golf course designer, with Mackenzie and Colt obviously partners. Influence on Crump at Pine Valley and Ross and his career.


I guess I gave special consideration to the forerunner (sans Old Tom Morris), not the accomplished apprentice who would create greatness themselves (Alison, Raynor, Maxwell, Ross).

Modern


Pete Dye - After WWII he was one of the most successful to create designs.  Penal designs, genius with hazards, not flat and boring for sure. Many here know his influence on present day architects via his company's projects and development of associates. Assist from his wife Alice I think many would want mentioned.

Tom Fazio - Hated by some for his flash and high end, big money projects, he is like Frank Sinatra in that he did is "my way" as I see it(albeit empowered by clients big $).  He created whatever by moving tremendous amounts of dirt and sand. Epitomized the gluttonous 80/90's golf course boom.


Tom Doak - So fortunate he posts here for all of us to give perspective. Minimalist who I think because of the new course construction slowdown has had to do much of his work as a consulting architect as much as his relatively small portfolio of new designs. Quality over quantity. Had he started out on his own in 1980 I think we would have been all the better with more designs.


Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw - Sum of the whole more valuable then the parts. Ben was still playing full time when they started and as a golf historians they are minimalists who challenge the golfer with using the ground when able in the US, which is not a typical course stateside. Wonderfully nice gentlemen where had Ben just been a GCA with Coore they could have maybe had 30-40 more designs to their names through the boom times.


As this totally subjective, I left of Nicklaus as I just don't enjoy his penal designs with raised greens and too many bunkers IMO. Hanse I enjoy as well as Kyle Phillips, but with so few spots sorry. RTJ could maybe had found a place as well. It is apples and oranges to a certain extent as there just aren't many courses being built in the last 10 years and the near future so it will be hard for young guys to elbow their way to projects.  It will be renovations and redesigns for the near term.

Who is on your Mount Rushmore? Enjoy.

« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 07:27:19 AM by Jeff Schley »
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice your gifts."
- Steve Prefontaine

Jeff Schley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2018, 07:04:47 AM »
BTW here are historical photos of my 4 Classic architects.
Dr. Alister Mackenzie (1870-1934); Yorkshire, England


C.B. Macdonald (1855-1939); Niagara Falls, Canada

A.W. Tillinghast (1876-1942); Philadelphia, PA.

Harry S Colt (1869-1951); Highgate, England


« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 07:18:41 AM by Jeff Schley »
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice your gifts."
- Steve Prefontaine

Ian Andrew

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Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2018, 10:51:39 AM »
Like or don't like his work, the modern list has to begin with Robert Trent Jones

Btw, I disagree with ranking an architect who is still working.
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2018, 12:53:38 PM »
Nice of you to include two British architects in your historic four. Mark.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern? New
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2018, 05:19:40 AM »
Being the sort that very much prefers classic design my predeliction is very much toward the ODGs.  Some of the love for ODGs is down to luck as their shorter courses have held up quite well against modern equipment, but are probably far more enjoyable today than in the 1920s!  Design intent be damned! As with all these types of things the arbitrary/forced cut-off point of recognition leaves many good names in the cold, but here goes

1. HS COLT

2. D ROSS

I place these two on top not because I think they are the best designers, but because I think they did the best job of introducing great design to the most number of people by taking on projects of all types and on all budgets. They were able to this by essentially creating the profession of golf architect as a true business. 

3. DR MAC

4. OTM...everybody who has made a nickel off design owes this man a debt of gratitude.  OTM is well and truly the shoulders upon which all others have stood.

It kills me to leave off James Braid because he is my hero, but there you have it.  In true Mt Rushmore fashion, I skip the entire second half of design!

Merry Christmas
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 10:26:56 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2018, 02:10:03 PM »
Herbert Fowler. Did anyone ever design such varied courses? He is difficult to type.
Colt.
Tilly
Dr. Mac. Can't leave him off.
If there is room of the mt I'd add James Braid.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

James Brown

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2018, 09:54:58 PM »
Washington = Old Tom Morris - the founding father
Jefferson = Alistair MacKenzie - the early alternative thinker
Roosevelt = C.B. MacDonald - the rough rider
Lincoln = Pete Dye - the man ahead of his time

Jeff Schley

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Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2019, 09:52:56 AM »
Saw Jeff Bauer posted this and wanted to bump to show some others contributions.
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice your gifts."
- Steve Prefontaine

Jeff_Brauer

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Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2019, 09:59:11 AM »

Jeff,


Well, first off, that's cheating!  I considered a double list, but obviously, when there is a strict limit of 4, it makes the exercise harder, which was sort of the point, LOL.


Second, I agree with Ian on RTJ.  He found a way to turn the profession into an international, high profile business, and influenced design for 40-50 years post WWII, whether or not you like the designs or not.  Right now, they are out of favor, but my guess is someone will get similarly sentimental about them at some point in the future, not unlike the current feelings on the Golden Age...…...


Which in itself could be a good topic - Is the current/recent past obsession with Golden Age preservation slowing down (either because most of the worthy courses of that age have been renovated/restored or we just tend to move on to different things?
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Your Mount Rushmore of Golf Course Architects, Classic & Modern?
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2019, 06:12:24 PM »


I agree with Ian on RTJ.  He found a way to turn the profession into an international, high profile business, and influenced design for 40-50 years post WWII, whether or not you like the designs or not.  Right now, they are out of favor, but my guess is someone will get similarly sentimental about them at some point in the future, not unlike the current feelings on the Golden Age...…...



I disagree for precisely the reason you mentioned.  First of all, Colt and MacKenzie and Alison and Willie Park Jr made golf architecture an international profession way before RTJ.  More importantly, turning it from a craft into a business is a strike against him for me.  Commercial artists would not belong in the art hall of fame, if tgere was such a thing.

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