Ironically, the golf events most worth watching aren't televised
. For me, the one that best captures the spirit and integrity of the game is the President's Putter. Held as an annual gathering for The Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society, the studs of the game (Hutchinson, Croome, Darwin, Low, Whethered, Micklem, on and on) represent the past Presidents and Captains of this 112 year old institution. Played (almost) every year at Rye, heroes like Sir Ernest Holderness and Donald Steel are the stuff of legends. I did not know this but it was Steel who coined the phrase 'serious fun' as a way to describe the matches that he so vigorously competed in for decades (he won in 1964, 1970, and 1982
).
Steel's loving write-up of Rye in his cornerstone Classic Golf Links of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland is a must read. In fact, throughout the whole book, Steel demonstrates that his eye for architecture is as keen as anyone's. Personally, I find that his 1992 book offers the most assured reviews of courses in that part of the world of any book I know. Does any one dispute that? I would be curious. I can't think of a single passage/point that I would quibble with (versus the occasional dog like Carne that Finegan throws in or Doak's air balls on Deal and Seacroft).
Attention to all publishers: please contact Mr. Steel immediately re: his answer to question five. I would hope that readers of this web site would be good for at least a 1,000 hardback copies of a companion heathland book to Steel's links one.
As an architect, Steel's work in North America reminds me of no other architect. In particular, his less is more style at Red Tail certainly flew in the face of most courses that were opening at the time. With less than forty bunkers, it was in stark contrast to courses with big beautiful shaggy style bunkers yet Red Tail is rife with challenge.
Last fall, based on high praise from photographer JoAnn Dost, I drove up to see Primland near the VA/NC border. Once again, the striking thing about the course is how unique it appears. I had lunch with a Golf Week rater last week who saw Primland last year too and he summarized it well when he said it is one of 'coolest' places he had seen in a long time. I knew exactly what he meant.
Fortunately, Mr. Steel keeps doing work closer and closer to Southern Pines with his latest being the re-do of the Carlson Farms course at Greensboro Country Club. Hopefully, member Greg Holland will weigh in and share his thoughts (and some photographs) on what Steel has accomplished there.
Anyway, what a great ambassador to the game Mr. Steel has been through his playing, writing, and course designs and we are honored that this seventy-two year old gentlemen took time to share some of his thoughts with us in this month's Feature Interview.
Cheers,