There certainly is one I know of: Red Tail G.C., Ontario.Although Donald Steele is the architect of record and did the design work, it was done hand in hand (from a brief) with Chris Goodwin, one of the two owners. Goodwin's effort was much like Crump in that the years from conception to final creation it was his life in any and every detail. He has some real talent for doing the right thing (for an amateur). He and his partner hit a home run in business and they really hit a home run with Red Tail. The golf course is a beautiful, low-key, strategic, minimalist design with a wonderful clubhouse and atmosphere (the place belongs to Goodwin and his partner and they have an interesting round table membership that they control to keep play down).Goodwin is a avid ornithologist and horticulturalist and student of golf architecture and a smart guy with good taste. He's also a good player. He lived with every detail and was smart enough to realize what he didn't know and to get good advice and to take it. A winning combination and so is Red Tail G.C.

The first that came to mind was Pete Dye's fathers creation Urbana C.C., which is a wild roller-coaster 9-holer. But I'm not sure if it was built before or after WWII.Another amateur effort is Seven Lakes near Pinehurst which is the work of Peter Tufts. It's one of the few courses in that area that I haven't played, but I've heard good things from others.My choice, albeit a sentimental one, would be Sea Scape on the Outer Banks of No.Carolina and the work of Art"Feng Shui" Wall.In the late 70s and early 80s, I used to vacation in the area every year. A good friend and I played the course regularly.Sea Scape is a short course of a little over 6200 yds.(par 71, five par-3s & four par-5s)overlooking the Atlantic. It is made up of 6 or 7 holes amongst the dunes, 6 or 7 holes that  are cut through pines on rolling terrain, and the remaining holes a combination of both. Water comes into play on four holes. And although the course is about 300 yds. from the ocean, the wind is a constant factor.Sadly, sometime in the last ten or fifteen years, the course has been irrevocably altered. The wild serpentine dunes holes have been cleaned up. In the past a shot off the irregularly shaped fairways was in the sand, now the fairways have a more conventional shape and shot off the fairway finds newly planted grass.The best hole on the course #3 was a dogleg par-4 around a large dune and then over smaller dunes to the green. It is no more, replaced by a par-5 through newly constructed condos with grass off the fairway instead of dunes. The back nine also features a new multi-unit condo monstrosity.Another sad case where profit and greed won over good golf at its natural best.

Ran:Glad to hear you played with Chris Goodwin at Red Tail. I haven't been there in awhile and I don't remember what I shot, but it wasn't a bad day. The only hole I questioned was the 8th but I think I parred it. I have an unusual game (and always have for a very low handicap). My friends kid me that I might be the world champion for short off the tee-the irons are pretty normal though. My short game I would put up against anyone, and I see no reason why I can't get up and down from anywhere. I just hit it incredibly straight and in play-losing a ball is about as frequent as an NYC blackout. Until recently I was very rarely in the 60's or out of the 70's no matter what or where. My game is actually an interesting one to lay on a course from the context of elasticitly and validity of strategic design.As to the contours of the greens at Red Tail, I'm sorry to say I don't remember, because until recently I neither knew or noticed zilch about design or architecture.Because of a project I'm now involved in I started doing research on design about a eighteen months ago. I came upon Geoff Shackelford through his email address in the back of one of his books. By the way, do you guys who read and contribute to this site have any idea how brilliant he is in this area? The emails are into the hundreds if not a thousand at this point and I've gotten a great education. The pisser is this: he's literally half my age and he thinks he's too young to be taken seriously and I realize I wasted twenty five years of good golf before I came to realize the ramifications and complexities of design. Anyway, keep the info coming-with more Goodwins and more Shackelfords there will be more good courses for us to play in the future!

Redtail!?  I think you gents are very confused about the differences between being a good client and becoming a designer.Chris Goodwin was kind enough to share with me the detailed involvement of Donald Steel and particularly his top associate, Tom Mackenzie, in fact giving me a book full of Tom's notes and sketches and sketch revisions for the greens and bunkers.  Chris had to rebuild the 14th hole after a tornado tore it up, but he would  the first to say he didn't design the course.I am sure Chris had more input on the design than he would modestly admit, as all good clients should, but there is a huge difference between that and actually taking responsibility for the design, and Chris is also smart enough to know that.The reason there are so few "non-professionals" working today is the cost factor:  few would be bold enough to risk millions of their money on their own inexperience.  They're better off hiring an architect and confining their ideas to suggestions.The only good courses I know which would qualify under my definition of "non-professional design" are Tidewater, in Myrtle Beach, and Rich Harvest Links north of Chicago, which I haven't yet seen.  Ken Tomlinson fired Rees Jones after his initial routings for Tidewater, and built the course by directing the shapers himself -- that's designing!  [I think the course is somewhat overrated because it was excellent land for Myrtle Beach, and because it was "a good story," but it is better than a lot of professional architects would have done.]It's easy to have sound opinions on golf architecture, but as Pete Dye taught me a long time ago, the ability to get your ideas onto the ground is the true test of an architect.

When you think about it most of the early courses cited as the work of 'ameteur architects' were built by hand or horse power. There was no need for expensive heavy equipment and therefor time wasn't a major consideration. And I would think it would be pretty easy to get your hands on a few horses and inexpensive labor.I don't know, but I don't there was a need for irregation systems, I believe that development came later. And I wonder how sophisticated the green constuction was back then. With sandy conditions like PV and PB they probably didn't do whole lot.The non-professional wonder and their courses are always mentioned and deservedly so, but when you think about it, just about every famous architect of that era had a similar start to their career.Living in Indiana, I don't think livestock will be a problem. Now if you can just find away to get John M. hooked up with one of those scoopers...

Southerness golf course in Dumfries was design in 1947.  This is a classic links course.  Designer is listed as Mackenzie Ross, not sure whether he was a professional architect or not (relative of Donald)?

Ocean Forest.

Southerness is in the small town of the same name on the southern coast of Scotland.  Yes, there is a southern coast.  Look on the west side of Scotland and go as far south as you can, around the point from Turnberry.  There you'll find Southerness.  It is on Solway Firth.  It is a good, flat links course that has hosted the British Amateur among others I belive.  As for Mackenzie Ross, he was a professional golf architect who worked with Tom Simpson.  Among other courses, he is responsible for the rebuilding of Turnberry after World War II.The course is fun, with one hole, the 12th that is one of the best around.  When we played it a few years ago, it was the only time I've seen an 8-some.  8 players playing alternate shot in one group.  They were having a great time  

Joel, you are really on a roll dredging up ancient threads.

 

Methinks an obvious addition here - at least for us NorCals - is Bayonet/Blackhorse.  It's kinda tough to call the great General McClure a professional architect.

Joel, you are really on a roll dredging up ancient threads.

Tom:
"Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future". Denis Waitley

Whats interesting are the hundreds of people who have participated in the past but don't anymore?

I have not played it, but I would submit Pat Ruddy's European Club south of Dublin, Ireland for consideration.

The Classic near Brainerd, MN - built by the superintendant Scott Hoffman.  http://www.maddens.com/page/174-5821.htm

Incredible setting.  Big elevation changes but walkable.

Great par five 1st - 480-540 downhill with prevailing wind

This is the view after a good drive (these images are from the course's web site)







Fantastic Cape third - 300-380, green is driveable if tees are up.  Multiple options off tee and into green:



 
Four of five par fives are reachable depending on wind and gamble off the tee

In addition to 1, this is the green on the 10th - 475 yards


I view the 16th as the best par five but the picture on their website does not do it justice.

Five par threes range from 150-220 and require an assortment of shots.  Examples:

The 2nd (150-180 yards):


The 17th (around 150 yards):



The holes on this post were picked for the quality of pictures as much as the quality of the holes.  Nearly every hole is extremely interesting.  I have played there around 30-40 times.  It is pretty tough for the average player, unless s/he moves up to the correct tees.