Did the Arts and Crafts Movement really influence GCA?

[TEPaul]

Tom MacW;

At the end of this post is the post you asked me to remove from the architecture quiz thread and start another thread with; But what I would really like to do here is offer a counterpoint opinion about the influence of the A/C Movement (lack of it actually) on golf course architecture before and during the so-called "Golden Age of Golf Architecture".

I don't want you do think this is personal or take it that way--I'd just like to have a good discussion on this subject. I think you're five part article in the "In My Opinion" section of this website is an interesting artlicle with it's description of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the primary players in it. I think the A/C Movement was most interesting in and of itself and particularly for its "reform" motivations---I just don't think golf course architecture was the thing it reformed or influenced although the times were of course concurrent. The A/C Movement, as is evident from your good background and research on it was primarily in building architecture, furniture and art and craft---not golf course architecture.

The primary influence by a mile on early golf architecture to become more natural, varied, and akin to the land in its man-made features began with the influence of that interesting linksland architect who was the first to ply the art form outside the linksland in a natural form---Willie Park Jr. The architectural influence on Park was from the Scottish linksland and the natural essence of those courses due to their interesting locations in the early pre-man-made architecture linksland.

Park Jr happened upon well draining soil that was distressed (almost precisely as the linksland was) for much other than those two natural grasses of the linksland in the English Heathland outside London and his landmark and man-made courses----Sunningdale and Huntercombe set the art on a new and more natural course with architects from that region who were there to see the possiblities. But what was the true and primary architectural influence on Park? The linksland, of course.

The influence of Heathland architecture on Golden Age architecture into the late 1920s is undeniable. I just think it's real revisionism to try to establish the type of influence on the evolution of golf architecture on that entire period to an admittedly concurrent reform movement in building architecture, furniture and art and crafts known as the "Arts and Crafts Movement". And I certainly think it's massive historical revisionism to try to suggest that a more descriptive influence on those times should be to call that architecture "arts and crafts" architecture (although as you say, the term "Golden Age" architecture is not much descriptive of the architectural influence of that time. "Golden Age" is more of the type of description for a "high point").

In my opinion, the true stories of the real influence on early golf architecture of the natural variety has been told for years and told accurately. It's not that complicated really---it was from the constant influence of the linksland courses and then the early English Heathland courses that set the evolution for what we refer to as "classic" or "Golden Age" architecture on its way to what it became.

On the next post are my questions to you from the other thread you asked me to move to a new one.

By the way, I think you're ability to do truly in depth reasearch and produce it on here is really fine, and I believe I've said that to you on here a number of times. I think everyone on here appreciates it and your efforts in doing it. That's undeniably---but in this case I just think, as I've said a number of times, that your conclusion(s) of the importance of the A/C Movement as a serious influence on golf course architecture of that time and throughout the so-called "Golden Age" is way off the mark of historic accuracy. So much so in fact, that I view it as some serious historic revisionism. The salient point, of course, is, if the A&C Movement was even remotely as important as you say it was, why in the world did no one mention it at all as an influence on golf archtiecture all these last 100 or so years? There were some pretty good writers and some pretty good analysts regarding architectural influences out there throughout all that time, you know? Do you really think you've discovered some 115 to 75 years later some serious influence for some odd reason they never thought to even mention? That's odd seeing as how rich and voluminous the literary history of the evolution of golf architecture really is.

[TEPaul]

“TE
Arts and Crafts golf architecture was a reform movement in golf architecture. It embraced many of the philosphies of the A&C Movement: reverance for the past and the vernacular tradition; harmony between man-made and the environment; the inherent virtue of nature; craftsmanship; indiviualism and variety.”

Tom:

I read your Arts and Crafts Movement article a couple of times and very carefully which says the same thing as you did above. My question is who has ever previously called the Arts and Crafts Movement (basically an art and craft, furniture and building architecture reform movement) a reform movement in golf course architecture to the extent that there could legitimately be something called “arts and crafts golf architecture"? I realize you called it that a few years ago in your five part article on this website but my question is who has ever called it that before? Can you name any magazine article, newspaper article, book of any other written piece from that time that ever referred to arts and crafts golf architecture or to any influence of the arts and crafts movement on golf course architecture? And if no one involved in it at that time ever wrote about it or never mentioned it  why would that be? If there really was such a reform movement in golf architecture why would noone have ever mentioned it or written about it before this?

And finally, would you say that the primary reason you apparently think the bunker restoration at Aronmink was a mistake in not restoring the original multi-bunker sets is because you think that that regional style of J.B. McGovern (apparently) is an indication of a similarity to the individualism, variety and regionalism of the arts and crafts and building architecture reform philosophy?

[Mike_Young]

No.

[TEPaul]

Mike:

I wish you'd stop trying to compete with me for length of posts.

[DMoriarty]

TEPaul,   Tom MacWood certainly knows much more about the subject than me.  But if I could be so presumptious as to offer my two cents . . .

The nature of your questions to TomM (regarding why noone has written about Arts and Crafts Golf Architecture) suggest that you have little understanding of so-called "Movements" or periods in art.  It is quite often the case that those leading the movement arent aware that one exists or that they are indeed leading it.   This is especially true of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was extraordinary diverse geographically, stylistically, and across mediums.   An example--   Most agree that the "Movement" began in the early 1850's.  Yet it was not referred to by the name "Arts and Crafts" until the late 1880's.  Should we reclassify four decades because these artists did not know they were Arts and Crafts Artists.  

Sometimes movements arent defined until they are well under away or over.  For the reaches and bounds of movements it takes even longer.  

Also, you misunderstand the common thread among the wildly diverse mediums and styles of the Arts and Crafts Movement.  Above all else, the Arts and Crafts Movement was a rejection of Victorian Industrialism.  Such rejection was usually accompanied with an attempt to return to a pre-industrial aesthetic and process.  

So you wont likely find any turn-of-the-century magazine calling Park an Arts and Craft designer.  But here is one article which calls into doubt your theory that Park's work was not a rejection of Victorian Industrialism.

He was one of the first-- I think we might also agree that he was the first-- to perceive the possibilities of inland golf course construction on a finder, grander scale than we know now. . . . Up to then the manner of designing and making a hole was to put a plain straight bank across the course in fron to be driven over, this arrangement while a a little sand in front of it, being known as a bunker, and, if the hole were long enough there was a simialr contrivance setu up immediately in front of the putting green.  Generally nothing more was necessary. . . . None of these things were beautiful to look upon, they gave no character to the holes, this being supplied only by local natural features as trees, watercourses and ponts; they were not the least interesting, and they made most holes look very much like each other.  Nor did they tend to the smallest improvement in the game of the player.   This was Victorian golf architecture, the standard for which was set by that indefatigable master of it, Willie Dunn . . . .  Willie Park perceived that there would soon be a demand for something much better and he set himself to devise it, to give to inland course some of the attributes of those at the seaside where the holes were fashioned by Nature and abounded in features of strong character..  . . . This scheme marked the beginning of the new principles in course architecture that have since revolutionized the whole of inland golf not only in England, but in parts of the continent of Europe, all over the US, Canada, and everywhere. . . ."

-- Henry Leach, 'Park and the Past,' The American Golfer, March, 1917, No. 5, p. 343-361.

My Bolds.

Sounds like Willie Park was doing what the rest of those we now consider Arts and Crafts artists were doing-- rejecting Victorian Art and returning to a more natural, pre-Victorian aesthetic.  

But, maybe not.  

TEPaul, what documentation do you have which supports your theory that golf course architecture was not a rejection of the Victorian Age, and the replacement of Victorian Industrialism with a pre-industrial, natural aesthetic?  

[Craig Sweet]

Rejection of Victorian Industrialism...in other words all those bells and whistles.

Doak is practicing A@C....so are Crenshaw and Coores

[Adam_F_Collins]

Interesting.

The effect of the A&C movement on GCA might have been more indirect than direct. By the early 1900's, the movement was well under way and its ideas and ideals were certainly en vogue among the wealthy and influential, so it seems logical enough that these ideals would be carried into their golf course developments.

However, the A&C movement was revolting against what was seen as a degradation of of quality and value in artifacts beneath a veneer of useless, heartless, ornament. They took the Medieval as their model for new production.

As golf was so new to most of the world at that time (turn of the last century) the Golden Age of GCA wasn't so much a revolt against the Victorian norms in favor of the old, as it was a reflection of trends affecting the growth of a growing sport.

We hear of "Victorian" golf courses - but how many were there? Was there enough of a 'trend' to require the A&C movement to overthrow it? Or were ideals behind the A&C simply the spirit of the age by this time?

Could it be that the Arts and Crafts "spirit of the age" was more responsible for the growth and spread of the game than it was for
shaping it or styling it?

TE has a point. What evidence - formally, or architecturally - can be tied from golf architecture to the Arts and Crafts? What model do we see people moving from - and to?

The influence of The Old Course cannot be ignored - it has been a constant and singular force for most of golf's development. It could be that simple...

Consider the art of Bonsai, it is an ancient art form which works with living things. It started in China, but the Japanese mastered it and they have been the model for centuries. There have been advances in technique and whatnot - but the finished forms always work to emulate those few styles and approaches - simply because they work best. I have read a artist saying "If it is your intent to better the Japanese at this art, then forget it. They have achieved perfection. The best you can hope to do is reach their level of mastery"

Could it be that people simply realized early on that the game which was played through the natural elements of the seaside linksland was simply better? Could it be that these early masters just recognized the near-perfection of the game as it was played on its early ground and simply sought to match it?

Could it be that it was that obvious? Did it require the Arts and Crafts movement and a renewed interest in handicrafts for them to see it?

[DMoriarty]

We hear of "Victorian" golf courses - but how many were there? Was there enough of a 'trend' to require the A&C movement to overthrow it? Or were ideals behind the A&C simply the spirit of the age by this time?

A good question and I dont have the answer, but I suspect that underneath our great "Classic Era" courses are the bones of Victorian Golf Architecture.  

[Eric Pevoto]

Doesn't Tom M. cite Country Life magazine as a common thread between the Arts and Crafts interests?

[T_MacWood]

TE
To ignore the influence of the Arts & Crafts movement on all manner of late Victorian and early Edwardian life is to ignore history. If you prefer to look at golf architectural history in a vacuum, that is you perogative. I prefer to analyze it within the context of overall societial conditions.

Everything you wrote about Park is correct, he was a major figure in turning the tide. But he wasn't the only one. You must also give credit to Hutchinson, Low, Paton, Mure Ferguson, Fowler, Hutchings and Colt, among others.

The other reality you seem to ignore, the epicenter of the A&C movement was London, actually the countryside on the outskirts of London. The exacty some place that Park, Hutchinson, Fowler, Colt, Mure Ferguson and company were doing their thing. (And the same place Voysey, Jekyll, Lutyens, Morris, etc were doing their things).

If you study their writings, all these diverse people, you will see the same themes and philosphies coming up over and over, no matter the art or the craft--its difficult to ignore (for me anyway).

[T_MacWood]

Adam
It was a major trend. Golf was not reallly popular in Britain until the early 1890's, which coincides with desire for city dwellers to flee to the country. There was tremendous pressure to build new inland courses near these new suburbanites and you had guys like Tom Dunn building course after course, usually in a single afternoon. The Victorian courses were sprouting everywhere.

Eric is right. Country Life was a major influence in spreading the ideals of the new country life, which included the A&C aesthetic. Horace Hutchinson, a true renaissance man, was the voice for golf and golf architecture for that magazine.

[Craig Sweet]

This was in Links Magazine in a story about Bandon Trails and C@C..."avoiding artifice"...sounds very A@C to me...

"Coore is a soft-spoken, courtly North Carolinian, and his emphasis on that word “not” is as insistent as he ever gets. He doesn’t say—and doesn’t have to—that what separates him and Ben from other architects is their obsession with creating natural golf courses.
Every course architect pays lip service to the idea of avoiding artifice, but we have all seen bunkers that look like satellite dishes, not like anything that occurs in nature. We have all seen tees still shrieking from the slice of the dozer blades. We have all seen mounds so regular and uniform that they look like (to use a favorite term of Bill’s) “a bunch of beach balls.” And the architects who created such features would insist that they are “natural.”"
When Coore and Crenshaw talk about nature, however, they mean it.

[ForkaB]

The Victoria and Albert Museum is in the middle of a major 4-month exhibition highlighting the International Arts and Crafts Movement.  Sadly, there are no golf courses on display.........

http://www.vam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/whatson/events_mgr.pl

[Sean_A]

Rich

I have been trying to get my wife down there.  She won't have it!  Her school of thinking is that A&C led to where we are today.  A world wothout soul or meaning.  Guess I need to find another date.

Ciao

Sean

[ForkaB]

Rich

I have been trying to get my wife down there.  She won't have it!  Her school of thinking is that A&C led to where we are today.  A world without soul or meaning.  Guess I need to find another date.

Ciao

Sean

Sean

You could always see if Tom MacWood or Tom Paul are free!

[Mike_Sweeney]

The other reality you seem to ignore, the epicenter of the A&C movement was London, actually the countryside on the outskirts of London. The exacty some place that Park, Hutchinson, Fowler, Colt, Mure Ferguson and company were doing their thing. (And the same place Voysey, Jekyll, Lutyens, Morris, etc were doing their things).

If you study their writings, all these diverse people, you will see the same themes and philosphies coming up over and over, no matter the art or the craft--its difficult to ignore (for me anyway).

Goodness knows why I am jumping into this thread! Oh yea I took one Art History class at Boston College 20 years ago.

TomMac actually makes a good point here. If you look at other artistic movements such as Impressionism, the key is that the ideas were centered around one area, Paris for Impressionism and London for A&C, that created and stimulated the artist through competition and collaboration. How much A&C influenced golf architecture would seem to be subjective at best, but I am sure that the Toms will not be able to agree with that either!

In a 100 years from now will someone say that Hip Hop culture was an influence on the long ball in sports such as baseball and golf, the 3 pointer in basketball and the emphasis of the pass over the run in football? My guess is that neither Tom Doak nor our Texan Kelly Moran are much of NSync fans, who are golfers, but their designs have to at least accommodate Hip Hop Culture's long ball.

[TEPaul]

"TE
To ignore the influence of the Arts & Crafts movement on all manner of late Victorian and early Edwardian life is to ignore history. If you prefer to look at golf architectural history in a vacuum, that is you perogative. I prefer to analyze it within the context of overall societial conditions."

Tom:

It's disccouraging to see you write remarks like that. To me it just shows a black and white mentality. I am not ignoring anything, certainly not the A/C Movement and influences it may've had on Victorian life and times, particularly a rejection of Victorianism, the dehumanizing effects of the industrial revolution, a reformation movement on building, furniture and art and craft which emanated from the Greek and Roman classic style in England particularly (balanced, Georgian etc). There's no question the A/C Movement was a movement motivated by a rekindling of interest in Nature, individualism, regionalism, local environmnets etc.

What I am questioning is the importance of the influence you ascribe to the A/C Movement alone during this age in golf course architecture.

The influences on golf course architecture during this time are no mystery---they are well known---and they were primarily the rekindled influence of the linksland as golf and golf architecture moved out of the linksland to particularly the Heathland and early heathland architecture, that was frankly remarkable in it's push back toward naturalism in golf architecture. Where did that motivation for a return to naturalism in golf archtiecture in the early Heathlands emanate from?

I think you know since you said it yourself in your articles regarding particularly Park. It emanated from the hallmark work in the Heathlands of Willie Park jr at Sunningdale and Huntercombe first. That's what began to get the attention of those naturalist golf architects of the early Heathlands and others that followed their influences. Those people were not Rushkin and Morris, the early leaders of the A/C movement in building architecture, landscape architecture and the painting art movements.

Those were men influenced by the great early golf courses of the linksland. The literature of golf architecture---it's history books from then until now are all replete with those powerful influences of naturalism from linksland to heathlands and into the so-called Golden Age.

The A/C Movement was concurrent--I'm not denying that at all and I'm certainly not saying that golf course architecture of that era was proceeding in some vacuum. The important infuences on golf architecture then are well known---always have been and they were not enough the influences of the A/C movement to the extent that entire age (Golden Age) should be relabeled by you---"Arts and Crafts architecture"---not bt a mile, in my opinion, and apparently in the opinion of those at that time and those who wrote their histories.

What you're suggesting is revisionist history, in my opinion. It's not as if the A/C Movement has zero influence on golf architecture just not the amount or importantance of the influence you ascribe to it.

[T_MacWood]

TE
Huntercombe and Sunningdale were not the first inland golf courses Willie Park, Jr. designed. He had been laying out golf courses for nearly a decade. Like WP II, Tom Dunn and Willie Dunn were also products of the links...in the 1890's they weren't rekindling any influence of the linksland on inland golf, far from it.

Read Willie Park's first book on golf, which also delt with golf architecture (1896)...are those the theories of Victorian golf or heathland golf? What happened between 1896 and 1900? If you read some of the golf magazines during this period (especially Hutchinson's articles in Country Life) you will get a good sense.

The heathland is Surrey, Berkshire, and some of the other surrounding counties--the new suburbs around London. That is where the A&C aesthetic first gained traction with upper-middle class in England. A revolution in architecture, gardening, outdoor pursuits, clean simple hand-made furniture and house hold items, natural golf architecture--all modeled on eclectic traditions and vernacular designs--it all happened simulataneously in that neck of the woods.

[Kelly Blake Moran]

It seems somewhere in this mix you have to include Jens Jensen and the Prairie School of natural landscaping.

[A_Clay_Man]

Tom MacW- If you define the era of the last half of the 19th century London as the epicenter of the movement, how did those A&C elements translate to our country's GCA? Our time now? Can you site any examples that are still intact today in the US? or that are following or utilizing elements of the movement?

[RE Blanks]

"Don't you people have homes?"

[Tom_Doak]

Is it possible to agree with both sides in this debate?

The labeling of art movements is a somewhat dangerous task.  Ron Whitten labeled the low-profile style of architecture practiced by myself and Bill Coore (among others) as "minimalism," but in architecture, if I understand it correctly, "minimalism" is a movement which reduces buildings to a few simple forms and which ignores how those buildings sit on the ground ... almost exactly the opposite of minimalist golf architecture as people have come to understand it.

The foundation of my style of design is to create interesting green complexes but to try to leave the contours of the ground alone between tee and green, except for fairway bunker accents.  The keys to it are to do a good routing, and then to do good detail work on the greens and bunkers ... which in architecture terms, is much more like the Arts & Crafts movement than it is like Minimalism.

However, as Tom Paul alludes, this is not because I have any understanding of the Arts & Crafts Movement of architecture.  I came up with my style of design by observing lots of other golf courses.  Perhaps THEIR designers followed the Arts & Crafts Movement -- I have no idea -- but it wasn't a direct influence on me, and I can pretty much guarantee it wasn't a direct influence on Ben Crenshaw either.

Bill Coore I won't speak for; if he can pass for a college professor type he's certainly way more learned than I.

[A_Clay_Man]

Nice tude, dude.

[Tom_Doak]

Is it possible to agree with both sides in this debate?

The labeling of art movements is a somewhat dangerous task.  Ron Whitten labeled the low-profile style of architecture practiced by myself and Bill Coore (among others) as "minimalism," but in architecture, if I understand it correctly, "minimalism" is a movement which reduces buildings to a few simple forms and which ignores how those buildings sit on the ground ... almost exactly the opposite of minimalist golf architecture as people have come to understand it.

The foundation of my style of design is to create interesting green complexes but to try to leave the contours of the ground alone between tee and green, except for fairway bunker accents.  The keys to it are to do a good routing, and then to do good detail work on the greens and bunkers ... which in architecture terms, is much more like the Arts & Crafts movement than it is like Minimalism.

However, as Tom Paul alludes, this is not because I have any understanding of the Arts & Crafts Movement of architecture.  I came up with my style of design by observing lots of other golf courses.  Perhaps THEIR designers followed the Arts & Crafts Movement -- I have no idea -- but it wasn't a direct influence on me, and I can pretty much guarantee it wasn't a direct influence on Ben Crenshaw either.

Bill Coore I won't speak for; if he can pass for a college professor type he's certainly way more learned than I.

[T_MacWood]

Kelly
I agree, if and when I re-write essay I would defintiely include Jensen....to go with Jekyll and William Robinson's influence on garden design in Britain and Ireland. And perhaps Thomas Church in the Bay Area who was a bridge between A&C design and modern garden design...who incidently was a neighbor of MacKenzie's at Pasateimpo. And Olmsted, who was also influenced by Ruskin among others...including his very close friend--Charles Eliot Norton, art critic and Harvard professor--who is credited by many for bringing the A&C Movement to America.

Adam
It is impossible to separate the development of American golf architecture from Britain. Starting with CB Macdonald and his ties to Britain and Hutchinson and Low, bascially setting a standard in design and also setting a standard in looking to British Isles. Wilson, Ross, Crump and others followed his lead.

Not to mention the heathland architects who came over here and had a major impact on N.American design: Colt, Park, Fowler, Alison, MacKenzie, etc.

Compare Ross's designs pre-1910 to his post-1910 to see examples in the US today....his study of modern British golf design in 1910 had a major affect on his work.