The 13 Principles of MacKenzie

[Ulrich Mayring]

Hi folks,

can you help me name the 13 principles in the correct order? Unfortunately I don't have MacKenzie's book, so I was only able to glean the following from Google:

1. Courses should be arranged in two loops of nine holes (to create different wind conditions throughout the round)

2. They should have a mix of long par fours, drive and pitch holes and at least four par threes (to create infinite variety in the type of shots called for during a round).

3. The greens and fairways should be undulating, without steep hills for the golfer to climb.

4. There should be a minimum of blind approach shots.

5. The emphasis should be placed on natural beauty, not on artificial features.

6. There is always an alternative route for the weaker player, yet a sufficient test for the plus-handicap player.

7. There should be a complete absence of the annoyance caused by searching for lost balls, therefore an absence of heavy rough.

8. Course conditioning must remain consistently outstanding.

9. A player should be forced to use every club in the bag.

10. There should be a short walk between a green and the next tee.

Thanks in advance,

Ulrich

[Tom_Doak]

Ulrich:

I don't have the book with me at home.  But I am certain your point #9 is not in MacKenzie's list, because I tried in vain a couple of years ago who first uttered that standard and discovered that none of the Golden Age guys thought in terms of graduated irons.  Anyway, point #2 supercedes it:  a variety of shots is what you are really after.

The first one I can think of that you missed is that "the course should be equally good in summer and in winter", which is how he phrased your eighth commandment.

[John Sabino]

Ulrich - in order, verbatim from his 1920 Golf Architecture (there are actually 14):

1. The course, where possible, should be arranged in two loops of nine holes.

2. There should be a large proportion of good two-shot holes, two or three drive-and-pitch holes, and at least four one-shot holes.

3. There should be little walking between the greens and tees, and the course should be arranged so that in the first instance there is always a slight walk forwards from the green to the next tee; then the holes are sufficiently elastic to be lengthened in the future if necessary.

4. The greens and fairways should be sufficiently undulating, but there should be no hill climbing.

5. Every hole should have a different character.

6. There should be a minimum of blind-ness for the approach shots.

7. The course should have beautiful surroundings, and all the artificial features should have so natural an appearance that a stranger is unable to distinguish them from nature itself.

8. There should be a sufficient number of heroic carries from the tee, but the course should be arranged so that the weaker player with the loss of a stroke or portion of a stroke shall always have an alternative route open to him.

9. There should be an infinite variety in the strokes required to play the various holes - viz., interesting brassy shots, iron shots, pitch and run-up shots.

10. There should be a complete absence of the annoyance and irritation caused by the necessity of searching for lost balls.

11. The course should be interesting that even the plus man is constantly stimulated to improve his game in attempting shots he has hitherto been unable to play.

12. The course should be arranged that the long handicap player, or even the absolute beginner, should be able to enjoy his round in spite of the fact that he is piling up a big score.

13. The course should be equally good during winter and summer, the texture of the fairways should be perfect, and the approaches should have the same consistency as the greens.

14. Someone should invite this idiot Rigo to play my jewel at Augusta National!

[Ulrich Mayring]

Joseph, thank you very much, I shall put this information to good use, except maybe one or the other principle towards the end of the list. And it shall be known that Tom Doak does not know them by heart ;-)

Ulrich

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