Books on golf architecture

[Brad Isaacs]

What are the best 10 books on golf architecture and why do you think so?

[David_Tepper]

"The World Atlas of Golf" would have to be on everyone's Top-10 list. It is hard to imagine a more comprehensive introduction to the great golf courses of the world that includes an explanation of what makes those courses great. 

[Jeff_Mingay]

The Links by Robert Hunter.

The Architectural Side of Golf by Simpson and Wethered.

The Spirit of St. Andrews by Alister Mackenzie.

The Golf Courses of the British Isles by Bernard Darwin.

The World Atlas of Golf by Pat Ward-Thomas and others.

The Anatomy of a Golf Course by Tom Doak.

Golf Architecture in America by George Thomas.

Rough Meditations by Brad Klein.

The Golden Age of Golf Design by Geoff Shackelford.

The Evangelist of Golf by George Bahto.

Right off the top of my head  

Serious honourable mention goes to Paul Daley's Golf Architecture, A Worldwide Perspective series.

[Garland Bayley]

Jeff,

The post asked for justification. I don't think you could justify Hunter, Shackelford, and Klein as top 10.

[RDecker]

"The life and work of Dr. Alister Mackenzie" by Doak and "Discovering Donald Ross" by Klein are both excellent
glimpses into the respective architects and "the Evangelist of Golf" by Bahto gives you a great look at both
MacDonald's work and mind.  On the lighter side "Golf has never failed me" by Ross is an easy and interesting read.

[George Pazin]

I don't think you could justify Hunter, Shackelford, and Klein as top 10.

Justify, please.

I love love love love love The Golden Age of Golf Design by Geoff S. Love. If I had one golf book to recommend, it would this one. Everything about it screams AND whispers passion for gca, imho. It both introduces and illuminates the subject, without disrespecting the reader. In fact, it presumes the reader will read with the same passion and insight as Geoff.

Much like you can't compare the pedigree of Pac Dunes with Pebble, you can't compare the pedigree of GAGD with Golf Architecture in America by Thomas or anything by Mackenzie. Doesn't mean the former isn't in the same class, in both instances.

[JNC Lyon]

The World Atlas of Golf, The Golden Age of Golf Design, and Missing Links were the three books that got me interested in golf architecture.  The original 1975 World Atlas is very cool, with some inspiring drawings, great writing, and a controversial 18-hole all-world listing from Ward-Thomas.  Also, I like how Ward-Thomas and company made an effort to list some modern courses with varying ideologies, such as Harbour Town and Firestone.

The Golden Age of Golf Design introduces the best architects of the era.  It also shows their best work, some of which remains and some of which does not.  Also, it emphasizes just how important Philadelphia is in the history of golf course architecture.  That is a lesson I am really starting to learn this year.  This book is also a great showcase of Mike Miller's art.

Missing Links is inspiring for several reasons.  First, Wexler gives a great overview of the MacDonald/Raynor/Banks template par threes.  Having a full understanding of these holes is critical to good golf architecture analysis.  For more on the templates, read The Evangelist of Golf or George Bahto's Feature Interviews on this site.  Second, the featured courses show just how imaginative the old architects were.  The stories of places like Lido, Timber Point, and Mill Road Farm (Lasker's) are fascinating as well.

Other books I love:

The Spirit of St. Andrews: The book is both an exposition of Mackenzie's thoughts on architecture and an anthology of some entertaining anecdotes of the game.  Spirit is eclectic, but it is fun from start to finish.

Rough Meditations: This book is at times philosophical and laugh-out-load funny.  The Best and Worst Awards are the highlight.

Golf Architecture in America: I find this book better as a history resource than a textbook on golf design.  Thomas features tons of courses from the Golden Age that are both well-known and highly obscure.

The Architectural Side of Golf: Wethered and Simpson describe and display hole strategies and concepts that have barely been used in architecture.  After reading this book, you'll realize that architects have barely scratched the surface of possibility in golf course architecture.

The Anatomy of a Golf Course: the best look at the philosophies and influences of today's most revered architect.

[Howard Riefs]

I asked this very question of Ron Whitten of Golf Digest a few months ago via twitter.  Books he recommended include:

-- Doak's
-- Hurdzan's
-- George Thomas
-- Robert Hunter
-- Cornish & Whitten (if you can find it)
-- Klein's Discover'n Ross
-- Bahto's Evangelist of Golf
-- Doak's on Mackenzie
-- RTJ Jr's Design for Golf
-- Nicklaus
-- Shackelford's Grounds for Golf
-- Master of Links & Lines of Charm
-- Ross' Golf's Never Failed Me 

[Garland Bayley]

I don't think you could justify Hunter, Shackelford, and Klein as top 10.

Justify, please.

I love love love love love The Golden Age of Golf Design by Geoff S. Love. ...

Who is Geoff S. Love?

















The book itself offers little in the way of explanation, analysis, or insight. Unless of course you already have those and wish to use your insight to look at the pictures. And, the pictures need younger eyes than mine to see clearly.

[MikeJones]

Another ranking list?

I've got dozens of golf architecture books but one that keeps me going back for more is 'Alister MacKenzie's Cypress Point Club' by Geoff Shackelford

There's plenty of information within about how the course embodies many of the goals of great golf course design. The photos speak volumes even if you don't read the text.

[Sean_A]

I tend to take a broad spectrum of golf lit and relate it all to the same thing; talking about golf courses and or maintenance is architecture.  BUt I can't ever weed out architecture books...I just have golf books.


Ciao

  

[Phil_the_Author]

I find it quite surprising that no one has mentioned the trilogy of books of Tillinghast writings:

The Course Beautiful
Gleanings From the Wayside
Reminiscences of the Links

Ben Crenshaw once told me that he keeps them on his desk and refers to them quite often...

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

"Some Essays on Golf Course Architecture", by H.S. Colt & C.H. Alison (1920)

Available to download at;

http://www.archive.org/download/cu31924020604223/cu31924020604223.pdf

[Robert Emmons]

On my desk in front of me I have:

The Links, Hunter

Golf Architechture, Mackenzie

The Golf Courses Of The British Isles, Darwin

Scotlands Gift Golf, Macdonald

The Complete Golfer, Vardon

Golf At The Waters Edge, McGuire

Alister Mackenzie's Cypress Point Club, Shackelford

Golf Architecture In America,Thomas

The Captain, Shackelford

The Anotomy Of a Golf Course, Doak

The Golf Courses of Old Tom Morris, Kroeger

[Mac Plumart]

Brad...

A couple I don't see mentioned are Following Through by HWW and Dream Golf by S. Goodwin.

Following Through, although not specifically about architecture, has some absolutely incredible course descriptions that touch on the importance of architecture and how it can affect a golfer.  It is 100% worth the purchase price and the time it takes to read, espcecially the chapters on specific courses.

Dream Golf is a really neat walk through a courses (resorts) conception, construction, marketing, and rise into the rankings.  Really well done...and contemporary, so we all kind of know the context of the project.

[BCrosby]

All good choices.

Let me put in a special plug for Scott MacPherson's terrific book on the architectural evolution of TOC. I'm happy Sean mentions it. I don't know why it hasn't gotten more attention around here.

Another excellent architectural evolution history of an important course is Anthony Shone's recent book on Hoylake.

Both books are must haves for GCA types. 

Bob

[Jeff_Mingay]

Jeff,

The post asked for justification. I don't think you could justify Hunter, Shackelford, and Klein as top 10.

Garland,

Hunter's book is probably my favourite on golf course architecture. It's a very enjoyable read, and at the same time extremely informative.

The Golden Age of Golf Design really opens people's eyes to the brilliance of the work done during the interwar period (mainly via beautiful historic photos) and, in turn, those possibilities which continue to exist.

And, similar to The Links, Klein's book of essays is an enjoyable read and extremely informative on "the basics" in golf course architecture. It should be prerequisite for every Green committee chair in the world.

All top-10's, in my opinion 

[Yannick Pilon]

A really quick glance at this thread made me realize that nobody mentioned the following books, which I believe are very instructive on the current state of golf course architecture:

Golf Course Architecture, by Michael Hurdzan,

Routing the Golf Course, by Forrest Richardson.

And although the World Atlas of Golf also got me interested in Golf Course Architecture, I find it is more about great and famous golf courses, than golf course architecture.  Except maybe for that first part....  A incredible asset in anyone's collection, nonetheless.

YP

[Jason Topp]

I would add 

Links Golf: The Inside Story - Paul Daley -

There are many books discussing links golf but I find this text the most informative and best describes future issues with links courses.

[Garland Bayley]

Jeff,

The post asked for justification. I don't think you could justify Hunter, Shackelford, and Klein as top 10.

Garland,

Hunter's book is probably my favourite on golf course architecture. It's a very enjoyable read, and at the same time extremely informative.

The Golden Age of Golf Design really opens people's eyes to the brilliance of the work done during the interwar period (mainly via beautiful historic photos) and, in turn, those possibilities which continue to exist.

And, similar to The Links, Klein's book of essays is an enjoyable read and extremely informative on "the basics" in golf course architecture. It should be prerequisite for every Green committee chair in the world.

All top-10's, in my opinion 

Then let's agree to disagree, as I didn't find these three particularly useful.
I found Hunter's book to be a repetition of what I had read before, so maybe if I had read it first I would value it more.
I guess I will read Klein's book again to see what I missed that makes so many recommend it.

I guess I should take the time to make a list myself.

ODGs
MacKenzie The Spirit of St. Andrews Very entertaining and great for high handicappers.
Tilli's essays as mentioned by Phil. Interesting analysis and invention.
Ross Golf Has Never Failed Me Spirit of the game.

YLGs
Doak Anatomy of a Golf Course How to.
Dye Bury Me in a Pot Bunker Narrative of doing it.
Shack Grounds for Golf Combined how to and do.

Bahto Evangelist of Golf MacDonald and templates done much better than by MacDonald himself.
Cornish & Whitten The Golf Course Wealth of history on US golf courses.
Ward-Thomas, Wind, Price, Thomson The New World Atlas of Golf World's golf courses.

Paul Daley Golf Architecture vol. 1-5 What all your buddies from the website are writing and thinking.

[Jim Johnson]

Well great, thanks guys, this thread/Amazon just cost me $35.25 (Classic Golf Links of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland/Donald Steel) and $85.76 (St. Andrews Evolution of the Old Course/Scott Macpherson).
 

[Forrest Richardson]

The Links is my favorite. Hunter is an interesting writer. Being involved now in the only hunter design — Mira Vista [aka Berkeley CC] — I can say that he way a quick student, obviously taking his lead (eventually) from Ross and Mackenzie, and following his newfound interest in golf in the late 10s and early 20s.

Of course, it would pain my college-bound daughter if I did not mention Bunkers, Pits & Other Hazards and Routing the Golf Course both favorites because they contribute to her education fund.    

[Scott Macpherson]

HI,

I just love books on golf. I started collecting them in 1989. I probably have about 350 now and have drifted into specialising in 2 areas; Design/Architecture, Club History's.

These lists are always hard, but here we go....in no particular order...

Low, Concerning Golf - 1903. I admire this man, and that he was drawn to golf has been our benefit. His knowledge, language and articulation of golfing strategy and the game in general in this book is immense.

Cornish & Whitten,The Architects of Golf - 1993;  I am constantly referring to this book. It's brilliant, and I just hope they update it.... if they do though, the new book, might be a two or three edition set!

Colt & Alison, Some Essays of Golf Course Architecture - r1990 . H.S.Colt is to me the father of modern GC architecture. He raised the bar, and I treasure his essays. Sadly, he wrote infrequently. Happily, he designed quite a lot.

Doak; Anatomy of a Golf Course - 1992; It's golf course design 101, but with lots of extra tutorials. I haven't read it since it first came out, but it had a powerful influence then.

George C Thomas, Golf Architecture in America - 1927. Almost now a cornerstone of any golf architecture library.

Wethered & Simpson, The Architectural Side of Golf - 1929 (& 1952) (also reprinted as 'Design for Golf'). Simpson is a man to be respected and this is good book about design and strategy.

Dodson, Sustainable Golf Courses - 2005.  I have a real interest in this topic, and thought this was a very well written book about an important subject. It's not purely about design, but I think its central theme can only be best achieved when designers consider the environment at the conceptual design stage.

Hurdizan. A Guide to Golf Greens - 2004 . An intelligent man, and a neat focus for a book. More of a reference book, but Greens are really important, and this book has pretty much covered everything.

Shackleford. The Golden Age of Golf Course design- 1999. An insightful study of a exciting period.

MacDonald, Scotland's Gift Golf - 1928. Where would we be without this book? George Bahto wrote a great book about MacDonald, but MacDonalds words are worthy of reading themselves.


I like a bunch of other books too. The Daley series is great, Forest Richardsons book on Hazards, Tillinghasts, Wexlers and Donald Steels book. Also the World Atlas. We are spoilt for choice.

Thanks to Mr Arble and Crosby for the honourable mention about my book, and Mr Johnson for the purchase. You have made my day.

regards,

scott

[BCrosby]

John Low's chapter on golf architecture on Concerning Golf (1903) was the first good explicaton of the principles of strategic golf architecture. "No bunker is unfair" and all the rest. The chapter was based on essays Low had written even earlier. More than a century on, that chapter might still be be best articulation of those principles ever written. His introduction to the book is also wonderful, opening with the line that goes something like "Golf is the peculiar sport of a peculiar people - the Scots." (Low was born in Perthshire, so he was allowed to say things like that.)

Bob 

[Brian Phillips]

A few of those books are now on auction as first editions here:

www.GreenJacketAuctions.com