He wrote this by request of the Pinehurst Outlook. It has since been made available by the Tufts Archives.
The essay includes his comments about playing in the Open at St. Andrews. He took some photos which were printed as well but they're too worse for wear to print here. Anyway, here it is - word for word:
ON BRITISH GOLF COURSES
Professional Donald J. Ross Writes of Summer European Trip
Visits World Famous Courses and Points Out Advantages From American Viewpoint
DECEMBER 17, 1910
Having been asked by the editor of The Pinehurst Outlook to record some of the impressions received during my tour of Scottish, and English golf courses last summer, and during my play in the Open championship of Great Britain at St. Andrews June 22nd to 24th, I do so with the hope that some of the many things learned after a long absence from the home of golf may be found interesting and instructive to those who visit Pinehurst, the "St. Andrews of America."
Perhaps of more striking and general importance to the players of golf here than anything discovered, certainly the one fact that proved the most stimulating and the most satisfactory to myself, was that anything that has been done by course architects and constructors in this country, which has been criticized as radical and extreme by home players, does not hold a candle to the work of the people on the other side of the water make their courses a severer, and therefore a better test of the game. Much of this construction work, or rather on many links much of this laying out of the courses, has been done during the past few years and whether in some cases the architects have gone too far is a question that time will answer, but the general opinion seemed to be that while criticisms were heard frequently at first, that they have become fainter with time just as they have at other places where those in charge had determined to take the course by the horns, and tear up things to some purpose ; but to nothing like the extent which has been carried out on courses in Scotland, England and Ireland.
A very curious fact was noticeable at all the links I visited namely, that the average standard of play on the other side seemed inferior to the average standard on this side. Golfers over there seem to take less pains with their golf and to care very much less whether they defeat their opponents than they do here. Perhaps this is because the larger leisure class has been less under the strain of professional and business life and therefore less sensitive to success or failure. In any event, as I went from one golfing resort to another, I wondered whether it would be possible to find so many players' anywhere in the United States who would so promptly be rated as "duffers". Nevertheless these "duffers" were enjoying the game on some of the hardest links to play properly in the world, and if anyone had dared to suggest to them that they might find more pleasure on and become fully as expert as the best amateurs in Great Britain. There is a tendency in the old world to idolize a champion or a famous player long after he has fallen from grace and indeed, to attribute a great game to many who never have become great. Before passing to an account which will be given in the briefest possible way, of the links which I visited in Scotland and England, each one of which could only be properly described in an article by itself, two essential principles which are laid down by the architect of courses across the water: At an easier and an inferior course, their remarks would have been received with the scorn of silence, or with an exclamation of pitying contempt.
More people are playing golf over there however, and on every links players, were found who certainly would be a match for some of the very best amateurs in this country, should the latter have an opportunity to cross the ocean and make a tour of the courses. That does not mean however, that first class American amateur golfers would not quickly adapt themselves to the conditions, learn more strokes, realize the possibilities of the game within them, architects of courses across the water, will be mentioned which well might be followed here by those who are trying to bring American courses up to a first class standard. And, by the way, the secret of the development of American players is in the development of American courses.
The British architect of golf courses pays little heed to criticism, but is always open to valuable suggestions, knowing full well that the carping critic is usually a very ignorant man, while the one who has any advice worth taking gives it in the gentlest way knowing that no two experts ever agree exactly on the points of golf course construction and that the best courses usually are the outcome of a compromise of ideas gathered from many intelligent sources. For instance, they do not lay out a course by rule of thumb, with the idea of having the drive such a distance, the approach such a distance, and so on, even mentioning the clubs that shall be used for each shot. The course constructor casts his eye over the country and gets the idea of what he considers a good golf hole in his brain, lays it out that way, then says to the player : "There's the golf hole, play it anyway you please." As an illustration, a hole will be found where the majority of good golfers play an iron shot from the tee, then a full wood club shot to the green. An American golfer might say that was all wrong as the hole ought to call for the wood club shot first, but hole which takes the balls over little knolls and hillocks instead of over absolutely flat and smooth country. There are holes on some of the British courses where knowledge of these undulations and knolls is absolutely imperative in order to get the ball near the hole. The ball has to be placed to about a certain spot where it will surely take the roll of the hillocks and stop somewhere near the flag. Obviously where such elements govern the approach to a green, the golfing merits of the course are superior to those on a course where every approach is over a flat level surface.
It was early in June that I arrived in Glasgow. Mr. George II. Crocker of Fitchburg, Pinehurst Club Champion, visited many of the Scottish courses with me, played excellent golf and enjoyed every moment of his golfing tour; making friends everywhere.
Making headquarters at Ayr, the first upon examination, first great course visited was Troon, of which much has been heard in this country and about which much has been written. The Troon course is excellent and has been much improved of late by lengthening, bunkers, and the utilization of the hills of bent which on parts of the course are many feet high. A visitor will find no difficulty in playing at Troon after paying the green fee. Mr. Fernie who has charge, was very courteous.
Then to Prestwick, which is a private course. This, as has frequently been said, is about the finest in Scotland. It has been improved lately by the lengthening of some of the holes. All those features which have been spoken of above as governing the play of 'a first class course, are found at Prestwick. At the very first hole, the long driver is confronted with the problem of a fair way narrowing in the distance, so that his drive must be absolutely straight.
The wealth of whins, the boldness of some of the carries, the knolls and hillocks of Prestwick, the diversity in shape, size and undulations of the putting greens, all have been noted by golfers in their stories of Prestwick. The cardinal bunker at the third hole, the seventeenth with its unique second shot after a drive which must be far and to one spot on the fair green, all these have been spoken of in books and articles. At some of the longest holes the fair way is little more than thirty yards wide, so that with this classical instance before us, who can complain of the narrowness of the fairway of any American course.
Then to Prestwick St. Nicholas, a very easy short course. Then to Turnberry, a very excellent public course, owned by the Railway Hotel Company, one of the few courses in Scotland where Sunday golf is permitted. It is a short journey south of Ayr. After that to Edinburgh and some golfing at Gullane, where there are two very fine eighteen-hole courses which have lately been remodeled. The putting greens at Gullane were the best we had played on so far. Then to North Berwick, where I enjoyed some of the best golf of the tour. To mark the holes of North Berwick is to give them the title "very good" others "good", and only a few the judgment of "fair." It may be of interest to American golfers to know that at North Berwick, the first and eighteenth holes cross and yet no fault is found. If a golfer here found one hole crossing another, he would refuse to play without taking out extra insurance, but there are very few accidents.
Passing to St. Andrews, where the open championship was played June 22nd to 24th, I had another nine days of golf. Of all the courses I visited, St. Andrews was the most worthy of study to those who wished to make a fine score and as I had entered for the championship and was desirous of making a good showing in the tournament, I made a particularly close study of holes. St. Andrews goes out and comes back, everybody at least knows that. Now the bunkering of the course led the professionals, at many of the holes, to defeat the object of the committee, for coming home they would play the fairway of the holes going out, thus avoiding the bunker problems and opening up an easy way to the green. But that's another story.
I found at St. Andrews a great deal of hero worship. The crowds were all Braid, Taylor, Vardon and a few others, and seemed to think it preposterous that any of the young and rising golfers of Great Britain should accomplish anything against those giants of golf. Smith's record round of seventy-one was forgotten when Duncan equalled it and Duncan was left to himself as Smith had been, after he had failed in his next round. Newspapers gave more space in their reports of the tournament to make excuses for the indifferent play of the heroes than they did in giving credit or praise to the outsiders who played well. Being accustomed to the admirable arrangements that the United States Golf Association makes for its open championship in relation to the posting of scores and giving everybody the squarest possible deal, certain happenings at St Andrews deserve mention. For instance the scores were printed after the day's play and during the progress of the i lay, it was next to impossible to find out how the golfers were going; all information, except the posting on a small blackboard of the lowest scores, being kept religiously within the tent of the Committee. Everybody seemed to be asking everybody else how so-and-so had finished with little hope of enlightenment. Again, the great players and the great names in the competition, were followed by large crowds and they were taken care of by flagmen and others, but the poor struggling player was left to himself, and however well he might be going, would at any moment be held up by crowds which had just left a favorite" pair or which were racing to follow another favorite player. Such discrimination in favor of certain players struck me us being unfair, to say the least.
At the presentation of prizes, I made every effort to be on hand to receive mine, but the arrangements were so poor and the crowd handled so badly, that it was impossible for me to reach Lord Kinross who distributed the prizes when the names were called. Lord Kinross said something about the shyness of the golfers from across the water in not coming forward and later when he was told the facts he expressed regret. One can imagine the difference if a British professional came here and won a prize in the open championship under the auspices the United States Golf Association. During my stay at St. Andrews, I was treated with great courtesy and kindness.
After having had a favorable opportunity of making a study of the famous British players, there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that if the professional golfers of the United States had the chance to play over such courses frequently as those on the other side, which are constantly played by the "big four" and others, the American professionals would be able to hold their own with the best. British players, and I believe it is the high standard of play set by the British professionals that has brought the play of their great amateurs to its present high level. After St. Andrews, I went to London and visited the Mid-surrey course. This is considered one of the best inland courses, but is very flat and would be very uninteresting if it were not for the admirable way in which it is bunkered. The greens are very fine, but not superior to the best greens on this side of the water. Then home to Dornoch. Modesty forbids me saying more than it is the most beautifully situated links in the world and that no American golfer should omit to go there, where he will find the best golf, a royal welcome and no rabble.
-Donald J. Ross.