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Masters of the Links: Essays on the Art of Golf and Course Design
Great architectural essays on golf, including the best material ever written on golf courses, old and new, by the greats of the game -- MacKenzie, Crenshaw, Dye, Doak, and Tillinghast. Included are essays on the great par 3's, the ideal course, British links, hazards, the fetish of length, playing the ball as it lies, and much more. Masters of the Links is a superb collection that should rest on every golfer's nightstand.
- GenresSports
243 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 10, 2021
Great collection of essays old and new about golf course architecture. Very useful summary and bibliography.
p. x: "Golf architecture is an art form, and, as with other art forms, the more you learn about the thought (or in many cases, lack of thought) put into the design, the more you will appreciate playing a well-designed course."
p. 36: "Putting-greens to a golf course are what the face is to a portrait."
p. 38-9: "No course can be ideal which is laid out through trees."
p. 40: "Variety is not only 'the spice of life' but it is the very foundation of golfing architecture."
p. 43: Alps hole at Preswick: #17 https://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/the-lin...
p. 49: "Architecture is one of the five fine arts." The others are painting, sculpture, music, and poetry.
p. 85: "All architects will be a lot more comfortable when the powers that be in golf finally solve the ball problem." -- William Flynn, 1927
p. 106: Palmetto Golf Course in Aiken, SC
p. 114: Philadelphia School of Design: George Crump, Hugh Wilson, George Thomas and A.W. Tillinghast
p. 120: "There is absolutely no excuse for a featureless hole anywhere on any course."
p. 130: "Anyone wishing to improve the accuracy of his hitting could do nothing better than to spend an hour or so with different clubs playing shots out of the sand."
p. 147: "Being a Scotsman, I am naturally opposed to undiluted water."
p. 149: "For more than 20 years I have advocated that every hole on a golf course should have an alternative route for even the weakest of players."
p. 169: The Legends at Myrtle Beach: https://legendsgolf.com/
p. 192: "We can be sure that Alister MacKenzie and George Thomas never settled for anything less than perfection."
p. 196: "Golf courses should not be designed around trees."
p. 200: "We must also remember that trees simply are not necessary in the design of a golf course."
p. 202: Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska: private club without a website
p. 202: Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona: https://talkingstickgolfclub.com/
p. 213: So how should hazards be maintained? They should be irregular, unpredictable, and dangerous."
p. 221: The Short Par-3 by Ben Crenshaw:
1) #10 - Pine Valley
2) #6 - National Golf Links
3) #9 - Whitemarsh Valley
4) #13 - Merion
5) #7 - Royal Melbourne
6) #7 - Pebble Beach
7) #15 - Cypress Point
8) #8 - Troon
9) #10 - Chicago Golf Club
10) #12 - Augusta National
11) #15 - Kingston Heath
p. 229: On Robert Trent Jones, Sr.: "The result was far too many mediocre projects--the result of over-extension."
p. x: "Golf architecture is an art form, and, as with other art forms, the more you learn about the thought (or in many cases, lack of thought) put into the design, the more you will appreciate playing a well-designed course."
p. 36: "Putting-greens to a golf course are what the face is to a portrait."
p. 38-9: "No course can be ideal which is laid out through trees."
p. 40: "Variety is not only 'the spice of life' but it is the very foundation of golfing architecture."
p. 43: Alps hole at Preswick: #17 https://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/the-lin...
p. 49: "Architecture is one of the five fine arts." The others are painting, sculpture, music, and poetry.
p. 85: "All architects will be a lot more comfortable when the powers that be in golf finally solve the ball problem." -- William Flynn, 1927
p. 106: Palmetto Golf Course in Aiken, SC
p. 114: Philadelphia School of Design: George Crump, Hugh Wilson, George Thomas and A.W. Tillinghast
p. 120: "There is absolutely no excuse for a featureless hole anywhere on any course."
p. 130: "Anyone wishing to improve the accuracy of his hitting could do nothing better than to spend an hour or so with different clubs playing shots out of the sand."
p. 147: "Being a Scotsman, I am naturally opposed to undiluted water."
p. 149: "For more than 20 years I have advocated that every hole on a golf course should have an alternative route for even the weakest of players."
p. 169: The Legends at Myrtle Beach: https://legendsgolf.com/
p. 192: "We can be sure that Alister MacKenzie and George Thomas never settled for anything less than perfection."
p. 196: "Golf courses should not be designed around trees."
p. 200: "We must also remember that trees simply are not necessary in the design of a golf course."
p. 202: Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska: private club without a website
p. 202: Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona: https://talkingstickgolfclub.com/
p. 213: So how should hazards be maintained? They should be irregular, unpredictable, and dangerous."
p. 221: The Short Par-3 by Ben Crenshaw:
1) #10 - Pine Valley
2) #6 - National Golf Links
3) #9 - Whitemarsh Valley
4) #13 - Merion
5) #7 - Royal Melbourne
6) #7 - Pebble Beach
7) #15 - Cypress Point
8) #8 - Troon
9) #10 - Chicago Golf Club
10) #12 - Augusta National
11) #15 - Kingston Heath
p. 229: On Robert Trent Jones, Sr.: "The result was far too many mediocre projects--the result of over-extension."
July 16, 2018
Really fascinating collection of short essays written by some of golf’s great architects and designers. Shackelford did a nice job selecting this collection and it opened my eyes a bit about what a great golf course should look like and how to think more strategically. Great entry into the world of golf architecture.
August 28, 2010
Good collection of classic writings about Golf Course Architecture. I enjoyed reading Shackelford's thoughts prior to each chapter. I think my favorite entry was from Bobby Jones.
June 18, 2018
Fascinating golf architecture insights from masters old and new. Fore!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews