Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects: A Treasury of the World's Greatest Golf Courses by History's Master Designers

by The American Society of Golf Course Architects, Michael Patrick Shiels

The tests a golfer faces on the course are the direct result of the challenges originally faced by the golf course architect, whether they be complicated terrain, forces of nature, budget limitations, demanding developers, or the difficult task of balancing the practical scientific needs of a golf course with the architect’s creative instincts.

Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects offers readers behind-the-scenes tales from America’s master architects themselves in their own words. Elite designers such as Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Arthur Hills, Arnold Palmer, and others share their personal anecdotes related to the creation of some of the world’s most famous from run-ins with snakes to bulldozers sinking in quicksand, to holes created by accident, such as the famed island green 17th at the TPC at Sawgrass.

Published in collaboration with the prestigious American Society of Golf Course Architects, Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects includes more than 150 beautiful full-color photographs and dozens of drawings and course blueprints, making this a first of its kind insider’s look at golf course architecture sure to become a key addition to the libraries of all golfers with an appreciation for the courses they play.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2008

Reviews

[Robert Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just wish, deep down, that the title of this book had anything to do with the content of this book. I read the whole thing to confirm the first few stories weren’t an anomaly. In the end, it’s just a bunch of scattered vignettes and definitely not “the creation of the world’s greatest golf courses in the words and images of history’s master designers.”

[Graeme · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not what it was promoted as. It appears to be a promotional book for the American Society of Golf Architects with over a quarter of the text giving what is basically each architects CV. Apart from some quotes from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and some photos there is very little to interest the golf enthusiast.