Golf Architects Past and Present

Golf Architects Past and Present is a short Golg blog post that looks at some of the biggest names in course design.

Before I play golf, anywhere in the world, I always want to find out who built the course that I am about to play.

It can give you a heads-up before you start to play and you will almost know what is coming your way.

Over the years there have been hundreds of great architects, come and go, but the following list is some of the biggest names in Golf.

Golf Architects Past and Present

Old Tom Morris

Probably the most famous golf course architect in the history of the game. He designed 75 golf courses in his long career.
He is also famous for standardising golf courses to 18 holes. The Tee boxes are also his idea as well as yardage markers.
Course Drainage & Irrigation as well as maintained Bunkers all fall under his ideas. He is also responsible for the use of lime, sulphates & fertilisers.

Well-known designs include the Old Course, Carnoustie, Muirfield, Prestwick, Royal Dornoch, North Berwick, Nairn, Royal Portrush, Royal County Down & Lahinch.
Lesser known designs include Scotscraig, Crail, Kingussie & North Inch.

James Braid

Another fantastic course designer. The man who is said to have invented the dogleg.
Braid went on to design, re-design and lengthen over 400 golf courses.

Well-known designs include Gleneagles King’s Course, Gleneagles Queen’s Course, Dalmahoy, Brora, Ganton, Formby & Southport & Ainsdale.
Lesser known designs include Renfrew, Erskine & Kirkhill.

Alister Mackenzie

Mackenzie designed over 50 golf courses as an architect including one of the prettiest of all, Augusta National.
His signatures include double-level greens and long, narrow greens that are angled away from the centre of the fairway.
He is also known for his larger free-form bunker shapes.

Well-known designs include Augusta National, Pasatiempo, Cypress Point, and Royal Melbourne.
My home city of Leeds is full of examples of his lesser-known designs like Alwoodly, Moortown, Sandmoor, Horsforth, Headingley, Garforth & Templenewsam.

Harry Colt

In his time he designed, re-designed and tinkered with over 300 golf courses.
He was famous for a more natural look to his bunkers.

Well-known designs include Wentworth, Sunningdale, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Royal Portcrawl & Royal Portrush.
Lesser-known designs include Woodhall Spa, Sherwood Forest, Hankley Common & Royal Dublin.

Robert Trent Jones

This guy reached the amazing number of 500 golf course designs & re-designs throughout his career.
He is famous for designing long tees, huge greens and masses of bunkers.

Well-known designs include Adare Manor, Valderrama, Baltusrol, Hazeltine, Firestone, Congressional & Spyglass Hill.
Lesser-known designs include The Tuxedo Club, Southern Highlands, Birnam Wood & Alpine Bay.

Pete Dye

He became famous for using railroad sleepers, deep bunkers, and bunker scapes and for designing a very famous island green.

Well-known designs include Sawgrass, Crooked Stick, Harbour Town, Whistling Straits, Kiawah Island & Teeth of the Dog.
Lesser-known designs include Plum Creek, Little Turtle, Ancala & The Dye Preserve.

Tom Fazio

Fazio is famous for creating playable golf courses that don’t destroy your scorecard.
he also has an uncanny knack for making full use of the vistas.

Well-known designs include Lake Nona, Quail Hollow, Pinehurst 6&8, TPC Myrtle Beach, Shadow Creek and Waterville.
Lesser-known designs include Forest Creek, Wild Dunes Links & Lost Lake.

Tom Doak

He designs walkable golf courses that make full use of the natural surroundings. He also creates excellent Bailout areas around the greens.

Well-known designs include Cabot Highlands, Pinehurst, The Legends, Sebonack & Bel-Air.
Lesser known designs include Stone Wall, Dismal River, Sand Valley & The Loop.

Donald Ross

Ross started his career as the apprentice to Old Tom Morris. He is famous for Turtleback greens or upturned saucers.
Throughout his career, he designed and re-designed hundreds of fantastic golf courses.

Well-known designs include Seminole, East Lake, Oak Hill, Pinehurst, Oakland Hills, Greensboro & Riviera.
Lesser-known designs include Savannah, Knickerbocker Country Club, Hendersonville & Daytona Beach.

Kyle Phillips

The master of modern golf course design.

Well-known designs include Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, The Grove & Dundonald.
Lesser-known Eichenheim, Verdura, Oaks Prague & Tazegzout

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