GOLF ARCHITECTURE
The 140-yard short hole at Sitwell Park: afiercely criticised green that has become universally popular.
Frontispiece
GOLF ARCHITECTURE
ECONOMY IN COURSE CONSTRUCTION
AND GREEN-KEEPING
BY
DR. A. MACKENZIE
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY
H. S. COLT
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON,
KENT & CO. LTD., 4 STATIONERS’
HALL COURT : : LONDON, E.C.4
Copyright
First published 1920
My partner, who is the author of theseshort essays on Golf Course Architecture,has asked me to write an introduction.This is, however, hardly necessary, as thename of Dr. Mackenzie is so well knownin connection with this subject.
Many years ago now the idea came tohim, as to a few others, that it might notbe impossible to create a golf coursewithout doing damage to the naturalattractions of the site. Up to that periodthe courses which had been designed byman, and not by nature, had in greatmeasure failed in this direction, andalthough no doubt they had providednecessary opportunities for playing thegame, the surroundings in many casesproved a source of irritation rather thanpleasure.
I vividly remember meeting my presentpartner for the first time. I had beenasked to go to Leeds to advise about thedesign of the Alwoodley Golf Course, andstayed at his house. After dinner he tookme into his consulting room, where, insteadof finding myself surrounded by theweapons of his profession as a Doctor ofMedicine, I sat in the midst of a collectionof photographs of sand bunkers,putting greens, and golf courses, and manyplans and designs of the Alwoodley Course.I found that I was staying with a realenthusiast, and one who had alreadygiven close attention to a subject in whichI have always been interested.
And it is this enthusiasm for the naturalbeauty of nature which has helped himin all his work, so that in the case of Alwoodleythe player not only has the opportunityof displaying his skill in the game,but also of enjoying the relaxation whichdelightful natural surroundings always give.
No doubt many mistakes were made inour early attempts, and I never visit acourse which I have designed withoutseeing where improvements could bemade in the constructional work, and aslong as this is so, I feel that we shall allcontinue to learn and to make progress,our instructor being nature herself.
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