An excellent combination of sport, art, and intelligence, golf architecture holds an allure for admirers of courses worldwide. The complicated process of creating such deceptively simple landscapes has been dissected by the top names in the field. This collection of essays, written by an international array of experts, delves into the complex issues involved in every detail of design.
The design of a course is dependent on what elements the designer deems most important. An essay contributed by Jamie Dawson, founder of Enviro Links Design, presents the topic of strategic design interest. This architect takes into account how topography, vegetation, drainage, and fairway routing can contribute to the environmental well-being of a course. Natural landscape is also a concern for Jay Morrish, who was voted golf architect of the year in 1996. He prefers a more literary approach to his design. He likens the detailed craftsmanship of his courses to the careful precision of a poet. Each element must support the other in a beautiful arrangement of natural landscape and manufactured course.
Although nature is a large part of any outdoor sports arena, it is often the technological advancements that make the golf course's design sustainable. Karl F. Grohs and Rainer Preissmann, the founding principals of Deutsche Golf Consult, present the topic of improving older courses by updating the existing designs, materials, and buildings to combine the traditional beauty with modern comforts and accessibility. Ronald Fream, an architect with experience in sixty countries, discusses the development of the craft-course design from St. Andrews to the educational and technological advancements that allow new courses to be cost-effective.
ABOUT THE EDITOR
The managing director of Full Swing Golf Publishing, Paul Daley enjoys traveling to Great Britain and Ireland to play golf, playing with a handicap of seven. He is a member of several organizations, including the U.S.-based Tillinghast Association, the Golf Society of Australia, Australian Golf Writers Association, and the Australian Society of Authors. Daley is also the editor of Golf Architecture: A Worldwide Perspective Volume One and Volume Four as well as the author of Links Golf: The Inside Story, all published by Pelican.
