Golf can be addictive with its ability to capture players’ imagination and keep drawing them back to the golf course and re-engage with the challenges on offer. A major chunk of the credit for the sport’s appeal goes to the golf course architects and designers who create magic out of vast, and often barren, tracts of land and carve them into a golfer’s delight.
While we won’t delve into the debate whether a links, heathland or parkland is the true test of golf — for each course layout is unique and has its share of challenges — the architects behind the projects need to be feted for ensuring that the game’s imprint has deepened with time, and in a way that it has emerged as among the top global disciplines in sport.
Below, we revisit the pages of history and identify some of the top names whose designs have stood the test of time and continue to challenge ardent golfers around the world.
These are the most famous golf course architects and designers
1. Old Tom Morris (1821–1908)
Often referred to as the grand old man of golf, Thomas Mitchell Morris (Tom Morris) designed or renovated about 75 golf courses throughout his career in the British Isles. He was a mentor to prominent golf course architects such as A. W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross, and C.B. MacDonald. He was a forerunner in strategic golf course design, proposing the modern technique of positioning hazards in a way that they could be planned around. He also pioneered numerous novel ideas in turf and course management as well. Old Tom Morris continued to be passionate about golf right up until his passing at the age of 87. Morris was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976.
Notable Designs: Prestwick, Jubilee Course – St Andrews Links, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal County Down
2. Dr Alister MacKenzie (1870–1934)
Widely regarded one of golf’s greatest architects and designers, Alister MacKenzie’s course creations are spread across four continents. A surgeon by training, MacKenzie served during the Boer War as a member of the British Army’s civilian medical corps. He made substantial contributions to military camouflage during World War 1, which he thought was quite similar to designing a golf course. He gave shape to more than 50 golf courses across the world and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. His designs are stunning in their simplicity as well as the degree of difficulty. He was widely recognised for his talent at fusing design elements with the scenic splendour of landscapes.
Notable Designs: Augusta National (home of The Masters), Cypress Point Club, West Course at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Jockey Club
3. Tom Fazio (1945-)
Considered one of the best modern golf course designers, Tom Fazio has created more than 200 courses in North, Central, and South America, South Africa, and Thailand. In 1995, he received the Old Tom Morris Award, the highest honour bestowed by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Fazio has an unwavering sense of how golf fits into a landscape, perhaps more than any other architect in history. A flashed bunker, or a shift in fairway direction, typically frames the holes on a Fazio course in order to highlight the stunning off-field landscape.
Notable Designs: Victoria National, The National Golf Club of Canada, Shadow Creek, TPC Myrtle Beach, Caves Valley
4. Pete Dye (1925–2020)
The “mad scientist” of golf course design, Pete Dye is a well-known architect in the golf course design world. He was renowned for changing regular, flat fields into tricky and magnificent courses. He mentored several of today’s most talented architects, including Tom Doak and Bill Coore. Over the course of his 94 years, he designed over 100 golf courses in Guatemala, Israel, Honduras, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, China, and America. He often collaborated with his wife Alice throughout his designing career, and the two of them together represented the greatest design force in golf history. In 2008, Dye was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Notable Designs: Tournament Players Club Sawgrass (TPC Sawgrass), Whistling Straits, Trump National Golf Club (LA), Pebble Beach
5. Tom Doak (1961-)
An accomplished golf course architect who studied under the legendary Pete Dye, Tom Doak drew inspiration from both Dye and Alister MacKenzie while also incorporating his own creative flair. He traveled to Great Britain and Ireland to study golf courses after earning a degree in design and landscape architecture from Cornell University. His perceptions of golf course architecture were primarily shaped by this experience. Doak’s courses are distinguished by their reverent adoration for the nature and characteristics of the surrounding environment. With six books on golf course design to his name, Doak is also a skilled author.
Notable Designs: Pacific Dunes, Tara Iti, Medinah Country Club, Old Macdonald, Barnbougle Dunes
6. A. W. Tillinghast (1876–1942)
One of the most prolific architects in golf history, A.W. Tillinghast worked on over 265 different courses over his career. He was introduced to Old Tom Morris in 1896, and after taking golf lessons at the St. Andrews Golf Club, developed a passion for the game. He had a profound belief that courses should be in harmony with the environment. He hated forced construction and templates. Tillinghast was a regular contributor to golf magazines in his day, and his thoughts are still relevant. In 2015, he became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Notable Designs: Baltusrol Golf Club, Newport Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Winged Foot, Somerset Hills Country Club
7. Jack Nicklaus (1940-)
As the greatest professional golfer of all time, the name Jack Nicklaus is synonymous with the sport. In addition, Nicklaus is regarded as one of the top golf course designers in history. He believes that the design of golf courses is just another element of golf that keeps him passionate. Over 425 golf courses designed by his company, Nicklaus Design, are currently open for play in 45 different nations, 280 of which were created by ‘The Golden Bear’ himself. Although there are Nicklaus-designed courses in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and Mexico, the majority are in the US. The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) named Jack Nicklaus Golf Course Designer of the Year in 2017.
Notable Designs: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Sebonack, Castle Pines Golf Club, Monte Rei, Punta Espada, Kinloch Golf Club, Valhalla
8. Donald Ross (1872–1948)
With more than 400 designs to his credit, Donald Ross was a titan of the Golden Age of golf architecture. Ross was among the first professional golf course architects in America to establish a successful business. His courses have hosted more than 100 Major championships and USGA tournaments. Ross was a genius at routing courses and had a knack for making them accessible to beginners while still testing the most skilled players. Ross was also one of the founding members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), an association for golf course architects in the United States.
Notable Designs: Pinehurst (No. 2), Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Inverness, Essex County, Aronimink
9. Robert Trent Jones Sr (1906–2000)
Robert Trent Jones Sr was one of the most respected golf course designers the game has ever seen. During his 70-year career, Jones developed or redesigned over 500 golf courses in 45 states in the United States and 35 countries, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987. His golf design philosophy was to make every hole a difficult par but a simple bogey. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Old Tom Morris Award, the highest distinction bestowed by the organisation, was presented to Jones in 1987.
Notable Designs: Hazeltine National Golf Course, Spyglass Hill Golf Club, Valderrama Golf Club, The Greens at North Hills
10. Arnold Palmer (1929-2016)
One of the most celebrated professional golfers in history needs no introduction. ‘The King’, as he is known, started the Arnold Palmer Design Company in 1971 while still winning on the PGA Tour and actively participating in Major tournaments. More than fifty years later, there are more than 300 courses featuring Palmer’s name spread over 37 states, 25 nations, and five continents. Palmer’s strategic and environmentally conscious approach to golf course design has elevated him to the reputation of one of the world’s finest golf course architects and designers.
Notable Designs: Tralee, The K Club, Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Bay Hill Club & Lounge, Tradition Golf Club, Adios, Old Tabby Links, Musgrove Mill, ArborLinks
(Main image: Royal County Down; Featured image: Seminole Golf Club)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How do I choose a golf course architect?
Research the architects in your area or market, get recommendations from other golf course owners, check through online directories or portfolios, shortlist applicants for interviews, and conduct interviews to find out more about the applicants’ working methods and suitability for your project. Based on the interviews, ask for project proposals. While assessing the proposals, take into account the following factors: experience, creativity, budgeting, sustainability, timely completion, adherence to rules, and references. Make an informed decision.
– What skills do you need to be a golf course designer?
A comprehensive understanding of golf, interpersonal skills, active listening skills, administrative skills, customer service skills, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; proficiency with desktop publishing and graphics software; proficiency with computer-aided design (CAD) software; knowledge of construction materials and methodology; and more.
– Has Tiger Woods designed golf courses?
The former World No 1 has designed 13 golf courses through his golf course design firm, TGR Design. Some of them include Bluejack National, El Cardonal, and Payne’s Valley.