Restoration is a trend that’s gaining momentum in golf course architecture: San Francisco Golf Club rebuilt three original A.W. Tillinghast holes; U.S. Open host Oakmont Country Club cut down thousands of trees to reinstate club founder H.C. Fownes’ vision for the course, inspired by the links of Scotland; Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Sam Snead won five of his eight Greater Greensboro Opens, is undergoing a restoration of its Donald Ross design.

So far, Augusta National Golf Club has been immune to such a movement, although many architects feel the course no longer looks or plays the way it used to. Old photos show greens with more tongues to accommodate hole locations and bunkers with more fingers and jagged edges that were a calling card of co-designer Alister MacKenzie. In addition, the ground game was more prevalent, as wider fairways and lack of rough created strategic angles for approach shots and allowed balls to run more—into possible trouble.

Architects feel a restoration may bring back certain shot values, given that greens on par 5s like No. 15 and long par 4s like No. 11, originally designed for fairway wood or long iron approaches, now handle mid and even short irons.

The following drawings from Mike Benkusky, Kelly Blake Moran and Mike DeVries show the young architects’ plans for restoring MacKenzie’s vision—as well as displaying some of their original touches.
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Bunkers- Reconstruct fairway and greenside bunkers to a style similar to Alister MacKenzie's original design.
Pine Straw- Widen the first cut of fairway and expand pine straw area so it is more in play.
Greens- Add lobes and extensions that can accommodate additional hole locations.
Mounds- Add small rolls in fairway landing area on No. 9 so drives on the wrong side roll into the pine straw.
 
Michael Benkusky- The Iowa native began his study of golf course architecture early by working on and playing the Donald Ross-designed Cedar Rapids Country Club. A longtime associate of Bob Lohman, Benkusky has worked on dozens of renovations, including courses originally laid out by Donald Ross, Perry Maxwell, Seth Raynor, Tom Bendelow, Colt & Alison, Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. In January 2005, Benkusky started his own design firm, based in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

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Michael Benkusky
Kelly Blake Moran
Mike DeVries

Kelly Blake Moran

Creek- Re-establish hazard behind the putting surface and move it closer to the green.
Bunker- Add center bunker to encourage strategic decisions off the tee.
Fairways/Trees- Remove trees and expand fairway widths to restore angles of play. Add strategic trees on No. 15 to place a premium on the proper placement of the drive.
Water- Connect hazard in front of the 15th green with the pond behind the green and on the 16th hole.
Greens- Expand the greens (dotted lines indicate current shape) to allow for additional hole locations.

Kelly Blake Moran- After a stint with Robert von Hagge Design, Moran has been working on his own since 1995. The Reading, Pennsylvania-based architect has built several international tournament venues, including Argentina’s Buenos Aires Golf Club, site of the 2000 World Cup. He also has built several courses in the Northeast, including well-received Lederach Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
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Michael Benkusky
Kelly Blake Moran
Mike DeVries

Mike DeVries

Greens- Expand the green by adding extensions. (Dotted line indicates current size.)
Trees- Add selective clusters of trees to block poorly placed drives.

Mike DeVries- A longtime devotee of the works of Alister MacKenzie, DeVries grew up playing Michigan’s Crystal Downs. DeVries, whose office is in nearby Traverse City, has endeared himself to MacKenzieados with his restoration of California’s Meadow Club. His minimalist designs in Michigan—the Kingsley Club, the Greywalls course at Marquette Golf Club and the Mines Club—have earned him a large following among those who like their bunkers rugged and their greens wild.
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Michael Benkusky
Kelly Blake Moran
Mike DeVries