Hot Takes from Michael Clayton
His has become one of the most insightful, forthright, and provocative voices in the game. When former tour pro Mike Clayton—now a highly regarded course architect with the firm Ogilvy Clayton Cocking and Mead (OCCM)—talks about the issues confronting golf today, you simply turn on the voice recorder, give him some cues, and sit back. […]
Trinity Forest: A Golf Course Built on a Landfill
“Building a golf course should just not be this hard.” Those aren’t words one expects to hear from architect Bill Coore, who along with partner Ben Crenshaw has been responsible for some of the most important and appreciated layouts of the last few decades. But it’s exactly what Coore said over the phone to Jonas […]
The Essential: Hugh Alison
Charles Hugh Alison, who was known to the world by his middle name, was born in 1883 in the small English city of Preston, about 30 miles north of Manchester. A powerfully built and athletic young man, he played first-class cricket and earned his “Blue” competing for Oxford against Cambridge in the University Golf Match. […]
The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle
By Graylyn Loomis After an inspired renovation, this course is the equal of its regal setting in the Scottish Highlands Skibo Castle dates back to 1211, but the estate just outside of Dornoch, in northern Scotland, really came to prominence when Andrew Carnegie purchased the property in 1898. The famous industrialist hosted everyone from […]
The Architects of Pebble Beach
By James A. Frank In the early 1900s, the Pacific Ocean was a long journey from the East Coast, which was the center of American golf at the time. So when Samuel F.B. Morse—in charge of developing part of the Monterey Peninsula for a resort and real estate—approached leading architects including Donald Ross and […]
Mike Nuzzo Builds Three Very Different Nines at Grand Oak Reserve
From aerospace engineer to golf course architect, Mike Nuzzo is helping foster the reemergence of nine-hole courses across the country. The disparate and implausible elements of Mike Nuzzo’s professional background are utterly mystifying. After graduating from Boston University in 1990 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, the New Jersey native worked for a medical equipment […]
What Makes a Golf Course Bad?
Golf course design is a subjective topic and opinions on layouts differ from golfer to golfer. The exception is the greatest courses in the world, which are for the most part met with universal acclaim. Those are the Cypress Point Clubs, Old Courses, and Royal Melbournes. Debating which is best is a somewhat trivial exercise, […]
5 Questions with Golf Course Architect Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson earned a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard in 1999, before becoming Manager of Design for The First Tee, where he oversaw design and construction of 250 facilities. In 2006, he joined Arnold Palmer’s course design firm and, seven years later, was made a Senior Architect and Vice President of the company. […]
The Architect’s Ultimate Golf Trip
By Erik Matuszewski Golfers love few things better than a great road trip, with the opportunity to experience new courses in new locations. With this being LINKS, it only made sense to envision the ideal golf excursion for an aspiring golf course architect or aficionado of course design. Setting aside logistical obstacles—such as costs […]
Can A Golf Course Be Too Natural?
Can a golf course be too natural? That question has been rattling around in my head for a while as I’ve been bouncing around looking at and playing courses new and old.No one course prompted this thought. And I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a definitive answer. But the more I […]
