A Tour of America's Golden Age Golf Architecture

Originating from Scotland the game of golf was invented in the 15th century, it would remain localized here for the next few hundred years. As more people began to immigrate to the United Stated from overseas and there was a more communication of pastimes and ideas golf would soon find another home across the Atlantic. The story of golf in America pre-1880 is still relatively clouded in mystery and uncertainty but there is evidence that some form of golf started in 1743. There is a shipping record of 96 golf clubs and 432 golf balls delivered from Leith, Scotland to a Mr. D. Deas in Charleston, South Carolina. We can assume that this order was for a group of golfers in the area but there is no records of a course or a formal organization. In 1888 we see the formation of the first true golf course in America. Formed by Mr. Johnny Reid and a small group of golfers; The St. Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, NY became Americas first permanent club. In the years that followed golf continued to gain popularity around the New York City area and Long Island. The first 18-hole course would be built by Charles Blair MacDonald in 1892, forming the Chicago Golf Club in the suburbs of Chicago.

The next major milestone in golf's story in America was with the formation of the USGA (United States Golf Association) in 1894. The USGA was initially formed to solve a conflict between the St. Andrew's Golf Club and the Newport Rhode Island Golfing Club. In the summer of 1894 each club hosted an invitational golfing tournament, although not incredibly far from each other neither club knew of the others tournament. Now both clubs holding a tournament is not a problem in itself, the issue laid in the fact the winner of both tournaments was labeled the "National Amateur American Golf Champion." Controversy arouse over which winner would be labeled as the true champion and thanks to a lot complaining from great architect C.B. MacDonald this issue would soon be solved. Delegates from Newport Golf Club, St. Andrews, the Chicago Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts subsequently met and founded the Amateur Golf Association of the United States which later to become known as the USGA.

The next 30 years would prove to be the "golden age" of golf architecture in America, According to top100golfcourses.com 62 of the top 100 courses were built during this period. Thanks to the roaring twenties and the evolution of leisure in across the country throughout this time period America was able to solidify their spot as golf's second home.

Between 1894 and 1929 sixty two of the top one hundred courses were built across America. This number is impressive but all of that would likely be impossible if it weren’t for the convergence of the top golf course architects of the time in America. The most famous architects from this period are: C.B. MacDonald, A.W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross, Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie, George C. Thomas, and Seth Raynor. A majority if not all of these architects spent some amount of time in England and Scotland analyzing and researching the course designs of famous venues such as St. Andrews and Muirfield. The features that made these courses so great is exhibited in almost all of the great golden age courses. Whether it be large waste areas or tall fescue lining the fairways.

The effects of golden age golf architecture is almost incalculable, in the great courses that have been designed since them some aspects of these courses can still be seen. The largest impact that this era may have had on the game of golf is the idea that golf is a game for the socially and financially elite. There is some fact to this, I will most likely never be able to play the courses I listed above due to the fact membership costs upwards of 35k a year at most of those clubs or is by innovation only. This does not mean that I cannot appreciate the excellence and beauty that these courses hold or the geniuses that the designers were and these are not the architects only designs. This past summer I was able to play my first Donald Ross routing in South Carolina and I was able to appreciate what he brought to the game. I hope that all who wish to play these great courses have the opportunity to so they too can see the beauty in golden age golf architecture.