Prolific Scottish golf course designer
James Braid would have designed
more golf courses abroad had he not
had a dislike of long-distance travel.
The David McKlay Kidd-designed
Machrihanish Dunes is the first
18-hole championship links course
to be designed on the west coast of
Scotland in 100 years.
Old and new
T
here is a justified fascination
with the background and history
of the men who designed the
golf courses in Scotland. And the
findings suggest it is safe to say that
many of the country's home-grown
golf designers helped shape the early
traditions of the courses we know
today, traditions which would be
replicated at venues around the world.
For example, there are numerous golf
holes famous in Scotland that have
been the subject of `tribute versions' at
courses in the United States and as far
afield as China, a sign of the huge
respect awarded to Scotland's designs.
It comes as no surprise to learn that
Scotland has produced its fair share of
notable golf course architects, with
each and every one having had an
influence on the way we regard golf
course architecture today.
James Braid is possibly the most
famous of all the Scottish golf course
designers due to his prolific work seen
throughout the home of golf. Braid had
a dislike of travel, particularly flying, and
as a result, much of his best-known
architecture is to be found in Scotland.
Earlsferry-born Braid was a leader in his
field and is credited with the invention
of the dogleg, a style used repeatedly
by the likes of Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus, of
course, has designed some 300 golf
courses worldwide and is a huge
admirer of those in Scotland. Another
influential Scottish architect was Donald
Ross. Born in Dornoch, Ross served
under Old Tom Morris at St Andrews
but spent most of his adult life in the
US, where his most famous works are
found at Pinehurst and Oakland Hills.
Whilst Braid may have been the most
famous of Scotland's architects, the
most influential figure in Scottish golf
course design is most-likely Old Tom
Morris. The man who looked after the
Old Course at St Andrews and, for a
while, took charge at Prestwick, is
known for standardising the length of a
golf course to 18 holes. Not only that,
he is renowned for his works at the likes
of Muirfield, Prestwick, Carnoustie,
Cruden Bay and Machrihanish.
As well as being one of Scotland's
most successful tour pros, Colin
Montgomerie is on track to become
one of the country's foremost designers
of the 21st century, having already
designed courses in Dubai, Ireland,
Turkey and now in his home country,
following the opening of Rowallan
Castle in Ayrshire.
Perthshire man David McLay Kidd
established his own design company in
1998 and has produced a glut of top-
ranked courses, including Machrihanish
Dunes, which opened in July 2009, and
the new Castle Course in St Andrews,
which sits on a dramatic cliff-top
location with sensational views over
St Andrews Bay and the North Sea.
Other notable architects include
Phillip Mackenzie Ross, the man who
designed the Ailsa Course at Turnberry
and, fittingly, was elected the first
president of the British Association of
Golf Course Architects in 1971. Add to
the mix the likes of Tom Bendelow, Tom
Mackenzie, Musselburgh's Willie Park
Jnr and the prolific Ben Sayers and you
soon realise the reason why Scotland is
so highly respected in the world of golf
course architecture.
Scotland has
produced its
fair share of
notable golf
course
architects
At 5ft 3in, the legendary Ben Sayers
gave up his career as a professional
acrobat to concentrate solely on golf,
going on to win 24 tournaments and
coming second twice in the Open
Championship.
Up and at `em
Scotland produced those who shaped the game today as we know it
Scotland's designers
22
Alyth

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