World Golf Courses Directory

To gain much insight into the historical development and spread of golf. We can trace the game from its early roots in Scotland, beginning with the Honorable Society of Edinburgh Golfers and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, to Westward Ho! and Royal Liverpool in England. As went the British Empire, so went Scottish and English army officers and administrators spreading the game to the four corners of the earth. The introduction of golf in the United States in the 1890s came in part through the Scottish influence but also to a surprising extent via France, where American captains of industry and wealthy expatriates discovered the game on their visits to the French resorts of Biarritz, Pau, and Etretat.

Here, give us a chance to explore the often overlooked creativity and skill of the world’s foremost golf course architects. We can sample the work of the best architects past and present and view the characteristics that define their greatest achievements. Here are examples of the work of the early Scottish and English masters: Willie Park, Jr., Harry Colt, Charles Alison, and Tom Simpson. The golden era of design in America is represented by the many courses designed by the likes of Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie, A.W.Tillinghast, William Flynn, and George Thomas. In Canada, the genius of Stanley Thompson is on display.

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