The Architectural Side of Golf Longmans, Green and Co
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THE ARCHITECTURAL SIDE OF GOLF LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. LTD 39 PATERNOSTER HOW, LONDON, E.C4 6 OLD COURT HOUSE STREET, CALCUTTA 53 NICOL BOAD, BOMBAY 167 MOUNT ROAD, MADRAS LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. SS FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 2ZI EAST 2OTH STREET, CHICAGO TREMONT TEMPLE, BOSTON 138-133 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, TORONTO THE ARCHITECTURAL SIDE OF GOLF By H. N. WETHERED ftf T. SIMPSON WITH A PREFACE BY J. C. SQUIRE ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHORS LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. LONDON 1 NEW YORK < TORONTO 1929 Printed in Great Britain at The Westminster Press London, W.9 Authors' Preface truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one I might ask, is without the most definite convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo. This serves at least to prove that the subject is one of peren- nial and surprising interest; and we have tried to look at this architectural side of golf from several different standpoints. There is, for example, the traditional—what might be termed the classical view: and being ourselves catholic in feeling on the matter, we notice with regret the extent to which modern design tends to depart from the original Scottish models—a practice that may have injurious results on the intention and spirit of the game. Then, again, a golf course is a field of manoeuvre and action, employing, as it were, the military and engineering side of the game. It opens up a series of tactical and strategical oppor- tunities, the implications of which it would be well for every golfer to grasp, whether he happens to approve or disapprove of the conclusions we have ventured to put forward. It is important to emphasise the necessity for the golfer to use his head as much as his hands; or, in other words, to make his mental agility match his physical ability. Thirdly, there is the artistic side. No reason exists why a golf course should not decorate a landscape rather than dis- figure it. As in any other work of art, the strictest economy of means should be properly used; over-elaboration is destructive of unity. Vitality is another quality that is essential. Instinctively we feel that one course is alive, another dead and insipid, lacking energy of expression. We look for the unexpected note and a pleasantness of line. Every curve should have a spring in it, v b AUTHORS' PREFACE and no straight line should ever be quite straight. Generally the detection of these slight differences is purely a matter of feeling which once experienced is not likely to be forgotten. We have also dealt with the technique of design and con- struction. In that direction our labours have already met with some gratifying encouragement. A lady to whom the proofs were shown proceeded on the strength of the information they conveyed (of which she evidently fully approved) to remodel a private course of no very conspicuous merit by introducing some admirable dog-legged holes and a few other novelties that added considerably to the interest of the greens. No doubt her plans would have gone further still had they not involved the felling of valuable timber—a suggestion as to which was not welcomed with the same alacrity as the other improvements. But in spite of that serious difficulty the results were regarded favourably enough to justify the principles laid down in the practical chapters of the book and to relieve even a private course from its usual monotony. We are hopeful that improvements may be found possible on courses of even a larger scale. To the more serious essays a few of a more frivolous nature have been added, the majority of which fit reasonably into the architectural scheme without digressing too far into other realms of golf. And if in these we have been compelled to use the inevitable " we " more often than it would otherwise have occurred, it must be attributed to the necessities of a dual authorship, the difficulty being that if anything singular has to be said, it must unfortunately be said in the plural. H.N.W. T. S. VI Dialogue by way of Preface [This is very near the conversation which led to the perpetration of this preface^ w. Why not do a preface to our book? MYSELF It's ridiculous: I am the World's Worst Golfer. Apart from which, I never play the game. T.s. That may be the explanation. MYSELF On the contrary, the more I played it, the worse I should get. W. Everybody feels like that: what about this preface? T.s. There's no reason why you shouldn't apply your brains to golf architecture simply because you can't play the game. MYSELF Oh, certainly not! The best critics of painting couldn't paint a haystack, and a man with no arms and legs might easily be a magnificent judge of cricket. W. Why not do this preface, then? MYSELF Well, really, I'm shy about it. T.s. Why? MYSELF For two reasons, if you want to know. In the first place, there are people who may see this book who have played golf with me. How on earth can they take me seriously? It's quite obvious that my name must be absolutely ruinous to your book. w. We've dealt with that already. If you are all that you say you are, you cannot play golf at all. What has that to do with the design of courses ? They all know you are intelligent. What does your manual skill matter? We're talking about the design of golf- courses and the history of the game. This has nothing to do with your inability to swing properly or make a long carry. Do this preface! vii DIALOGUE BY WAY OF PREFACE MYSELF But you haven't listened to the other reason. I am a professional man of letters. T.s. Well, what of it? MYSELF You don't appear to realise the situation. I have already written on poetry, prose, the drama, the novel, the essay, history, biography, civilisation, theology, the Fourth Dimension, India, Russia, the Chartists and birds. There must come a point, you know. Versatility is very much out of fashion: in this regard I cannot even pretend to be versatile: my ignorance of golf is beyond your belief. T.s. You know what an eighteen-hole course is, don't you? MYSELF Yes, roughly. T.s. You have played over a number? MYSELF Yes, and if you really want to know, three weeks ago I was playing in. a foursome at that place near Phila- delphia—Pine Valley. W. Is it as bad as they say ? MYSELF I don't know what they say, but it is. When I came in, the intelligent and charming negro bar-tender asked me how many balls I had lost. I said six. He said that I'd got off more cheaply than some. Monologue by way of Preface WENT there with a foursome best ball. My partner and old friend is not a Tiger, but a hybrid with something of I the Tiger in him: that is, on bad days he goes round in the middle eighties and on good days in the middle seventies. At Pine Valley, on this occasion, which was a bad day for him, he was round in 130. If, after this, you go on pressing me, you may do so; after all, in spite of much good advice, I myself go on pressing. MONOLOGUE BY WAY OF PREFACE There are ever so many redeeming features at Pine Valley, which Americans know as Old Man Par's Home Course. Only one man has ever gone round it in par figures, and it may be long before his achievement is equalled. It was con- structed, a few years before the war, by the late Mr. Crump, a wealthy amateur, who died shortly after his work was com- pleted. His object was to make, regardless of expense, what he considered a perfect golf-course. He called in Mr. H. S. Colt, of Sunningdale; all the finest holes in the world were studied, and some copied; the most diabolical use was made of the natural features, hills, woods, and lakes, of the terrain; and no expense was spared. It was enjoyable to contemplate the fruits of such intelligence, industry and expenditure. It was enjoyable, also, to contemplate the scenery. There cannot be a lovelier golf-course in the world. Mr. Crump took a tract of hilly forest, interspersed with blue lakes, haunted (at any rate now) by swans and wild duck. He cut trees and grubbed roots with such cunning that almost every fairway runs through an avenue, wide or narrow, of woods. In a general way, from any tee one can see nothing of the course except the previous green; the rest of the view consisting entirely of trees—which, when I was there, were almost violently vivid in their spring leafage. It was pleasant, outside the club-house, to see a tall pole with a bird-cote on it, in and out of which the purple martins slipped and flitted, beautiful birds like our own, but with the odd American difference which seems to mark every- thing over there which is akin to anything here. It was delight- ful, at the first lake hole, to stand on a bosky height with a wooded slope below one, then a wide sapphire water, then a steep hill, up which one was invited to drive.