Customer Reviews

Routing the Golf Course: The Art & Science that Forms the Golf Journey

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This book is at once engaging and informative. It's packed with practical advice and step-by-step instructions for planning a course - something that I haven't found in this kind of detail in any other book. And amidst the practical information are terrific stories about bad routings (a civil engineer who designed a dog-leg 180 yard par 3!), stories about how a routing preserved an archaeological treasure (The Moundbuilders Country Club), and stories about the author's own successes and failures. Interviews with Bob Graves, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Pete Dye and a host of other golf course architects shed light on their routing experiences and highlight just how critical the routing phase is to the success of a course. Really well done.

What a terrific book: I am a golf nut who just happens to live in Australia, and although I have never designed a course other than doodles, I have certainly pondered the nuance of the layout of some of the games great courses that I have had the honor to play: Cypress Point (the final chapter is all about this one gem) and Pebble Beach, The Old Course at St Andrews are all thoughtfully explored. I particularly liked the "templates" and I feel I have a much better understanding of the science of course design. Its a good read, and very thoughtfully done. I want to build a three hole "amen corner-of-the-world" course in my backyard now.

I would highly recommend it to anyone, but if you are actually having a course built, its a must read! And buy one for your course architect as well!

Isn't it interesting to note how many armchair golf course designers there are out there? I know that I'm one and that is precisely why I picked up ROUTING THE COURSE: THE ART & SCIENCE THAT FORMS THE GOLF JOURNEY by Forrest Richardson. What I discovered was a well-written book that speaks to everyone interested in the game of golf. Not only does the book talk about what it takes to set up a world-class golf course routing, it also speaks to a plethora of subjects relating to golf and golfers.

For instance, who better to discuss the need for playing a golf course within your limits as a golfer than a golf course architect? Richardson does just that in verbiage that precedes the USGA's 2011 "Tee It Forward" campaign by nearly a decade. Richardson presents his thoughts about this subject from the standpoint of one who has walked the land to be used for the course AND then sets up teeing grounds to meet the needs of golfers at all levels. Wonderful stuff!

The book is set up as "holes" instead of chapters and leads the reader logically through the processes involved in routing a golf course from the games beginnings in pre-Columbian Scotland down to modern golf course layouts. The book's second chapter,"The Influence of St. Andrews," is indispensable, whether the reader approaches this volume from the standpoint of a design practitioner or a weekend hacker. Either way, the foundation set in this chapter invites golfing participants of all levels to peek into the connective tissue of the game that links today's courses with their noble ancestor on the east coast of Fife in Scotland.

And that's just one chapter! The rest of the book is equally interesting. I especially liked a couple of "holes" by guest contributors, Dr. Edward Sadalla (Hole 10: The Psychology of the Golf Journey) and golfer and golf commentator Peter Oosterhuis (Hole 12: What Makes a Great Golf Course - An interview with Peter Oosterhuis). Which raises a question: can a book on golf course routing contribute to the overall success of your golf game? These two chapters are ample evidence that it can!

An admission here: There were many parts of the book that were probably best appreciated by those who actually design golf courses. Absolutely. As it should be! But this was no deterrent to my thoroughly enjoying Richardson's important views of the game and the wonderfully individual fields that are integral to playing it.

THE (GOLFING) HORSEMAN