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

~ (Author) "When a fellow passenger on a flight back home from one of my trips asked what I was writing so feverishly, I thought and responded..." (more)
Key Phrases: golf course routing, routing golf courses, dry water hazards, Routing the Golf Course, Cypress Point, Pebble Beach (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Casual writing style that keeps the reader engaged, and he generously sprinkles anecdotes drawn from professional experiences throughout the book." -- Landscape Architecture, May 2003

"expecting good things from Forrest Richardson...he is already the biggest name in Golf Course Architecture." (Golf Digest, November 2002)

"Casual writing style that keeps the reader engaged, and he generously sprinkles anecdotes drawn from professional experiences throughout the book." (Landscape Architecture, May 2003)

Product Description

Filled with advice, tips, strategies, and problem-solving techniques from some of the leading figures in golf architecture, Routing the Golf Course provides unique insight into the most essential phase of designing a golf course. Coverage includes material on all aspects of planning a golf course such as site evaluation; environmental conditions; programming; and financial, psychological, and strategic game considerations. This nuts-and-bolts information is balanced with anecdotal, real-life experiences from guest essayists such as land planner Gil Martinez, environmental psychologist Dr. Edward Sadalla, and golf course architect Arthur Jack Snyder. Also featured is an interview with longtime professional golfer and broadcaster Peter Oosterhuis, who also provides the foreword.

This book is divided into four key parts. "The Opening" begins with a brief history of routing, including the influence of St. Andrews, and continues with insightful examinations of the components that make up different courses. "Making the Turn" contains chapters on essential routing information such as the "rules" of routing, safety considerations, and methods for fitting holes together. "The Heart of the Course" explores the hands-on process of creating routing plans and is enhanced with words of wisdom from renowned golf course architects Pete Dye, Jay Morrish, Dr. Michael Hurdzon, and many others. In the final section, "The Finish," coverage includes the use of GIS in routing, presenting routing plans, and design changes that may lie ahead for golf courses. A unique look at the Cypress Point Club rounds out the reading.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1st edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471434809
• ISBN-13: 978-0471434801
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #739,232 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Need to Know, but Engaging Too, August 21, 2002

By A Customer

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.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thinking mans golf book, November 11, 2002

By	Bill Cooke (Double Bay, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

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!