Golf, As It Was Meant to Be Played: A Celebration of Doland Ross's Vision of the Game (Hardcover)

by Michael J. Fay (Author), John Burgoyne (Illustrator), Paul Rocheleau (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
True lovers of the game would rather crawl into a pot bunker than imagine a golfing universe untouched by the hand of Donald Ross. In the art of coaxing courses from the landscape, his was the most sought-after signature through the first four decades of the 20th century. The finest of the classic course architects, he had definite ideas of how the game should be played--hence the title of this stunning photographic tribute--and he shaped his designs accordingly. His design philosophy stressed using what nature provided rather than a wholesale remolding of topography, and the game he sought to promulgate stressed strategy over power, enjoyment over penance. His output was prolific, and the masterpieces he shaped from nature were exceptional: Pinehurst, Seminole, Inverness, Oak Hill, and Congressional.

In Golf, As It Was Meant to Be Played, Michael Fay, the cofounder of the Donald Ross Society, attempts to create the perfect coffee-table Ross tribute by creating the perfect Ross course. His plan mixes and matches 18 different Ross venues to form a single, magnificent, virtual round that any serious player should salivate over. Teeing off at Aronomink Golf Club near Philadelphia and finishing up at Hartford Golf Club in Connecticut, Fay links together 18 strategically challenging and visually arresting holes built from 1907 to 1936. Not necessarily Ross's best holes, they all still play as Ross conceived them; Fay's aim was clearly to celebrate the unadulterated, living, still-relevant Ross rather than some golfing museum piece. To that end, both his knowledgeable text and Paul Rocheleau's evocative photographs blend into a wonderful golfing keepsake that easily obliterates par. --Jeff Silverman

Review
"Donald Ross's golf courses have stood the test of time. He was an artist and his works are certainly worth preserving. Thanks to Michael Fay for documenting his work."--Ben D. Crenshaw

"I have always enjoyed and respected the work of Donald Ross, and have long considered him one of history's master golf architects. From my days of learning the game at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, to playing Pinehurst No. 2 in the 1999 U.S. Open, I've always relished the opportunity to play a Ross design. I found Ross to be a creative genius, and his design work reflects that. Ross had a way of creating subtle difficulties on a golf course, minus such strategic hazards as water or trees. Take Pinehurst No. 2, which is one of my favorite courses from a design perspective. At first glance, Pinehurst doesn't appear intimidating. Yet when you play it, you see how Ross put such a premium on the balance of power and accuracy. All his shots require a great deal of thought and planning. He also used the available land and the elements to their fullest degree in establishing a theme and strategy to his courses."--Jack Nicklaus
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Universe Publishing (June 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789303957
• ISBN-13: 978-0789303950
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,847 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Tribute to and Summary of Donald Ross's Courses, July 16, 2000

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Many people do not know the name, Donald Ross, but almost every golfer knows at least some of the courses he designed. Perhaps his best known is Pinehurst Number 2, which was designed to be an ultimate championship challenge which it has provided now for about 100 years. You may also recognize Inverness, Essex, Salem, Wampanoag, and Brae Burn. Enormous numbers of USGA championships have been played on his courses.

Ross was born in Dornoch, Scotland, and was for a time the professional and groundskeeper there. He trained for this role under Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews.

Having heard about the boom in golf in the United States, Ross left to become the pro and groundskeeper at Oakley in Watertown, Massachusetts. He redesigned Oakley, and that began a remarkable career as a golf course architect. Between 1900 and 1948, when he died, his firm completed over 400 courses in the United States and Canada. At the peak, he had 30 building crews and 2500 workers.

This wonderful book was written by a cofounder of the Donald Ross Society, and shows a deep love and appreciation of Donald Ross and his work.

Donald Ross courses were all designed in the days before bulldozers, so the courses were designed to match the land. Donald Ross's philosophy was to create a course that was strict but offered a fair balance between risk and reward. Designed to be played without irrigation, the holes often play differently today. He was a modest user of water for hazards and did not use it as a central hole element, but didn't actually ban it either.

Signature elements include elevated tees and greens, extremely undulating tricky greens, fairways with almost no flat lies, and tees that aim you where you don't want to go. In today's parlance, it's a shotmaker's course. He loved the iron shot to the green, and provided lots of challenges of that sort.

This book starts with a wonderful essay about Ross. Then it goes on to pick 18 of his holes, as he might have laid them out as a single course. You get beautiful color pictures, views from tee and green, a close look at nasty hazards, and a schematic of the hole.

Naturally, I was delighted to find that the fourth hole of my home course (Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Massachusetts) was one of the featured holes. This is a 400+ yard par 4 that features a slight dogleg right, with out of bounds on the right for the length of the hole. About 200 yards out, there's a tree to block your route on the right (or potentially knock you out of bounds). On the left are sand traps every few yards to catch errant drives. Further down on the the left is a thick copse of trees. Your approach shot to the green is invariably over a bunker or two. Hit it too long, and you're probably out-of-bounds or in deep forest. The green itself is extremely hard to putt. In some locations, a three putt is well done. Whew! I'm glad I have finished reliving that hole. By the way, the book notes that a recent survey rated Brae Burn's greens the fourth toughest in the U.S. after Augusta National and others.

Whether you are a Ross fan or not, any golfer will love this book. If you are a Ross fan, this is a must have. It would also make a great gift for anyone who loves Ross.

Use this book to change your misconception that only a Pete Dye course can truly challenge shotmakers!

Hit 'em all straight, and you'll have no problems.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golf, As It Is Meant to Be Played : A Celebration of Donald, July 4, 2000

By	Mark D. Stenner "mdstenner" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A superb and elegant rendition of the masterwork of Donald Ross. I have played a few Ross courses in the US and have glimpsed some of the wonderful work this landmark architect created. However, my own appreciation of Ross' genius pales compared to the care, thought, and detail that have been pored into this short opus. A book for any golfer who wants to gain a better understanding of the design aspect of the game we strive to conquer every time we play.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Donald Ross Book, June 29, 2009

By	R. Elder (TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Golf, As It Was Meant To Be Played: A Celebration of Donald Ross's Vision of the Game (Hardcover)

This is a great book for the golfer who enjoys the course design of
Donald Ross. Featuring 18 of his best holes. The photography is
excellent and brings out the Ross style. The write up of each hole is
also very well done. If your are a member of a Donald Ross designed
course or have enjoyed playing his courses, you will enjoy this book.