Course Architecture Books

Has fundamental ideas and suggestions for implementation, however I thought this book was a giant advertisement for the author's other services and books. I probably would not consider another of Ms. Jennings
books...

I found this book to be extremely informative and helpful. The author clearly loves the business of redesign and is devoted to helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Her style is personable, direct and practical. I appreciate the links to other resources, including her own, as I know one can never have enough ways to promote one's business and it's foolhardy to reinvent the wheel. Anyone seriously wanting to make their business as profitable as possible should greatly appreciate access to all the resources they can get. I have purchased other books she has written and recommend all of them very highly.

This book is easy to read and has very helpful information that you can use. It contains things that you may not think about. I think if just about covers all items you would use in starting a business or just doing for yourself or helping friends with their home.

Any library strong in either interior decoration or business titles simply must have REARRANGE IT! The author's been professionally rearranging homes in California since 1986: her home-based designer tips lend perfectly to those who would operate and foster home-based work while her case studies of clients, tips on what to charge and how to rearrange, assessments of what homeowners need most, and how to turn a chaotic home feel into a design masterpiece makes for clear, specific suggestions. While those selling homes and real estate agents will find this of key interest, so will both those seeking to make a business of home arranging and homeowners just seeking a more logical arrangement, making for a wide-ranging recommendation suitable for any public lending library.

I am not a designer nor will I ever have a design business; however, I am doing some home remodeling and thought that this book might give me ideas on how to "redesign" some rooms using the furniture I have. After reading through the book, I realized that it's geared more towards the design professional -- so I gave it to my sister-in-law, who is in the home design business, and she was absolutely thrilled. She was so excited, that she's now helping me "redesign" my rooms for free ... so the book was well worth the price I paid ;-)

The strongest features of this book are the extensiveness of the research on the numerous architects from the early part of the 20th century in the US, and the period photographs showing what many of the most famous courses looked like before others could alter them.

The Golden Age, as it is called, came just after people began to realize that golf courses needed to be something more than strait shots down alleys surrounded by bunkers. Men who had experienced golf in its native form in Scotland brought back their insights to the US and transformed the alleys into true adventures across the landscape. Sadly, many of them had been all but forgotten until a resurgence of interest in the art of golf design. American golf architecture again was stagnating, and new inspiration was needed.

Geoff Shackelford has stood by the pirnciples of many of the architects he discusses in this volume, and as such takes great care in his descriptions of thier lives, influences, and design philosophies.

Although not as intense a discussion of arcitecture itself that may be found in the writings of the individual architects, Shackelford's overviews combined with the numerous photographs of exemplary holes helps make clear what many of them intended with thier creations.

Of greatest interest is the attention he gives the "Philadelphia School", which includes Pine Valley creator George Crump. The details of how Pine Valley came to be, and how the group out of Philadelphia went on to inspire one another and spread the gospel of golf will be of interest to most.

A wonderful collection of photographs and biographies. All of these courses are classics that I can only dream of one day seeing, much less playing. The vintage photos of the courses provide a glimpse of the majesty of each course and Geoff Shckleford's musings and collection of quotes fill in the rest. Shackleford brought each of the great architects to life. What a great book. I'd love to see a follow up on courses in the West(including Hawaii).

This is a fine historical book that is a worthy addition to any golf library. Many of the photos are very rare and interesting to one who has "seen it all".

My only criticism is that there is a wealth of information on Thomas and other west coast designers whom Geoff has spent the majority of his time researching for his other books. There is an embarassingly small amount of information and absolutely nothing new about Donald Ross. Geoff could be accused of mailing in this section of the book.

More on MacDonald, Raynor and Banks would have been nice, but we have George Bahto's book to look forward to on that account.

The book is very much reflective of the work previously done for his other books and his personal experience, but it still deserves a solid five stars.

A must have for anybody interested in golf course architecture. As great as Pebble Beach is today, you'll wonder why it was ever changed after seeing the old photos of it following Chandler Egan's work in 1929! Buy this beautiful book and you won't be disappointed.

This book is just a perfect overview of the old architects and their design work. I disagree with the reviewer who said certain sections were mailed in. At least to me, each architect was well covered and it did not seem anyone received special attention unless they deserved it, and the Donald Ross chapter was one of my favorites. It includes an incredible picture of the great Seminole course. There is not a single picture in the book I did not want to study closely, and it seemed that every architect included was there for a reason -- their work was sensational golf course architecture that we just don't see these days.

There is so much in this book. It has some great projects and easy to follow instruction.

This book emphasizes how to produce botanical paintings, and it really succeeds there, with a profusion of color illustrations and explanations of color handling. There are also about 20 pages on pencil drawing.
One thing I do object to is the total absence of pen and ink techniques. This book is described as the best and most complete course in botanical illustration ever produced, and yet this cannot be true without pen and ink techniques. The vast majority of botanical illustration - as opposed to botanical art - is published as black and white. (I am a published botanical illustrator, all of the publishers I worked with wanted ink illustrations, not pencil). If someone is hoping to use this book to help start their career, it is lacking. But if you are looking to start painting botanicals as I am, it is great.

I have been drawing for 1 year, was looking for a book that would give me insight into producing realistic plantlife. This one is a good instructional volume, but is geared more toward water color than pencil drawing. Still very helpful and worth having in a library of how to art books.

Who was to know that such a great book was available?
I must first address the privilege of wonder of visiting
the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. Anyone interesting
in plants and garden design will be in rapture.I have visited
the Eden Project twice, the second occasion taking 3
of my grandchildren. It is one the the best teaching
tools I have ever seen for adults and children alike.
It is a pity that the United States has not invested
and created such a close to nature tool for its children
and families to learn and enjoy. Once again to understand
nature one has to learn to appreciate it. What a perfect
time in history for such a development in the U.S. This
being said the book is a true gift. It shows such a simple
break down of learning to draw botanical art. Cleverly
written and illustrated for the layman to follow and an
important tool in both studying and painting botanicals.
Thank you Amazon, once again!

A fabulous book- explaining all the materials, methods, colors, shapes, and such that make botanical illustrations so very realistic and beautiful. There are marvelous watercolor tips, tips on keeping a sketchbook, showing the roots of a plant, and painting white flowers realistically (somthing I am horrible at).

The book shows you how to create highlights, depth, and texture. It also covers how to show a plant dissected and bisected. More tips include how to make your picture work. A really enjoyable book that has me sketching the leaves from my garden and yard at the kitchen table. Beautifully illustrated throughout.

Found this to be a very interesting biographical glimpse into the work of Pete and Alice Dye. It has 18 chapters, described as holes. A few of the chapters cover more than one course but basically, a history of the owner, how the Dyes came to design the course and some interesting facts about the construction of the course are the main thrust of the book. Just a note, this is not a picture book. It might have been made better by either some pictures or illustrations of the things described in the text.

Pete Dye has long been one of my favorite course designers and this book gave me some great insight into the mind of a master. I recommend this book to anyone who has played one of his courses and cursed Dye's name, it will make you appreciate all the design elements that you may have missed.

You are going to love this book despite if you are a golf lover or not. It's the story of some of Pete Dye best golf courses described in a chapter base. Those who know Pete will enjoy the book since it is like talking to him in person because of the simplicity of the words chosen and the graphical description that he makes of how each course was conceived.

The story of the famous island green 17th at the Stadium Course at TPC is one of a kind. I particularly enjoy the story of "Teeth of the Dog", a course that could hardly be replicated in history since it was practically built by hand decades ago at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. It is not only the best Golf Course in the Caribbean -according to Golf Digest and many other publications- but also the birthplace of golf in the DR at this enchanted destination. I consider this course as the "Prima Donna" of the Caribbean and one of the top 20 in any most play list. I hope that in a next edition he could also include one of his most recent courses "Dye Fore" also at this destination which I partially saw in the book Caribbean Architecture: Exclusive Designs by Gianfranco Fini in Marina Casa de Campo and has a breathtaking view all over the Chavon Cannon, the Casa de Campo Marina and, of course, the Caribbean Sea.

Pete's book will help you understand why there is such connection between the player and his courses, how he makes it happened and best of all the anecdotes behind the creation of each one of them. This book is a keeper and it rating is 5 out 5 starts with any doubts. The pictures are touching; the text is like talking to Pete himself and; is a most for any golf aficionado.

Having played several of Dye's famous layouts, you realize this guy knows the game and challenges all facets of your shotmaking abilities (or should I say streches them.) Enjoyed the organization by layout. Must seem like real chapters in his life. Great book from a great architect.

Books by golf architects tend to be on the dull side for most people. They don't tell you a story of their development as architects, or how their courses evolved during the design phase, but just seem to begin and end with "see, wasn't this brilliant?"

Pete Dye is something of a mystery to many. His designs are "unique", which can be bad or good for most people. Where did his ideas come from? What influences him the most? What stories are behind his greatest feats?

In this one book, we get pleanty of answers, all in a tale that feels like you are sitting down and listening to it as it is being told. Even golfers tend to think course architecture is a dull subject, but hopefully this will change a few minds. Architecture isn't some great mysterious practice. It is an art, and the artist is often times less seperated from us than we care to imagine.

I live in North Carolina, where Ross made his home--at least in the fall, winter, and spring. There's almost a holy reverence for the man around here but there's a lot of bluster and phoney-ness too. For example, there are plenty of clubs that say they have a Ross course when they have anything but. I remember a guy at a country club here telling me how fortunate they were to have an original Ross course. At the time, I didn't know any better and so I believed the dafty. I soon discovered that little of the original routing remained. Why? Because Trent Jones came in at some stage and pretty much blew the place to smithereens plus the large oak trees of which members are so fond had changed the original routing beyond recognition. And if you cut down those trees at that club, you're dead. Dead. The original course had a handful of trees.

The beauty of Brad Klein's book is that it demystifies Ross while providing those with Ross courses a blueprint for renovation or restoration. It's a coffee table tome but it's much more than pretty pictures on coated paper. It's a thoroughly-researched thesis from someone with an advanced degree. It's also very well written and even passionate. Klein also resists the temptation to go PC, sensibly preferring to place Ross within the context of his time and place. Ross wasn't the greatest golf course architect (that's HS Colt) but Ross was a brilliant router; he understood the value of a golf course that everyone from the weekend hacker to the scratch man or woman could enjoy. Modern golf course architects need to make their courses easier, not harder. Take a look at one of the few remaining relatively untouched Ross courses. Which living golf course architect could make it better, or, more importantly, more enjoyable? On the 'real' Ross courses I've played, apart from Pinehurst #2, you have to work very hard to bag a lot of big numbers.

Klein's book features details about the man and also discusses several of his courses. There's also a useful directory in the back. The book is also the story of one man's version of The American Dream. Ross arrived here pretty much penniless but managed to build a useful empire through hard work and some smart thinking. The book shows that Ross was a "Canny Scot" who knew how to promote himself and satisfy his clients. Nothing wrong with that. It's a happy story.

It might have been tempting for Klein to get all cuddly with the group that calls itself The Donald Ross Society. I've met some members of said conglomerate, including one of its officers, and they are all a bit full of themselves. Klein mentions the society but it's very much his book, his thoughts, and his ideas. I like books with opinions and character. The book is respectful without being gushy and authoritative without being pompous.

I hope that my buddy at the Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones golf course that's currently under renovation reads Klein's book. He needs to. So too should anyone who is interested in golf course architecture and wants to know what a real Ross golf course looks like. Hint: it's rarely like Pinehurst #2.

Whereas Bahto in the Evangelist of Golf is focused on the National more and how it came to define C.B. MacDonald, Brad Klein produces a broad overview of Donald Ross and is less focused on any one aspect of his life and career as a golf designer.

Donald Ross was the Henry Ford of golf design. Some 400 courses confirmed to his credit with, of course, Pinehurst being his crown achievement.

I think this is a solid overview of Donald Ross in general, but I was hoping to really appreciate "why" his courses were so special. We get to understand that for Donald Ross, his routings and greens were some of his strong points. However, the Ross hole and green diagrams along with the course plans only convey so much about this. Yes, they're great but the text I feel isn't in depth enough to really bring out what's buried in the diagrams, plans and pics. Instead, we are exposed to tid bits of some of the more popular courses he's produced. There's an attempt to explain Ross strategies and golf design philosophy in chapter 7, but it's high level and general. I also don't quite grasp why chapter 7 wasn't placed sooner in this book. Maybe I was expecting too much on this. Indeed, this is not a "Confidential Guide" of Ross courses as John Conley states in his earlier review.

At any rate, I think the strengths of this book lie within the quality production, tremendously thorough research (especially when it comes to how Ross did things), very good photographs (especially when it comes to before and after course pictures), and the historical perspective.

The Pinehurst section is very interesting from a background and historical perspective, but you won't learn much about why the course is great.

The renovation / restoration segment is also very informative. Some great pictures illustrate what can happen when proper care is given to a renovation / restoration effort.

There's a nice comprehensive compilation list of Ross's courses, but unfortunately it won't help you figure out which one's you can play. Maybe in the next revision, Klein can indicate which courses are public vs. private. Even tracking back some of the courses within the book won't help either, as you're never too sure which one's are public or private.

Overall, I'd recommend this volume in a heartbeat. Just don't have grand expectations about understanding what makes such and such a Ross course so great. Rather, view this work as a very good and thorough review of what was involved in being Ross the person, family man, hard working course designer, and creator of many great golf courses.

Brad Klein has done a superb job in this lavishly illustrarted story of Donald Ross,long recognized as one the original "founding fathers" of the golden era of golf architecture. While it shows dozens of courses in detail,it is much more than a picture book, since it tells the story of Ross right from his earliest days in Scotland. Klein weaves a very readable and interesting picture of the life and accomplishments of Donald Ross.

The book is well named since it a wonderful journey of discovery. There are all kinds of new insights for even the Ross fans who thought they read everything about DJR. But it will hold the interest of any reader who loves to read about a rich, full life told well. About a man who left Scotland for America without enough money to buy his second meal but who worked so hard he became one of the best paid individuals in all of sports.

And it is about a man who never forgot the meaning of family and his employees.

Brad Klein's book is throughly researched, well written and shows a genuine love for golf and for one of the men who made it great. Mr Klein is on his way to join that list.

John Purcell

There is little doubt of the time and effort it took to reasearch this phenominal book on one of Golf's Great Heroes.

Author Brad Klein gives the reader a inside view of not only who Donald Ross was, what he represents to the game of Golf today, as well as a revealing throwback to an age gone by.

Aerial photos, course diagrams, and other pertinent data show the reader just how much the game's playing grounds have changed, and the effort to hold on to their design critieria as was intended by this soft spoken man from the North of Scotland.

I would highly suggest this book to all who love the game of Golf itself, as well as the courses of Donald Ross; and for those who love golf courses, in general.

In "Discovering Donald Ross," Bradley S. Klein has written a book which can be thumbed through and enjoyed as visual entertainment by the casual golfer/reader or closely studied by the ardent student of the old game. Left on the coffee table or the night stand to be used to fill precious spare minutes with golf-related dreaming, the photos and captions alone will captivate and enlighten the reader. Dr. Klein has revealed himself as a talented photo-journalist, equally comfortable telling the story of Donald Ross with pictures or with words. Be prepared to be educated while being entertained. Using wise delineation of chapter headings, Klein walks us through Ross' childhood, family life, and career to the ultimate reason for the book: the author's knowledge of and desire for preservation of classical, especially Donald Ross, golf courses. Anyone who has the blessing of playing one of Klein's cited courses will understand his devotion. Lovers of biography will be fascinated by Klein's stories of Ross' background and personality. History buffs will learn through clearly written text and old black-and-white photos the problems encountered in golf course constuction as well as the societal and economic limitations that Ross faced. Those who get caught up in beautifully photographed golf landscapes will be captivated by the visual journey from windswept Scottish links where Ross was weaned to America's varying terrain where Ross was to be so successful. Klein's book, like a Ross course, represents a value and pleasure for the user, whether casually approached or closely scrutinized.

I bought this book as preparation for a golfing trip to where else St Andrews. We booked Castle course witout ever having seen the course but offcourse knowing the architect by reputation (Bandon sound familiar?).
The book turns out to be even better than we hoped its a great read just do not start reading late at night cause it is hard to put away...

the book suits my tastes well. i'm always interested in how passionate people come together to develop ideas, overcome obstacles, and get things done. double-bonus that the theme is golf.

i hope to play "the Seventh" someday and experience, first hand, whether the intense passion and unusual approach of the team and its leaders actually produced a good result.

I purchased this book as a favor for my great-aunt who wanted this book as a gift for her son. She was told by a friend this would be a great book for my cousin as he is an avid golfer.

As a non golfer who has never even walked a course I enjoyed this book immensely. Mr. Gummer brings the entire process of course building to life and his book is populated with larger than life characters. A great read and a perfect present for any golfer.

Hi, I'm David McLay Kidd and I wanted you to know what fun is was working with Scott on this book, he captured both the artistic and social level of what I and my team do and MOST importantly WHY we do it. I have been amazed at the positive comments I have received from those that have read the book, it reallys seems to capture the imagination of golfers. I hope you enjoy it. David...

I really have nothing to add to the other reviews of this book. I've never learned as much from one single book as I have reading this one. Love it!

This is probably one of the best computer architecture books I have ever read. The thing I like about this book is that Reis does not fall into the same trap as other authors and fills the first seven chapters of the book with lessons on what binary and hex is and how to convert between the two. I have always hated when technical authors begin an advanced technical book with freshmen level topics such as number systems. Real does not repeat this typical mistake. He actually teaches advanced topics such as how the JVM actually works, or how to write a simple compiler by using simple examples and that one can build on. He is obviously very knowledgeable, but uses non technical language in order to reach you. Kudos for a job well done Mr. Reis.

This book is the best book I've seen in assembly language/architecture. It's very clear, thorough, and concrete. It is really superb in how it teaches system concepts. And it shows how C++ and Java works, in addition to how computers work. It has a great chapter on the JVM. It also covers the SPARC and the Pentium. By means of the included software, the reader can design, implement, and test new architectures.

I rank this book at the same level as the Patterson/Hennessy book on computer organization. P/H is more advanced on the hardware side (perhaps too advanced for a first course in this area) but much weaker on the software side. Reis' book is better for a first course. The software that comes with the book is well designed and works well. It allows you to work with the computer at both the machine and micro levels. I've been using the Linux version. Versions are also available for DOS, Windows, Sun Sparc, and Macintosh OS X.

This is one of the greatest books about assembly you can buy...

I will tell you why:

The most of the books (e.g. 'Assembly Language Master Class' of Wrox) which you can buy about assembly are about topics like 'how to paint a bitmap on the screen', 'how to write to a file', 'how to read a character from the keyboard', and so on.

This is nice if you only want to know some little tricks and learn (nearly) nothing about assembly.

If you want to learn something about assembly buy this book! This book covers nearly everything you can imagine in depth.

The nice thing is that is starts like a typical B.Sc computer science computersystem/architecture class: what are numbers, what's hex, what's binary. What about negative numbers? This is a really nice book for someone without formal CS education which want to jump to that level (and beyond).

It covers number theory (hex/bin/etc), Logic units and ALU, etc. etc. This book covers really everything: Virtual Memory, OO programming in Assembly (yeah read it right), different processor architectures, instruction sets, codegenerating by compilers, writting an assembler (yeah cool! 'an' not 'in') etc. etc.

So: if you are looking for a tips and tricks book look somewhere else. This book starts pretty easy, so a lot of people can read this text, but after you finished this 800 page pounder you will have more insight in low level programming than a typical B.Sc/M.Sc in Computer Science (like me).

Half the enjoyment of Golf just seems to be about being outdoors in beautiful settings.

If you are in the mood to travel, these are some of the places you can travel to in your mind.

The Northeast: Regal Retreats
The South: Grand Tradition
The Midwest: Lakeside Links
the Northwest: Rugged Resorts
The Southwest: Sunwashed Escapes
Hawaii: Ancient Pleasures

Personally, I think playing golf might just be a good excuse to go to one of the resorts in this gorgeous book. Page after Page of beautiful scenery is sure to make you want to start packing your bags, whether you play golf or not.

I think my husband is dreaming of The Phoenician in Arizona.

"Those who visit the Phoenician year after year describe its ambiance in a single word: freedom. The spacious lobbies, tranquil guest rooms, and even the Arizona sky liberate visitors from their usual day-to-day concerns."

Frankly, I thought the resorts in Hawaii looked rather tempting. My husband can just drop me off at the Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai on the way to the course.

~The Rebecca Review

One of my favorite vacations is to go to a top golf resort. Once I am there, my only discomfort is to wonder if I am missing a better one somewhere else out of habit. With this guide, I was able to check out many resorts that I had heard of but had never visited. I can see that I can skip many famous resorts that I had been considering, but should consider some others that I had never heard of. This book will add enormously to my planning of future golfing vacations!

The resort ratings are compiled by travel writers, and the ratings reflect all the aspects of the resort . . . not just the golf. The categories include golf challenge, beauty, lodging, food and amenities. Amenities aren't very important for me, so I can ignore that category. Food is fairly unimportant unless it is inedible, and local restaurants can usually solve that problem . . . so I discount that category as well. I am very sensitive to the golf, the beauty, and the lodging, so I can select on that basis. You can do a similar weighting of what's important for you.

I thought that the golf challenge rankings were much too similar. For example, Indian Wells in California was ranked much like La Quinta and for me there is no comparison. But you can read the slope and index, and look at sample holes and make your own judgments.

I suspect that resorts that are well known got a little overrated. I like Spanish Bay, but I wouldn't rate the course number two for golf challenge ahead of 98 other resorts, including nearby Pebble Beach.

But the best part of the book can be found in the spectacular two-page color spreads of views of the courses and natural beauty of the surroundings. It felt like a vacation just to see these lush scenes! I was impressed to see that many midwestern courses offer interesting challenges, which I would never have realized had I not seen this book. The overall top rated resort from the perspective of this book is The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. It definitely looks like a resort I would like to try, and I would never have considered it otherwise.

The main drawback of this book is that it only rates the golf resorts in the United States. Since golf resorts are expensive compared to air fare, it would have been better to rate the worldwide golf resorts. Many of the top resorts in Europe would easily nose out all but the top 20 or so on this list. A secondary drawback is that the rating is done as though the resort is always attractive to visit. Some of these places are only worth playing on for a few months of the year (such as Mount Washington in New Hampshire), while others are terrific for 12 months a year (such as the Hawaiian courses). So be careful when you plan to go!

After you finish examining these beautifully interesting choices, I suggest that you also consider what else can be done in the area. After all, you usually won't be playing 36 holes a day.

Have a well rounded vacation!

I bought this book for my father in law and he loves it!! it is a great book for anyone who loves golf! the pictures are awesome, they catch some good shots and it's got details on everything. I don't know much about golf, but I even liked the book! It is truly a great gift, and I recommend it to anyone interested in Golf!!!

This book is unreal! The pictures are captivating . . . as if I was looking down the 18th fairway at Harbour Town! A must have for the avid golfer.

An excellent discussion of the way to teach design. Highly recommended. Needs to be resurrected from the out-of-print bin.

This book is the best book I've seen for teaching fundamental Architectural design. It is both simple and sophisticated, and the exercises it contains are accessible to all students, yet have the depth to challenge the most advanced graduate students. Where Ching teaches the mechanics of design, this book teaches the thinking processes of design. The readings included in the book are especially relevant to Architectural and aesthetic education. The ideas put forth in this book have in many ways become a de-facto standard for Architectural design education. - Glad to see it's on order.

It is difficult to assign any true rating to this book, as its value goes beyond measure. It is a treasure trove of information on golf strategy, and well as insight into construction which anyone even remotely interested in golf architecture will benifit from reading.

Alistair Mackenzie wrote that most golfers know whether they like or dislike a hole, but not why. Thomas goes a long way to explaining the why. Variety, equity, challenge: the things we hope to find on every course.

Even if you are simply a fan of the Riviera CC, site of the LA (Nissan) Open every year, reading this book will help illuminate why this course is what it is.

This book is a must for all golf historians and want-to-be golf course architects. It gives you in depth insight on how to build a strategic and rewarding golf course. George C. Thomas has the courses to back it up as well. A perfect example is The Riviera Country Club, which I have worked at and played many times. It is the epitomy of a strategic course that this book exemplifies.