Exploring Doctor Alister Mackenzie's Golf Course Mastery

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From The Smylie Kaufman Show

How Dr. McKenzie and Perry Maxwell Inspired a Natural Approach to Course Design

One of the highlights from the walk at Cyprus earlier this week was examining Dr. McKenzie’s architectural touches and discussing how those details have influenced other projects. From the spines of greens to the movement of the land, individual features can provide inspiration for creating original designs and refining or restoring classic courses.

Bill Corr and his design partner are great admirers of Dr. McKenzie and Perry Maxwell. Maxwell designed Prairie Dunes and Crystal Downs, and both architects shared a natural approach to their work.

Dr. McKenzie had been a camouflage artist during the First World War and was retained by the British Army. His ability to work with nature carried into his course architecture. The way he routed holes across swinging, moving properties often made it appear as though very little material had been moved. The holes reflected their immediate surroundings, while the bunker flashes and mounds fit naturally into the landscape.

Two examples of that approach are the 10th hole at Augusta and the sixth at Cyprus. Both feature dramatic elevation changes and rolling hills that would be difficult to replicate. Their impact comes from the way Dr. McKenzie worked with the existing land.

The 10th at Augusta was initially shorter. Perry Maxwell later pushed the green back onto the hill, and remnants of the earlier green and bunker can still be seen in the dip. It was one of the few changes Maxwell made to Dr. McKenzie’s work there.

Dr. McKenzie will always be remembered as a natural architect who worked closely with the land. Although he had work crews, he was also among the first to use a bulldozer. Even with that equipment available, his designs retained the natural character of their surroundings.