The Spirit of St. Andrews [Paperback]

Alister MacKenzie was one of golf's greatest architects.  He designed his courses so that players of all skill levels could enjoy the game while still creating fantastic challenges for the most experienced players.  Several of MacKenzie's courses, such as Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Pasatiempo, remain in the top 100 today.  In his "lost" 1933 manuscript, published for the first time in 1995 and now finally available in paperback, MacKenzie leads you through the evolution of golf--from St. Andrews to the modern-day golf course--and shares his insight on great golf holes, the swing, technology and equipment, putting tips, the USGA, the Royal & Ancient, and more.  With fascinating stories about Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and many others, The Spirit of St.  Andrews gives valuable lessons for all golfers as well as an intimate portrait of Alister MacKenzie, a true legend of the game.Alister MacKenzie was born in England.  He practiced medicine and served as a civil surgeon in the Boer War, beginning his career in golf-course design shortly after returning home.  He died in 1934.From Chapter Seven: Some Thoughts on Golf

My friend, Max Behr, has written learnedly and at great length to prove that golf is not a game but a sport. He may be, and probably is, quite right, but it is no good quibbling about words; the chief thing to bear in mind is that golf is a recreation and a means for giving us health and pleasure.

How often have we known committees, presumably consisting of men of intelligence, receiving the statement that golf is played for fun, with eyes and mouths wide open in astonishment?  It is always difficult to persuade them that the chief consideration that should influence us in making any alteratiló&