DONALD STEEL
There is no doubt Donald Steel stands among the very best in European golf design. So much so that 4 of his courses have hosted European Tour Events in the last 18 months. These being Forest of Arden, Vila Sol, Barseback, & Gardagolf (Italy) Among his latest projects is the new “Carnegie Links” course at Skibo Castle.
A preference for the natural, traditional look has always guided the working
hand of Donald Steel and Company. Classical golf values underpin their
faith. Golf course architecture obeys no rules. Architects have a free
hand. Courses come in all shapes and sizes, bound neither by dimensional
restrictions nor standardised fashion.
Good architecture relies on the virtues that cannot be taught - intuitive
thought, imagination, an eye for land and a knowledge of the game .
However, there are a few rules of thumb that most accept as the fount
of inspiration. They form the gospel of links golf that extols the virtues
of improvisation, invention and ingenuity in shot making. It also believes
that the golf course should be part of its surroundings, blending as imperceptibly
as possible with the landscape. Only as a last resort should the landscape
be transformed to accommodate the golf course.
Good courses protect the environment , bad designs disfigure it. A good
course should make the best use of the terrain, wending its way through
varied features and routed so as to provide balance in its make-up. It
highlights the importance of the proper angling, shaping and contouring
of greens - the centrepiece of every hole on every course. Clever variations
of level add to the interest and appearance.
Golf course architecture is a creative endeavour . It should be the art
of the possible. Making courses impossible is easy. Spectacular holes
undoubtedly lift any course but enjoyment is the watchword and golfers
find little enjoyment in losing balls attempting long carries over water
or in knee high rough. Too much modern architecture is the slave to colour,
irrigation, power and the lob wedge. It conforms to a sterile formula
that is a betrayal of the belief that there should be more than one way
of approaching
any shot.
Freedom of choice in shot making is one of the joys of the game not least
around greens. Fast running courses are a more potent force than those
watered to death. Here, green keeping policies play a vital role in a
course's presentation but climate as well as the terrain dictate the type
of course and hence the way it plays. Modern golf course architecture's
greatest achievement is in building courses in places and countries where,
hitherto, it would have been out of the question. They are breathtaking
feats of engineering but they are expensive.
A golf course architect's main responsibility is to make the very best
of the land he is given within the budget available. However, value for
money is always important particularly if the popularity of the game is
to be spread along the lines of Scotland where it is the national sport.
His ethos of minimal earthworks and blending the design into the natural
landscape has borne fruition in the rolling landscape of Gower where the
natural contours enhance the challenge and the layout looks to have matured
for 50 yrs.
His role in assessing and varying Open venue layouts on behalf of the R&A is testament enough to his status in golf architecture.
