Golf Architecture for Normal People: Sharpening Your Course Design Eye to Make Golf (Slightly) Less Maddening

by Geoff Shackelford

In Golf Architecture for Normal People, golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford elucidates the world' s most interactive art form in ways that all golfers can enjoy. For those smitten by this centuries-old sport, Shackelford takes readers on a fun walking tour through what is often considered a rarefied field and achieves the following along the --Helps golfers of all skill levels become keener observers while getting more joy out of playing any course --Introduces simple and easy-to-remember ways to judge a design's merits --Cuts through entrenched architectural snootiness to drive home the importance of a few timeless design tenets --Demystifies the complex, interdependent and often perplexing array of factors that make a course fun to play --Provides readers new tools to achieve a more sophisticated understanding what they love (or hate) about a design --Suggests diplomatic ways to disarm design elitists and settle 19th-hole debates -Advises how to merge technology and common sense to decode deceptive design elements --Shares lists of must-see courses and resources to further your connoisseurship.

Genres: Sports

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Conor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointing. As one of the best known, knowledgeable and experienced individuals in golf course architecture, Shackleford had a great opportunity here to make it accessible to those new to the discipline. It falls awkwardly between being for beginners, with mostly very surface level discussion of strategy and decision-making, and for those more involved in the golf world, with plenty of in jokes and obscure references. I can't see anyone new finding this an accessible primer, and there is little of value to someone who already has a grounding in the topic.

If you're a regular reader of Shackleford's email newsletter you might reasonably expect that a professionally produced book would have ironed out the typos and tortured writing style of those publications. You would be wrong.

[Rebecca Pitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanting More

I really didn’t learn much about the evolution of golf architecture in terms of how holes are setup or built. This book seemed to focus on what makes a good or bad course overall-a different topic entirely. Even the last chapter about how to read a course is as standard as things come today. Left me wanting more or something different.

[John Matthew IV · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. It is a great read, serving as a wonderful introduction to golf architecture. If you want to read more, Geoff lists many resouces.

Instead of complicated rating systems, just think R-E-D when you are thinking about a golf course.

Lots of great photos and diagrams add to the book.

Highly recommended.
p. 15: "(R)emember: Can you remember every hole?"
p. 46: ROUTING
p. 51: VARIETY
p. 56 Change of direction
p. 57: Blend of bends
p. 59: STICKY-BUT-SURMOUNTABLE IDEAS
p. 15: "(E)very day: Is it a course you could play every day and never tire of?"
p. 66: IDEAL DESIGNS VS. IDEAL ADVENTURES
p. 72: PLAYABILITY: OLD RELIABLES VS. ROLLERCOASTER RIDES
p. 75: AN INTELLIGENT PURPOSE
p. 78: STRATEGIC VS. PENAL
p. 15: "(D)ogs: Is this a place you can take your dog for a walk?"
p. 94: SCALE
p. 97: WALKABILITY
p. 99: THE UNDERFOOT TEST
p. 104: QUIET BEAUTY
p. 72: "Is the layout challenging but not overwhelmingly difficult?"
p. 77: Jack Nicklaus: "Pebble Beach and Cypress Point make you want to play golf. Spyglass makes you want to fishing."
p. 87: Greyfrair's Bobby
p. 95-6: "The attraction of playing through tight corridors is the golf equivalent of watching TV on a 20-inch screen instead of 55-incher with surround sound."
p. 114: "R for Remember ever hole after you play.
E for Every Day playability and interest.
D for Dog walking friendliness (and friendliness to dogs)."
p. 121: Scottish Bucket List:
1) North Berwick (2023: £200)
2) Cruden Bay (2023 Weekend: £ 180)
3) Royal Dornach (2023: £250)
p. 133: "Architects rarely punish golfers for taking an extra club. The outcome of going long is rarely fatal."
p. 147: "The middle of the green is rarely a bad place to be. If improving your scores is a priority, don't get cute. Middle. Of. The. Green."

[Gerald Matzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geoff Shackleford is an accomplished golf writer as well as a golf architect. The title of this book seems to offer a look at golf course design and building in a way that a “normal” person can understand and appreciate. The books starts out with a simple formula for a great golf course. Using the acronym “RED” he explains his perspective on what it takes for a course to rise to the top of the list. Can you Remember the holes after you’ve finished. Is it a course you would want to play Everyday. Is it a place where you could take your Dog for a walk. These three points take a lot of explanation and he takes up most of the book doing so in a sometimes humorous vein but he also writes like he has a Thesaurus sitting next to him. Only in the last chapter does he get practical with some valuable observations about course design that could be helpful for the normal golfer.

[Thomas Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

What so many complain about this book are the exact reasons why this isn’t for them. This is an intro book to golf architecture and some of the ways you can truly change your perspective on how you look at courses, yes it doesn’t go too in depth but like I said it’s an intro book, and at the end, Shackelford even provides books and websites at the end of the book to further dive into the studies of course architecture and golf as a whole. I will say some grammar mistakes did make it passed the final look over but outside of that this book does exactly what it was meant for; providing beginners in golf architecture a way to get into golf architecture and even challenge themselves to look at their home course and other courses, differently.

[Patrick Dineen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is a very very high level overview of golf course design and like it’s name states, is for normal people.

I do struggle to think of who’s going to take the time to read this book. Probably someone who wants to know more than just the high levels.

A book for new golfers or for someone who’s never thought for a minute about golf course design. But it’s really the 101 course.

Geoff write well and is funny and there’s good nuggets here, but I was hoping for more. Luckily there’s an appendix with further reading.

[David Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shackelford does a good job getting at the heart of how to begin the journey toward appreciating golf course architecture in this short book. My only complaints would be that the book seems to be a bit quickly published (some typos, seeming misquotes, and repetition) and that the author presents certain of his opinions as self-evident facts. While I personally see things very similarly to Shack, I could see how someone who disagrees could have legitimate gripes with his perspective. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who's starting to get the golf bug.

[Josh Sturm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It (slightly) helped and (slightly) hurt my golf course eye. Helped because it simplified a lot of history into a helpful package. Hurt because it leaves my Wisconsin self longing for the organic nature of true links or simply more natural golf design. Good read.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent introduction to golf architecture. There are a lot of great pictures that I think would have been more informative if they were in colour, but I appreciate that doing so may increase the cost beyond what people would be willing to pay.

[Conner Sucic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good primer on the spirit of golf architecture. It doesn’t get into many technical details, but it will definitely help you pinpoint why you like or dislike a course with the R-E-D questions. Pretty witty writing style with a good bit of humor.

[Zach Waldis · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a golf fan, I hate to give a negative review here but I honestly can't say anything I learned about golf architecture from this book (I already knew "sand traps" are bunkers). Geoff isn't the best writer either, though he isn't terrible. Maybe the golf world is a low literature crowd.

[Phil Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shackelford does it again by keeping it simple and doing so with humor (and sarcasm!). A great read for the golfer in all of us.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Shackelford book. The history of golf part seemed to be recapped from many other books. A lot of fluff and not much on architecture.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a premise in search of a book. My least favorite Shackelford book by a lot and I've read them all.

[Christopher Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish more graphs and examples were used. A bit rambly.

[Stephen Epp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read with a couple valid points :) would recommend but it’s a pretty casual approach.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine, a few helpful ways to think through things, but honestly a bit less about actual architectural features than I was hoping for based on the title.

[Coleman Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that reads like you sat down for beers and wanted to know the basics of golf course design. 100% worth the read.

Plus, I added a few courses I want to play here in Oregon

[Brettsinclair70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming. Offbeat. McKellar contributor refines our taste in golf courses..

[Troy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rustic Canyon RULES!⛳

[Danny Sheppard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read but it was more about what makes a golf course good or bad.

[Rich S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the RED rating system.

[NICK GREEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golf Architecture for Normal People, provides a delightful and down-to-earth exploration of golf course architecture. Often, the topic of golf course design is reserved for those who take themselves too seriously, but Geoff Shackelford's writing is refreshingly accessible and free of pretension. He introduces us to well-known architects, courses, and history without any bias or judgment, and he includes a glossary to help readers grasp the technical language without getting overwhelmed. Shackelford also points out the flaws in golf rating programs and shares my criticism of the absurdity of having panelists who have never played golf courses outside of America.
Throughout several chapters, Shackelford explains his R.E.D. program, which provides an insightful way of evaluating golf courses and encourages readers to think deeply about the courses they may have played over the years. He coins the term "pathiness," which describes the walk from a tee to green, and highlights the significance of the journey to the next shot. For example, the walk among the trees in the latter holes at Cypress Point builds anticipation for the next tee shot. Contrast this with the feeling of walking across the tarmac and past condominiums from green to tee at a golf course - Yes, you Florida!
Although Shackelford's book covers a topic about which many people have opinions, it is written with a refreshing lack of bias and a focus on enjoying the game. The book is highly recommended for those interested in golf architecture, but also for anyone who simply enjoys playing the game.

[Jacob Warpinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Objectively a great introduction to folks who may be looking to be educated in a part of their hobby they often leave to the green keepers. Golf architecture is the x-factor of the sport, variable in nature, invites the imagination to wander outside. Shackelford does a great job breaking it down to what we all should look at as a piece that can highlight the best parts of the hobby we all love.

This piece isn’t meant to be the pinnacle book in one’s collection but it sure could be the first.

[Alex Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, with a couple nice anecdotes and thought provoking passages but found that I don’t have many different takeaways. I think would be better if I consumed less content from golf sickos