The Links
Students of golf course architecture are well aware of Robert
Hunter -- and it's all because of The Links. This
scholarly work was different from other architecture books of the
day because Hunter was not a designer attempting to attract
commissions through his writing. His goal -- through the use
of detailed drawings, contemporary photographs and thoughtful text
-- was not only to explain what made the classic holes so
great but why they would stand the test of time.
This exact reprint of The Linksbelongs in the libraries
of all aficionados of golf course architecture.
Preface.
Ante Scriptum:
To Links-Land.
Shots—Old and New.
Things of First Importance.
Laying Out the Course.
The Climax of Golf—The Well-Placed and Well-Moulded
Green.
The Purpose of Hazards—Their Inspiration to Good
Play.
Placing the Hazards.
Constructing the Hazards.
Other Things of Importance.
Ante Scriptum:
To Links-Land.
Shots—Old and New.
Things of First Importance.
Laying Out the Course.
The Climax of Golf—The Well-Placed and Well-Moulded
Green.
The Purpose of Hazards—Their Inspiration to Good
Play.
Placing the Hazards.
Constructing the Hazards.
Other Things of Importance.
Robert Hunter?was a great intellect from a Midwest family, but neither a golf course architect nor a golfing professional. So while he is the most unlikely author of this book, it is considered by many golf course designers as the "Bible" of the trade. Hunter was best known as a socialist reformer, especially in Chicago and New York. His understanding of golf was the product of a six-month trip to Great Britain, where he toured courses using his great mind to gain understanding of the relationship between the playing surface and the game. He concluded that the diversity of golf's terrain is what made the game so difficult and enjoyable. He set down his new knowledge on course architecture in this most valuable text.
