The Missing Links: America's Greatest Lost Golf Courses & Holes

who knew america lost so many great golf courses until this book came out? the list of architects reads reads like a "who's who" with tillinghast, macdonald, ross, reynor, mackenzie and others losing their works mostly to development and depression. more than 25 in all mostly from new york's long island, chicago and california. representing the greatest loss was "the lido," a macdonald design on the tip of long island's southside long beach. it was ranked #2 in the world to new jersey's pine valley, with many prominent players and architects ranking it #1 overall in the world. a seaside links cut in hamptons-like dunes with ever-present ocean-winds, and with replicas of many of the world's most famous holes, the reader can't help but dream of going back in time and playing here. the other lost course that will leave you wishing for a time machine is a little further out on long island "Timber Point," from the lesser known architect C.H. Alison. from the images, it looks like a cross between pine valley and cyprus, with it's half in the pine forest, half in the dunes routing. the writing style is at times choppy and more pictures or illustrations would have been helpful (assuming any more existed), but all in all it's an engaging work that would capture the attention of most golf enthusiasts. it should be a required coffee table book at private clubs. in addition to the history, club members should be weary that their club could fall victim to the "eminent domain" development demands or hard times that claimed so many of these once thought of as "untouchable" masterpieces.

Not far from where I live is a park. It is hilly, has a small river running along one side, pleanty of dips and humps. Gee, I said to myself, this would make a great golf course. When I looked at an aerial photograph of the park, I could see trees which defined what could have been golf holes. Walking along them, I could see there was once what appeared to be a fairly engaging course there. This was not one of the courses discussed in Missing Links, but it did make me quite curious about the subject. What masterpieces of the architectural greats (Macdonald, Thomas, etc.) have disappeared? What were they like? Highest on my list of courses I wanted to know about was Lido, CB Macdonald's work that was said to feature a hole drawn up by Alestair Mackenzie for a design contest Macdonald held on a trip to England. Another was Ponoxo, Tillinghast's own playground for creative design. Of the former, records exist, and it is thoroughly chronicled in Missing Links. This and other courses also feature a small appraisal by the author regarding whether the course would hold up to modern standards, presumably Tour standards. There are period photos as well, which aid the imagination in reconstructing the holes. The latter, Ponoxo, was never built, despite Tillinghast writing extensively about his plans in his essays. Even here, Missing Links gives some view as to what the project was about, and why it did not take off. This book is a must for golf historians and architecture fans. I doubt anyone else will get much out of it. However, given that so many classic designs are falling to the hands of modern "reconstruction", this book adds to the record of design concept and strategy which will hopefully not be totally forgotten.

The Missing Links: America's Greatest Lost Golf Courses & Holes by golfing enthusiast and history Daniel Wexler wonderfully showcases grand American golf courses that have two things in common: they were designed by some of the most talented architects in the history of the sport, and they no longer exist in the present day. Resurrecting memories of lost golfing paradises with a profusion of maps, black-and-white photographs, picturesque descriptions and trivia, The Missing Links is a fascinating and informative tour through time and golf courses gone by. Also very highly recommended is Daniel Wexler's superbly illustrated companion volume, Lost Links: Forgotten Treasures Of Golf's Golden Age (Clock Tower Press, 193220203X, $45.00).

Summary: The enthusiasm for private golf courses is almost as high now as it was when most were established around a hundred years ago in the United States. During the Depression and in the suburban expansions after World War II, many private golf courses either disappeared or were turned into home lots. Mr. Wexler has done an outstanding job of bringing these courses to life, even though we will never see most of these holes in person. The book features 27 of over 100 lost courses that he has found. Among these are courses that hosted the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. So much for fame!Review: If you did not know that these courses have ceased to exist in their original form, you would think that existing courses were being described. The 27 featured courses include a visual layout of the course, scorecard, hole-by-hole descriptions, history of its development, photographs of play and holes, a little about the course designer, and an assessment of how the course would be viewed today. I was particularly impressed to see that many of these courses disappeared in New York State. Imagine having so many scenic spots changed away from golf today. It would never happen. Or at least I hope it wouldn't. What do you think? Of the courses, I was shocked to learn that 6 or 7 would be in the top 100 in the U.S. today. Even if that is optimistic, it does seem like a shame to lose any great golf tracks. As a Donald Ross fan, I was astounded to find out that expanding I-95 in New Jersey had helped doom his course, the Englewood Country Club. Even more remarkable was the loss of Pinehurst number four, so close to his masterpiece of Pinehurst number two. In addition to enjoying this book, golf club members should think about how to provide for the financial security of the courses where they play. After all, many of these are on land that would sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars an acre. What is to stop conversions of more top courses into building lots in the future during times of economic troubles? Certainly, the many clubs that have invested extra millions in clubhouses and courses recently may have made this more likely. After you finish enjoying this book, think about what else may have disappeared from your community. See if your local historical society has photographic records to help you see those missing parts of history.Cherish what is fine . . . even when the costs are high!

This is an incredibly original and detailed work. Golf historians and enthusiasts will appreciate the detail, but the average sports fan might find it too tedious. But if you are a golfer, Wexner spookily evokes lost courses and estimates how the courses would play today. The book is a bit pricey; yet, that won't matter to the right customer. An excellent book within a narrow frame.