In the mid1990s, MacKenzies lost golf manuscript, written a year before his death in 1933, was found and finally published as The Spirit of St. Andrews.

Even all these years later, MacKenzies thoughts on such topics as the golf swing, rules, great courses and holes, and golfers are interesting and intuitive. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap
"The Spirit of St. Andrews may have been written 60 years ago, but much of its content is timeless. MacKenzie never minces words, and his views on golf, golfers, and courses remind us that he was not only a brilliant architect but one of the most provocative characters the game has produced."
George Peper, EditorinChief, GOLF Magazine

Having been part of a family closely associated with the game of golf for more than eighty years, I suppose its not unreasonable to feel that as far as the game goes there is nothing left to surprise—youve seen it, done it, and are on the verge of, dare I say, becoming bored. You look at the world and nothing is the same, life is but a shadow of what it was, sport is seemingly no longer played for enjoyment, commercialism is everywhere, which, according to some, is progress. But when youre just about to reach for the solace of a large whiskey mac on a dreary winters day, along comes a bit of magic to lift the spirits. It arrived in the form of a manuscript written by Dr. Alister MacKenzie entitled simply The Spirit of St. Andrews.

Perhaps the discovery of this manuscript written in the doctors own fair hand was not quite as dramatic as Lord Caernarvon discovering the burial ground of Tutankhamen, but for lovers of golf it must run it damn close. Written in early thirties, it provides page after page of interest, common sense and information.

Ive never read a more interesting book on golf, for it not only covers the art of creating a course, stressing the importance of building it so people of all levels of competence may enjoy playing, it also transports the reader in his minds eye to many far flung venues that over the last forty years or so have become so much a part of folklore.

Im honored to have been allowed to introduce this masterpiece, for that is what it surely is.
Peter Alliss, Noted Player, Commentator, Author and Architect --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Product Description