Alister MacKenzie

A Mackenzie Course - that has stood the test of time

Nicknamed " the Course Doctor " Dr. Alister MacKenzie is widely acknowledged as one of the world's most respected golf course architects.     

In 1919 at the club's request, the Sutton Coldfield course was re-designed by the celebrated Scottish course architect.

      The revised Sutton course layout has many MacKenzie features throughout, but in making his initial observations, MacKenzie revealed one of Sutton Coldfield's  underlying strengths is that the natural quality of the terrain and sub soil on which the course is based upon is so good, it led for Mackenzie himself to enthuse.

" The land on which the present course is situated is almost the best heathland I know for golf. It is a wide open moor similar to Walton Heath but in some respects superior, in that it is more wooded and has much better sand...  "    

The resulting benefit and bonus for today's golfer is that the tight knit fairways and true rolling greens drain remarkably well, resulting in Sutton's course being dry and playable in mostly mud free conditions - even in the depths of an English winter.

In appreciating and understanding what our course has to offer as a golfing experience today, it's really worth taking another look back to MacKenzie's original 1919 report and where his original intentions and aspirations were directed from the outset when undertaking his redesign brief.

At the time MacKenzie reported,  " if all the course changes were made there should be no weak holes on the course "    

Something that our members and visitors alike these days will confirm has stood the test of time since the challenge the course represents today, remains true testament to his original intention.

Sutton Coldfield's link to Augusta National - Home of The Masters:

MacKenzie was responsible in creating and designing  a host of courses throughout the 1920s, culminating with his 1928 design of California's Cypress Point Club and Pasatiempo. A year later after golfing legend Bobby Jones had played both these courses, Jones was then convinced Alister MacKenzie was the man to build his dream course - the Augusta National Golf Club, Home of the Masters, which embodies MacKenzie's precepts.

It is thought that many of the course design features MacKenzie originally created and adopted at Sutton Coldfield formed the seeds and basis of the layout plans at Augusta.    

We look forward to your visiting us to enjoy the Sutton experience.