Built (truly “built,” not just “laid out”) by Willie Park, Jr., in 1900 and 1901, the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club was, to that point, the most expensive construction project in golf history. It was also more functional, systematically designed, and artful than golfers of the 1890s would have imagined an inland course could be. It marked a major advance in golf architecture and the beginning of the period we now call “the Golden Age.”
This third installment of our Great Courses series starts with an extended introduction from Garrett on the state of golf course design in the late 1800s and the turning point that Sunningdale represented. To further explore the course’s design and influence, Garrett brings on Adam Lawrence (16:26), the editor of Golf Course Architecture magazine and the author of an upcoming biography of Harry Colt. Garrett and Adam discuss Sunngindale’s origins, Colt’s important role in refining its design, and much more.