Old Tom Morris – Masterpieces of the Natural World

What makes a golf course timeless?

In Part Two of The Great Golf Architects, we explore the remarkable courses that established Old Tom Morris as the father of golf course architecture. From the sacred fairways of St. Andrews to the rugged beauty of Royal Dornoch, the championship challenge of Carnoustie, and the historic links of Prestwick, Morris showed the world that great golf courses are discovered—not manufactured.

Long before bulldozers and computer-aided design, Old Tom believed that the land itself should determine the golf holes. His respect for natural contours, strategic simplicity, and walkable routing created a philosophy that continues to inspire architects such as Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie, A.W. Tillinghast, Pete Dye, Tom Fa ...