Harry Shapland Colt, Alistair Mackenzie, John Morrison and High Allison designed, developed or amended over 300 courses around the globe. Whilst their expertise is renowned by a limited number of experts in the fields of modern day golf course design and construction, most golfers are unaware of the achievements of HS Colt and his associates.
Royal Lytham & St Annes, itself a Colt designed course, today sees the official launch of The Colt Association. The Association Committee feels that there is an opportunity to develop a community represented via the 300 clubs with which the architects were associated and the individual members of these clubs. There has never been or is unlikely to ever be another opportunity to unite so many leading golfing venues with a common heritage.
The Committee strongly believes that the Colt Association can be of benefit to clubs and their members by providing opportunities to meet and share information. In addition, the Committee believes that it has a responsibility towards promoting the heritage of golf, through the incredible work undertaken by these great people.
“One of the main focus points for the Association will be to summarise the characteristics that make the designers’ courses instantly recognisable,” said. Ralph Pickering, secretary of the Association. “We will be reviewing techniques that were used to create the courses by looking through the comprehensive historical documentation that we have been gathering. The aim of this is to provide information to clubs looking to make amendments to their courses, so that those changes may be sympathetic to the original design.”
The Colt Association enquiries to Nicola Dodd at Stoke Park Club 01753 717171