Featured architects

Herbert Fowler

The instinctive router of great ground

Born
1856, England
Years active
c. 1902–1935
Works
40+ in Britain and the USA
Era
Golden Age

Why the name endures

A first-class cricketer who came to golf late, Fowler famously routed Walton Heath on horseback. He worked without drawings where he could, trusting an eye for ground that produced some of the boldest bunkering of the Golden Age.

Design principles

  • Route first, build second
  • Cross-bunkering that forces a committed line
  • Use existing hollows and ridges as hazards

Surviving work

Courses to see

Walton Heath (Old)

Surrey, England

Heather-clad and windswept, unusually exposed for an inland course.

Saunton (East)

Devon, England

Big dune links with fairways that tumble between sandhills.

The Berkshire (Red)

Berkshire, England

Six of each par, an unusual and much-copied balance.