Alister MacKenzie Golf Courses in the Bay Area

Image of mackenzie-coursesAlister MacKenzie golf courses in the Bay Area include Sharp Park (Pacifica), Claremont Country Club (Oakland), Green Hills Country Club (Millbrae),  Northwood Golf Course (Monte Rio), and Meadow Club (Fairfax).  He is best known for Augusta National (Georgia) and Cypress (Monterey), which at one time was ranked #4 in the U.S.   Sports Illustrated called him “golf’s greatest architect.”

Although born near Yorkshire, England, his strong identification with his Scottish roots featured prominently in many aspects of his later life.  In 1897 he graduated from Cambridge University with a Bachelor of Surgery.  He served as a doctor during the Boer War in South Africa where he became fascinated with the camouflage techniques of the enemy.  As a result, he surrendered his medical practice during World War I and became a camoufleur, making the best use of natural cover. (more…)