Alister MacKenzie was a doctor before becoming a golf architect?

Alister MacKenzie originally trained as a medical doctor and worked as a physician before turning his attention to golf-course architecture. During the First World War, he served as a military surgeon, where he also studied camouflage and the art of concealing military positions.

That experience influenced the way he thought about golf-course design. MacKenzie became fascinated by visual deception—how a bunker, mound or change in elevation could make a hole appear more difficult than it actually was. He believed hazards should challenge a golfer’s judgment and strategy rather than simply punish a bad shot.

His ideas eventually produced some of the most celebrated courses in golf history. MacKenzie designed or co-designed Cypress Point and Pasatiempo in California, Royal Melbourne and Royal Adelaide in Australia. Perhaps his greatest legacy is Augusta National, which he co-designed with Bobby Jones. MacKenzie’s emphasis on strategic choices, natural-looking contours and visual deception helped create a course that has become one of the most recognizable in the world.