作者：徐松

本文地址：http://www.igolfyou.cn/space-1483-do-thread-id-20709.html

In My Opinion （依我之见）：

The Early Golf Designers， The Real Golden Age

（早期的设计师，真正的黄金时代）
                           by Melvyn Hunter Morrow 

                          January, 2008  2008年1月。译：徐松

  I am rather concerned to read that some people (who perhaps should know better, although I expect they are seeking additional publicity) are questioning and criticizing the original golf course designers; questioning their involvement and their skills. Many articles and comments have been posted on the internet i.e. The concept of “designing” a golf course would have been alien to the likes of Old Tom Morris. The game’s initial courses were often ’18 stakes on a sunny afternoon’ where golf pros like Morris would simply determine where to place the hole within an interesting piece of property. Nothing was moved or altered, over time the naturalism would start to subtly change.

  我特别在意有些人（他们或许是理智的，但我认为他们只是为了出风头）质疑和批评那些最早的球场设计师，质疑他们的参与和技能。网络上发表了许多文章和评论。如：球场“设计”不应该像老汤姆那样；最初的球场经常是“一个阳光明媚的下午的十八个桩子”，像老汤姆那样的职业选手就轻而易举的在一块有趣的土地上布置了所有球洞；没有移动或者改变什么，随着时间的推移，大自然便进行着微妙的改造等。

This statement, alone, shows nothing but pure contempt for those early geniuses in particular, Old Tom Morris. ˜A sunny afternoon’, that alone conveys their total ignorance and arrogance of the man and the history of the game. Before making statement along these lines perhaps a detailed research should have been undertaken into the courses Old Tom “designed or modified”. Most of his critics have never seen, let alone, listed his courses, so how on earth can anyone make such unbelievable, general statements?

   这些评论，不能说明任何问题，唯独表现了对这些早期的天才们的藐视，特别是老汤姆。“一个阳光明媚的下午”，这本身传达了他们的无知与傲慢，对老汤姆和对这项游戏的历史。在得出这些评论之前，至少关于老汤姆“设计或改造”了的球场的研究是必须的，许多他的批评者从来没有见过他的作品，更不用说，列出他的作品，因此，究竟他们是怎样得出这样令人难以置信、泛泛的结论？

Why are some so contemptuous when we learn that our early designers were able to design a course, say in the morning, and then play an initial game in the afternoon? Their arrogance is unbelievable, yet how many fathers play ball or chip a golf ball with their sons when out for the day on some rough land. Of course it is possible! If you read about Old Tom, he often stated that in a year or so the course with continuous play had the makings of being a good course. Let’s not forget what these early designers worked with, mainly Links courses. To view an early example of a links site all one needs to do is look at the video on www.askernishgolfclub.com

当我们学到最早的设计师们能够在早上一说，然后下午就能够打出一个场地来时，他们为何表现出如此的藐视？他们的骄傲自大，令人难以相信，但是多少父亲和儿子出去一天一起去玩球，在一些粗糙的土地上。这当然是可能的！如果你阅读过老汤姆，他经常说，一年左右的连续打球，使得球场具有成为好球场的条件。让我们不要忘记，这些早期的设计师们主要都是与林克斯球场打交道的。要查看一个早期林克斯场地的例子，你可以去看这个网站上的视频：www.askernishgolfclub.com。

To some, the early course designers were not real designers, just Green Keepers; the idea that they could design a course and play it in the afternoon is comical. Yet the early courses had mainly been Links courses. Looking at Askernish Golf Club, it is indeed possible to stake a course out and have a rudimentary game to see how the course will play. Inland courses are a little more difficult to assess, but let’s not forget that in the mid 1800′s Scotland had thousands of sheep – over the preceding 50-80 years the land was cleared of people for grazing of sheep. The land set aside for golf (in those days) was rough corners of the countryside – exactly ideal for sheep, so the ground would be well cropped and nourished. So, again, it would be possible to mark out a rough course and play it. I am very keen on our history. It has the ability of explaining many things, but, regrettable, in our modern age we have very little time, or even reason, to want to remember, believing perhaps, that evolution has made us superior to our forefathers. A highly ridicules and arrogant assumption, but that, they say, is progress.

    对一些人来说，早期的设计者不算是真正的设计师，他们只是球场养护员；他们可以在一个下午就设计出一个球场并且开打是可笑的。但是早期的球场主要是林克斯球场，看看Askernish高尔夫俱乐部，它的确是可以先标桩出来，然后进行一个简单的试打看看是否可行。内陆的球场有点难于标定，但是我们不要忘记，在19世纪中期，苏格兰有成千上万的绵羊，超过50-80年的时间土地都是用于放牧的。为高尔夫留出的土地（在那个年代）是那些乡下的粗糙角落—也是放牧的理想场地，于是这些场地被很好的修剪、滋养着。因此，再次说明，标桩一个球场并且试打它是可能的。对于历史我是热心的，它有能力解释很多事情，但遗憾的是，如今我们很少有时间，或者理由去铭记、或者相信这些历史已使我们超越了我们的祖先。而是一个高度嘲笑、骄傲自大的藐视，但是他们说，这是一种进步。

The early designers were pioneers; they developed the game, helped laid down the rules, experimented and standardized the courses from bits of waste land adjacent to the sea, encouraged the average man to form clubs and participate in what was a sport for the Landed Gentry.

  早期的设计师们是先驱者；他们发展了游戏，帮助制定规则，试着在临近海边的废地上规范高尔夫球场，鼓励普通人加入俱乐部，参与到这项贵族人的游戏中来。

    I believe, with the financial and mechanical limitations they worked with, the outcome was nothing short of spectacular. A real Golden Age; they set the standard which to this day, has not been matched by any modern Architects, even with all the aids at their disposal. Many believe the Golden Age was later, but I disagree, the later designers had it so easy. The Sport by the first quarter of the twentieth century had already been developed, many clubs had expanded, had the financial resources generated from a growing memberships and could afford the later designers. Their work was straight forward, to design a course; yet when working on existing courses most chose to leave many of the old fairways and greens untouched, perhaps just including minor changes, new bunkers or perhaps increase the lengths and add new Tee positions. This era was more Classical than Golden.

我相信，他们除了受到资金与机械条件的限制，他们的成果是令人瞩目的。一个真正的黄金时代：他们设置了至今还在沿用的标准，这是当今的任何设计师无法相比的，虽然如今拥有可以自由支配的很多资源。许多人认为黄金时代是接下来的时期，但是我不同意，接下来的设计师们太舒服了。20世纪的前15年这项游戏已经得到了很好的发展，许多俱乐部扩大了，随着会员的增加，他们拥有更多的资金可以支付给接下来的设计师们。他们的工作就是直接设计一个球场，或者在已经存在的球场上改造，把大部分的球道和果岭都保留，只是做一些小小的调整：增加几个沙坑，加长一下球道，增加新的发球台。这个时代是比黄金更经典的时代。

By all means question their involvement, voice an opinion, but back it up with facts. It is down to those who wish to question or deny the involvement of the likes of Old Tom Morris, Tom Dunn, Willie Fernie, to name but a few, to prove their case. They cast doubt over our legends with impunity, yet when challenged they ignore the questions; they make statements that this contemporaneous article in X, Y or Z magazine confirms their opinion. But when you read their source article, you realize that it can be interpreted in various ways.

尽一切去质疑他们的参与，这表达了一个意见，但是要用事实来支撑它。对于那些想要怀疑或者否定像老汤姆、汤姆.邓恩 等人的参与的人来说，很少有人能够说出和检验这些设计师的作品。他们只是不受惩罚的怀疑我们的传奇人物，但是当收到挑战时，他们就忽视问题；他们在X、Y或Z杂志上发表同时代的相关评论文章，以证实他们的见解。但是当你看到他们的参考资料时，你会发现，这些资料可以有各种各样的解释。

There has been much made about Old Tom’s involvement at Westward Ho (Royal North Devon), comments made, ˜that there was a course before Old Tom visit in 1864′.There are reports of his visit to improve the course after the R&A’s recognition of the Club. However, what these critics don’t mention (as it does not back up their point of view), was that Old Tom was involved for some 4 week in 1860, invited down from Prestwick to design a new course for the Gossop family. Yes, there was a course before 1864, but it was an Old Tom design. So comments, ˜was not by Old Tom’ are totally inaccurate. It also casts doubts on their comments, and perhaps we should all question the depth of their previous research.

已经有很多关于老汤姆参与Westward Ho (Royal North Devon )的资料，注解写道：“在1864年老汤姆来访之前这里有一个球场”。这个俱乐部在获得R&A的赏识之后，有过关于老汤姆的访场和改进球场的报道。当然，那些批评者没有提到的（因为这对他们的观点不利），是1860年老汤姆在Prestwick球场时，曾经受邀为Gossop家族设计一个新球场，他参与了4个星期的工作。是的，在1864年之前存在一个球场，但是那是老汤姆设计的。一些评论说不是老汤姆设计的，这是完全不正确的。这同样让我们对这些人的评论产生怀疑，或许我们应该全面的怀疑他们之前的研究深度。

Old Tom is the most prominent of the early designers. I have found over 90 clubs/course having a connection with him, and the list is growing. I have been able to confirm that Machrie course on Islay was not by Old Tom. The 18 hole course he designed is now closed (due to the demise of steamers visiting the island around WW1). His course was Uisguintuie Golf Club, Islay. There are four course on the Isle of Man by Old Tom, Douglas (which moved, but is now back within a mile of Old Tom’s original site), Castletown, Ramsey and King Edward Bay. Lahinch is another site his critics say he did, ˜not do’. Yes, he was not involved in 1892, but he did attend a few years later and modified the course with the work being supervised by McKenna. Let’s not forget that Old Tom in the mid 1890′s was in his mid 70′s.

老汤姆是早期的设计师中最卓越的一位。我已经发现超过90个球场与他有关，这个名单还在增加。我可以确信在Islay的 Machrie 球场不是老汤姆的。他设计的18洞球场现在已经关闭了。他在Islay的球场是Uisguintuie Golf Club。老汤姆在人岛上有四个球场，Douglas（被移动过，现在又在以前的场地一公里内被移回来）、Castletown, Ramsey and King Edward Bay. Lahinch 是另外一个他的批评者说不是他做的项目。是的，他在1892年是没有参加，但是他在几年之后改进这个球场，在McKenna的监理下完成的。让我们不要忘记了19世纪90年代的时候老汤姆已经70出头了。

I believe the main problem, as in all things, is to get everybody to understand the original question i.e. did Old Tom design the virgin site at Lahinch? Answer is No. Did Old Tom design a course at Lahinch? Answer is Yes. He was not the original designer, but he suggested modification to the course. The word ˜design’, encompasses many meanings, but if you modify a course you will affect the original design.

   我认为，在所有问题中，最主要的问题是怎样让所有的人都理解最初的疑问，如：老汤姆设计了Lahinch的原始场地吗？答案是没有。老汤姆设计了Lahinch球场吗？答案是有。他不是最初的那个设计师，但是他建议改造了球场。“设计”这个词包含了很多意义，但是当你改造一个球场时，你无疑的改变了最初的设计。

To modify, make minor changes, add Turf Dykes, bunkers, plant shrubs/trees etc, etc, changes the nature of the original design. In my club/course list, I have tried to confirm Old Tom’s actual involvement from surveying the land, modifying or extending the course to re-design or being the original designer. There are many clubs that received a design from Old Tom but the land acquisitions fell through. There are also reports that Old Tom offered advice on parts of a course when he called in on the way to another venue (Panmure springs to mind – he received no fee as it was a favour to a friend). To move any argument forward, we all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet, or, at the very least, understand what we are trying to sing.

改造、做一些小的调整、增加草丘、沙坑、种植一些灌木、大树等等，都改变了原来的设计。在我的球场/球会名单中，我试图确认老汤姆怎样从测量、改建、扩建、重新设计或第一次设计 来参与其中的。还有很多俱乐部接到过汤姆的设计，但因为土地的原因而告吹。同时还有报告称他在前往别的比赛地点途中，被邀请去为一个球场提供建议（Panmure springs—他没有收取任何费用，因为是给一个朋友的帮忙）。撇开一切争议不谈，我们都需要从同一个事实出发，最起码的，应该理解我们试图说明什么。

Earlier, I quoted an article on the web ˜The concept of “designing” a golf course would have been alien to the likes of Old Tom Morris and the writer went on to say, Nothing was moved or altered. This statement is just totally untrue; result of non existence research. To start with let’s look at the Old Course at St Andrews, modified by Old Tom for nearly 40 years, wide fairways, improved bunkers, new and modified greens, to name but a few design features. Still saying nothings altered? Well, what about installing turf dykes (still to be seen at Tarland & Pwllheli)? Perhaps to prove the point about research and history, let’s look at what happened at the Princes Golf Club. A 6,300 yard course was designed in 1891 on land at Croydon Road. Due to the nature of the land the site was massively redeveloped, costing many thousand of pounds. Swamps drained, tons of soiled moved, also filling of gravel workings. The Greens were never made to modern USGA standards – in fact were constructed to hold water during dry summers. Old Tom was never against change; he led the way with the Gutty Ball. He was a very experience golfer and using his vast knowledge as a Green Keeper it was logical that he would design courses. Understanding his designs, his modus operandi, his courses, and perhaps one may learn and understand why he was, and still is, regarded as the father of our modern game of Golf. Old Tom retired aged 83 years old when the Haskell ball started to appear. He understood its potential impact never being against improvements in technology.

   此前，我引用了网上的一篇文章“球场设计不能像老汤姆那样”，作者继续指出：没有任何东西被移动或改变。这样的观点完全是错误的，没有经过任何的研究。首先，让我们看看圣.安德鲁斯的老球场，被老汤姆改造了将近40年，加宽的球道，改良的沙坑，新的果岭，加入一些设计特征…。还是说什么都没有改变么？那么，设置的草丘（在Tarland & Pwllheli 依然可见）又算什么？或许用相关的研究和历史来证明这点，我们可以看看在王子俱乐部发生了什么。一个1891年设计的6300码的球场，位于Croydon Road。由于场地的关系，这里被大量的改变，耗资多万英镑：湿地排水，大量的土壤移动，也有碎石排水层，果岭不可能按现在的USGA标准来建造—实际上被建造成夏季可以存水的果岭。老汤姆从来不反对改变，是他大力倡导的用皮革球代替木质球。他是一个经验充足的球手和球场养护者，当然他就可以利用广阔的知识来设计球场。理解了他的设计，他的手法，他的作品，你并可以理解为什么他曾经是，现在也是现代高尔夫的教父。老汤姆在83岁时退休，那时候正是橡皮球开始出现的时候，他知道技术的进步将要带来的潜在影响。

Later designers just designed and built courses (and some pretty good courses at that). But our modern game of golf was built by those early golfers and designers. The most prominent was Old Tom as Keep of the Greens at St Andrews; 4 times Open Champion, father of Young Tom, another 4 times Open Champion. He did most to bring golf to the ordinary man. Rather than criticize him, we should remember his life’s dedication to the sport we all love. Also let’s not forget a comment by the Australian author, Paul Daley, in his interview on GCA.com March 2001 (note the underlined section) that others gained credit from Old Tom’s work:

 接下来的设计师们仅仅是设计和建造球场。但是我们现代的高尔夫是靠这些最早的高尔夫球手与设计师建立的。最突出的就是老汤姆：四次公开赛冠军，他的儿子小汤姆也是4个冠军，他在高尔夫大众化方面也做了很多工作。我们不应该批评他，而是要记住他的一生对我们所热爱的高尔夫所做出的贡献。我们也不要忘记一位澳大利亚作者，Paul Daley，在GCA.com2001对他的访问中说过：其他人都从老汤姆的工作中学到了很多东西：

‘Old’ Tom … now this is difficult. To quantify the amount of links that he designed, co-designed, remodeled, or merely advised upon, is anyone’s guess – but it is vastly long. It has been noted that some designers more in need of publicity gained credit for his work. How good was he? Probably pretty good in his day, given the era and equipment. What Machrihanish must have been like in the days when ‘rabbity’ turf prevailed and the greens could induce a fit of vertigo. But again, nature was the key player then.

现在要想知道老汤姆设计，参与设计，改造，或者给过建议的球场数量是困难的，大家都是猜测—但是肯定是很多的。人们已经注意到，很多设计师从他的作品中得到帮助。他有多好？可能在他那个年代很不错，特定的时代和装备。当草皮和多姿多彩的果岭盛行时，Machrihanish又会是什么样子呢？ 不过还要强调，自然是非常关键的因素。

Old Tom was an exceptional early designer, he wrote the manual. Without him, I wonder if Ross would have played golf, let alone started designing courses. Would we recognize golf as the international sport it is today without his input? No! I do not think we would. So why do we tolerate these statements. After all, they are about trying to persuade others of your opinion, based upon questionable research. I am of course totally biased, being Old Tom’s great-great grandson, but I have tried to view all my research with an open mind.

   老汤姆是一位杰出的早期设计师，他撰写了指南。如果没有他，我不知道罗斯会不会打高尔夫，更别说设计球场了。我们现在把高尔夫作为国际性的运动能够离开他的贡献吗？不！我不认为我们能。所以为什么我们要容忍这些批评的存在。不过，他们试图说服别人相信他们的观点，建立在可疑资料之上的观点。作为老汤姆伟大的孙子，我当然完全的反对，但是我的观点是基于公开的研究而得来的。

The most remarkable part of Old Tom’s life is how he affected all those that came in contact with him – his brother, George Morris, his son Jack; Charlie Hunter who trained under Old Tom at Prestwick; Charles Blair MacDonald who had a locker in Old Tom’s shop; Horace Hutchinson, friend and travelling companion (understood to have been with Old Tom when designed Askernish in 1891); Harry Colt who spent summers in St Andrews in the 1880′s; William Herbert Fowler a regular visitor to St Andrews & R&A; John Sutherland and Donald Ross who studied under Old Tom; Alexander Herd, from St Andrews; the list goes on. Even Tom Simpson, Old Tom’s biggest critic, admired the 4th at Dornoch & maintained most of Old Tom’s routing and greensites at Cruden Bay. Also in Simpson’s book Design for Golf (1952) he included 5 of Old Tom’s holes out of 18, for his ideal 18 hole course; Royal North Devon 5th & 16th; Prestwick the 17th and St Andrews 14th & 17th. Presumably he did not realize they were Old Tom’s.

老汤姆生活中更值得注意的一点是他如何影响到他周围的人——他的兄弟，George Morris,他的儿子杰克；在Prestwick球会训练出来的Charlie Hunter；在老汤姆的商店里有一个储物柜的Charles Blair MacDonald；朋友与旅行同伴Horace Hutchinson（1891年设计Askernish认识的）；19世纪八十年代在圣.安德鲁斯度过整个夏天的Harry Colt；经常造访圣.安德鲁斯的William Herbert Fowler；老汤姆的学生John Sutherland and Donald Ross；来自圣.安德鲁斯的Alexander Herd；这样的名字不甚枚举。甚至Tom Simpson，这位老汤姆的最大的批评者，也承认Dornoch的4号洞和主张老汤姆在Cruden Bay的布局与果岭位置。同样在Simpson的书籍《为高尔夫设计（1952）》中，他引用了5个老汤姆的球道作为他的十八个理想球道球场；Royal North Devon 的5道与16道; Prestwick 的17道，St 圣.安德鲁斯的14道 & 17道，可能他还没有意识到这是老汤姆的作品。

A point of interest is Brora G C. I have contacted them on numerous occasions but was always ignored until December when I received a reply advising me that they have no record of Old Tom in 1891. They maintain to be a James Braid Course, which is indeed true since 1923. I had found a few sources, and I believe there are another 5-6 mentioned on the internet that said Old Tom was the original designer. I have passed on my information to allow the clubs to investigate their early history. The interesting point is that James Braid travelled north by train, walked the course, made suggestions, and returned south on the next train. Admittedly, the course was existing, had been played for 32 years, so have no problem with this statement, or, for that matter, with James Braid. It just goes to prove that a design or modification for a course can be achieved quickly and simply as Old Tom had done a couple of decades or so, earlier. The years will ultimately confirm the quality of the original concept.

有趣的是我多次的接触Brora G C.俱乐部，但总是被忽视，直到十二月份，我收到一个答复，说他们没有1891年关于老汤姆的记录。他们认为是James Braid的球场，确实从1923年以来是这样的。我已经发现一些资料来源，同时在网上也有5-6个提及老汤姆才是最初的设计师。我已经将我的信息传给俱乐部，让他们可以调查俱乐部更早的历史。有趣的是，James Braid坐火车到北方，走了一下球场，做了一些决定，然后坐下一趟火车返回南方。诚然，球场已经开打了32年，这点是没有异议的，只不过对于James Braid来说，这样快速的设计了一个球场还是在老汤姆已经做了几十年的基础上进行改造？岁月将会证明那个最原始的设计。

In the past, I have pondered over a design problem for days, and sometimes never come up with a solution that I felt was ideal. I may have resolved the issue, but inwardly I was not relaxed; my design felt unbalanced. However, there were times when the design was completed before I’d left the meeting; all just fell into place, giving an inward warmth of satisfaction (perhaps even smugness). The point is, once you understand your topic there is no reason why one’s inward eye cannot quickly produce a workable concept. Old Tom may not have been a well educated man, but he understood his sport, the land, and the need to keep costs down. He had the ability of reading the land, predominately the Links. When he moved inland, Turf Dykes may have appeared to be an ideal solution to mirror the unevenness of the links as well as adding an additional challenge to the golfer.

过去，我琢磨了好多天的设计问题，有时候完全没有一个理想的解决方案。最后我可能解决了问题，但是内心并不感到轻松，我的设计凌乱不堪。也有时候，我在离开会见时就完成了设计，一切都很到位，给人一种内在的满足感（甚至沾沾自喜）。关键是，一旦你理解了你的主题，没有理由不相信为什么一个内在的眼睛不能很快得出一个可行的概念。老汤姆可能没有受过很好的教育，但是他理解他的游戏、土地和控制成本的需要。他拥有读懂土地、控制林克斯的能力。当他转向内地，为了复制林克斯的起伏变化，草丘就成了一个理想的解决方案，同时也为高尔夫球手提供了额外的挑战。

I would love to run a test/competition with say, 6 architects, giving them half a day to lay out a 9 hole course on rough, virgin, links land, and then have a team of judges play it in the afternoon. It would, I believe, test them to the core – also be an interesting exercise for golf course architecture. Do you think any would be up to the challenge – with only pegs & wheelbarrows and of course on a ˜sunny afternoon’?

我乐意来进行这样一个比赛：6位设计师，给他们半天时间在一块未开发的林克斯场地上规划出九个球道，然后安排一个裁判队伍下午去试打。我相信这将是给他们彻底的测试——同时也是一项高尔夫设计的练习。在只有桩子和手推车，当然也是“一个阳光明媚的下午”的条件下，你认为有多少人能够胜任挑战？

Those that met the Old Man of Golf benefit all of us to this day. Oh yes, 2008 is the Centenary of his death (24th May). If you are golfers please raise a glass on Saturday the 24th of May 2008 to celebrate his life.

    有关这位老人的一切都造福于今天的高尔夫事业。哦，对了，2008是他逝世100周年纪念日（5月24日）。如果你是高尔夫爱好者，请在这一天举起你的杯子，以庆祝他的生命。