The Alister MacKenzie Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Dr Alister MacKenzie

A unique man of diverse talents, Dr Alister MacKenzie believed golf was the best medicine for many of his patients. His interest in it escalated to a consuming passion and he devised some of the world's most interesting courses.

MacKenzie courses are revered by golfers the world over and include:

• Britain's Alwoodley and Moortown Clubs in Yorkshire (1907,1909)
• Australia's Royal Melbourne (1926)
• America's Cypress Point (1928)
• America's Crystal Downs (1929)
• America's Augusta National, Home of the US Masters (1934)

Books on Alister MacKenzie

Much has been written about Alister MacKenzie, and indeed his own books are well known and still very relevant today. see more on his books

The Alister MacKenzie Timeline

We have an interesting diary document about Alister MacKenzie known as the TIMELINE. It shows what he did and where he was from 1907 to 1934. We hope you find it interesting download the Timeline in pdf format

Student, Soldier, Physician and Golf Architect

Nicknamed "the Course Doctor", Alister MacKenzie - a founder member of The Alwoodley Golf Club - was born in 1870 to Scottish parents in Yorkshire and christened Alexander.

He died in 1934 in California after a fascinating life, leaving behind a blueprint for future intriguing golf course designs and a legacy of classic golf courses, of which Alwoodley was the first.

A graduate of Cambridge University and Leeds University with degrees in chemistry, medicine and natural science, MacKenzie joined his father's medical practice but was then called away to serve in the Boer War. Ironically it was the concealed trenches of the Boers that first nurtured his design ideas for golf courses.

MacKenzie took up medicine again after the war but then abandoned his medical practice in favour of golf course architecture. His decision to do this was in part down to his conviction that golf had very real benefits for patients, and he was quoted as saying: "How frequently have I, with great difficulty, persuaded patients who were never off my doorstep to take up golf, and how rarely, if ever, have I seen them in my consulting rooms again!"