CaddieTrail Guide
Alister MacKenzie believed golf courses should be beautiful, strategic, and never brutal. His North American work includes Augusta National and Cypress Point — two of the greatest courses ever built — alongside Crystal Downs, Pasatiempo, and four public-access designs. Augusta will never be played. Cypress Point almost certainly won't. But Pasatiempo, Michigan, Ohio State, and Sharp Park are open to any golfer today.
#1 on trail
Cypress Point ClubPebble Beach, California
MacKenzie's 1928 masterpiece weaves through sand dunes, cypress groves, and dramatic Pacific cliffs. Holes 15–17 rank among the most celebrated seaside holes in golf. Strictly private.
#2 on trail
Augusta National Golf ClubAugusta, Georgia
Designed by MacKenzie and Jones in 1933, this private Georgia layout hosts the Masters annually. Amen Corner — holes 11-13 — defines championship golf.
#3 on trail
Crystal Downs Country ClubFrankfort, Michigan
MacKenzie and Maxwell's 1929 collaboration on Michigan's glacial dunes ranks among the most strategically demanding designs in the country. Consistently placed in America's top 10.
#4 on trail
Valley Club of MontecitoSanta Barbara, California
MacKenzie design from 1929 set among oak-lined terrain above Santa Barbara. Precise shot-shaping required throughout. One of California's most coveted private memberships.
#5 on trail
Pasatiempo Golf ClubSanta Cruz, California
MacKenzie's personal home course, opened in 1929 and largely intact. Dramatic elevation changes and deep-faced bunkers define the routing across the Santa Cruz hills.
#6 on trail
University of Michigan Golf CourseAnn Arbor, Michigan
MacKenzie's 1931 design on the Michigan campus blends his signature contoured greens and strategic bunkering across rolling, tree-lined terrain. One of the few public-access MacKenzie originals remaining in the United States.
#7 on trail
Ohio State University Golf Club (Scarlet Course)Columbus, Ohio
Alister MacKenzie drew the plans for Ohio State's Scarlet Course but died in 1934 before construction; Perry Maxwell completed it, opening in 1938. Restored by Buckeye alumnus Jack Nicklaus in 2006, its massive, deep bunkers and bold greens make it one of college golf's sternest tests. Open to those with a university affiliation.
#8 on trail
Sharp Park Golf CoursePacifica, California
Alister MacKenzie design open to the public since 1932. Sits on the Pacific coast in Pacifica, CA, with ocean views and wind-exposed terrain shaping every shot.
#9 on trail
Meadow ClubFairfax, California
Private 18-hole layout in Marin County's rolling hills. Tight fairways and mature trees define the challenge on this understated Northern California classic, designed by Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter and opened in 1927.
CaddieTrail is the pursuit platform for serious golfers.