Mackenzie & Ebert - A Wealth of Experience

Vineyard Golf Club 2nd Hole - USA

15 years of international golf course design has been genuinely inspired by the classic layouts of Great Britain & Ireland. The benefits are twofold. Courses are produced that blend seamlessly with their setting and are easier and less expensive to build and maintain without compromising quality. Earth moving is a costly and often unnecessary endeavour. Too many modern architects overlook the opening lines of Dr. Alister Mackenzie’s book Golf Architecture, written in 1920.

“Economy in course construction consists of obtaining the best possible results at a minimum cost.”

The principals of our company are Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert. They worked together for 15 busy and enjoyable years with Donald Steel as part of Donald Steel & Company.

Donald has been hugely influential in Tom and Martin’s careers and there can have been no better man from whom to learn a traditional and sensitive golf course design philosophy. His standing in golf and knowledge of the game are renowned throughout the world. This was duly recognised by the English Golf Union with his nomination as its President in 2006, which led to Donald Steel & Company ceasing to trade.

Victoria Golf Club 6th Green - Sri Lanka

Between them, Tom and Martin have more than thirty years experience in the field of golf course architecture, working not only on new courses but also advising the acknowledged classics. In the last ten years with Donald, we advised six out of the nine Open Championship venues and twenty-seven of the top fifty courses in Great Britain and Ireland. Such prestigious seaside commissions have led to a deep understanding and love of links golf and the all-important ability to work with a light touch on the land.

Very few modern British architects have worked in North America but, during our time with Donald Steel & Company, four courses were completed in the USA, one in Canada and another in The Bahamas. In all, sixty have been created in sixteen countries..

Our aim is to continue to compete with the higher profile architects around the world and to establish our company name as a by-word for quality, under-stated design. We will do this by creating courses of the highest standard that are free from unnecessary gimmicks. They will be challenging yet fun to play and can be built economically, allowing the traditional form of the game to spread further around the globe.