Link up with the European Institute of Golf Course Architects

Some exciting news from the European Institute of Golf Course Architects - great to be associated with this fine organisation. See EIGCA's press release below...

PHOTOGRAPHER MARK ALEXANDER BECOMES LATEST EIGCA CONSULTANT PARTNER

The European Institute of Golf Course Architects is delighted to announce that Mark Alexander has become a Consultant Partner.

Mark is an award-winning golf photographer whose work is used to bring marketing and advertising campaigns to life in leading golf and travel magazines.

Commissioned by golf clubs, resorts, tourism bodies and magazines, Mark’s photographs capture the beauty of some of the world’s best known golf courses. He is also an accomplished architectural, reportage and portrait photographer and has been commissioned by global organisations to shoot personalities and projects for worldwide audiences.

During the Scottish Open at Gullane an exclusive set of Mark’s photographs, capturing some of Scotland’s most admired golf courses, was exhibited at Gullane Art Gallery.

EIGCA Executive Officer, Julia Green, welcomed Mark as a Consultant Partner, saying: “I am so pleased that Mark has become the latest to join our growing list of Consultant Partners. Mark has had a close association with the EIGCA for a number of years and I am delighted that he has decided to formalise that relationship by becoming a Consultant Partner. We very much look forward to welcoming him officially at our Annual Meeting in April next year.”

Consultant Partners are given the opportunity to meet and interact with EIGCA members and the wider golfing industry at the EIGCA annual meeting and may attend continuing professional development events. They are also included in the Consultant Partner database on the EIGCA website. Only EIGCA partners are granted direct access to the membership.

For more information on the Consultant Partnership Programme please click here

For more information on Mark Alexander’s work, please go to www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk

Cards available

I am proud to announce that my luxury greetings cards are now available at Etsy -

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MarkGolfPhotography?ref=search_shop_redirect

This is the first time I have used my photography to create a collection of greetings cards, and I am really pleased that my first batch is from my home town of St Andrews.

We opted for a heavier paper and the very best printing methods to create cards that feel and look really impressive. They’re also something a little bit different.

Using high-resolution photography rather than the tradition of golf ‘humour’, these cards are all about the course and the image. As a result, the cards can be used for invitations, birthdays and thank yous, as well as dropping someone a note just to stay in touch.

Pass on the link to anyone you know who loves golf, or perhaps order a few for yourself. 

Resurrection men

A story of a fabled links designed by Old Tom Morris convinced a group of fanatics to rescue the forgotten layout hidden somewhere on Scotland’s Western Isles. Intrigued, Mark Alexander finds out how they did it

Golf can do funny things to people. Perhaps it’s the smell of the grass or the undulation in the greens. It could be the pressure on the first tee or simply a good walk followed by the pleasure of a pure strike that does it. Whatever it is, it is a powerful potion.

Of course some of us are more susceptible to golf’s charms. The golfer who diligently takes his weekly direction from the club pro or elopes to sun-drenched fairways while his bank balance, and wife, scream that he shouldn’t. From the unquestioning commitment of the youngest member of the club to the die-hard determination of the oldest, golf instills a love that few sports can match.

On South Uist, where 20 miles of brilliant-white shell beaches run continuously down the west coast of the island, that love has inspired a monument to golf. Lying roughly 60 miles west of the Scottish mainland, somewhere towards the outer extremities of the UK, a golf course has been built, by hand, on a pristine stretch of stunning linksland. Most importantly, it has been built by those who treasure the game and its origins.

“It was pure golf design,” admits golf course architect Martin Ebert, “and one of the best bits of land I had ever had the opportunity to work on.” Martin was one of an army of volunteers who have willingly given up their time over the last six years to secure Askernish Golf Club. “It was the pure love of golf. The project wasn’t really commercially orientated; it was more about making it as good as we could and hopefully re-finding some of those Old Tom masterpieces.”

You see, despite Honorary President Kenny Dalglish officially opening the club in the summer of 2008 and club captain Donald MacInnes hitting a sweet opening tee-shot with an aging hickory iron, the club has history, and plenty of it. In fact, records show the club stretches back 120 years to a time of tweed coats, white beards and snug-fitting bonnets. Indeed, the twists and turns of this enigmatic place were first conceived in 1891 by the grand master of golf himself; Old Tom Morris. This is a place of resurrection.

“There is no doubt,” Martin insists, “all the evidence is here that Old Tom was striding these links. It’s every architect’s dream to work with land of the highest quality, but to follow in Old Tom’s footsteps is something special.”

How Old Tom Morris came to be on a Hebridean island at the age of 70, just a few years before his death, is an intriguing tale. How a respected golf course architect together with a band of esteemed industry experts and fanatical enthusiasts returned 115 years later to unearth his lost course could easily become a poignant Hollywood script.

The Links Collection

With Father's Day fast approaching, what better way to treat your dad than with a set of exclusive prints?

With this in mind, I have teamed up with the good folks at Golf Course Architecture magazine to create an exclusive collection of golf images that celebrate the very best in golf course design. Check out the offer at

http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/prints.aspx

Streamsong interviews

As a journalist, I interview lots of people. Some can be wary or shy, while others feel uncomfortable talking about themselves. It's my job to get the best out of them, which hopefully I do.

Yesterday and today I interviewed Ben Crenshaw and his business partner Bill Coore at the official launch of the new 36-hole Streamsong resort in Florida. Both were generous with their time and gave me some revealing insights into the way they approach their jobs and their views on golf course architecture. Despite the legion of media vying for a few words, both were kind and respectful, and even posed for a few portraits.

The courses at Streamsong are phenomenal. After playing Streamsong Red (a wonderful layout by Tom Doak, who I will interview next week), I immediately went back out on the course and was lucky enough to take some photos that will hopefully capture the beauty of the place.

The pics will be processed when I get back to Scotland - stay tuned!