Course Designers

Knock Golf Club has been a private members Club since its establishment in 1895.

In 1920 Knock moved to its current location at ‘Summerfield’, close to the village of Dundonald. The top-ranked firm of golf course architects, ‘Colt, MacKenzie and Allison’, was hired to design the course you see today.

Knock contains design features that relate to all three of these great course architects, who in their respective careers left such an indelible mark on the world of golf.

Although some may not be too familiar with their names, many will recognise their achievements.

Harry S Colt is credited with the design, construction and remodelling of over 300 courses worldwide. These include Pine Valley, the Eden course at St. Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s, Sunningdale new Course, Wentworth (East and West courses), Co. Sligo and perhaps his greatest achievement in Ireland – Royal Portrush. Colt apparently saw it as his primary task to work with the curves of nature and to make courses appear part of the existing countryside. We believe he achieved this at Knock.

Dr. Alister Mackenzie left medicine to design golf courses throughout the British Isles with H. S. Colt. In the 1920’s after he had assisted in the design of Knock, he emigrated to the United States, but continued to ‘ply his trade’ worldwide. Some of his best known creations include: Cypress Point, California, The West Course at Royal Melbourne and in 1933 with the assistance of Bobby Jones, he created the perfect test for the ‘Masters’ of the game, by designing the Augusta National GC, Georgia.

Charles Hugh Allison worked extensively in North America as an able lieutenant of Colt. He is also credited with working alongside Harry Colt on many of his most famous commissions throughout the British Isles, but is perhaps best remembered for his work in laying out some of the first courses in Japan, including the Tokyo and Hirono courses, which were completed in the 1930’s.