SETH RAYNOR’S golf course designs and builds are equal parts art and science. Raynor’s career in golf lasted only 17 years before his early death at age 51, but in that short time frame he worked on many of today’s best known classic courses. Now considered one of the most gifted and popular of the Golden Age architects, his design principles have continued to inspire and influence course architects today. 

Raynor left very few documents about his work, never thinking his work was of longstanding importance. Many of his courses were reworked by well-meaning but misguided ideas in the 1950s through 1980s, or left to stagnate through poor maintenance practices. As a result, some clubs were even unsure of what a masterpiece they had many years ago. Thanks to the vision and dedication of recent club memberships and golf course architects, many of Raynor’s designs have been faithfully restored to their original glory and are considered among the best in the United States. 

Photographer Jon Cavalier has spent the past decade documenting THE GOLF COURSES OF SETH RAYNOR. This book explores Raynor’s early work for his mentor C.B. Macdonald, his famous solo designs, and his final projects that were completed after his passing by his protégé, Charles Banks. For the first time, all of Raynor’s work is presented and discussed in a single volume.