What makes a great golf hole? This guy figured it out -- twice

Alister MacKenzie's 1920 design principles, published as 13 essential features, guide many modern hole designs and inform the judging of the Ray Haddock Lido Prize entries. The guidelines urge a course to be arranged in two loops of nine holes where possible and to provide greens and fairways with sufficient undulation without excessive climbs. They insist that every hole should have a distinct character, while offering a balance of heroic carries and playable angles. Although MacKenzie did not always follow his own rules, the principles remain a touchstone for competition judged by Brian Costello this year. Robert Hoye, winner in 2026 and also a 2025 victor, designed the winning hole 'Saddle Up!' set in a fictional pine barren with natural and artificial mounds surrounding an island fairway. The par-4 measures no more than 395 yards, emphasizing tee placement to set up an angled approach into a deep green framed by a front-left bunker. The green's saddle contours can act as backstops and feeding guides, aligning with MacKenzie's preference for undulation and strategic carries. Hoye's concept, part of a tradition of winners like Bo Links, Cameron Hurdus, and David Hoekstra, shows how MacKenzie-inspired ideas translate into competition.