About
Donald Steel is the only golf course architect to have advised all the clubs or courses on which The Open Championship has been played, a unique and unmatched achievement in the sport.
Donald Steel is a renowned English golf course architect, writer, and former amateur golfer whose influence on the game spans several decades. Born in 1937 and educated at Fettes College and Christ’s College, Cambridge, Steel began his professional journey as the first golf correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph before turning to golf architecture in 1965. Over his career, Steel has worked on over 500 courses in more than 40 countries, advising every club that has hosted The Open Championship—a distinction that earned him the nickname 'The Open Doctor.' He is particularly known for his sympathetic integration of courses with natural landscapes, including significant work at St Andrews where he designed the Strathtyrum Course and made major modifications to the Jubilee and Eden courses. Steel has also mentored several prominent architects and contributed widely to golf literature, further leaving his mark on the traditions and development of the sport.
