Written in 1920, Mackenzie's Golf Architecture was one of the first books devoted to golf architecture. Among other things, he argues here, as he did in his posthumously published The Spirit of St Andrews, for the superiority of 'strategic golf architecture' against older 'Victorian' design ideas.

MacKenzie was at the time in partnership with Harry Colt and C.H. Alison. A few years later he left that firm, toured Australia and set up shop in California. In 1932 MacKenzie teamed with Bobby Jones to design Augusta National, perhaps the last great 'Golden Age' golf course.

MacKenzie is considered by many to be the greatest golf architect of all time.