Attention, Amateur Architects: Your Hole Design Could Win You $3,000!

I remember sitting in the back of my high school math class, sneaking graph paper to sketch outlandish holes and then trying to recreate them in Tiger Woods PGA Tour on my PS2 when I got home.

Twenty years later (when I find the time), I’m still designing and tweaking holes on PGA Tour 2k23. For those more artistically inclined (albeit experienced), there’s even an option for you:

The history

The Ray Haddock Lido Prize.

Each year, the Alister MacKenzie Society provides amateur architects, golfers and designers the opportunity to design their own golf hole. This contest is an opportunity to “honor the memory of Dr. Alister MacKenzie and recognize the design potential of an up-and-coming architect.”

Started in 1998, many of the contest’s winners have gone on to have success architectural careers. Names like Bo Links, Craig Snyder and Jeff Martz have won this coveted prize among golf architects.

The contest, more commonly referred to as the “Lido Contest,” comes from MacKenzie’s own drawing of a “two-shot hole.” The contest’s goal remains steadfast each year: “Construct a hole that (gives) the viewer a clear idea of how the hole would be constructed and played. It should show yardages, tee locations, alternative playing routes, hazards, bunkers, green location and contours with alternative pin placements and side elevation of the terrain.”

A simple yet daunting task.

The details

For this endeavor, there are guidelines although a few stand out.

1. The hole “is not less than 360 yards nor more than 460 yards in length, as measured from the back of the teeing  ground to the center of the green.”
2. No competitor may submit more than one drawing. 
3. Designs can be either drawn by hand or aided by computer. Color is not required but features must be shown similar to the “Lido” drawing on the entry form.
4. No logos or mentioning of architect’s name/address.
5. Deadline to submit is May 1, 2025.

And while the application outlines other rules and limits, the goal is simple: Design a golf hole reminiscent of Alister MacKenzie’s original design. The winner takes home the $3,000 prize (and an additional $2,000 if they attend the Jockey Club in Argentina to accept). 

So sharpen those pencils, dust off those art skills and get to work! Just make sure you don’t end up like one of these guys.