The Many Hats of The Golf Course ArchitectOf all the professionals I work with in the golf industry, the ones I find most impressive are the golf course architects. Nobody has more hats to wear. A golf course architect is a visionary, a counselor, an artist, an engineer, a salesman, an agronomist, a developer, a landscape designer, an urban designer and more. Frankly, the overwhelming set of skills these folks must have in order to succeed in a very difficult business makes me want to take a nap! But the work they do also makes me wake up every morning with a giant smile, knowing I get to photograph the wonderful landscapes they design. One of the great benefits of my cushy job is that I have the opportunity to see and walk the work of so many different designers and course architects. These folks are my heroes. They’re the ones who trudged over mountains, thru forests, across deserts and even dumps… shaping the most challenging landscapes into golf courses that are a walk in the park for the rest of us. They’re the ones who push the limits of design, sometimes squeezing 250 acres of golf course into 180 acres of land… sometimes reclaiming wasted land to create something even God didn’t see. A FEW OF MY FAVORITES
Rick Robbins, one of the busiest designers in China, transformed a neglected property in Beijing into a stunningly beautiful golf course at Yintai Hongeye Golf Club. Along with being gorgeous, Yinhong No. 6 is fully sustainable and removes thousands of tons of dust each year from Beijing’s atmosphere. Beauty AND brains! How do they do it? It’s totally inspiring.
Long before I met him, Bill Bergin was another of my favorites. I love his original work, but like most others in his field, renovation is the order of the day, and he’s leaving a trail of gorgeous renos and very happy clients in his wake. The designers I’ve mentioned so far have become friends in recent years, but I photograph the work of many designers I’ve never met. Naturally, as have most golf course photographers, I’ve shot courses designed by Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Donald Ross and many more. And I’m often completely amazed at what these folks do. I’ve praised the work of golf course superintendents before… their dedication and hard work makes my job so easy… but architects are something entirely different. Whether a property is untouched forest or toxic wasteland, former cornfield or apple orchard, somehow they see something the rest of us can’t even imagine. Maybe I need to add “magician” to their skill sets! In spite of what seemed to be a near-terminal downturn several years ago, golf is rebounding. Some might say it’s the economy turning around. Or that the uptick is to be expected, with many golf properties on the market for pennies on the dollar in recent years. But I believe a key factor is the amazing work of the men and women who keep creating golf landscapes that are simply too beautiful not to support. So, to all you guys who are creating and renovating the wonderful properties we all get to play, and that I get to photograph, Thank You. I believe I speak for a majority of golfers when I say, your work enriches my life more than I can say.
Keywords:
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bill bergin,
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dave sansom,
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jason straka,
liberty national golf club,
marketing,
rick robbins
Comments
Jason Straka(non-registered)
Thanks for the kind comments Dave. We're all big fans of your work too! I'm looking forward to seeing The Oaks through your lens!
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