Landscape architecture, how has it helped you?

[Forrest Richardson]

For the record, all of my associates — except one — were LA graduates. But none were prepared for golf design until they had an opportunity to work as David suggests. When you find someone to give you a chance...take it.

[Tom_Doak]

Ryan:  Just to be different than Forrest, my eight associates have degrees in the following subjects:

Education
Civil Engineering
Microbiology
Architecture & Turf Management [in that order]
Environmental Design
Mathematics and Chemistry [a double major], and
Landscape Architecture

The eighth only went to college for one semester, then went out in the field and starting building golf courses, but you would never be able to pick him out of the lineup.

Now, I'm not discounting Landscape Architecture entirely -- I majored in it myself, and the most important thing I learned was how to read and work with topographic maps.  But there are other ways to learn the ropes, too.  And there are a lot of people in Landscape Architecture school today who hope to be golf architects, who are going to be rudely surprised when they learn how many other people have the same exact resume that they do.

[RT]

Ryan,

As a high school student I deliberated between LA and Agronomy (in Turfgrass and Soils) back in the same days as Tom, but followed the Agronomy route getting boned up on soils, soils, and soils, and plant physiology with Turfgrass studies under Dr. Beard at Texas A&M, working in the turf plots, with work in the USGA soils lab under Dr. Brown.  For me (and that's just me) a great foundation to approach gca.

Then like Tom joining a great architect in Pete Dye, someone who is more in tuned to turning on the machines in the morning and throwing away (literally) the chicken scratch penciled layout plan.

And like Tom said there's alot of ways to approach getting in the business.  Getting your hands, clothes and boots muddy and dirty, and smelling diesel in the AM (well you should fill em up at the end of the day, esp in winter) aint a bad start.

RT

[Jeff_Brauer]

The one down side to starting in construction, at least for a constractor, as opposed to a Pete Dye, is that you can get typecast and not get back to the design side.  Most gca types do want you to have some construction experience, but if it gets too much, then they don't think of you as a designer.  You need to stay in touch with archies to get a job with one.

[Rick Baril]

Ryan,

I also think Landscape Architecture is the most logical path.  And, you've had good suggestions.  All the detail stuff(agronomy, grading and drainage, soils, ecology, etc.) is important and provides a good foundation.  You likely won't get much agronomy training in the LA program.    

LA programs seem to focus on different things (urban design, parks, etc.) depending on the faculty.  I would encourage you to also take classes and get experience in land use planning, environmental planning, etc.

So I would add: You'll either need to be able to produce a master plan that logically addresses elements other than the golf course (houses for example) or you will need to intellegently interface with land planners/engineers in this regard.

Good Luck!