ope three things you would look for when...

[Tony Ristola]

The land has been passed to you through the family, and it's decent.
Doesn't matter what category, you've got a series of quality courses to compete against for future members and guests.
So, what are the top three things you would look for when hiring your architect.

[Ted Kramer]

I'd look for a young, hungry, creative man or woman with a vision, and a bit of a chip on his or her shoulder with something to prove.

-Ted

[Rob_Waldron]

Assuming you have narrowed your list to qualified experienced architects take into consideration the following factors:

Personality - You have to work closely with him and it is much more enjoyable to work with someone with a good personality.

Budget minded - You and your architect must be on the same page with respect to the project budget. A good architect will help you get the most bang for your buck during construction as well as in the long run by designing a course that is "maintenance friendly".

Vision - Once again you must identify an architect who understands your vision and respects your needs and those of your customer. If you plan to incorporate housing a good architect can help you maximize lot values without impacting the playability of the course. The design of the course should be correlated to the ability levels of the customer. An architect can be a bit more aggressive with the design of a Private Golf Only club catering to low handicap players than a municipal course wich will be used by the general public.

[RJ_Daley]

I'd look for the GCA that has come up through some training ground of understudy to another good course builder and knows his construction techniques and issues.  I'd look for someone that is willing to spend much time on the site, both doing construction work himself, and supervising construction associates that are dedicated and competent.  

I'd look for the GCA that is willing to spend as much time as needed in the site evaluation and routing stage as needed until the vision is clearly understood by eachother (the developer and archie).  I'd make sure that the prospective archie can work with any environmental issues without being overwhelmed by local attitudes, and can demonstrate up front that all the issues are understood and efficiently dealt with in the planning and design.

[Emmy]

When hiring a GCA for a new project I would favor a candidate who is reputable, resourceful, cost-conscious, with market-savvy.

Secondary traits: innovative, flexible, and a part-time mind reader.

[Patrick_Mucci]

et. al.,

Personify your answers

[TEPaul]

"So, what are the top three things you would look for when hiring your architect."

Tony:

I actually did that one time and I figure I found him, even if I didn't actually know what three things (or more) I was supposed to be looking for before I found him. I guess I just got lucky.    
 
 

[jeffwarne]

Make sure that his father ,brother or uncle was a really well known architect, or player
That should just about cover it