[Ben Sims]

Treehouse,

Someone recently pointed me in the direction of an article in the 15 March Golfworld  that interviewed a few architects--some are fellow GCA.com'ers--about how the recent real estate/economic downturn has affected the golf architecture business.   There was also--allegedly--a great conversation about the new "team" concept that Laredo, TX has used for their new municipal project.

Alas, I live in BFE and have no access to Golfworld mag and they haven't hyperlinked it on their site.  Can someone post the article or even start a discussion about its contents?

[Jud_T]

It was a very good, frank discussion of the current economic climate which included some of GCA's usual suspects. well worth seeking out.

[Ben Sims]

Thanks to Jeff Brauer for scanning in and emailing me a PDF copy of the article. 

I'm excited about the Laredo project.  It could serve as a model for more reduced budget projects.

[David_Tepper]

Ben -

There were lengthy articles on the state of the GCA-business in both the March 15 and March 22 issues of GolfWorld magazine.  I don't know why those articles are not available to read on the Gold Digest website.

The article in the 3/15 issue ("Altered Course") focused on how GCA firms are scrambling for working and having to downsize and lay people off. GCA-ers Ian Andrew and Tom Doak (among others) are quoted. Just about the only area where new business is coming from is Asia.

The article in the 3/22 issue ("The New Stewardship") talks about what the new, slow/no growth economy might mean for the GCA business - less elaborate design, less elaborate maintenance, less dependence on residential real estate development, sustainability,etc.

I don't think any topics were raised in either article that have not been discussed in one form or another on this board over the past 6-12 months.

DT

     

[Scott Warren]

Thanks to Jeff Brauer for scanning in and emailing me a PDF copy of the article. 

A PDF?! Tsk tsk.

[Ian Andrew]

Just about the only area where new business is coming from is Asia.

You mean "new golf courses."
There is still plenty of work in North America, it's just not the work most other architects want.

The fascinating thing about talking with other architects is which period they think we're in. Some see this as the late 1930's, and that’s fairly depressing. Others see it as the early 1970's whereas I see similarities to the early 1990's. Each answer bears a prediction on how long the flat state of our business will last, varying from two years to an entire decade.

I thought the most entertaining part of the article is the final section on China where Ron Whitten points out how the boom there is based on real estate and the courses are only being built for the wealthy. Isn’t this how we got to this point? The biggest question I have is what if the Chinese enforced the moratorium or stopped building. What would all the architects do then?

[David_Tepper]

Ian -

If there was really "plenty of work in North America," why would the GCA-business be seeing the substantial layoffs and downsizing among the larger GCA-firms mentioned in the article?

DT

[Ian Andrew]

If there was really "plenty of work in North America," why would the GCA-business be seeing the substantial layoffs and downsizing among the larger GCA-firms mentioned in the article?

Because their entire business was based upon building new courses. There is a lot of work done with existing courses, but it does not pay as well, nor bring quite the same thrill to most architects. So they go to the Far East to find new courses to build.

There is still work, but it's almost all renovation/restoration.

[kurt bowman]

I have a PDF of both articles. Can someone explain how I can attach them to the site? Kurt

[Mike Nuzzo]

kurt
when posting click the "additional options" just below the box you are typing in
click the grey button to choose your files & the more attachments link for the 2nd file
please add what it has been like for your firm
cheers

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