Golf architects who had no intention to become a golf architect

[Jeff_Mingay]

I've come across a few life stories of golf architects who sorta "stumbled" into their profession.

Geoff Cornish, for example, was a student at the University of British Columbia who was asked to study and advise on soil samples from the Capilano site in Vancouver for golf architect Stanley Thompson.

"All of a sudden", Cornish was involved with the Capilano project, and then went on to work with Thompson elsewhere, without any preconceived ideas on getting involved with the design of golf courses.

We're all familiar with Cornish's work thereafter.

Rod Whitman, too. He was at Sam Houston State University in Texas, studying Philosophy, when he met Bill Coore at Waterwood National. Rod helped Coore finish that course construction (designed by Pete Dye), and then was recommended to be Dye's on-site foreman at Austin CC during the early 1980s.

Rod's gone on to design and construct golf courses throughout the world.

Are there any similar stories you're aware of?

Curious,  

[Tom_Doak]

Jerry Matthews, when he was inducted as President of the ASGCA, gave a rousing speech about how he just sort of fell into golf course design without intending to.

For that matter, back at Long Cove in 1981, everyone on the crew thought I was a nut case because I said I wanted to be an architect myself someday.  The crew included Bobby Weed [the superintendent], Ron Farris, Scott Pool, and David Savic, all of whom are now architects themselves.

[jg7236]

Tom,

How is David Savic doing?  I haven't spoke with him since I was in Ohio a few years ago.  Does he still have Old Course Design in Dublin, Ohio?  The last I heard is that he was finishing up a project with John Cook called North Star, that was located near Dublin, Ohio.

John