Finish this: "A golf architect must be..."

[Dan Kelly]

"A golf architect must be a student of agriculture, understand nature, have a knowledge of soils, knowledge of implements, drainage, and above all the particular character of the lay-out which tantalizes a lover of the game and holds him spellbound." -- Charles Blair Macdonald, "Scotland's Gift: Golf"

Eighty-five years later, how would architects finish that thought?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Dan,

When I went to Killian and Nugent's office as a 12 year old, they told me about the same things.  They recommended a main course in landscape architecture, supplemented by studies in agriculture/agronomy, "natural systems", soils, and drainage.  They added surveying (just in case Seth Raynor wasn't still available!) and study of aerial photos, because thats just how we roll these days.  Now I guess it would be GPS.

They also recommended business, sales, and business writing classes, and any engineering classes I could take. (too tough as it turns out, but I took a class in the ag dept that covered soils, drainage, and surveying and got all I needed.

It served me pretty well, and I have continued my edumacation, with environmental classes, CAD classes, legal classes, etc.  Somewhere along the way I picked up some land planning skills, too.

If they had really seen the future, I think they would have recommened training in dealing with internet golf architecture groupies, which going forward will be the key to the whole deal.

Knowledge of golf is a given, and probably overplayed.  Since the days of McKenzie, average golfers who love the game have been able to create great courses.  If you can't do it with the technical backup to really make it work, you aren'tr eally a gca.  You are just playing in the dirt.  Just MHO

[Kalen Braley]

"...an Ex-PGA Tour Legend"

Kindest Regards,

Peter Kostis

[Adrian_Stiff]

Jeff - I agree that a real golf course architect can understand the relationship of how it is built, the whole process and also how it will be maintained and the costs associated with that in order for the course to function cost wise. This requirement excludes almost all golf pro's that think they are architects. Even on this site 95% of the chat is how it will play, rather than understanding the internal guts of what goes on behind the scene and the reasons why things have to be as they are simply to balance the golf course books.

[Niall C]

Having started and nearly completed a course in Golf Course Architecture what put me off pursuing it further as a career was a realisation that I didn't know enough about the nuts and bolts of building a golf course. I'd lots of ideas of how a course should look and play but not nearly sufficient knowledge to know how to achieve it.

No way could I stick a placque beside the door and call myself a GCA. What I needed was a grounding in construction and at the age of 35 I didn't fancy spending several more years learning that aspect before being able to properly enter the golf course architecture business. At the time I had bills to pay and an alternative career. Ten years later the alternative career has evaporated but hard to say I made the wrong call given the state of the golf course design business at the moment.

Niall

[Melvyn Morrow]

A Golf Architect must be hard to find in these modern times - ops no just my little joke  

A golf architect must be diligent in his initial course survey
A golf architect must be moved to design for the average golfer
A golf architect must be adventurous while keeping to the traditions of his trade
A golf architect must be able to walk away if the Client compromises his design
A golf architect must be true to The Spirit of the Game (at all times)

Finally

A golf architect must be Fired if he fails to maintain the interest of The Golfers.

My choice is very simple

A Gifted Designer must First and Foremost live up to the Spirit of the Game  

I am certain many qualify but the secret is to cater to the Average Golfer allowing him much scope for improvement.

Melvyn

PS A Golf Architect must not be a member of GCA.com if he expects to be treated with reverence and respect – why should he be any different from the rest of us

PPS Consider offering a Cash Back Scheme for courses like The Castle St Andrews

[Charlie Goerges]

...Willing to bury a few elephants.

[Dan Herrmann]

...  An engineer and an artist.