Tell us about your challenges.
From the "third tier" perspective I will answer your question. I'm more than a regional architect, but I don't play in the waters that you like to discuss on this site. I do work at a few courses that everyone on this site knows very well and probably would be surprised (need to update the web site). So, the starting point is finding enough work.
Around 2000, the economy tanked and the golf development bubble burst. About 25% of all architects were forced out of the business. The next major hiccup was when the work in China stopped about 25% more of the remaining architects were forced out. The remaining work could only keep so many architects busy.
The business is very cyclical. This current bubble will burst too It’s just hard to say when and what the impact will be. The end is quick and projects get cancelled overnight. There was another one in the early 1990's too, but it was short-lived and architects got through it because things picked up again. 2009 was like that too.
Starting off in the business is very hard.
You don’t design much of anything. You can either work for someone (that means in construction now) and by extension eventually get an opportunity. This is a big life commitment being on site full-time and away from home. Its not just a year or two its usually a decade or more.
Or you can begin at the bottom. That usually means doing a lot of work that's not exciting to people here. Plans for small clubs, limited budgets etc. Building a business where slowly the work becomes more interesting and the clients get better. Brian Silva's absolutely classic line in 1999 was I'm expanding ladies tees 500 sq.ft. at a time to pay the bills. There's some truth in his sarcasm.
Whatever your starting point, its never overnight.
I began my business with about $20,000 in cash as a backstop. Two kids and a mortgage. There was a point where I thought I would miss a mortgage payment in the first year and I was 18 years in as an architect and finally on my own.
The next stage to this is finding better clients and more interesting work. That involves slowly developing some sort of network. That also takes a lot of time, but I will say doing good work can certainly help after a few years. We find our way to the work that we do.
So that's an interesting diversion. You don't get to do what you "want" to do unless you invest enough of your non-architecture time. Being in the right circles to get the chance is critical. That's a massive investment of time (and money). The time Bill, Gil and Tom spend outside of work doing things to make this happen would be shocking to you if you knew. It’s the part that most don’t have a clue about.
Mike, I no longer have any challenges at all. I’m 35 years in. I’m on the final chapter of my career. I’m no longer looking for work. I actually enjoy my younger peers slowly pushing me aside (like they should) and establishing the next generation. It’s good for the artform. So, I thought instead I would take the perspective of “if you want to do this, what would you face, to answer your question.”
Hope that helped.