How To Choose A Golf Architect

Whether you have a newly developed golf course or a revamped, renovated course, when it is professionally designed it will be a strong representation of the golf architect who designed it. Jeffrey D. Brauer is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. The architects of ASGCA work closely with their clients to ensure they are getting exactly what they want and need out of their design. The right architect will work with you to ensure you have found the best possible routings for your course, that are conscientious of environmental impacts and sensitivities, maintains a balanced budget, and utilizes the most efficient design and construction methods, to create the best course. Members of the ASGCA are specifically educated to avoid critical mistakes that can cause an improperly designed course that will require excessive maintenance, have improper drainage that limits the course operation, or that have an unsafe layout that may result in injuries to the players.

According to the ASGCA: When choosing a golf course architect, the developer should keep in mind the typical requirements that an architect will need to meet for his project. Is it an advantage if the architect lives nearby? Are there areas of expertise that may become significant factors in the project that the architect does or does not have? What is the past experience of the architect in similar projects? These and other questions make doing some research into the history of the designer’s work a worthwhile pursuit. Without a doubt, the best way to find a great architect for your job is to talk to other developers and find out what type of experience they had with that architect.

Key tasks that a golf course architect for a new course may have to be qualified to perform during planning and construction are listed below. These tasks may vary somewhat for renovations:

-Conduct Preliminary Site Analysis for suitability as a golf site on near course jobs or perform an existing course evaluation for renovations

-Program Development to provide key information for Market & Feasibility

-Preliminary Design Studies and Cost Estimates

-Assist with acquiring Entitlements & Permits

-Preparation of Plans and Construction Documents and Final Cost Estimate

-Assistance with Contractor Selection & Bid Evaluation

-Inspection of Construction

-Advice regarding golf course Operations and Maintenance

-Checklist of Follow-up Procedures

The game of golf has a myriad of subtleties developed through its long history. It is important that an architect can recognize this and incorporate it into their design decisions. Designing a golf course is more than a simple exercise in landscape architecture. Nor should it be looked upon as simply a large-scale construction project. A golf course architect, much like a musical conductor, blends a variety of disciplines into a worthwhile and unique project. As such, it is often said that golf course design is just as much an art form as it is a skilled profession. ASGCA members understand that balance.

Because golf course architecture is such a specialized field, new projects often require solutions for specific problems of earth moving, drainage, pond or lake design, irrigation, water supply, conservation of trees, wetlands and wildlife habitat preservation and other ecological considerations. ASGCA members not only provide these services but they can also work in concert with others to provide for a harmonious design and construction process. They are among the elite in the field of golf course architecture.