Golfdom, January 2013
Architects by DESIGN Three turf pros switched from course maint enance to course design and found success By Anthony PioPPi I t was as head greenkeeper of the Old Course in St Andrews Scotland that Old Tom Morris was called on to modify the design His work was so admired that it led to a career in golf course architecture Donald Ross was born in Dornoch Scotland and worked for Old Tom Morris He made his mark as a head greenkeeper head golf professional and an accomplished player before establishing himself as an architect in the early 1900s at Bostons Oakley Country Club Now though there are few practitioners of course design who came to the architecture world from golf course maintenance Three who did say understanding the needs and expectations of a golf course superintendent is good and bad Yes it helps them understand the wants of those who take care of turf but ease of maintenance cannot be the overriding factor when laying out or renovating a course Bill Coore was a superintendent in Texas before moving to architecture Brian Silva earned two agronomic degrees taught turf at two schools and was a USGA Green Section agronomist before he became an architect and Kris Spence was a head superintendent at a number of courses one of which he redesigned before he decided to switch professions 44 Golfdom January 2013 Golfdom com
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