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wouldn’t find themselves having to
do the work again.”
John Sanford, ASGCA, of
Jupiter, Florida, echoes the point
of responsibility: “Hiring a golf
course architect will safeguard the
superintendent, committee members,
professional and general manager
from scrutiny by members or other
stakeholders. An ASGCA member will
take all issues into consideration, and
prepare their vision for review and
comment. Final plans will be made with
feedback from all stakeholders in mind.”
By consulting a golf course architect,
clubs are also demonstrating that they
are taking steps to protect public health
and welfare. “Whatever you move on
a golf course, there are safety issues
and a standard of care to consider,”
says Kay. “An ASGCA member has the
experience to ensure that safety issues
are fully considered and inform the
work that is being done. I also advise
my clients to notify their insurance
company of any changes, and invite
them to review the work.”
Concern over fees often leads clubs to
think twice about consulting an architect
for small projects. But hiring an architect
can deliver savings in multiple ways.
“Hiring an architect is not as expensive
as many perceive,” says Sanford. “Even
if it’s a small project an architect can
quantify the work and prepare a bid
sheet so that golf course contractors
can bid competitively with the same
specifications. This process will get you
the best contractor for the best price.”
Kay describes a project where a client
had received a bid from a contractor
for the work but decided to bring in
an architect before going ahead.
“It was a good decision, because
immediately—through preparing
proper bid sheets and getting prices
from three contractors—we realized
a 15% saving on the original price.
That was more than double the
amount of my fees.”
Many ASGCA members also provide
a low-cost service that will help guide
in-house teams on small projects. The
September 2015 edition of
Golf Course
Management
highlights the one-day
evaluation that Chris Wilczynski,
ASGCA, offers his clients. “It’s kind
of like a financial planner taking all
your information and analyzing it,”
Wilczynski explains to GCM. “My goal
is to provide a list of things that can be
done in-house—things that are simple
and may require in-house labor but
not a lot of capital investment.”
Having an architect oversee in-house
work in this way provides clubs with
confidence that their changes have been
professionally validated—even more so
if their golf course architect has drawn
up a Master Plan for the course. This
way the club can ensure that small
changes are also contributing to the
long term design vision for the course.
But perhaps the biggest risk
associated with handling small
projects in-house is compromising
the golf experience. “Everything
should be designed, not just built.
Design is the difference between
delightful and dull,” says Brauer. “Golf
course architects think in terms of
maximizing enjoyment. And we know
how to create those ‘magic moments’
that will make the best golf experience
from your course.”
•
Find an ASGCA member in your area by
visiting
www.asgca.org/members.
It’s kind of like a financial
planner taking all your
information and analyzing it
Everything should be
designed, not just built.
Design is the difference
between delightful and dull
Chris Wilczynski,
ASGCA
Jeffrey Brauer,
ASGCA Past President
TO CONSULT A GOLF COURSE
ARCHITECT FOR SMALL PROJECTS
5
GREAT
REASONS
1
SAVE
COSTS
A golf course architect will design the
most cost-effective solution possible,
and can prepare bid sheets to ensure
maximum value from contractors.
2
ASSIGN
RESPONS I B I L I TY
Getting an expert to oversee
course changes will help achieve
buy-in from all stakeholders, and
minimize the chance of the work
having to be re-done.
3
MAXIMIZE
GOLFER ENJOYMENT
Not only will a golf course architect
help you to achieve technically
the best result possible, they will
design it for maximum enjoyment for
members and guests
4
STAY
SAFE
A golf course architect will ensure that
any changes that are made are done
safely, with a standard of care to staff,
golfers and their neighbors.
5
COMPLY WITH
REGULAT IONS
Golf course architects are familiar with
permitting requirements, helping clubs
to stay on schedule and avoid fines.