By Design - Winter 2018

12 | By Design Are golf course architects ever allowed to create precisely what they want? Richard Humphreys asks ASGCA members about the extent to which they get free rein, and how they manage creative constraints. W annabe golf course architects dream of the possibility of creating their own layouts from scratch, designing holes exactly how they want to create their ideal course. In reality though, countless factors contrive to burst this bubble. Time, cost, water availability, the site’s existing characteristics and the owner’s demands are among the day-to-day challenges that a golf course architect has to address. “Creative freedom rarely happens, as projects usually have very specific goals for the golf course operation, that a specific course design must allow,” says ASGCA Past President Tom Marzolf of Tom Fazio Golf Course Design. “All projects come with constraints; the topography of the land, limited budget or the owners wants and needs,” says John Fought, ASGCA. “It is simply part of the process. I enjoy finding solutions to complex problems whatever they might be. And I always respect the owner’s desires, keep in mind that there are always multiple ways to design golf courses. I work hard to learn the land; I think about the opportunities CREATIVE FREEDOM Free

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