By Design – Issue 49, Summer 2020

DIGEST 7 “Golf is a tremendous, wonderfully unique form of recreation.” FORREST R I CHARDSON, ASGCA In the latest podcast from Golf Course Industry ’s “Tartan Talks“ series, Forrest Richardson, ASGCA, makes the case for why golf matters during these uncertain times brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m optimistic that our rebound, not just in golf but in all sectors, will be very sharp,“ said Richardson. “I think attitudes will prevail. My encouragement for the golf industry, whether it be a superintendent, owner, architect, or all the suppliers and hospitality, is that they are equipped for everything. We have the opportunity in this crisis to point out the value of golf during times such as these.” Richardson goes on to talk about the role of golf as respite for people during the Spanish Flu and various conflicts in the twentieth century. “Golf has been a constant for 500 years and a little sanctuary where people can have fun and recreate,” he said. “Golf is a tremendous, wonderfully unique form of recreation and sport, where you play with your own equipment and each player uses their own ball. I think those positive values are things we need to carry forward.” Listen to the full “Tartan Talk” at golfcourseindustry.com. HERE ARE LINKS TO OTHER RECENT “TARTAN TALKS”: • ASGCA President Jan Bel Jan talks about how golf course architects can handle projects during the current pandemic. • ASGCA Past President Steve Forrest and Shawn Smith, ASGCA, reflect on their decades working together. A new golf course designed by Chris Wilczynski, ASGCA, has opened for play at the Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch community in Florida. The course is to be a resident-only private venue with 18 holes laid out on rolling ground. It can be played from 3,500 to over 7,000 yards and features wide fairways, strategic bunkering, and five holes that can be played along and through mature oaks and pines. “Our goal was to create a course that’s visually dynamic and fun for players of all abilities. I’m excited for people to experience it,” said Wilczynski. The twelfth hole plays to a raised green surrounded by several deep bunkers and native vegetation. The seventeenth requires a tee shot across a lake to a multi-tiered 9,000-square-foot green, adjacent to the largest native oak on the property. To add a dimension to the previously flat land, Wilczynski and his team dug several large lakes and used the soil from the excavation to construct the golf course, residential lots and roads. New golf course New golf course opens at Florida community Photo: Somer Robertson