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H
aving grown up around
the game of golf in Atlanta,
Tripp Davis, ASGCA was
a three-time American Junior Golf
Association All-American, before
accepting a scholarship to play golf
at the University of Oklahoma. There
he became an All-Big Eight selection,
an NCAA All-American selection,
and played on the Oklahoma
team that won the 1989 National
Championship. He has played in 15
USGA Championships, including
being the medalist at the 2003 US
Mid Am and reaching the quarter
finals in 2005 and 2009.
With a Masters in Landscape
Architecture and experience working
in golf construction and as a
designer, Davis formed his own golf
course architecture firm in the 1990s
and has an impressive portfolio of
original designs—from Oklahoma
and Texas to Mexico and China. He
has established a reputation as a
restoration specialist, having worked
on many historic designs, recent
examples including A.W. Tillinghast’s
Spring Lake course in New Jersey and
Herbert Strong’s Engineers Country
Club in New York.
How is your game?
“My game comes and goes. I don’t
practice or play very much—once
a week on average, but I still play
three-to-four amateur events a year.
It’s hard to be sharp physically or
mentally playing tournament golf
sporadically. But, I still work at it—
my goals are a little more modest.”
Which three people would make up
your dream fourball?
“Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer and Ben
Crenshaw, at Augusta National. They
are three people I really admire and I
think that would make for a really fun
round of golf.”
What is your favorite hole in golf?
“I like quite a few, but the thirteenth
at Pine Valley comes to mind the
quickest—the best par four in the world
in my opinion. I also really like the new
fourth hole we did at Preston Trail in
Dallas—a par three that varies as much
day to day as any par three I have seen.”
If you could change or add one rule,
what would it be?
“I would like to see the rules
simplified in general. One rule I
think is a bit much, especially for
the average player, is the grounding
rule in bunkers. I would rather
them all play through the green. It
would remove any issues we have
with design of ‘waste’ vs ‘formal’
bunkers, as well.”
What project are you currently
working on?
“We are quite busy with major
renovations under construction
at Tapatio Springs outside San
Antonio and the University
of Oklahoma Golf Club, the
construction of a unique new
course in Ocala, Florida, and a
greens redesign at Burning Tree in
Greenwich, Connecticut, which will
finish in September. We are in the
design phase for a complete bunker
renovation/restoration at Wichita
Country Club and a new practice
facility at Whippoorwill in New
York this fall, while starting design
for a complete course renovation
at Northwood in Dallas, that we
expect to start construction in
October 2016. Things will slow
down a little this fall—maybe I can
play some golf!”
•
FIVE TO FINISH
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By Design
Tripp Davis, ASGCA
In the first of a new regular item
to close
By Design
, we ask a member
architect five quick questions
One rule I think is
a bit much
,
especially for the average player,
is the grounding rule in bunkers