By Design - Issue 54, 75 Years Special Report

6 the face of golf construction, maintenance and management. From the very inception, when Donald Ross and 13 others founded the ASGCA, we began a movement to elevate the profession. Today, golf enjoys websites, podcasts, social media accounts and – even at many not-so-famous clubs – tribute displays devoted and paying homage to golf course architecture. This is not by accident. Our founders and members throughout the years saw to this. Today, we’re the benefactors. Golf design is “in” and what we do on a daily basis is no longer hidden or obscure. It was at an ASGCA meeting where ASGCA Past President Alice Dye took note of flexible tees and brought the message of forward tees to those in golf who, until then, cared little about women players, kids and the super seniors. Recently we have developed the Longleaf Tee System thanks to Bill Bergin, ASGCA, with important contributions from Arthur Little and Jann Leeming. During ASGCA Past President Art Hills’ leadership, a concept called the Audubon Sanctuary Course was hatched. Environmental leadership and golf ’s place in our urban environments has been spearheaded by ASGCA Past Presidents Bill Love, Mike Hurdzan and many more. More than fifty ASGCA members served as the faculty of the Remodeling University, and that has led to improving courses around the world. ASGCA Past President Tom Marzolf simplified the complex thinking on how our courses wear out – developing the Golf Course Lifecycle Chart (turn to page 24 for more) that has opened eyes (and checkbooks) so we can preserve courses and see them flourish. In terms of history, our members have written books, contributed to museums and set the record straight on so many questions. ASGCA Past President Geoff Cornish and Ron Whitten established the great database that is still relied upon – The Architects of Golf (see box). And it was Geoff and ASGCA Past President Bob Graves who went to Harvard Graduate School of Design every year for 16 years to teach a class on golf architecture. Even today, you will meet many ‘graduates’ of that class who will explain how it fulfilled a lifelong dream to learn about one of the most intriguing professions on earth. Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, California, which reopened in 2018 following a transformation project by ASGCA President Forrest Richardson