It’s vital to give golf architects more publicity and attention to gain their insights into what the ideal golf course should look like and to identify the types of courses that are most needed in our communities.
I was thrilled when Sir Nick Faldo agreed to my interview invitation.
What new expectations have golf course developers had for golf architects in recent years?
You know, designing golf courses is a massive ball of string. Some sites are very amenable to design, while others must be really worked.
They’re a considerable engineering feat—we’ve either got a dead flat piece of land and must create a lot of cuts and fill, or we’ve got mountains, and we’re blowing the tops off and all that sort of thing.
Fortunately, the golf course design is going very well right now. Resort golf is very popular, and golf itself is very popular.
As I said, really, the sky’s the limit with ideas. Some people want minimal designs, while others want an awful lot going on with their golf courses.
So, it’s about adapting to the site, what the owners are looking for, and the vision of the whole project. So, as I said, that’s open to a lot of interpretation—what you want, what you think will fit in, and what the use of the golf course will be.
Will it be a club, a resort, or a championship course? Before we start, we must understand the owner’s goals because anything is possible.
Obviously, it has a lot to do with sunshine, water, and money, as those determine what you can create and how quickly.
Maybe there are new expectations in what you haven’t seen in the 80s or 70s.
There’s been a trend where the bunker work becomes more natural—what we call blowout—where it goes forever. For me, we’ve pushed it a little too far. It’s just visual, and are you building a golf course purely for the visuals?
Somebody says, “I want it to look unbelievable.” Yes, you put all of that work in, but it doesn’t change the playability. A good golfer hits it there and onto the green—it doesn’t impact his play at all.
You know, amateur golfers hit the ball left and right, and pro golfers hit it short and long. It’s very different. So, when we make something look beautiful, we’re making it really difficult for the club golfers because they’re the ones who slice it into the bunker—and they’ve got the 608-yard bunker shot!
The pro doesn’t see it. He hits it down the fairway to the green. And he wants depth. That’s what a pro is controlling. He’s got control on the left and right.
So, very different golf courses—you can either make them go full bore and go crazy like that, or you can go minimal.
We’ve got contrasting styles. You can go to a Pete Dye and see what he did at Whistling Straits; there’s tons going on. Or you go to George Thomas at Riviera, and there’s one bunker. Give me one bunker on one hole, and when that bunker is in the right place, it sets up the strategy. So I enjoy both.
What can improve the odds of winning a golf course design contract in 2025?
I think for my design company, people know that I am heavily involved. I love doing this—I’m fortunate—it’s like a third career for me.
I went from a player to broadcasting and have had my own design company since 2000—25 years. I genuinely enjoy it. Now, I’ve got more time to spend on-site, and I’ve also got an excellent team.
We’ve got architects, engineers, and then we’ve got my experience. I’ve got a very, very good eye for visualizing things. I understand strategy really well, and I know what golfers like and don’t like, which is fun.
To throw in all those sorts of things—plus, I have a good international name. If somebody wants to bring golfers to their project, they might be a club that wants members.
Others might say, “Hey, we’re an international site. We want to be a resort and bring in visitors.” My name is still, fortunately, high-profile in the world of golf.
So, put all those together, and we do a good job. The other important thing is that we can deliver projects on time and on budget. That’s the hardest bit, but we’re very conscious of keeping the client happy and building them what they want.
What types of golf courses will be highly valued by golfers in 2025?
It all depends on the land and what the client wants. People are very conscious of time, aren’t they, and playability. The good thing about golf is that we’re bringing a lot of new golfers to the game.
Let’s make life a little easier for them to play. I’m a massive fan of the concept of reducing the number of holes. I’m a big fan of 12 holes.
I really want to push that. We’ve got to get rid of the… I don’t know the right word—the myth of championship golf.
When you’re at a resort golf course, everybody wants 72 holes—championship golf. But we want to go out and enjoy it, have fun, and play a couple of hours of golf.
So whether that’s a six-hole loop or a 12-hole golf course, you could do three sixes and get your 18 if necessary. I’m a big fan of that because time is critical in this world, isn’t it?
People always want to go and do something else. “Can I squeeze in some golf?“
So, short golf courses—as I say, short courses—excellent practice facilities, that sort of thing. People love to go and hit golf balls, so it’s also about designing more entertaining driving ranges.
I’ve got ideas on that as well—ones that are both entertaining and educational. So, everything is designed for entertainment, game improvement, and enjoyment.
What roles and opportunities do you envision for AI in golf course design?
I’m not sure about that one. We love to be hands-on. It might be deemed old school, but nothing is better than actually getting on the land and visualizing.
That’s my role. I mean, you get a site, and then I usually send the architects in to work out what’s possible and that sort of thing.
Then, I come in to visualize the strategy. I don’t think we want a machine to do that. I don’t want to hit a button and say, “There’s a golf course for you.”
I think being in the field and feeling it—you’ve got elements, horizon lines, and all sorts of things. AI may help us do some of the drawings, but the actual concept, visualizing, and all that sort of thing—it’s far more fun to be out in the field and to do it ourselves.
What are the most effective innovations in sustainability for golf courses?
We’re very conscious of sustainability in everything and with respect to water in particular.
Our golf courses are GEO Certified, which shows how seriously we take our environmental and social responsibilities.
We put a lot of thought into environmental impact, including the grasses we use, engineering, water usage, and so on. I say to golfers that golf courses are very green if you know what I mean.