1.How long have you been playing golf? What has been your lowest handicap?

If the architect is not a competent golfer, their design will reflect this lack of knowledge. In Europe, landscape architects build courses without knowing golf. It is reflected in their designs. For them it's another source of income. What else could it be?

All the better architects are also excellent players

Bob Cupp

2.What great courses have you visited?

There are no "schools" for golf course architecture. Studying the great courses and architects is solely dependent on the individual. Great courses are scattered worldwide, visiting them is a task; but one the passionate architect will fulfill.

Study the past if you would divine the future.

Confucious

3.What elements make a great golf course?

The great courses feature superior greens, bunkers and strategies. They have an ebb and flow, consistent character, and compliment the landscape while being visually stimulating.

Great golf courses are not dependent on massive construction budgets.

Common threads found in the greatest courses: they were designed and built by those with an intense passion and knowledge of the game coupled with construction and maintenance experience.

The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.

Og Mandino

4.What is the absolute best method for designing & constructing a golf course?

A qualified architect personally drawing the plans, and supervising construction is unrivaled. It's as rare as being hit by lightening.

The closer to this method the better for the investors, golf course superintendent and golfing public. It's a Best Practices Method (BMP) repeatedly proven throughout the last 100 years.

We don't need men with new ideas as much as we need men who will put energy behind old ideas.

William Feather

5.What characteristics from other projects reflect ours?

Photos from other projects can clarify the rough concept of your facility. It's an easy way for the architect to illustrate his vision for your course, and further explain how these elements will be integrated.

Form and function should be one, joined in spiritual union.

Frank Lloyd Wright

6.Explain how your office functions?

Does the architect delegate authority to associate designers in the field?

Does he merely provide plans to contractors then use site visits or not visit at all?

Does he use on-site associates?

If yes, at what scale do "associates" have authority to make design alterations?

What happens if the architect is not happy with the associate's alterations?

To truly do justice to the ideals of men like MacDonald, Tillinghast, Flynn and MacKenzie, the architect must concentrate on designing in the field.

Gil Hanse

They could not find the time to stay put at any one course during the critical weeks and sometimes months, when rough ideas are translated into holes that really play.

Herbert Warren Wind

8.Do you use site-visits? Please explain?

Site-visits every week, few weeks or months equates to limited communication causing information gaps. Constructors then labor in ignorance opening the door to misinterpretation.

No club should expect and no architect should consent to submit plans and specifications and then not supervise construction.

William Flynn

The associates are the interpreters of the architect's vision. The architect provides the ideas, the employees draw the plans the constructors will bid upon and build.

The more projects and associates, the greater the opportunity for error even with critical engineering! Page 224-25 in Driving the Green, a book by John Strawn is a telling example of "information gap."

Too many cooks in the kitchen, spoil the broth.

Anonymous

What are his qualifications? Does he play golf? If so, how well? Is the associate qualified to make the critical decisions to move the process forward?

Delays are often caused because workers do not have the authority.

Robert Janson

History reveals that most architects' best work comes early in their career! Their effort is not divided amongst several projects, allowing them to closely monitor and communicate all design details to the constructors.

A "laundry list" of projects allows little time for yours.

For example with three simultaneous projects, the architect would have difficulty being at your site once per week. Isn't a few hours weekly a paltry commitment to the millions you invest?

They were able to lavish on their projects the countless hours, the perfectionistic fervor and the plain love that distinguishes the fine arts from lessor efforts.

Herbert Warren Wind

12.What is your maximum number of projects at any one time?

More projects mean more staff. This means more time training more time overseeing their work and more time spent looking for projects to pay the staff. It's a viscous cycle, translating to less and less involvement by the architect.

No conscientious architect should accept more commissions during any season than he can give his personal attention to.

William Flynn

Some architects standardize their construction style, then stick by a few contractors familiar with it. Using their "pet" contractors you probably lose originality, without these crews, quality is sure to suffer. For example Page 290-1, Driving the Green by John Strawn.

A designer has to be willing to work with the land by hand That takes time. A song and dance it's not. Nor an assembly line operation.

Bradley S. Klein

There are few constructors knowledgeable in the multitude of design styles and their details. For example there are virtually none in continental Europe. Who will explain the overall concept and its particulars?

Half the time the builders of new courses have no ideas concerning the character of holes or their distribution, and without hesitation put this squarely up to the architect.

A.W. Tillinghast

Limiting the number of contractors is one sure way to drive up costs, especially in busy times like today.

Limiting contractors often means repetition. Repetition is not style. It is standardization. It's "McGolf" reducing golf architecture to its lowest form. Standardizing designs may make it easier for the architect, but imposing a style on the landscape in the name of efficiency is far from ideal, especially for the investor trying to establish prominence in the market.

Selective use of contractors also leads too often to a sameness of design style and predictability that can stifle originality.

Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan

If no, how will you ensure excellence? How will the design intent be realized?

What is built directly correlates to maintenance costs. An architect clearly understanding maintenance can build dramatic features, maintainable within the prescribed budget.

Understanding construction methods, the limits and roles of construction and maintenance machines has significant impact on aesthetics and the bottom line.

The chief of construction crew knew nothing about golf, and apparently no officer at the club was sufficiently informed about golf-architecture to prevent the blundering.

Herbert Warren Wind

Environmentalists are a reality in modern golf course architecture. A positive track record can be instrumental in permitting and construction.

Since I did not know them, I doubted their ability that's a very human thing to do.

Carl Sewell

19.Which architects are your favorites?

20.What in particular make's them special?

21.Are you a member of a club?

22.The most significant tournament you've competed in?

23.What competitive advantage do you provide?

24.The project you are least proud of?

25.Are field-alterations the norm or are your courses built according to "plan"?

26.What happens when a field alteration is made and later isn't to your liking? Is the area reworked for a third time?

27.What experience do the employees working on our project have?

30.Who trained these employees?

31.How are your golf courses distinct?

32.In what climates have you designed golf courses?

Wonderful things happen when people talk face to face. Deals are made. Decisions are made. Obstacles are cast aside. Whatever the job, the job gets done face to face.

Granville N. Toogood

Money has its limitations; while it may buy quantity, there is something beyond it and that is quality.

Frank Lloyd Wright