Leaders in golf course design

The BLA and MLA programs at Guelph have been putting out some fairly significant golf course architects over the last 40 years

To best transform a raw piece of land into a golf course certainly requires a vision, a deep knowledge base and lots of hard work. If you have ever wondered how a course you play was designed or by whom, you are not alone in a growing fascination and awareness among golfers about golf course architects, who are specialized landscape architects.

Canada boasts some of the most beautifully designed golf courses in the world.  From coast to coast, golfers are spoiled by courses that complement the inherently beautiful Canadian landscape.

Many people are familiar with the late Stanley Thompson and his outstanding portfolio of work. It can be safely said that Thompson is the most recognizable and famous architect that Canada has ever produced. Among his impressive portfolio, the three iconic national park courses that he designed—Banff Springs Golf Club, Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course, and Cape Breton Island’s Highlands Links Golf Course—have been enjoyed by generations of Canadians and people from around the world. Thompson is only one of many talented course architects that Canada boasts. Others, such as Doug Carrick, Les Furber and Thomas McBroom, have made an indelible impact on the Canadian golf course canon with their own designs.

The University of Guelph’s Landscape Architecture program (as part of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development) plays a pivotal role in the development of Canada’s golf course architects as it is only one of two such programs in Canada. The program offers both a bachelor’s and master’s degree (BLA and MLA, respectively). Two notable golf course architects who have come through the program (with recent work in parentheses) are Thomas McBroom (Tobiano in Kamloops, B.C.) and Wayne Carleton - along with Graham Cooke (Shadow Mountain in Cranbrook, B.C.).

“The BLA and MLA programs at Guelph have been putting out some fairly significant golf course architects over the last 40 years, and being within the Ontario Agricultural College really helps,” said professor Sean Kelly. “We teach, research, and publish quality golf content from our program, as we are likely emerging as leaders in a comprehensive education related to golf environments. Furthermore, our current students seem to be particularly interested in creating desirable, playable and environmentally sensitive golf courses; heritage golf course assessment; and providing on-trend golf course renovation/restoration/preservation.”

Several of the Landscape Architecture students take golf-related internships in the U.S. and Europe as part of their education as well. For example, Keith Cutten (MLA 2016) is working this summer with Bill Coore and Bill Chrenshaw at their Cabot Cliffs project in Cape Breton, which is already being touted as a top-20 golf course in the world. Pat Montgomery and Riley Johns spent time in the past with Tom Doak (Renaissance Golf Design) in the U.S. Johns was also a winner of an international golf hole design contest run by Mission Hills China.

Kelly also pointed out that recent graduates have already found professional success. “Christine Fraser (MLA 2014) is currently working with Hawtree Limited in Oxford, England. Kirsten Brown (MLA 2012) is one to watch with her company Historic Golf Courses Inc. She has become the specialist on heritage preservation of culturally significant golf courses. She is also a Class A member of the PGA of Canada as well as the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.”

Additionally, to pay homage to Stanley Thompson and to build upon his legacy, the Landscape Architect program, the University of Guelph Library and the Stanley Thompson Society work together to archive, restore and preserve materials that celebrate the life and works of Thompson. “His plans, notes, contracts, photos, memorabilia, etc. collected to date and in the future will be housed in the library's Archives and Special Collections as part of the Centre for Canadian Landscape Architecture Archives,” Kelly said.

So the next time you are playing your favourite track, take a moment to observe how the course takes advantages of the property’s contours and how each hole has been designed to maximize user experience. You may come away from such observations with a new perspective and appreciation for the artistry of golf course architecture.