Bob Cupp was born in the winter of 1939. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Miami and a Masters in Fine Arts from the U.S. Army Extension Service. After a brief career as a professional golfer, Cupp began designing golf courses. He worked with Jack Nicklaus, ASGCA Fellow, as a senior designer for more than 15 years before forming his own firm.

His courses have hosted more than 50 national and international championships and in 1992 Golf World Magazine recognized Cupp as its first-ever Golf Architect of the Year. His work over the years included joint projects with his son, Bobby, a golf course architect and builder.

A published author, Cupp wrote The Edict; a novel from the beginnings of golf, for Random House. He also co-authored Golf’s Grand Design, a conversation on the history and evolution of golf course architecture and companion book to the PBS television show of the same name, with Golf Digest Architecture Senior Editor Ron Whitten.

An artist (Cupp illustrated Ted Williams’ instructional book, The Science of Hitting), blacksmith, writer and musician, Cupp himself wrote that in recent years he continued, “to draw and paint, play golf, build furniture, sing, play the guitar and torture a cello.”

“Bob Cupp was a renaissance man,” said ASGCA Past President Greg Martin. “He was a poet and author, golf course architect and musician, he loved to tell tales and offer opinions. Bob was a famed golf course architect, mentor to many and friend to all. As a member and as ASGCA President, he provided lyrical perspective during some deeply challenging years.

Cupp became an ASGCA member in 1990, was President in 2012-13, and served ASGCA until his death in 2016. He was known for working with up-and-coming golf course architects, and helped guide ASGCA members Bill Bergin, Nathan Crace, David Johnson, and Billy Fuller (who he formed a design partnership with) as they developed their design skills.