Rick comes from a family of golf designers. He grew up in golf communities and learned from some of the country's most influential people in golf including Peggy Kirk Bell, Warren "Bullet" Bell, and Robert von Hagge. His connection with von Hagge would lead to a position at von Hagge & Devlin, Inc. after Rick graduated from North Carolina State University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Environmental Design. In 1986, he became vice president of Golf Course Construction at Nicklaus/Sierra Development Corporation and then became a senior design associate at the Hong Kong office of Golden Bear Design in 1990. Rick began his own company, Robbins & Associates International, in 1991. Rick is a licensed Landscape Architect in North Carolina and a member of the North Carolina Golf Panel. He has designed golf courses around the United States and around the world, including China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Rick feels it is imperative for practicing professionals to keep up with the changing economy, environmental regulations, and professional practices. When designing a golf course, he follows a process that protects the environmental resources of a site to the maximum extent possible. He also makes certain that whatever your particular situation is with land and budget that he will provide the very best design possible for that site. Rick served ASGCA as president in 2013 – 2014 and continues to represent the association by giving presentations around the world about golf development, environmental design, and golf architecture trends.