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ASGCA functions as a successful non-profit organization dedicated to fostering professionalism, supporting golf design excellence, helping grow the game and expanding opportunities to help our members better serve their clients.

Member Snapshot

The experience of our members is simply unparalleled. Below is a quick snapshot of our ASGCA members.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF 18-HOLE COURSES REDESIGNED

22
29

AVERAGE YEARS AS A GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT

AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW 18-HOLE COURSES DESIGNED

42
71

AVERAGE NUMBER OF MASTER PLANS CREATED

COUNTRIES MEMBERS HAVE WORKED IN

92
147

AVERAGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS CONSULTED

ASGCA MEMBERS

172
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Code of Ethics

All members must agree to abide by the ASGCA’s standards of professional practice and a stringent code of ethics. The code of ethics sets standards for the golf course architect’s role in contract negotiations and their responsibilities to the client and each other.

  1. Members shall reconcile the requirements of the game of golf with the preservation and protection of our natural resources, systems and environment, balancing these elements with the economic, social and aesthetic needs of golf’s development.
  2. Members shall encourage education and research and promote the development and dissemination of useful information to improve the planning, design and construction of golf courses.
  3. Members shall not discriminate against any employee, applicant, client or others involved in their work on account of sex, race, age, creed or national origin.
  4. Members shall not engage in any practices that involve dishonesty, fraud, deceit, bribery or misrepresentation in securing or executing their work.
  5. Members shall not promote themselves or their services with false, exaggerated or misleading information and publicity.
  6. Members shall report truthfully and clearly to their prospective client or employer their qualifications and capabilities to perform services.
  1. Members shall make full disclosure to their client or employer any financial or other interest they may have in any part of their project. Members shall avoid, abandon or remove such interests if they compromise their actions or prevent them from serving the best interest of their client or employer.
  2. Members shall recognize and respect the work of other golf course architects and shall not knowingly make statements or offer opinions and comments that are false or attempt to injure or disparage their practice, projects or any of their work.
  3. Members shall not attempt to obtain or offer to undertake any commission that they know is already under a legitimate contract or agreement with another golf course architect.
  4. Members shall not accept any commission until they have ascertained that any former legitimate contract or agreement with another golf course architect has been terminated. This shall be done by soliciting information and evidence from the client or employer and the other golf course architect.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get in touch with a particular golf course architect?

In the Find a Member section of this website, you may access contact information for all ASGCA members, including mailing address, phone number, e-mail address and website by typing in the name of the member. You may also search on location or area of expertise.

If you need answers beyond what is listed on the ASGCA website, please visit our contact form or call ASGCA at 262-786-5960.

When should I call or hire a golf course architect?
As with any consulting professional, the sooner a golf course architect is hired in the planning process, the more value he/she can offer a project. ASGCA architects have extensive experience in administering the design process, which is crucial for keeping projects on task while avoiding common pitfalls. A golf course architect’s varied expertise in such disciplines as land planning, construction and agronomy can also direct (or redirect) a project early on in the process to maximize design efficiencies or realize creative opportunities.
How do I decide which golf course architect to hire?
Members of ASGCA encourage competition based on professional competence and experience and not solely on the basis of fees. To start to identify golf course architects which possess the type of experience you’re looking for, visit the Find a Member section of this website. There, you’ll find tools for searching on geographic location and experience of ASGCA member architects. Following your search, the best advice is to consider golf course architects based on their expertise, past work and references. Once a short list is developed, conducting interviews can be an excellent way to make a final selection.
Why do I need a golf course architect when I can remodel my layout myself?

A golf course architect has specialized experience and skills that encompass the many challenges of taking golf course projects, whether new design or remodels, from concept to reality. Please visit our New Course Design and Remodeling sections for an in depth discussion on the qualifications and the process that ASGCA architects can bring to your project.

How do I become a member of ASGCA?

In order to be eligible to join the ASGCA as an Associate member, applicants must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States, Canada or Mexico, and have a minimum of eight years experience in golf course architecture. An applicant must also prove his/her practical qualifications, which include designing and seeing through to opening at least five 18-hole equivalents. Representative courses may be new or remodeled; a description of the scope of work involved with remodels will be requested by the Membership Committee.

In addition to these criteria, applicants must adhere to the ASGCA Code of Ethics and be prepared for the peer-review of their representative courses. The application process is lengthy, complex and can take up to two years to complete. Only golf course architects may be ASGCA members; ASGCA has no “supplier” or “student” category of membership. If you’d like to receive an application, contact Jeff Brauer at jeff@asgca.org.

Why do ASGCA members wear the red plaid jackets?
The red plaid jackets are made from a material known as the Ross tartan. This tartan was adopted by ASGCA in 1973 as a tribute to the group’s honorary first president, golf course architect Donald Ross. Scottish clans are typically identified by one or more distinctive tartan patterns; Ross hailed from Dornoch, Scotland.