LATEST
NEWS

American golf course architects add voices to distance debate
Toby Ingleton
/ Categories: News

American golf course architects add voices to distance debate

The Board of Governors of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) has expressed its support for the Distance Insights project recently launched by golf’s governing bodies, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and R&A.

“Golf courses are small businesses that should be operated in a sustainable way, both for operators and the surrounding communities. We are encouraged to see that sustainability is being considered as part of the distance issue,” said golf course architect John Sanford, the ASGCA’s immediate past president, who is heading the society’s engagement with the project.

The Distance Insights project, launched in May 2018, will examine distance in golf and gather perspectives from the worldwide golf community.

On the launch of the project, Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said: “Distance in golf is a complex issue which is widely debated at all levels of the sport. It is important that we collate all of the relevant data and hear the many different perspectives on this issue that exist in the international golf community. We intend to conduct this process openly, comprehensively and promptly and will work with all of the key stakeholders to ensure we have a fully rounded view of distance and its implications.”

“The topic of increased distance and its effects on the game have been discussed for well over a century. We believe that now is the time to examine this topic through a very wide and long lens, knowing it is critical to the future of the game,” said Mike Davis, CEO of USGA. “We look forward to delving deeply into this topic and learning more, led by doing right by golf, first and foremost.” The ASGCA Board of Governors, comprised of 13 leading golf course architects, discussed the topic with ASGCA members at its recent annual meeting, and has been asked by the USGA and R&A to provide additional comment.

“ASGCA is pleased to see the USGA and R&A study this important issue in an open-minded, objective way,” said Sanford. “It is a complex issue, with long-term implications and various points of view. It is sensible for the game’s governing bodies to promote dialogue, and ASGCA has been asked to provide thoughtful, fact-based commentary. As people who love the game and help define it through our work, we look forward to playing a constructive role in the discussion.”

“Just as ASGCA members design courses for all players – not only championship-calibre layouts – we are glad to see the USGA and R&A looking at the entire golfing public,” said Sanford. “Golf course architects continue to blend preservation with innovations in their designs. ASGCA members work across a diverse array of course types and conditions in more than 90 countries around the world, and we are excited to bring our voice and expertise to this project.”

More information on the Distance Insights project is available via www.randa.org/distanceinsights.

Previous Article Termas de Rio Hondo course ready for grand opening
Next Article Nine-hole par-three course to open at The Greenbrier resort
Print
4600 Rate this article:
No rating
Toby Ingleton

Toby IngletonToby Ingleton

Other posts by Toby Ingleton
Contact author

Contact author

x
The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!
Magazine, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!

Includes reports from Maggie Hathaway and Apogee, interviews with Martin Ebert and Dave Axland and a feature on golf art

Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now
Magazine, News | Fri 14 Mar, 2025

Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now

New issue asks whether the golf boom has led to an increase in municipal golf investment

FEATURE
ARTICLES

Bringing golf to Benin
Afrikafun Production Stephane Brabant
Report | Richard Humphreys

Bringing golf to Benin

Jeremy Pern and Gregori International are creating the first 18-hole course in the West African country, on an ‘almost perfect’ site that also includes a sacred grove and voodoo shrines

The future of vegetation management on Melbourne’s Sandbelt
Lukas Michel/CDP
Opinion | Mike Clayton

The future of vegetation management on Melbourne’s Sandbelt

Mike Clayton discusses Alister MacKenzie’s transformative impact on Australian golf and how clubs can avoid repeating previous mistakes by establishing a long-term plan focused on indigenous plants

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good
Stephen Barton – Second Collective
On site | Adam Lawrence

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good

The reconstruction of the nine-hole course in Los Angeles is the golf industry at its best, says Adam Lawrence

Designs for the big screen
Pizá Golf
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

The ties that bind
Crooked Stick
Opinion | Justin Olmstead

The ties that bind

Justin Olmstead of Profile Products talks about the relationships behind the renovation of Crooked Stick in Indiana

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz
Konrad Borkowski
Interview | Adam Lawrence

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build
Kinsale Golf Club
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build

Florida course is a tribute to the Golden Age designs of Raynor and Macdonald

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?
Larry Lambrecht
Feature | Adam Lawrence

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?

Is the beauty of bunkering being over-emphasised at the expense of its function, asks Adam Lawrence

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor
Grant Books Ltd
Good Read | John Moran and Rand Jerris

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor

John Moran and Rand Jerris share insight into their book about Seth Raynor’s design at Chicago Golf Club

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam
Vinpearl Golf Leman
Report | Richard Humphreys

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam

The first of two Golfplan-designed courses at club near Ho Chi Minh City has opened for play

Seven Canyons: Desert drama
Brad Klein
Report | Bradley Klein

Seven Canyons: Desert drama

Brad Klein reports on a Phil Smith Design renovation in Sedona, Arizona

Gopher Watch Competition – April 2025
Gopher Watch, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

Gopher Watch Competition – April 2025

Which course has Sandy the gopher visited this month?

MOST
POPULAR

FEATURED
BUSINESSES