Mark Mungeam to shine light on public golf as he begins ASGCA presidency
Mark Mungeam has been elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organisation’s recent 79th annual meeting on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
An interest in golf course architecture took root when Mungeam was at university, and he served as a greenskeeper at Berlin Country Club in Massachusetts. “The owner wanted to lengthen the par-32 course, so, I read, The Golf Course by Geoffrey Cornish and ASGCA Donald Ross Award recipient Ron Whitten to learn more about golf course design so I could help him,” said Mungeam. “I was awed by the courses in the book and decided I wanted to be a golf course architect. I then wrote to Mr Cornish and, being a gentleman, he wrote back.”
At Cornish’s suggestion, Mungeam worked in golf construction for four years after college. “But I always had an eye out for golf course design,” said Mungeam. When Cornish’s partner, Brian Silva, called in 1987 with an offer to work in their office and “go out on a job once in a while,” Mungeam jumped at the chance.
“Brian and Mr Cornish were very different in how they approached work and what they did,” said Mungeam. “It was a learning opportunity. Mr Cornish had designed hundreds of courses, and I saw how good he was about responding to people and helping them get into golf course architecture. I worked more closely with Brian, who mentored me on strategic course design.”
Mungeam has been a member of the ASGCA since 1991. “It’s such an honour to be an ASGCA member,” he said. “I have learned about different styles of golf and golf course architecture. Some of the friendships gained and discussions had at meetings and afterwards have been so beneficial in my career. Considering I grew up on a nine-hole course routed in a pasture, it’s pretty impressive.”
Mungeam’s work includes several renovations at Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago, preparing the club to host several tournaments, including the 2003 US Open. He has also worked at Shaker Hills, Cyprian Keyes and LeBaron Hills, all in Massachusetts; the Links of Hiawatha Landing Course in New York; Charleston Springs Golf Course in New Jersey; and Farm Neck on Martha’s Vineyard.
“Improving and retaining courses for public play is important to me,” said Mungeam. “I grew up playing public courses and now a lot of my work is on the public course side. There is a myriad of issues that impact pace of play, maintenance cost, safety and revenue.
“Public golf tends to be forgotten a bit; some people do not expect a course to be as good or meet the standard of a private course. When we raise the standard at a public facility it brings great appreciation from those who play the course.”
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