John LaFoy began his golf course design career in 1973 as an apprentice to George W. Cobb, one of America’s premier golf course architects. In his early years, LaFoy was fortunate to have accompanied Cobb on design and consultation visits to Augusta National Golf Club as Cobb had been the architectural consultant ever since he designed the par-three course in 1958. From 1973 to 1978 LaFoy worked with Cobb on numerous improvements and alterations to the course, including the renovation of tees, bunkers and the rebuilding of the famous thirteenth green. It was LaFoy’s experiences working with Clifford Roberts at Augusta that sparked a fondness for renovation work, especially on many of the old classic golf courses. After Cobb retired in 1981 LaFoy started his own firm.
Since his work at Augusta, LaFoy has completed renovation work on courses of many of the ‘old masters’ including AW Tillinghast, Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie, Robert Trent Jones, Dick Wilson, Perry Maxwell, Seth Raynor, Charles Blair Macdonald, Robert Bruce Harris, and Ellis Maples.