EIGCA Professional Diploma in Golf Course Design 2007 to 2009 Course

By Martyn Jones, EIGCA Education Manager

There have been 15 students who come variously from USA, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, and England. The ages of the students range from 20 years to 50+ years.

There is only one female student, Virginia Costa from Italy, and she is currently employed with the Hurdzan & Fry design group. It is hoped that more women will be attracted into the industry in future years.

Thomas Jepson, Denmark is currently with Hawtree Golf Course Architects Ltd.; John Winters, USA, is with Jacobson Golf Course Design Inc.; and Jeffrey Danner is with Fream, Dale & Ramsey Golf Course Architecture in Santa Rosa, California. Robert O’Friel, South Africa, has his own design practice. Stuart Rennie, winner of the Toro Design Student of the Year Award, is with Keppie Design Ltd. in Glasgow.

The majority of the other students are employed in project management for the construction of golf courses.

John Bowden, winner of the KPMG Award for the Best Dissertation, has been completing a Gary Player signature course in Mexico. John’s dissertation on ‘The Effects of Golf Ball Design on Green Speeds’ has been submitted for presentation at the European Turfgrass Society Conference in Paris in 2010.

The EIGCA programme is a distance-learning course, supplemented with 5 two-week long seminars.

The first seminar was run at London University, Royal Holloway, in Surrey, England in August 2007 (concentrating on the heathland courses of that area, the Golden Age of Golf Course Design, principal designers, drawing and sketching skills, routing, and course safety issues).

The second seminar took place in Kempen, Germany in April 2008 and focused on site assessment, course routing, contours, legal responsibilities, basic surveying techniques, golf green construction, course construction equipment and techniques, and turfgrass selection. During the seminar, the students constructed a variety of bunkers, ranging from traditional revetted linksland pot bunkers to modern greenside and fairway bunkers.

The third seminar was conducted at University College Dublin in August 2008 and covered a range of themes, including renovation of existing courses, principles of drainage, drainage system design and installation, forms and functions of hazards on golf courses, environmental stewardship, woodland management, modern design concepts, and detailed design. During the seminar, the students were also treated to an excellent presentation from Tom Doak, as part of the Toro Design Lecture for EIGCA Members.

The fourth seminar, in April 2009, was in the sunnier climate of Vilamoura, Portugal and focused on masterplanning, CAD and associated software, resort golf, design strategies, environmentally-sensitive design, warm-season turfgrasses, personal and presentation skills, and tourism and tourist golf.

The fifth and final seminar took place at University of St. Andrews, Scotland in August 2009 and concentrated on classic links courses, golf course management, contract documentation, specifications, Bills of Quantities, project management, professional ethics and conduct, running a design practice, marketing, and related issues.

This seminar saw the termination of the course and the external examiners, Dr Martin Hawtree and Jeff Howes, rigorously examined the students’ work. Lighter periods were spent at The R&A Clubhouse and The R&A Testing Centre where the students were treated to a fascinating insight into the behaviour of different golf balls and the effects on them by differing clubs.

With the two year course drawing to a close the Council of the EIGCA, also meeting in St Andrews, laid on a BBQ for the students at the Eden Clubhouse. All the students were present along with members of the Education Board and the Council. Also in attendance was Kneale Diamond of RainBird.

During the programme, the students visited many world-famous and distinguished courses such as The Berkshire, Queenwood, Sunningdale, Woking, The Wisley Club, Coombe Hill, Koln, the K Club, Royal Dublin, Lahinch, Vilamoura, the Victoria Course, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Kingsbarns, the Castle Course, gWest, The Renaissance Club, and lots more; many of which were also played by the students.

The programme was delivered by industry experts from the EIGCA, augmented by other, outside, expert speakers. The combined wealth of knowledge and experience of the tutors provides a comprehensive and detailed learning experience for the students.

It is a highly intensive course, demanding a dedicated learning approach and total commitment. Throughout the programme, the students are required to complete numerous design projects and written technical assignments, culminating in a major design project that includes a detailed site analysis, masterplan, routing plan, greens and tees plans, drainage plans, course analysis, specification, and bills of quantities.

Their progress on the course is closely monitored by a diversity of design projects based on actual sites and realistic situations, including planning, environmental, and construction constraints. Written technical assignments include studies of principal designers, the evaluation of golf green construction techniques, environmental issues, and the strategies of hazard placement on golf courses.

Devised and monitored by the EIGCA Education Board, the comprehensive course nurtures students of a very high calibre. Consistency throughout the programme, academic assistance and personal tutoring is ensured through the Course Manager, Martyn Jones and the administrative staff, Helen Kershaw, at EIGCA Head Office. The EIGCA’s extensive library is available to the students and a personal mentoring scheme, using some of the most experienced EIGCA members, reinforces the teaching and enhances the learning opportunities available to the students.

The programme is aimed at producing well rounded, technically competent, and creative golf course designers. When viewing the results of their work and efforts, there is no doubt that the programme attains its objectives.