Golf Course Architect

To anyone who’s never been inside a pro shop, a golf course — with its “sand traps,” “water hazards” and “bunkers” — sounds more like a medieval dungeon than a recreational playing field. Add popular golf fashions like argyle socks and plaid pants and the sport sounds downright frightening.

If you can forgive the sight of a man in capri pants, however, you’ll find that golf is not only fun, but also relaxing. Obviously, that’s not because of the equipment, which includes a bag of bludgeons. It is, however, a testament to the playing field: nine to 18 holes of perfectly manicured manmade nature.

When you’re a Golf Course Architect, you’re the brains behind the beauty, as your job is designing golf courses that are both charming and challenging — pretty enough for people who play to unwind, yet competitive enough for people who play to win.

Like other Architects, your job as a Golf Course Architect is designing a piece of real estate that matches your client’s vision, goals and budget. Because your niche is so narrow, however, you must understand more than design. Just as important, you must understand sports and science, as the best Golf Course Architects know just as much about golf and grass as they do about design.

A combination of all three disciplines, your job typically has several components: playing golf and visiting golf courses; designing courses that are both strategically and visually stimulating; drawing and communicating design plans; and supervising construction.

A golf bag and drafting table are required; argyle socks are optional.