FAR HILLS, N.J. (April 26, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) Foundation have jointly selected six publicly accessible golf facilities to receive pro-bono consulting visits this year from USGA agronomists and ASGCA-member architects. The partnership, which was launched in December 2015, harnesses the collective expertise of each organization to provide innovative, viable solutions and foster greater golfer enjoyment at each property.
Through the USGA-ASGCA Site Evaluation Program, the agronomists and architects will make recommendations to address the facilities’ needs, improve the playing quality of their courses, enhance the golf experience for their customers and strengthen their connections to their local communities.
The facilities selected are:
- Carolina Springs Golf Club (Fountain Inn, S.C.)
- Connecticut National Golf Club (Putnam, Conn.)
- Carey Park Golf Course (Hutchinson, Kan.)
- EdgeBrook Golf Course (Brookings, S.D.)
- Point University Golf Club (Lanett, Ala.)
- Simsbury Farms Golf Course (West Simsbury, Conn.)
“Our mission is to create community through people, parks, programs and golf,” said Dan Brettschneider, parks, recreation & forestry director for Brookings, S.D., which owns and operates EdgeBrook, the city’s only public golf facility and one of the six courses selected. “As a municipal course, this sort of assistance is a kind of luxury for us, and the report will be an important part of an advocacy program to communicate with the residents and city leaders. We need a road map to make our course better and attract more players, and the USGA and ASGCA add so much credibility and expertise with their recommendations.”
Some of the priorities for these facilities include improving the turf quality of greens, determining the best locations for forward tees and creating a more welcoming experience for golfers. The recommendations will range from quick solutions that require few resources to long-term plans that will require more time, money and support to implement. The six courses join Canal Shores Golf Course, in Evanston, Ill., the first course selected for the program at its launch last year.
“An important mission for the USGA is to strengthen the future of golf by providing solutions for golf facilities, and we are excited to provide direct assistance to these courses,” said Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA. “Additionally, the lessons learned from this unique collaboration with the ASGCA have the potential to impact many more facilities around the world.”
Nearly 30 facilities have applied since the launch of the USGA-ASGCA Site Evaluation Program in early December.
“We were pleased by the number of strong candidates that were interested in this new program,” said John LaFoy, president of the ASGCA Foundation. “Our members are proud to share their expertise with these six facilities and we hope that our joint efforts with USGA agronomists will have a real and lasting impact.”
The USGA and ASGCA Foundation will accept more applications later this year, and interested facility owners, operators and managers can go to asgca.org for more information. Inquiries about the program can be directed to Hunki Yun of the USGA (hyun@usga.org) or Aileen Smith of the ASGCA Foundation (aileen@asgca.org).
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.
The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit usga.org.
About the ASGCA Foundation
The ASGCA Foundation, founded in 1974, helps those planning green space for recreational purposes understand how golf course architecture can increase player enjoyment, benefit the environment and grow the game of golf.
Founded in 1946 by 14 leading architects, the American Society of Golf Course Architects is a nonprofit organization comprised of experienced golf course designers located throughout the United States and Canada. Members have completed a rigorous two-year-long application process that includes the peer review of four representative golf courses.
The average ASGCA member has spent nearly 30 years as a golf course architect, has designed 42 new 18-hole courses and has worked on or consulted on nearly 150 projects in eight countries around the world.
Media Contacts:
Janeen Driscoll, USGA
(p) 908-326-1978 (cell) 910-690-9711
Marc Whitney, ASGCA
(p) 262-786-5960
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