Canadian Golf Architecture Review: Roundup

Since December, I’ve been working though my series on all of the Canadians working in the golf design field. There’s a surprising number of designers working — and a handful doing truly exceptional work.

However, it will be interesting to see how many survive the economic slowdown, which had already compounded the general slowdown in the industry. Several designers — like Doug Carrick — have very little work, and there’s discussion that Tom McBroom has downsized his office to deal with the slowdown. Questions abound as to whether projects like Rod Whitman’s Cabot Links will push forward after starting in the fall, and the Ontario market is as quiet as it has been in two decades.

With that — here is the remainder of the architects working in Canada, several of which are regional in focus. I’ll wrap up the series on Monday.

Others Canadian Designers: Former course builder Sid Puddicombe’s links-like RedTail Landing has been well received and sits in Score’s Top 100 … Fabled historian Geoff Cornish continues to operate a firm in the U.S., but no longer practices … Noted course builder Dick Kirkpatrick has finished his third solo design, Otter Creek, in Southern Ontario last summer … Olson, Beatty and Hnatiuk Golf Design continue to operate, building more courses than the firm designs … Former Graham Cooke associate Ted Locke operates in B.C. The Falls in Chilliwack is his most notable design … Paul Takahashi, a former associate with Thomas McBroom, has struggled to leave his mark though he has worked on several course renovations for ClubLink … Shawn Watters recently designed the Quarry in Ennismore, Ont. … David Grant has built several value-priced designs in the Winnipeg area.