Brit Stenson from Shaker Heights was elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at their 76th Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island.
Stenson, originally from Illinois, captained the golf team at Virginia and graduated in 1973 from the School of Architecture. He first worked as a land planner and landscape architect and was responsible for the master plan for Avenel in Potomac, Maryland. He joined the PGA Tour as project manager for the TPC at Avenel, in 1984.
He later became the Tour’s Director of Construction, as well as, Director of Design, overseeing the design of the TPC courses in Las Vegas, Tampa, and Hartford.
In 1991, he joined IMG as Director of Design, a position he held for 25 years. Stenson has designed more than 70 courses around the world. He has collaborated with several of IMG’s well-known clients, including Nick Faldo, Mark O’Meara, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Annika Sorenstam.
His “least disturbance” design philosophy embodies a sustainable, pro-active environmental approach to the sites that he encounters.
“I am a minimalist when it comes to golf course architecture, letting the site do the talking as much as possible. I love finding that least disturbance routing on a property that is well-suited for golf, letting the unique natural features of the site help defend par. That’s what the Golden Age architects did so well. It is such an important part of the design process, and a big reason their designs stand the test of time.”
Stenson intends to make sustainability the central focus of his presidency.
“Sustainability – environmental, economic and social – is at the core of advances in golf course design in recent years and is essential to the future of the game. We continue to move away from the wall-to-wall irrigated turf monoculture that requires massive amounts of water and chemicals. Minimalist design concepts and the creation of diverse landscapes and habitats using native plant materials, together with significant advances in agronomy and irrigation, will allow golf courses to thrive into the climate-challenged future, providing valuable green recreational ‘lungs’ for the planet. Look for ASGCA members and our affiliated partners to generate even more creative measures in sustainable design and maintenance going forward.”
Stenson, who’s tenure runs through 2023, succeeds Jason Straka, another Ohio native, as President of ASGCA.
Former Stenson designs include, Grandview, O’Meara Course, in Huntsville, Ontario, The Rock (Faldo), in Minett, Ontario, Tuhaye Ranch (O’Meara), in Park City, Utah; Montgomerie Links, in Vietnam; and Ile Aux Cerfs (Langer), on the isle of Mauritius.
