He has designed courses of the category of Finca Cortesín, Santana, La Reserva de Sotogrande, La Cala, Valle Romano… This North American is one of the most prestigious golf designers in Europe and has lived for many years on the Costa del Sol, where he was sent by his teacher and mentor, the legendary Robert Trent Jones, “I think because he didn’t like my moustache…”.
-When Robert Trent Jones had already done Las Brisas and Sotogrande and was about to start Mijas Golf, he decided to open an office on the Costa del Sol and sent him here. Forty-two years have passed and you are still here. What is it about this land that has so captivated you?
-Most of all, the people. I didn’t speak a word of Spanish when I arrived, but everywhere I went people were always polite and friendly and made an effort to understand what I was saying. I have since learned some Spanish, although people are still polite to my imperfections in Spanish. I have often told people that when I arrived I did not like fish or olives, and the sea did not appeal to me much. 42 years later I like olives and, yes, my little house has a beautiful view of the Mediterranean.
Do you miss those times when great courses such as those mentioned above or Valderrama or Los Naranjos, also the work of Mr. Jones, were built?
-In some ways yes and in some ways no. It was so easy to get approvals for golf courses in the 1970s that very little was required to get started. Estates were generally better suited for golf whereas today we are trying to build courses on increasingly difficult sites. Some control over golf course and housing is ultimately necessary, but I think some aspects of the new golf decree in Andalucía are too rigid, even if the general intention is good.
-The crisis has greatly affected real estate construction in Spain. Although you are one of the most prestigious designers in Europe, is the crisis affecting you professionally or are you not short of work?
-Yes, of course, it has affected me and practically all the architects I know. I am finishing, albeit slowly, two camps in Morocco and I have two projects in Cyprus awaiting final approvals. I have serious doubts that I will ever have the opportunity to do another course here in Andalusia. Apart from the construction crisis itself, I am a firm believer that countries do not recover from recession by raising taxes.
-What is the first thing a golf course designer has to take into account when tackling a new project?
– The first contact with a new project is invariably with the developer. First impressions are important to me in this regard and if there is not a certain chemistry between the two there can be difficulties in moving forward. Technically, it is the terrain that rules: its size, its topographical relief, its general configuration. I have been fortunate in the past to be able to turn down projects where I felt a satisfactory field could not be made, regardless of the money involved.
-Do you have a defined design style, a characteristic that is appreciated in all your creations?
-I suppose it could be the shape or contour of my bunkers. It’s a style I copied from the bunkers made by Mr. Jones early in his career in the United States, so I can’t really claim the style as my own. In the last 5 to 10 years I have seen quite a few American architects design bunkers with similar contours. I would prefer clients to look at my courses for their layout and adaptation to the terrain. This is not as easily noticeable as the shape of the bunkers, although it is much more important.
-Apart from the ones you have designed, is there any course in Andalusia that you particularly like?
-Perry Dye’s San Roque Club features many of the unique characteristics of the Dye family of designs. Technically I think it is a very good course although a little too difficult for most average players. I was sad to see the Olazábal course come to a standstill due to the economic downturn. It was next to La Reserva, so I was familiar with the terrain. I had expectations that it would be one of the best on the coast.
-With new club and ball technologies, have golf course designs changed much in the more than four decades you’ve been working?
-The new technology has improved the game for the average player. The problem is that it has exponentially improved the game for professionals. 6,800 meters is not a long course for professionals today. Today these courses require a large amount of land for the use of very few players. One of the positive aspects of the golf decree in Andalusia is that it limits the amount of irrigation water that can be used in new courses, and it is also quite generous in the obligation of a minimum of 70 hectares of land needed to make new tourist golf courses. The location of bunkers on the fairway is probably the most obvious change in long hole design. I started with Mr. Jones to place fairway bunkers 220 to 240 yards apart. Today’s professionals are not particularly concerned about bunkers at 280 yards.
-Have you had to fight hard against golf course developers to try to impose your criteria in terms of design?
-Fortunately, most of the developers I’ve worked with have known me by reputation for the courses I’ve done and have given me reasonable freedom to do what I thought best. On the other hand, many developers here in Europe, unlike in the U.S., don’t play golf and it has sometimes been difficult to explain certain things to them. The main discussion is usually about the amount of land to be occupied by the golf course. These discussions are usually resolved at the beginning, perhaps to no one’s complete satisfaction, but from then on they generally don’t interfere too much.
-What would you tell golfers from other countries to come and visit the golf courses on the Costa del Sol?
-The most important is the fact that some of the best golf courses in Europe are located here. I personally believe that the best courses in Costa Rica are generally better than the best golf courses in the Algarve. Obviously, a climate that allows year-round play is an important factor. As long as the quality of the courses is maintained and the service continues to improve, I see no reason why the Costa del Sol should not remain Europe’s leading golf destination.
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