AN OPEN DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE OF DESIGN

Following the turbulence and uncertainty of recent times and enforced changes to ways of working, the entire world has had to adapt, including the golf industry. At Faldo Design, the challenges everyone has faced through the pandemic have opened doors to more regular communication, as travel restrictions made both planning and attending site visits almost impossible.

As I sat down to write our 2020 review post this time last year, talking about the ‘new normal’ and an adaptation to different working conditions and lessons learned, it was still very hard to predict what 2021 had in store for us as a design firm.

The continued impact to working processes is still significant and unique. With much reduced on-site presence from our team for projects already in the ground, we have relied on remote reviews and approval schedules to oversee, manage and consult on ongoing construction work. It has not been a simple transition, especially at such crucial stages of each project; but it has worked well and will only improve as the advancement of technology such as drone imagery provide the opportunity to have instant, improved visibility of sites and streamline the decision-making process.

When the Faldo Design team met recently (on Teams of course) to discuss this end of year blog post, rather than continue to review the challenges we face we decided to look ahead given the optimistic position the sport finds itself in. So I’ve gathered their opinions on everything from how golf can make a difference when it comes to climate change, where design may change the most, to the continued growth and development in Asia and how golf course design can prosper from the golf participation boom seen by the pandemic (particularly pertinent given the recent R&A report published).

Thanks to Sir Nick and the Faldo Design team for contributing to our end of year wrap up post:

Andy Haggar (AH) – Senior Golf Course Architect
Mark Adams (MA) – Business Management Asia Pacific, Middle East & US
Guy Hockley (GH) – Senior Golf Course Architect and Master Planner

We look forward to bringing golfers more exciting course design news from Faldo Design in 2022.

Gareth Williams (GW) – Director of Design & Operations, Golf Course Architect

What does course innovation look like in Golf Course Architecture now and what are the design features that separate new courses and genuinely provide new solutions / memorability / offer something different?

AH: Often good design is in the features you don’t see, that seem natural, fitting and authentic, so it doesn’t need to be obvious to stand out. That means local design influences, local labour, bespoke design solutions based on local industry, craftsmanship and materials. I believe a good design is one that looks like it has been there for years, creating authentic and memorable experiences for those teeing up. Especially with wider pressures increasingly playing a more impactful factor, it will be interesting to see courses, new and old, embrace their natural features and surroundings more within and around the playing experience.

A large proportion of the world’s new golf development projects are in Asia. What does the Golf Course Architecture landscape now look like in the region, and how do you see this changing as investment continues to gather pace across it?

MA: I’m not sure it is fair to generalise across Asia as one region for golf development because from country to country the situation differs, and levels of development can be distinctly different. Where golf is already well established, for instance Korea, Japan and Thailand, there is a plateau in new developments and constructions as the game is well settled in their respective societies. Elsewhere, the likes of China have introduced policies to pause the golf developments in the country due to early rapid expansion.

In comparison, Vietnam is electric in the golf space and rapidly establishing as not only a leading golf course development market in Asia, but in the world. Following our very first Sir Nick Faldo Signature Design at Laguna Lang Co, we have continued to support the nation’s ambitions, where we now have three courses open, following the opening of Thanh Lanh GC this year, and have three others across the country in construction.

The establishing of various developments across the region has created a vast infrastructure to support the growth of the game. Although the market has been heavily impacted over the last 24 months or so, with the return of international tourism continuing to elevate courses and golf nations on the world map, I don’t see it being long until more Asian countries compete on the world in terms of domestic participation and popularity.

From a European and US perspective in particular, the pandemic has gifted the golf industry with a wealth of new players through an unexpected participation boom. What impact will that have in the next 5-10 years in terms of playing infrastructures and course developments? And how do new course developments help to keep these players in the game and invite more entry level players into the game?

GH: The pandemic has certainly privileged the golf industry with many new players, whether those returning to the game or completely new golfers, the combination of more time available for leisure and a desire, even a necessity, to be active out of doors has played into golf’s hands.

So, the focus has to be on providing golf facilities that continue to inspire these groups and retain their interest. For our design work that means helping clients and operators to see that ‘time is of the essence’ and offering a variety of play options that take much less than 4 or 5 hours is very high on their priority list. A stand-alone 18-hole course facility will inevitably pale in comparison to a more varied menu that accommodates the newer players’ parameters for sport and leisure.

MA: Although the recent months have seen a rise in participation, many clubs will have been significantly impacted from loss of earnings, whether that is through hospitality or overseas resorts who rely heavily on tourism. So, if anything, this further exaggerates the need to sustain these new players’ golfing careers and to do so venues need to react to their changing needs, not the other way round.

It takes courage to break the old mould – and many operators are cautious – but even a cursory look at the newer participants’ interests and attitudes provides reasons to be bold, act different and get excited about the potential to change the way the game is played.

SNF: It is crucial for golf that those who have been inspired, must stay inspired if we are looking to sustain the growth of the sport. That means being reactive and being bold to take the game forward. So, in terms of golf’s opportunity to create inspiring facilities for this new customer base it is perhaps a case of ‘use it or lose it’.

The UK and US, and to some extent Europe’s, markets have deeply traditional views on a club’s facilities and find it harder to embrace innovation than younger markets – not least because of the short-term resource that it requires to create the change and see the benefits in the longer-term. ‘New’ developments in mature markets must include re-invigorating and, to varying extents, re-inventing existing facilities. And that requires vision and courage from our clients.

As the game continues to evolve, I believe our golf courses should be challenging golfers of all types of ability. They must be also playable with a good amount of variety and interest that will keep them coming back, time after time.

‘Respect for Nature’ and sustainability are pillars of FD’s design philosophy. Following the recent COP26 conference at which the acute effect of climate change was highlighted, where does golf’s responsibility lie in driving positive change? 

GW: The golf industry has enormous responsibility in driving positive change. From a practical standpoint, golf developments and operations (clubs / courses) must be built and run with sustainable principles front and centre. Golf courses sit on enormous tracts of land and so it’s not only the responsible way to approach and manage these facilities – for the environment and their neighbouring communities – it presents commercial opportunities for the developers and operators. In simple terms, working against nature inevitably costs more than working with it. This is increasingly becoming normality; the likes of the GEO Foundation have made huge strides in the golf industry in recent years, guiding responsible development and operation well ahead of the now increasingly stringent restrictions on water, resources and the environment.

GH: The responsibility can’t just lie with golf development, though, this is very much a need for a collective effort from all parties. Each golf environment is unique and so it would be encouraging to see more high-profile venues and Tours move away from ‘standardised’ expectations of perfection and embrace more natural and balanced brand of the game.

Looking ahead, where will design change most?

AH: The world is changing rapidly, and the design industry is no different. As Gareth mentions, we’ve already experienced great changes to working with remote consultancy and construction management through drones and imagery. This is a great step forward and with virtual reality and further technologies I think more change, for the better, will come because of it and embedded into everyday working processes faster too.

GW: That can be said for sustainable design as well. We have been applying those principles to our projects for a long time now, but it has become a central feature of golf development that is continually advancing. The requirements and restrictions placed on individual projects will certainly continue to see the aesthetic of new build and renovated courses become far more natural to their environments, in terms of the construction materials, plant, tree species and grass species on the course.

MA: Design / designers are now being asked to break out of some traditional moulds and think outside the box a little more in order to achieve what is required. Equally, it is not just design firms who should be looking to innovate and, now as much as at any other time, clients might be looking at different ways to offer golf, whether that be through 9 or 12-hole courses for example.