ASGCA Elects Three New Associate Members


The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) has welcomed Nathan Crace, Chad Goetz and Thad Layton as new Associate members to its ranks at the group's recent 69th Annual Meeting in La Jolla, Calif. Their elections increase the number of ASGCA members who practice worldwide to nearly 180.

Crace was a senior design associate with Maxwell Golf before forming Watermark Golf/Nathan Crace Design in 2002. His representative courses include: Copper Mill Golf Club, Zachary, La.; Caroline Golf Club, Madison, Miss.; Brookhaven Country Club, Brookhaven, Miss. (10 holes new, eight holes major remodel); Ole Miss Golf Club, Oxford, Miss. (remodel); and Hattieburg Country Club, Hattiesburg, Miss. (remodel).

Goetz has worked for Nicklaus Design since 1999. He lists representative courses worldwide, including La Terrazas de la Torre (now Los Saurines de la Torre), Torre Pacheco, Spain; Mar Menor II, Torre Pacheco, Spain; El Valle Golf Resort, Torre Pacheco, Spain; Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort, Sucina, Spain; and Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla.

Layton has worked for Arnold Palmer Golf Design since 2000. His list of representative courses includes: Beijing Cascades, Beijing, China; Zhailjau Golf Resort, Almaty, Kazakhstan; Las Piedras, Punta Del Este, Uruguay; Fazenda Boa Vista, Porto Feliz, Brazil; and Disney Palm Course, Orlando, Fla. (remodel).

Candidates for Associate membership in ASGCA complete a, multi-phase application process that includes peer review of four completed courses, discussions with project owners and a personal interview to assess the candidate's professional capabilities. This process typically takes two years for an applicant to complete.

ASGCA Background

Founded in 1946 by 14 leading architects, the American Society of Golf Course Architects is a non-profit 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, designing 42 new 18-hole courses and has worked on or consulted on nearly 150 projects in eight different countries around the world.

For more information, including a current list of members, visit the ASGCA website at http://www.asgca.org or call 262/786-5960.