The Process by The Greenprint - Brian Curley - Ep 9

In this episode of The Process by The Greenprint, Leighton Walker and Thad Layton are joined by internationally renowned golf course architect Brian Curley, whose career has taken him from growing up in Pebble Beach to designing and overseeing some of the largest golf developments ever undertaken around the world.

Brian reflects on the moment he discovered golf course architecture as a profession, his formative years working alongside Pete Dye during the golf boom of the 1980s, and how those experiences shaped his approach to design. He explains why successful golf architecture is about far more than shaping fairways and greens, discussing the importance of routing, strategy, landscape, non-turf areas and understanding what clients are truly trying to achieve.

The conversation then explores Brian's extraordinary work throughout Asia, including the development of Mission Hills China and Mission Hills Haikou, where he helped create multiple golf courses on an unprecedented scale. He shares fascinating stories about designing courses with distinctly different architectural identities, managing enormous construction projects, embracing local culture, and adapting golf architecture for emerging markets across China, Myanmar, Vietnam and beyond.

Brian also discusses the evolution of golf development over the past four decades, the post-COVID investment boom, why renovation work has become such a significant part of modern practice, and how practice facilities, short courses and alternative golf experiences are reshaping the future of the game. Along the way, the discussion covers owner expectations, the commercial realities of golf development, irrigation, construction, architecture in emerging markets and why spending time on-site remains one of the most important parts of the design process.

It's an insightful conversation with one of golf's most experienced architects, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating golf courses on every scale, from classic renovations to some of the largest projects the game has ever seen.

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