Michael Benkusky has been elected President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).
A local of Marion, Iowa, Benkusky graduated in 1988 from Iowa State College with a level in Panorama Structure. He grew up working and taking part in at Cedar Rapids Nation Membership in Iowa, a course designed by ASGCA founding member Donald Ross.
Previous to 2005, Benkusky labored as a Senior Venture Architect at Lohmann Golf Designs, Inc, with ASGCA Previous President Bob Lohmann.
In 2005, he started his personal design agency, Michael J. Benkusky, Inc – Golf Course Structure. The corporate’s mission is to: ‘Create, protect, and improve golf programs and their environments’.
By combining quite a lot of design choices with a hands-on strategy, he has an in depth working relationship along with his purchasers to reinforce their golf programs. He has used greater than 30 years of expertise in his work on lots of of tasks, together with remodelling jobs and restorations of programs initially designed by Ross, Tom Bendelow, Larry Packard, Dick Wilson and Robert Trent Jones.
Benkusky mentioned: “Now we have seen a resurgence in golf and our members are busier than ever with all varieties of tasks.
“After a slowdown in design, a lot of our members downsized to one-man outlets. Now a few of them have began to crew up, which permits them to finish extra work, share their abilities and meet their purchasers’ timeframe.”
That is in step with how most of the prime Golden-Age golf programs have been designed.
Benkusky added: “Whenever you have a look at a few of the prime golf equipment, you see that they have been crew efforts. Pine Valley benefited from 10 contributing architects, George Thomas and Billy Bell had visits from Alister MacKenzie throughout the development of Riviera, and everyone knows that Augusta Nationwide included MacKenzie, Bobby Jones and Marion Hollins as designers.”
Benkusky additionally emphasises that ASGCA members proceed to be taught from one another.
“By combining efforts and design philosophies, members are creating timeless designs which can be extra web site particular. Now we have members unfold out throughout the continent and who’ve experience in several areas; whether or not it’s in particular grasses or soils, sharing experiences creates a greater course.
“Search for ASGCA members and our affiliated companions to search out extra methods to get collectively on tasks in these busy occasions and create extra design groups.”
Benkusky turned an ASGCA member in 1997 and can function ASGCA President by fall of 2024. He and his spouse, Annette, reside in Lake within the Hills, Illinois.
