Students Have Designs on Top Golf Course Architect Awards

An international line-up of students has designs on becoming the winners of the 2001 Toro Student Golf Course Architect Award, and the associated Barenbrug Award.

The nine students are Dimitri Van Hauwaert, from Belgium; Richard Myers, from Kent; David Ross, from Chile; Alenka Ivancic-Felicijan, from Slovenia; Jamie Black, from Glasgow; Gunther Schrecklinger, from Germany; Peter Freeman, from Derbyshire; Ljubica Jovetic, from Croatia, and Jason Groat, from London.

The annual award scheme is open to all students studying on the two-year Diploma Course in Golf Course Architecture – organised by the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA) at Merrist Wood College, in Surrey. The award was launched in 1999 in recognition of the important role played by golf course architects in the creation of quality golf courses around the world.

All of the final year students have presented a written and verbal dissertation to judges on their diploma course thesis, as well as design ideas, detailed drawings and costings for a new golf course. The expert judging panel comprised David Williams, Ken Moodie and Martin Gillett, representing EIGCA; external examiner Nigel Rudd, dean of environmental studies at Herriot Watt University and Edinburgh College of Art; Bruce Jamieson, representing Toro and Paul Johnson, of Barenbrug.

David Williams commented: "The diploma course is extremely competitive and has attracted students from many different backgrounds, from all over the world. The relatively small intake allows for constructive discussion among the students and enables them to share valuable skills.

"With the support of prestigious companies such as Toro and Barenbrug, the profile of the course has been raised considerably and given even greater importance for the students."

Toro turf consultant, Bruce Jamieson, said: "Merrist Wood College was the first establishment in Europe to offer a course purely dedicated to golf course architecture. There is an increasing demand for courses of this kind, which offer future golf course architects the opportunity to develop and gain accreditation for their skills. Toro believes this is key to the future of golf."

The winner of the Toro award will receive an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to The Toro Company’s worldwide headquarters in Minneapolis, USA, and the Toro Irrigation Division in Riverside, California.

The winner of the Barenbrug Award will receive a tour of the links courses on the east coast of Scotland, and a trip to Barenbrug’s Dutch Wolfheze breeding station.

Both awards will be presented on 7 April at the EIGCA annual general meeting, to be held at Merrist Wood College.