When the architect leaves

Some moments in life are more significant than others — like getting a driver’s license, discovering someone truly loves you or attaining a hard-earned promotion. With substantive course improvements or a renovation, there’s the significant moment when the planning, construction and grow-in have been executed and the architect has accomplished the contracted scope of work.

What happens next?

That depends on the master plan, the level of success for the work accomplished and the relationship between the architect and the project director. Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio, is enjoying its third season following an extensive renovation led by director of grounds Bob Becker and Andrew Green, president and principal architect of A.H. Green Design.

During the renovation, a new irrigation system was installed, fairways were widened and shaped, bunkers were rebuilt, the tees were leveled and the greens reborn in a sympathetic restoration of the original Donald Ross design. Thoughtfully planned over years, the course is technically finished, but the architect-superintendent-course relationship is ongoing.

“Whatever we do, there are opportunities to improve as the game and organizations evolve,” Green says. “A lot of our post-renovation relationships revolve around that. Part of it is just a continued relationship and communication, particularly with the superintendent but also with the golf professional and the general manager in trying to service their needs as they arise.”

Becker, laughing, can summarize in one word what makes the relationship between him and Green productive: honesty. “Knowing that whatever happens, no matter how bad it is, Andrew needs to be the first to know,” Becker says. “Being able to have that open relationship that you just say it and that’s that. It doesn’t work for everybody, but it worked with us.” Likewise, Green kept Becker informed.

Their relationship started before Green was chosen to work on the project. Organizations interview architects, but architects interview them as well. Becker spoke with people who had worked with Green. The architect also did his homework.

“The most important thing for us is finding great projects with great people,” Green says. “Having a solid team of leaders is critical. It starts with the superintendent and senior staff being well-aligned with great communication and a really nice vision. That’s a good sign that the project has potential. Momentum, consensus and a passion for the project also help.”

Getting the project off to the right start makes it run more smoothly and helps later. Becker and Green went on some site visits together and got to know each other. Everyone was focused on what was best for the project, without ego. It was all about the work.

Why does that matter when the architect leaves? You have to lay the foundation. “We say everyone is staying in their lane — doing what they’re good at,” Becker says. “I respect Andrew as an architect. My lane is our agronomics and being able to mow it and grow it, to maintain it at a level that complements his design.”

“You really build that relationship through the master planning process as well as through the execution,” Green adds. “You rely on each other to be successful. The superintendent is relying on the architect to create something that is functional and can be maintained for success. The architect is relying on the superintendent to make them look good and to take care of the product. There is a shared ownership as projects are completed and become utilized.”

Whether undertaking a total renovation or completing work in phases, the architect is not going to constantly be on site, though several crews may be. McDonald & Sons handled construction at Scioto and Becker’s crew was heavily involved. Green was hands-on with construction also.

“McDonald & Sons did a bunch of the bulk to get started and we would shape out and finish to see what a green would look like,” Becker says. “Andrew was here a day or two or sometimes three, but then he would have to go. It was like watching a series, with cliffhangers. I was like, ‘No! Let’s keep going, I want to see how this ends! This is awesome!’ And Andrew would be back in a few days. That’s the best way I can describe it. It was fun.”

In addition to changing the architecture, projects address agronomic issues. The desire is to make the course better so it’s both thrilling and a relief when the main scope of work is completed. It’s also time to return the focus to maintenance.

Crews and contracts

“Bob was a steady hand with talking about the challenges he was facing and what could be gained from doing the work. That’s great perspective,” Green says. “He was excellent about why we are doing something from an agronomic standpoint. He and his team did a tremendous job securing materials and getting testing done. We rely on the superintendent for that because we want them to have confidence that the materials that we are using are right for their maintenance practices.”

Working side by side is a catalyst for investment and pride in the project. Day by day, the team’s understanding of how to maintain the new product grows, as does their collective confidence. At times there were more than 150 people on site. When the extra people and the architect leave, the team knows what to do. Good questions get asked and answered along the way.

“Everyone was working together for a common goal,” Becker says, “and it was neat. It’s not easy. It’s morning until night every day and you don’t take days off. We had a core group of 25 people invested and that helps when the architect leaves because they know how to take care of it. They want to. Andrew worked out of our building and talked with everybody.”

Being approachable helps with communication and makes course visits more productive, especially after the contractual obligations end. Some contracts include an annual retainer or an agreement to have a continued relationship as weeks or months pass. More often, there’s a handshake and people hope their architect will be there as needed. Relationships matter. So do master plans.

Green establishes master plans for approximately a 10-year period and has already revisited five or six with his clients. “We look at the original conceptual design and we look at the work we have executed since then,” Green says. “Then we evaluate what’s left on the list or what we need to address.”

Occasionally, the organization and the architect move in different directions. Maybe the product failed to meet expectations, or the working relationship became an issue. If the superintendent decides to leave and the architect stays, there is a master plan in place. The incoming superintendent will arrive knowing which architect is responsible for the design and how that relationship is going.

“A superintendent and their staff can move due to success,” Green says. “The quality of the project has elevated the club and their personnel, and they are growing their careers. We do the best we can for a new person coming into the relationship.”

Superintendents have different styles of leadership and beliefs regarding mowing, irrigation, fertility programs and more, so there is an adjustment. The architect should be willing to listen and respond to different ideas.

Superintendents should keep in touch. “We don’t talk as much as we would like to, but that’s a good thing,” Becker jokes. “If Andrew was back here a lot, it means we didn’t do a very good job!” Green met with members for a fireside chat after the course was open for a while. That was a special occasion, but Becker and Green regularly discuss design elements.

“I will ask questions or send him pictures,” Becker says. “Tree removal is an example. The discussion covers me and helps his understanding. We have a procedure for changes to the golf course that require Andrew’s approval.”

There is a policy and a set of guidelines that must be followed at the committee and board levels. “Our green chairman wanted to make sure we were protecting Andrew and that was smart,” Becker says. This makes the group more accountable than any individual, sustaining the team emphasis and striving for what is best for the organization. Committees and board members change.

Becker continues to manage the communication with the builder and with Green. “He and I talk a couple of times a month, part as friends and part about business,” Green says. “We discuss how the course is performing and challenges. It’s fun to hear about successes. Bob is a terrific communicator and conduit of information and also a huge cheerleader for the project. It is the best set of circumstances.”

Even with honesty and quality communication, differences of opinion can still arise. “Andrew challenged us with some of the bunkers. We run the bent right into them,” Becker says. “It was something we had never done, and it would have been easy for me to say no. Instead, we said, ‘Let’s give it a roll if you feel it’s going to make a better golf course.’ And there are some areas I call the Rubik’s Cube. We are still trying to tweak our routines and solve it.” That’s normal and another reason why the relationship with the architect should continue.

Experienced architects will have a portfolio of several clients. If that portfolio contains courses hosting high-profile events, for instance — Scioto is hosting the U.S. Men’s Senior Open in 2026 — the attention is compounded. When the architect is publicly praised, it elevates affiliated work and more people take an interest. It’s another facet of relationships with architects.

People playing the courses also share images of them, often on social media. “I was giving an orientation to a new employee and we were covering fly mowing,” Becker says. “Andrew likes real crisp bunker edges, and I was like, ‘We focus on this because it is the architect’s intent. Someone is going to play tomorrow and put this on Instagram, and I am going to get one of two things from Andrew.’ ‘Nice work on those edges! They look spectacular!’ Or, ‘Hey, why are you rounding those edges off?’ The world tattles on us.”

For that reason and more, Becker’s effort to integrate his team has been worthwhile. “Bob had an amazing team that he encouraged to be part of conversations,” Green says. “When you have assistants and second assistants, AITs and others involved, things come to light that wouldn’t have in a conversation between Bob and I. With those extra ears and eyes, there was a lot of added value.”

Maintenance practices, golf courses, technology, the game and those who play it continue to evolve. The “last visit” is indeterminate. Sure, some milestones will be more significant than others, but chances are there are wonderful moments ahead.

“I joke that I like to be invited back,” Green says. “A lot of the reason we are doing this is that level of pride and craftsmanship. There is a connection. As an architect, you are putting your heart and soul into these projects. Leaving and never coming back seems like a waste of effort. I like having the relationship to care for things, to make them better and serve those clients.”

Lee Carr is a northeast Ohio-based writer and senior Golf Course Industry contributor.