Thinking outside the (tee) box

Mark Miller has learned that if you want a steady stream of work, you have to look past the obvious sometimes. With the current state of the economy and the fact that golf course closures are outpacing openings, Miller is diversifying.

Miller runs the Arvada, Colo.-based firm Miller Design, but he has been working on what some might call unconventional jobs since he was employed at Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects before starting his own firm in 1999. He learned then to look to the government to find jobs.

“Many Army, Marine, Air Force and Navy bases have golf courses,” Miller says. “I have been fortunate enough to work on projects in such places as Japan and the Philippines (where there are bases).”

Miller has learned the process of securing the jobs and working on the projects differs from other golf course projects – mostly country clubs – he’s worked on. Knowing the ins and outs can help a designer be successful with these alternative type projects.

“The military gives you a broad idea of what they want and a budget,” Miller says.

The designer then submits a proposal, and designated people at the base will review all submissions. The team they determine to be the best will win the bid.

Many times, a request for proposal requires that a designer is already teamed up with a builder and the two entities submit a bid together. Usually it’s the builder who approaches Miller about joining together for a project, not the other way around. Miller became acquainted with many of his contacts through Nelson & Haworth.

Miller’s experience also has made him more aware of what makes a bid less attractive to the military.

“A lot of times, the competition gets a little too aggressive and tries to overcreate something,” he says. “It ends up costing a lot more money, and the military is strict about staying within a budget.”

Also, consider the golfers when designing a military course, Miller says.

“Officers and other people that live on the base play there fairly often,” he says. “They want a course that allows them opportunities to get better and doesn’t require that they hit over large expansive native areas or ponds. You’ll want some challenging holes like that, but you also want to make it a course they can play and have fun on.”

Miller knows what it’s like to work on the other side of the table, too. He has worked as a consultant to the military, helping determine what to accept from other architects.

“I worked on three or four projects where I was hired to evaluate the golf course architect's plans,” he says. “If I saw any glaring errors, I’d let them know about it. But there weren’t many; the architects were all very qualified. I would also make site visits to each project before, during and after construction.”

Miller started diversifying even further by taking on projects on Indian reservations, building courses near resorts. Through his variety of projects, Miller figures it will keep his company busy.

“It’s challenging to be in business these days, no matter what business you’re in, and golf course architecture is no different – in fact, it’s probably one of the most difficult,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to diversify and seek out clients in the many corners of golf course design that are out there. Having a wide range of experiences in the U.S. and foreign counties has steered me to become a more of a big-picture, open-minded designer, which allows me to better serve my clients.”