On Course: Four Architects You'll Be Hearing More About
Below are excerpts from an article that originally appeared in Sports Illustrated.
In 2019, while speaking to the American Society of Golf Course Architects at their annual meeting, I remarked, “OK, I get that folks love Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and their courses. Who doesn’t love Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and their courses? I know I do. But there are so many architects out there who do such good work and who simply don’t get the positive attention they deserve from print, digital and social media.”
Jason Straka
When I teed it up with Jason Straka at Scottsdale, Arizona’s Troon North in 2019, I came away extremely impressed with his knowledge and passion for his craft. I also noted that he was so relatable, so affable, so comfortable to be with, he would make a great addition to anyone’s Friday night poker game. With that combination, it was no surprise that two years later, he was elected as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
That Straka isn’t better known is attributable to his humble nature, and the fact that he did terrific design work for 17 years under the Hurdzan-Fry banner, where only those in the know could appreciate his contributions to such courses as 2017 U.S. Open venue Erin Hills and Rhode Island’s Shelter Harbor. A principal with Columbus, Ohio-based Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design since 2012, Straka has notched a string of impressive original creations and makeovers in conjunction with partner Dana Fry.
What hasn’t changed since day one is Straka’s focus on the environment. Seemingly every design firm talks the talk, but Straka has walked the walk since the 1990s. He earned Cornell University Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees encompassing agriculture, landscape architecture, agronomy and environmental golf course design. For his Master’s thesis, he profiled the development of Widow’s Walk Golf Course in Scituate, Mass., a Michael Hurdzan design that was to become North America’s first environmental demonstration and research golf course. He also worked as a greenkeeper and in golf course construction before shifting to design, so he understands every nuance of a golf course ground, above and below the surface.
Straka’s connection to the land and the environment traces to his childhood.
“I love the outdoors,” he told Golf Today U.K. “I grew up fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, hunting, skiing and playing golf. I also enjoyed design, art and science, and was good at them.”
With impeccable credentials and a reverence for the land, Straka seemed almost inevitable to find the top rung of the course design ladder. Twenty-seven years into his career, he’s arrived.
Why 2022 will be a breakout year: Straka’s profile will skyrocket during his term as ASGCA president. He will represent the organization at industry functions, major championships and on every world stage where the topic is the state and future of golf course architecture. Look for a cascade of kudos in July when Fry/Straka opens the private, 27-hole Union League National Golf Club in southern New Jersey. A reimagining of the former Sand Barrens Golf Club, the exposed sand areas will naturally invite comparisons to Pine Valley, but the elaborate shaping that creates visual and strategic interest comes straight from the minds and hands of the architects.
Click here to read the full article on si.com.