Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the golf course architecture practice founded by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson with partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb, is to expand its international business by opening a Cape Town office to service Africa.
The new business will be managed by Andrew Goosen who previously worked in the UK practice for four years, but has now moved back to his native South Africa in the newly promoted role of Senior Design Associate.
Commenting on this important step in the development of the TPL business, Principal, Tim Lobb, said: “We have been monitoring the development of golf in this region for some time and the creation of our new African office, coupled with the continent’s growing profile as a golf destination, is a logical progression which will allow us to closely manage both new and existing work going forwards.
“Andrew has already played a significant role in our Egyptian projects, New Giza and El Ein Bay, and we are confident our business interests in Africa, and those of our clients, will be in safe hands with the opening of this new office.”
Andrew added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Tim Lobb in the UK, but the lure of returning to my native South Africa is very exciting. There has been noticeable growth and significant investment in the golf and tourism industry in Africa, and the prospects for the sport are very strong.”
As part of Andrew’s role, he will also be overseeing a new TPL project in Zambia, which will see the design and construction of an exciting new golf course that forms part of a hunting lodge development spread across 50,000 hectares of land.
This expansion also rekindles great memories for the company’s five-time Open Champion, Peter Thomson, who had many head-to-head sporting encounters with the great South African golfer, Bobby Locke. The pair became good friends and toured the former Rhodesia and other parts of Africa, playing a series of exhibition matches during the 1950s and 60s.
TPL’s growth in the region coincides with the announcement that South Africa has been named ‘Africa, Indian Ocean and Gulf States Golf Destination of the Year 2011’ by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).
Thomson Perrett & Lobb www.tpl.eu.com