Bob Cupp, ASGCA Fellow, was elected President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organization’s recent 66th Annual Meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Atlanta resident wants to generate discussion in the golf industry on golf’s challenges and opportunities
Cupp heads Bob Cupp, Inc. in Atlanta. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Miamiand a Masters in Fine Arts from the U.S. Army Extension Service. With more than 40 years as a golf course architect, Cupp’s list of representative courses includes: Beacon Hall, Ontario, Canada; Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Ore.; Crosswater Golf Club, Sunriver, Ore.; Old Waverly Country Club, West Point, Miss. (with Jerry Pate); and Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Ga.
After a brief career as a professional golfer, Cupp began designing courses. He worked with Jack Nicklaus, ASGCA Fellow, as a senior designer for more than 15 years before forming his own firm. His courses have hosted more than 50 national and international championships and in 1992 “Golf World Magazine” recognized Cupp as its first-ever Golf Architect of the Year. “Golf Digest” and “Golf Magazine” have selected his work as the best in the United States four times and runner-up six times.
As ASGCA President, Cupp hopes to generate a discussion among those both inside and outside the golf industry about the state of the game.
“Golf is a fun game; it is why we all first loved it so much,” he said. “So let’s be upfront and ask ourselves the sometimes difficult questions necessary to bring the attention back to the simple pleasures of walking a well-designed golf course. I do not have all of the answers, but I, along with my fellow ASGCA members, am anxious to work with our friends in the industry to lead more people – especially families – to play more golf, more often, for the sheer fun of the game.”
Cupp also plans to continue the efforts of Immediate Past-Presidents Rick Phelps, ASGCA and Erik Larsen, ASGCA. Phelps drew attention to the “other 95%” of golf courses, focusing on the game played at public and private facilities acrossNorth America, besides those seen at professional tournaments each weekend, while Larsen promoted the “Value of the Golf Course” as part of the environmental, social and economic fabric of communities.
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