The merger between Europe’s three leading golf course architects organisations was finally ratified in London this morning. The British Institute of Golf Course Architects, The European Society of Golf Course Architects and the Association Franà§aise des Architectes de Golf have merged under the title of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.
The European Institute now represents the vast majority of qualified and experienced golf course architects throughout the continent of Europe- “from Spain to Scandinavia, from Iceland to Italy”. The EGCIA intends to pursue the goals developed by the former British Institute which include enhancing the professional status of the profession, developing the role of education and increasing the opportunities for its members to practice in countries throughout the world.
The European Institute of Golf Course Architects is recognised by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the English Golf Union and hopes to draw support from all golf Federations throughout Europe as well as pan European organisations.
The Head Office is at Merrist Wood House, Worplesdon in Surrey with a second office in Vienna. The Institute has appointed a new Executive Officer, Julia Green, who will be based at Merrist Wood. Gerlinde Jahn will continue to front the Vienna office.
At the Extraordinary General Meeting held earlier today and attended by some 35 members, David Williams was elected as President of the Institute with Peter Harradine as his Vice-President. Other members elected to the Council were Simon Gidman, Ken Moodie, Rainer Preissman, Alain Prat, Mark Adam and David Krause.
David Williams expressed great thanks to all those who had put considerable effort into the lengthy merger negotiations over the past five or six years. In particular he mentioned the members of the working party, largely represented by the new Council, which had finalised all legal and other details of the merger over the past couple of years.