Ever wondered where Jeffrey Danner would take his group of buddies to play golf? Fancy knowing which golf course he wished he’d designed?
This is the series where we speak to some of the game’s most respected and talented golf course architects. But this is not your traditional interview.
Yes, we delve into their architectural influences and design philosophies. But alongside those expected questions, there are some light-hearted ones, like if they could only play one golf course for the rest of their life, where would it be!?
Essentially, we’re scratching underneath the surface to understand away from the media and day-to-day demands of their professional life, where you’d find these gurus of the game enjoying a quiet round of golf.
Let us introduce… Jeffrey Danner
There are few people better qualified in the world of golf course architecture than Jeffrey Danner. Fact.
A post-grad diploma in Golf Course Architecture. Dual membership in the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA).
A licensed professional landscape architect, member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)….the list goes on.
His experience is also second to none, earning stripes through previous affiliations with Richardson | Danner Golf Course Architects, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Golfplan and Lohmann Golf Designs.
So when Jeffrey Danner shares his views on the future of golf course architecture and where he’d choose to play and why, it’s worth listening.
Recent co-founder of Pangaea Golf Architecture with Scotsman Stuart Rennie, Danner has been vocal in encouraging architects to emphasize sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity in their design work.
He also believes that to be competitive and appeal to more emerging markets, being competent in professional planning whilst understanding the nuances and complexities of construction documentation is critical. Naturally having a natural ability in design helps, but this is less of a unique selling point.
Examples of where this has been applied in more recent times, include Hyderabad Golf Club in India, Samsun Golf Club in Turkey and Anchorage Golf Course in Alaska.
I’m sure I won’t be the only one who will be keeping an interested eye on where Danner and Rennie, under the banner of Pangaea Golf Architecture, end up next.
9 quick fire questions…
1. What got you into golf course architecture?
I love golf, first and foremost.
There’s always been an interest in how people interact with their environments and the physical, psychological, and sociological effects these interactions have on them.
Even before golf, I was the type of child who loved to play outside and was always trying to use what the physical environment provided to entertain myself.
That’s why I took to golf with so much enthusiasm. I only sometimes had a ride to the golf course, so I would take small utility marker flags and see how many different routings I could create in my one-acre backyard.
Our yard was at the edge of a wooded area and ruins from an abandoned early 20th-century public swimming pool. The combination of natural terrain, ruins, and modern landscape elements allowed for endless variety.
2. Which architects have had the greatest influence on your design style?
Is it too cliché to say, Alister MacKenzie? His track record of working with the land is unmatched.
I would also have to include Pete Dye. I love his use of straight lines to create exciting angles of play. The wavy lines on most plans don’t necessarily translate well to the field.
After all, the perspective viewpoint comprises a series of straight lines merging into a single or multiple vanishing points.
MacKenzie’s work with the natural flow of the land and Dye’s bold and often abrupt features have their own merits depending on the type of project we are working on.
At the end of the day, both were masters of form following function, which are words I live by.
3. What is your design philosophy?
We take pride in our ability to create innovative, resilient, and sustainable golf courses that blend harmoniously with their natural surroundings while catering to players of all skill levels.
Meticulous planning, flexibility during construction, unwavering attention to detail, and a “boots-on-the-ground / eyes-in-the-field” approach consistently surpass our client’s expectations, delivering remarkable outcomes that help facilitate a return on investment (ROI).
We also maintain a profound awareness of environmental impact and sensitivity.
By assessing and working within each site’s carrying capacity, our work catalyzes intelligent use and consideration of each site’s natural features and resources to create a sustainable and resilient future.
We view constraints as opportunities. Often, these “constraints” are features that can be leveraged into something that distinguishes the course from all others.
This ethos is underpinned by a continuous pursuit of inventive approaches thoughtfully tailored to engage golfers of all backgrounds and abilities, embodying our dedication to universally inclusive golf experiences.
Of particular fascination to us is the symbiotic interplay between golf courses, interactive landscapes, and the principles of Environmental Psychology. By tapping into a range of human emotions and sensory encounters, we can profoundly shape each golfing experience.
4. Which of your golf courses are you most proud of and why?
So far, the short course I designed with Quitno Golf Designs, the Links Learning Center at Randall Oaks in suburban Chicago. It has been a successful golfer development tool for the area’s youth and people with physical disabilities.
Samsun Municipal Golf Course with Golfplan in Turkey is another excellent example of a community using golf to provide healthy recreation for its citizens, enhancing its social cohesion. Also, the views are breathtaking.
5. Which golf course do you wish you’d designed and why?
Cypress Point, because to have a site like that, so close to home, at a time when working with the land was the required way of practicing, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not to mention tons of fun!
See also: What are the best golf courses in Monterey Peninsula, California?
6. You get to choose a destination for you and your golfing buddies – where do you go and why?
Scotland. For all the fantastic buddy trip destinations out there, nothing beats the undisputed home of golf.
To really understand and appreciate these places, one must experience the original. The philosophy and approach are nothing new but briefly set aside, as the golf development industry paralleled the progression of the urban sprawl movement and the mass production of pre-packaged lifestyles in the mid-20th century.
We unnecessarily blame designers for this deviation from golf’s roots. As with other industries of the time, the approach to planning and construction was out of necessity to keep up with demand and the need for cost-effective convenience.
Thankfully, the resurgence of those early design principles has reemerged through some genuinely fantastic throw-back designs in the past 20 years.
7. What are the three best golf courses you’ve played that are open to the public?
“Open to the public” is a broad requirement; there are many great courses that you can technically play but may not be approachable for the ‘public’ due to cost or logistical constraints.
This is a tough one, so I’ll need to start with one most have never heard of: the course I grew up on in Freeport, Illinois, Park Hills Golf Course, a 36-hole City owned course with some of the most approachable, fun, yet well-maintained golf anywhere.
I would also have to include the Palm Beach Par-3 in Palm Beach, Florida. While it can command some higher fees in peak season, the value and experience of being on the Atlantic Ocean and the intercoastal waterway, playing in less than three hours, and the views at Al Fresco restaurant are second to none.
I could go on about this course as a model, but it has everything going for it unless you are looking for something longer than a par-3.
See also: What are the best public golf courses in West Palm Beach, Florida?
I would also say the Presidio Golf Course in San Francisco. What a fantastic setting for a golf course; the public vibe is there with an element of refinement. The pace of play might sometimes be an issue for the discerning player, but there’s a reason why it is so popular.
8. Where will golf course architecture be in 20 years time?
Between now and then, golf courses will continue to revert to a more naturalized look. With how we currently use resources and how we should, continuing to become better understood, I think new golf courses will occupy only the best sites suited for the game.
For existing courses, the naturally resilient, well-suited sites for golf will continue, while the courses that require extensive maintenance or inputs get repurposed or die on the vine.
Futuristic golf courses will come in many shapes and sizes and likely deviate from the traditional 18-holes, par 70-72, as our perception of what golf should be based on the “Augusta Syndrome” continues to wane.
Golf courses that conflict with the natural order of things will be saved for the metaverse, or digital world, where golf course architects will find work to supplement real-world development projects.
Another thing to remember is the societal shifts brought on by events like 9/11 or the recent pandemic. These occurrences tend to change people’s way of thinking and can reframe our priorities and values.
With everything moving exponentially faster as time passes, we will almost certainly experience another significant event that shifts our perspective. With that in mind, predicting where golf will fit in is difficult.
However, it is a game that has endured for centuries through many generation defining occurences, and golf will always have a place as a healthy form of recreation that brings joy and reprieve to those who participate.
9. Only one golf course you could play for the rest of your life. Which one and why?
Royal Dornoch. Nothing matches the experience of golf in the Highlands.
The wild and remote feel, combined with its adjacency to the Dornoch Firth, makes one feel like they’ve reached the edge of the earth.
The golf course provides plenty of challenges but allows for creative shot-making, depending on the conditions. Its exposure to the elements means it can play very differently day to day, creating endless variety and interest that is approachable and not overwhelming.
