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LEADERSHIP DRIVEN GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE

TONY RISTOLA PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Since 1995 I have been designing and supervising the

construction of my Personal Designs. They have been

shaped by my experiences throughout the golf industry;

tournament professional, teaching professional, golf course

maintenance and golf course construction.

CONSTRUCTION

Before designing and constructing my own Personal Designs

using Leadership Driven Architecture, I worked building Dye

Designs, Nicklaus Design and Kosti Kuronen golf courses, as

well as being involved with redesign work. These projects

took me from just south of the Arctic Circle, to the Tropic of

Cancer; not only a wide variety of climates, but a broad

array of landscapes too: urban flood control, bedrock, and

clay farmland, Baltic and desert coastlines. Together it

represents a vast mix of experiences and extremes. Total

project budgets varied from a few million dollars to $50

million.

Having built courses, I can operate heavy equipment,

rough-out concepts if need be, understand the limitations of

machines, can choose the best for the intended task, and

can communicate with equipment operators. This and my

daily involvement helps builders understand and achieve the

intended result.

Architect’s Time On-Site During Construction

Typical Tony Ristola

0 to 6% 100%

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GOLF UNDERSTANDING

I have played golf for 31 years with 23 as a member of the

Professional Golfers Association (PGA), which I am still a

member.

Several pro’s I competed against as a professional have

gone on to play on Ryder Cup and President’s Cup teams

and win major championships.

This lifelong association with golf provides a solid foundation

of knowledge. I understand the game clearly, the physical

skill and psychology of golfers, male and female, young and

old, beginner to tournament professional, and apply this

knowledge to my designs.

As a PGA member, I also understand the operations side of

the business, and have followed the challenges and fortunes

of new and existing clubs. The golf course architect is the

individual most responsible for the success or failure of the

club. He sets the foundation for potential. All golf courses

will face competition, and regardless of how well run or how

nice the individuals at a club, if the golf course does not

provide challenge, beauty, and fun it will struggle to

survive. This basic concept applies to golf courses in every

region of the world.

ARTIST My grandfather, an artist, influenced my life greatly. Since

the ripe age of seven, I’d planned a career as an artist and

as professional athlete. Today, the trained eye of the artist,

my artistic skills, are used to conceptualize and illustrate

during planning, communicate and refine these concepts

during my daily involvement during construction.

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GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE

I have worked in golf course maintenance in perhaps the

most extreme climate and soil combination in the world;

south/coastal Finland.

Unlike construction, maintenance is an annual expense, and

poor designs can add millions to the costs of an operation

over the years. Understanding the relationship between

design, construction and maintenance is critical for

designing features which do not break the bank, yet are

exceptionally beautiful; even highly unique!

SUMMARY

Design, construction, maintenance, golf operations, art, and

understanding how the masses attack the game, provides me

with a package of knowledge which is useful to current owners,

clubs or investors seeking to develop or improve a golf course.

In addition:

• I can assist with hiring the club’s professional and

superintendent.

• My artistic background, and having visited hundreds of

golf courses around the world, I can assist with logo

creation, club names, and crafting a unique setting and theme for the golf course; marketing.

• Because I lead the construction effort daily, I can provide

a story of the club’s creation. Something no designer busy

with scores of courses simultaneously can do.

+1 909.581.0080

Tony Ristola

agolfarchitect.com Leadership Driven Architecture

...Because Vision and Leadership are Inseparable

agolfarchitect@yahoo.com agolfarchitect.com

Design and construction are not separate jobs, but different parts of the same job

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