The Costello Insider
In his 34th year as a golf course architect based in California. A member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects since 2001, he was recently elected President of the ASGCA at their 78th Annual Meeting held in San Francisco.
Costello graduated from the University of California-Davis with a degree in Landscape Architecture. He joined JMP Golf Design Group in 1989 and became a Principal in 1994. Costello has designed many award-winning golf courses in the U.S. and internationally.
Highlights of his original design portfolio includes Callippe Preserve GC and Los Lagos GC, California; Whiskey Creek GC, Maryland; Fazenda da Grama GCC, Brazil; and numerous courses in Asia that have hosted Asian & European Tour Events such as Black Stone Exclusive Golf Club, Korea and Golden Palm Country Club, Japan.
His recent renovation work includes Palo Alto Hills G&CC, California, “Golf Digest’s Best Transformation Runner-up 2022”, and Skamania Lodge GC, Washington, “Links Magazine Top Short Course Openings 2021.”
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The Costello Story
I got my first introduction to golf when I was about 8 years old through the support of my parents. At first, I was playing many of the public golf courses near my home, like the Fleming 9-hole course, Harding and Lincoln Park golf courses in San Francisco, and the Sharp Park in Pacifica which would turn out to be my first exposure to a course designed by Alister MacKenzie.
During the summers, I started caddying at San Francisco Golf Club and when the course was closed on Mondays, I would get dropped off early in the morning and play as many holes of golf as I could before it got dark. In retrospect, the exposure to this Tillinghast masterpiece definitely afforded me the opportunity to become a better golfer with its highly strategic layout and certainly influenced my fondness for the classics from the Golden Age.
I ended up playing golf for four years at Riordan High School in SF which provided me with even more exposure to some great golf courses like The Olympic Club, Lake Merced, California Golf Club, Peninsula GCC, and others. One common denominator to all of these courses, both public and private, is that they were built a long time ago. Scorecards, plaques, and merchandise with dates of establishment in the 1920s, 30s and so forth.
During my last year at University of California at Davis, I was playing golf with one of my Landscape Architecture classmates and we were talking about what our plans were after graduation. I mentioned that I was heading back to San Francisco to join a Landscape Architectural firm, and he said that he was going to be a Golf Course Architect.
I literally stopped in my tracks, and asked what did you say? A golf course architect? Because, again, in my experience growing up in the Bay area, there were no new golf courses being built. They were all built!
Long story short — he goes onto work for ASGCA members Mike Poellot, Brad Benz, and Mark Rathert and I go onto work for Hargreaves Associates, a landscape architecture and land planning firm in San Francisco.
We stay in touch over the years and play golf a few times. He called me after about 5 years and asked me if I wanted to come down and interview. I, at first, turned him down because I had just received a raise and title change and working on some really interesting projects.
He said, “Just come down and let’s grab lunch. The more Mike Poellot and Mark Rathert talked, the more intrigued I became. Somehow these paths were converging — my love for the game of golf, my education, life and work experiences would come to together as a golf course architect. I started in April of 1989 and it’s been a creative and wonderfully satisfying journey across the globe ever since.
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You are in the golf architecture business — what’s the driving passion for you when awaking each day?
It’s about the creative process and making a difference. For me, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than being a part of a project team from conception all the way through until completion. There are rewarding milestones throughout the entire journey.
From the first site visit visualizing the potential… then sitting down at the drafting table to conceptualize a compelling golf experience, focusing on the design details… working with the shaper to translate what’s on paper into reality — to witnessing the smiles and hearing the “wows” after opening.
Don’t get me wrong, there can be plenty of hurdles along the way and it generally takes several years or longer for it to come to fruition. You definitely need to have a “patience gene” in this business, but in the end, it is extremely gratifying and well worth the effort.
Your chief goal as the new president of ASGCA is what?
I look at it through the lens of continuity and opportunity.
As far as continuity is concerned, we have a great Executive Committee and Board of Governors that are committed to maintaining this momentum that the golf industry is currently experiencing. A big part of that responsibility is to listen and be aware of the factors that influence our unique society, our members, those interested in joining us, and the industry at large. And then pro-actively address those issues through outreach campaigns both internally and externally.
As president, I’ll be traveling on behalf of the ASGCA and staying in touch with our members and allied organizations throughout the year.
As far as the opportunity — after 20 years of great leadership from Chad Ritterbusch at the helm, we have Hunki Yun taking over as our Executive Director. It provides us with the opportunity to utilize his talents and past experience to build on the strength of the ASGCA, and to offer a new perspective for the benefit of both our members and our partners in the golf industry.
How would you assess the golf course market in 2024 for architects and what you see likely happening in 2025?
In conversations with many of our members over this past year it has been a very strong market, especially for renovations and restorations, and they see that continuing into next year.
The same holds true for our partners in the golf industry who report that 2024 has been really busy and they see that momentum carrying into 2025.
The USGA and R&A announced in 2022 a rolling back of the golf ball. Elite golfers will have this implemented in 2028 and the rest of the golfing population will be impacted in 2030. Was the decision by the two rules making organizations needed?
Yes. A step in the right direction. There has been this incremental creep in distance over the past decades and it was ultimately having a ripple impact on the sustainability of the game by requiring more space and resources, and adding costs, etc.
I have used the phrase, “death by a thousand paper cuts” in this regard to describe the potential cumulative long-term effect it may have had on the game.
Can such a rollback be successful without the active involvement, support and help of the PGA Tour, PGA of America and the key equipment manufacturers?
I think the governing bodies had to take this first step and they’ve provided a time cushion for it to take effect.
There are certainly a lot of stakeholders involved with these decisions but I say let’s give the golf ball rollback some time to take effect and allow them to evaluate. As golf architects, we too are going to assess and likely adjust our design criteria.
Initially, the two rules making organizations proposed a split golf ball situation — bifurcating the game between elite and recreational levels of players. That decision was aborted for the update reform already stated. Do you agree with that decision?
I think they made the right decision not to pursue bifurcation. It may be something to reconsider down the road for some tournaments and some venues, but everyone playing the same ball avoids potential confusion and unnecessary division.
Let’s give the golf ball rollback some time to take effect and allow them to evaluate.
There’s been speculation that once the golf ball is rolled back – there will be a push to roll back the gains made by driver clubs. Is such an action also needed? Why or why not?
It’s hard to speculate and if I was any good at it, I would have bought Nvidia stock 5 years ago! So, instead of guessing what might be implemented, I would again fall back on letting the golf ball rollback get underway first. Frankly, for my game I’m not interested in hitting it farther… I’m more interested in hitting it straighter!
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Golf course construction – whether new or those being updated – faces a constant pushback from environmental groups who view golf as wasting valuable natural resources – most importantly water. What role can ASGCA play in this debate and how can long-term harmony take place given years of past concerns raised?
Being based in California, we are quite familiar with the opportunities to successfully address environmental sustainability concerns. By utilizing the latest innovations, technology, and best practices we can make tangible impacts to reduce water usage as an example.
On one of my recent renovations on the SF peninsula, we realized a nearly 15% reduction in water use with a combination of turf reduction, removal of non-native landscapes and trees, an introduction of more drought-tolerant turf and natives, and an updated irrigation system.
As an industry, we are constantly focused on environmental stewardship and a great example of that was at the 2024 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Phoenix. All four major golf associations collaborated on the “Golf’s Sustainability Showcase” exhibit. The Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), United States Golf Association (USGA), and us, the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) came together to create an interactive golf hole with grass, tees and greens. It was so well-received that the showcase will be featured again at the upcoming 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.
When you are designing a new course or renovation what are your main objectives from a playability perspective?
My first objective is to listen to the client, members, key personnel like the GM, Head Pro, and superintendent, as the case may be, to understand the market, goals, etc. Often times there is some pressure to have a longer course, and if there is room or reasonably safe ways to increase the length, I will propose it.
But it’s like going to a baseball game only to see homeruns. You are missing out on so much more that makes the game of golf interesting and rewarding.
To me it is much more important to spotlight playability by focusing on the strategic elements of each hole. I like to reward the “thinking golfer” where they recognize that the placement of hazards and landforms provide a distinct strategic advantage over other lines-of-play. I also like to design holes that can be played on the ground and not just attacked aerially to encourage creative shot-making.
If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally — what would it be and why?
Keeping an eye on the golf ball roll back. Again, I think the governing bodies are taking steps in the right direction to address this issue.
If the incremental increases in the length that the golf balls were traveling had continued unchecked, it would have had significant impacts to the long-term broader health of the game.
The biggest challenges facing golf architecture short and long term is what — and what steps are you planning to bring forward now in your role as ASGCA president?
Addressing sustainability. As golf course architects, we need to be aware of the three pillars of sustainability — the environmental, social, and economic conditions that impact present and future generations. ASGCA members have the education and professional experience that can introduce sustainable solutions to a golf project that protects the environment, strengthens our communities and generates economic benefits.
I’ll be working with Hunki (Yun) on our story-telling and outreach to emphasize the value of having an ASGCA member on your project team and our capacity to make a positive impact on every project.
Our collective interest as a membership is creating great golf courses and memorable experiences that stimulate and grow the game.
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For more info on the ASGCA go to: American Society of Golf Course Architects
For more info on Brian Costello go to: www.jmpgolf.com
