Mark A. Mungeam, ASGCA grew up in Berlin, Massachusetts and majored in Civil & Environmental Engineering at WPI in Worcester, MA. During college Mungeam was greenkeeper at 9-hole Berlin Country Club, where he assisted the owner in his attempts to lengthen the course and became interested in golf course design.
At the recommendation of golf architect Geoffrey Cornish, after college he began work in golf course construction building courses from New York to Florida. Mungeam joined the golf design firm of Cornish & Silva, Inc. in 1987. He formed Mungeam Golf Design, Inc. in 2006.
New course designs include Cape Cod National (MA) (with Brian Silva) , Butter Brook (MA), LeBaron Hills (MA), Charleston Springs (36-holes in NJ), Owl’s Nest (NH) and Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds (MA).
Prominent renovations include Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago for several major tournaments including the 2003 US Open, Donald Ross designed George Wright and Franklin Park Golf Courses for the City of Boston, Connecticut National and Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard.
My Story
In college I worked summers as greenkeeper at the local 9-hole, par-32 course. The Owner wanted to lengthen it. I wanted to help, so I borrowed a copy of the Cornish-Whitten book “The Golf Course” from the public library.
The book hooked me, and I decided then that I would rather design golf courses than waste water treatment plants. I wrote several golf architects to express my interest and Mr. Cornish suggested I look for work with a golf course builder, which established my path into golf course architecture.
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When did you find out you were selected to be the next president of ASGCA?
I basically learned I would become President in the summer of 2022 when immediate Past President Forrest Richardson called me to ask if I would consider joining the Executive Committee.
The EC is a five-year commitment, with the 4th year being the President. Selection to the Executive Committee is based on a vote of the Board of Governors.
What are your chief priorities for the year ahead in your new role?
There are many issues impacting golf and the ASGCA. I care about all things impacting the golf business, but in my term as President, there are three that I feel most strongly about.
• Continue to encourage and welcome new, qualified men and women into golf course architecture and ASGCA. New members with new ideas are critical to sustaining our organization and we must promote the future success of the next generation of architects.
• We need to better identify the environmental and societal benefits of more sustainable golf course design and maintenance. Our industry must continue to work with our Allied Partners to highlight all the positive aspects of golf and golf courses that can be enjoyed by everyone.
• Low-cost public access golf is critically important to developing new players. Many “mom & pop” or similar courses have been closed in the last 20 years. There is considerable pressure to redevelop golf space into housing, solar farms and other uses, yet few proposals to build new low-cost public courses to replace those lost. The shrinkage of public golf results in fewer available tee times, slower rounds, higher prices and increased dissatisfaction with the game.
Most golfers have a limited understanding on what a golf architect does. What’s the most important skillset an architect has to have to be successful?
I always tell people that golf architects must have a broad base of skills, and that designing good golf holes is only a part of that.
They must also have knowledge in land planning, engineering, landscape architecture, construction management, agronomy, drainage, irrigation, public speaking, drafting and many other qualities.
You’ve been quite active in designing and updating public courses owned by various governmental jurisdictions. What’s the biggest challenge in doing such projects?
For me, the biggest challenge for most public works projects is getting the necessary funds approved to do the construction. Over the years, there have been many proposed projects that did not get built because monies were not approved.
There is also the issue of too few qualified contractors wanting to bid on public works projects.
This can result in prices being higher than was estimated and budgeted. In these cases we have to revise the scope and rebid the work.
The USGA and R&A have decreed in 2028 the golf ball will be rolled back for elite level competitions – such as the US Open and The Open Championship. Two years later in 2030 the rollback will be enacted for all players. What’s your take on this?
I have mixed feelings about the rollback, but I generally feel that it is needed for the long term good of the game. I mostly worry about how the increased swing speeds and ball flights are impacting safety and speed of play. Shots are going further and more off line.
Distance concerns began back into the 1920s with the change to steel shafted clubs and better golf balls, I think of the matches I have recently played with hickory shafted clubs on a 5,700-yard course against other players using the same vintage clubs.
We had just as much — maybe more — fun even though the ball traveled less far because the landforms were more influential.
Do you think every day players will embrace the golf ball rollback?
The majority of everyday players will not be impacted and won’t care because it doesn’t affect them. I don’t think better players will embrace the change.
Equipment companies and ball suppliers are understandably upset with the change as it goes completely against what they are marketing.
Can the environmental community and those in the golf industry — specifically in the golf course development arena — see eye-to-eye going forward?
There will always be tension and a difference of opinion between environmentalists and golf. I feel that most golf course superintendent care deeply about the environment and look for ways to make their courses greener and more sustainable.
The perception that golf courses are large land areas that are dumping grounds for chemicals and use lots of water will always persist. The golf industry must continue to highlight the environmental benefits of golf courses.
Water restrictions seem to be on the ascendancy given the impact of climate warming. How will architects deal with this topic in the years ahead?
Golf architects together with irrigation designers have been addressing this issue for many years now by reducing the area of irrigation coverage and expanding the amount of drought tolerant vegetation on the edges of the course.
Furthermore, the irrigation industry has created more efficient watering systems and the use of effluent water has been increased. Even with all the advancements in water reduction techniques, overcoming water restrictions may be one of golf’s biggest future challenges.
If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally — what would it be and why?
Golf is a great game because it can be played alone but is best played with three other people.
I’d like there to be more alternative length, simply designed, inexpensive to play and maintain courses that are available to more people.
What classic era architect shaped your thoughts most on what golf architecture should be about?
I grew up on a 9-hole course laid out in a former cow pasture by the farmer. I had very few experiences playing classically designed courses until I went to Pinehurst to help build Rees Jones designed Pinehurst #7.
While there I had the opportunity to play Pinehurst #2 many times and it became my greatest influence. Based on that, I’d say Donald Ross.
Those in the golf industry – namely architects and superintendents — have had a difficult time convincing those in the environmental side that golf can be an overall positive for the environment. How do you see the existing relationship evolving in 2026 and beyond?
Unfortunately, public perception regarding the golf and the environment is still negative. I think it’s critical for those in the business to keep telling people the good things about golf courses do they are seen as a valued community asset.
Tell folks about the environmental benefits of the open space, kids golf programs, the biodiversity of the course grounds, the pollinator gardens, the charity events to support the local community and the water use reductions being implemented. Too many courses are closed off from the non-golfer.
Make the course more available to joggers, walkers and birders so they can see the synergy. It can make a big difference.
You’ve got one course to play for eternity – what would it be and who are the three players joining you – whether alive or dead.
The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland with Old Tom Morris, my dad and Amy Alcott.
Related: Grade “A” Architecture – Moss Creek Golf Club
