Forrest L. Richardson
Forrest L. Richardson (born April 12, 1959) is an American golf course architect and member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).
Professional Career
Forrest Richardson began his career under the guidance of Arthur Jack Snyder [1](1917-2005), an accomplished golf architect who transformed his career from golf course superintendent to designer in the late 1950s. Snyder served as Grounds Superintendent of Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s. In 1988 Forrest Richardson founded Golf Group Ltd. (now known as Forrest Richardson & Associates[2]). Forrest Richardson & Associates is based in Phoenix, Arizona with an office also located in Southern California. Forrest Richardson has designed, remodeled and restored more than 20 golf courses and has been involved in the planning of more than 80 golf resort, golf development and golf transformation projects throughout the world. He has worked throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, Asiatic Russia and Europe.
Early Life & Education
Forrest Richardson was born and raised in Burbank, California before moving to Phoenix, Arizona in the 1960s. His parents were Lee Roy Richardson, an inventor and pioneer of the motion picture and animation equipment industry, and Edna M. Richardson, Ph.D., a renowned educator and author. Forrest Richardson became interested in golf at a very early age when his Uncle Maurice Richardson introduced him to numerous miniature golf courses throughout California and Arizona. In 1967, Forrest's brother, William L. Richardson, took him to play his first round of golf at a regulation course. Shortly after, Forrest Richardson began studying the game and eventually announced that he would one day design golf courses. Throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s, he built golf holes in his backyards in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area, creating "courses" he named "Forest River" and "Rolling Rocks." Forrest Richardson attended Phoenix College, studying Communications Design. He also participated in the ALSG Study Group based at the the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland, where he followed an independent study course in golf course architecture. That program eventually prepared him for his early work with Arthur Jack Snyder before forming Golf Group Ltd. (now known as Forrest Richardson & Associates).
Other Accomplishments & Career Highlights
Prior to becoming a golf course architect, Richardson had a brief career in Market Research and then in television art direction. He was Art Director of KPHO Television in Phoenix, Arizona from 1980-1981, which at the time as an independent station with a track record of remarkable ratings within the local Phoenix, Arizona market. In 1981 he founded Richardson or Richardson with his wife, Valerie. The firm, based in Phoenix, Arizona, was a celebrated design consultancy serving clients including Hilton Hotels, Disney Development, News Corporation and Coca-Cola. The firm specialized in brand development, packaging and environmental graphics. In 1986 the couple decided to shift away from branding and marketing to allow Forrest to pursue his work as a golf course architect. Forrest Richardson has written five books on the subject of golf course architecture and is a contributor to various magazines and publications on golf management and golf development. In 2007 he co-founded Golframes, an art publisher specializing in limited edition golf prints of famous courses and golf art [3]. In 2010 he co-founded The Golf Hole Hall of Fame [4]. More recently, in 2013, he helped to establish The Parks Legacy Project[5], an organization dedicated to preserving open space through responsible development and planning.
Books Authored
| Year | Title | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Routing the Golf Course - The Art & Science That Forms the Golf Journey[6]' | John Wiley & Sons | (Hardcover) |
| 2005 | Bunkers, Pits & Other Hazards: A Guide to the Design, Maintenance, and Preservation of Golf's Essential Elements[7] | John Wiley & Sons | (Hardcover) |
| 2005 | On Course - A Dictionary of Words & Terms Used by Golf Course Architects [8] | On Course Publishing | (Softcover) |
| 2013 | Course Brains - 25 Questions To Help Measure the I.Q. of Your Golf Course[9] | On Course Publishing | (Softcover) |
| 2013 | Of Course | On Course Publishing | Portfolio of Projects of Forrest Richardson & Associates (1994 to Present, Hardcover) |
Representative Golf Course Projects
| Course | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Grand Resort (aka Phantom Horse)[10] | Phoenix, Arizona | (with Arthur Jack Snyder) 1985 |
| Legend Trail Golf Club[11] | Scottsdale, Arizona | (with Arthur Jack Snyder and Rees Jones) |
| Links at Las Palomas [12] | Puerto Peñasco, Mexico | (with Arthur Jack Snyder) |
| Olivas Links [13] | Ventura, California | |
| The Hideout Golf Club [14] [15] | Monticello, Utah | (with Arthur Jack Snyder) |
| Coyote Lakes Golf Club [16] | Surprise, Arizona | (with Arthur Jack Snyder) |
| Lookout Mountain Golf Club [ http://www.golfgroupltd.com/lookout_mountain.html] | Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Peacock Gap Golf Club [17] | San Rafael, Caliofornia | |
| Coldwater Golf Club [18] | Avondale, Arizona | |
| Mira Vista Golf & Country Club [19] | El Cerrito, California | Original design by Robert W. Hunter, restored 2011 |
| Wigwam Golf Club - Gold Course [20] | Litchfield Park, Arizona | Original design by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., remodeled 2005 |
| Arizona Biltmore Golf Club [21] | Phoenix, Arizona | Original design by William P.Bell, remodeled 2004 |
Boards & Affiliations
Forrest Richardson is a past-president of the Phoenix Fire Department's Fire-PAL Board of Directors and currently serves on that board. He has served as the Chairman of the City of Phoenix Design Review Appeals Board. He is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and served as a board member from 2008-2010. He is a participating instructor for the National Golf Foundation Municipal Golf Institute, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Remodeling University. He is a member of the Golf Course Architecture Archive Committee of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in conjunction with the ASGCA. He has served an instructor for the following conferences and programs:
- Golf Inc. Conferences (1998 to Present; regular seminar presenter)
- Southwest Landfill Symposium – Golf Brownfields (2001, 2005 and 2008 presenter)
- Texas Parks & Recreation Assoc. (2005 Seminar Presenter)
- American Association of Golf Appraisers (2004 Keynote Speaker)
- Golf Course Superintendents Assoc. (Speaker: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)
- National Golf Course Owners Association (Speaker 2007, 2009)
- Urban Land Institute Golf Conference (Speaker 2005, 2007)
- ASGCA Remodeling University (2005 to Present; class instructor)
- TurfNet Bunker Boot Camp (2006 to Present, class instructor)
- TurfNet Greens Management (2007 to Present, class instructor)
- V Jornadas Técnicas Campos de Golf Municipales Spain (2009 Keynote Speaker)
- Golf Industry Show (2006 to Present; Speaker and Presenter)
- Pace of Play Seminar (Golf Inc. and NGCOA National Conferences)
- Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU); Golf Design Workshop Instructor (2011)
- Municipal Golf Institute (NGF-MGI); Instructor (2012)
- Golf Course Builders Association of America; Seminar (2013 National Meeting)
- United States Marine Corps Golf Division; Workshop Presenter (2013)
- Golf Inc. Renovation of the Year Judge (2008, 2013)
- Toro Corporation MacKenzie Study Tour; Historic Golf Design Presentation (2013)
Personal Life
Forrest is married to Valerie M. Richardson, a marketing and branding professional. They have one daughter, Haley Lu Richardson who is an actress.