World Travels
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Any golf course architect worth his or her salt will tell you that we gain inspiration from other architects. Some of these were past masters of design and have left their mark all across the globe. Some are current designers who are producing some of the finest works of today's era. I have been fortunate enough to not only travel across the United States, but also around the world, to observe and play some of the finest golf courses on the earth. I have yet to see a golf course where you couldn't find something to take as a design thought or inspiration.
I am careful never to criticize someone's work. You never know what is behind the finished product. One may see a mound in the middle of the fairway and wonder what the heck it is doing there, not knowing that below the mound lies rock that would be too 
expensive to remove. Or sometimes we get an owner who wants something a certain way, and we do are best to please them while keeping the spirit of the design. We all have budgets and clients to deal with and my goal is to get the best out of both.
The world is full of all types of golf courses. You have the links of the British Isles, the sand belt of Australia, and the parkland courses of the United States. When I begin to work on a site I sometimes think about a similar course. By moulding those thoughts into my own style I am able to develop a course that suits the land. Whether that is a new course that is looking to create an identity, or an existing course looking to build on one, my task is to create a project that will stand the test of time.
Member American Society of Golf Course Architects
MICHAEL J. BENKUSKY, INC - GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE
3813 Sonoma Circle
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
815.474.8385