16 WORKING TOGETHER recognizing when a colleague may be a better fit for a client. She says: “When I’ve been asked to be part of a certain project that would suit someone else, I have said, this is a person who’s better for it because of their location and experience, you’ll get a much better product and more time invested than from me.” Over time, the spirit of comradeship has evolved, and architects are increasingly recognizing the value of working in groups. Two topics in particular galvanized the industry, acting as a catalyst to collaboration. Environmental awareness “What triggered more coordination between golf groups was the big environmental issues,” says Knott. Golf had garnered a reputation of being harmful to the environment, so architects increasingly recognized the importance of speaking with governing bodies, as well as superintendents, legislators and the wider public. “There were so many golf projects, often part of a housing development, that were going in front of the public, and that’s when we really had to defend ourselves,” says Knott. “Most of the issues centered around water and pollution – the environmental community was big on pesticides and herbicides. Water usage was an issue in the west, but water quality was one of the primary concerns, and the golf community had to do some serious research.” One of the first opportunities to share that research with the environmental community came at the ‘Golf in the Environment’ meeting in Pebble Beach in March 1995. Knott, along with ASGCA Past Presidents Mike Hurdzan and Bill Love, attended. “The environment groups came away realizing that golf guys actually thought about these issues,” says Knott. “There were several more of these meetings, and eventually the environmental community recognized that golf wasn’t as bad as they thought.” Golf architects had already been considering how best to communicate that the courses they design were environmentally sustainable, and how to encourage a sustainable approach to golf course design. “We took charge in terms of these issues,” says Knott. “We would release white Todd Eckenrode, ASGCA, collaborated with landscape architect Ken Alperstein to preserve native areas at Twin Dolphin in Mexico
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