“Golf is as much a mental
game as it is physical, and so
we aim to create courses that
encourage players to think and
then decide on the best angle
of approach.” — Sir Nick Faldo
Golf courses in 20 different countries, winner of six
majors, and a net worth of $60 million, delve right into
the design world created by Sir Nick Faldo. Andrew
Haggar, lead architect at Faldo Design, gives us an
exclusive insight into the man behind the award-winning
design firm. Established in 1991, the most successful
European golfer in history takes his experience from the
course to create some of the world’s top golf courses.
Q: What does Faldo Design bring that’s different to
other design companies?
Put simply, it must be Sir Nick Faldo! It’s a unique offering
Faldo Design has – the design input of a six-time major
champion who understands golf course design and
has, what I call, a ‘design brain’, as well as golf course
architects who are creative, imaginative, and match Sir
Nick’s drive to achieve the highest quality. Sir Nick has a
very broad and in-depth knowledge of golf, which makes
his involvement in any golf course project beneficial.
His experiences from a career in golf, as a player and of
courses themselves, is a near-endless resource that he
and his experienced golf architects are able to tap into
whilst developing high-quality golf course designs.
Q: How did your career in golf design begin?
At the age of 16, whilst deciding whether to stay on at
school or not, I saw an advert in a golf magazine from a
golf course design company and that was it. I knew that’s
what I wanted to do. I was very keen on golf, art, and
design, so I figured that golf course design could be the
perfect career for me.
olfing Legend
Sir Nick Faldo plays one of his signature courses
After completing my A-levels and graduating with a
degree in Landscape Architecture, I went to work for a
multi-disciplinary company of architects, civil engineers,
landscape architects, and also golf course architects, who
were designing golf courses for the European Tour at the
time. After two and a half years there, I went to work for
European Golf Design, where I completed my professional
qualification as a Landscape Architect and worked for 11
years, before joining Faldo Design. Since then I’ve never
looked back.