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Introducing Damian PascuzzoSunday, October 23, 2005 Damian Pascuzzo, president of Graves & Pascuzzo Design in El Dorado Hills, CA, is the architect responsible for the design of San Luis Obispo County's newest golf course - Monarch Dunes Golf Resort - located in Nipomo at The Woodlands.Damian Pascuzzo is well known for his design philosophy of "strategy-over-length" and is a leading advocate for advancing affordable golf. Pascuzzo claims that "long-ball" technology threatens the growth and affordability of golf as green fees rise to accommodate courses that require more acreage, resulting in higher construction and maintenance costs. Pascuzzo follows this philosophy at Monarch Dunes, weaving risk-reward strategy into hole design using natural land forms, carefully preserving trees, and introducing lakes, elevation changes and subtle movements in the terrain. His vision for Monarch Dunes blends strategy with affordability resulting in an old-style Scottish Links course right here to the Central Coast of California! In 1991, longtime associate Damian Pascuzzo partnered with well-known architect Robert Muir Graves to form Graves & Pascuzzo, Golf Course Architects. As partners, Graves & Pascuzzo have designed golf courses around the Western United States and the Pacific Rim, including Paradise Valley Golf Course in Fairfield, CA., La Purisima Golf Club in Lompoc, CA.; and Meadowood Golf Club in Spokane, WA. Since Graves passing, Damian Pascuzzo has headed the firm while playing an active role in the American Society of Golf Course Architects, where he recently served as its President. When Damian Pascuzzo began his term as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, promoting the need for more affordable golf was at the top of his agenda. While not knocking high-end daily-fee courses, Pascuzzo believes entry-level affordable golf has been lost in the shuffle. Recent research out of the Golf 20/20 initiative indicates that there are many people who want to play the game but don't. They make up the latent demand segment of the market. Conservative estimates place the number of people in the latent demand segment of approximately 10 million. Other estimates take that figure up to 20 million people. The reasons most often cited for not playing golf are time, expense and difficulty. Pascuzzo wants to make developers aware that you can build alternative, affordable facilities and make them training grounds. Pascuzzo shares, "If we can get people out to less expensive courses where they can be successful and not be intimidated, then they can move on. One thing we know for sure: Golf is an addictive game. Once you get people comfortable with it, they tend to stick around." Wally Uihlein, the CEO of Titleist's parent company, portrays the attitude of many in the golf manufacturing industry when he shared in a Sports Illustrated article that, "Advances in equipment should continue unchecked so the game will be more enjoyable for the average golfer, especially now that the golf industry is mired in the same recession as the rest of the U.S." Pascuzzo suggests instead that golf's flagging participation rates are due primarily to cost. It is a simple equation. The farther players can hit the ball, the more length and width we need for safe and enjoyable golf courses. This additional acreage means more development costs and greater maintenance budgets. These additional expenses are most likely going to be passed on to the golfer in the form of higher greens fees. Like-minded architects are not attempting to roll back the clock, but looking to the future of the game. They just want to keep golf affordable so golfers of all ages and abilities can enjoy it. Making golf more expensive, time consuming, and more intimidating is not the way to grow participation rates. These architects delight in plotting holes that conform to the terrain and make strategy and decision-making paramount. Ideally, golf should take advantage of natural beauty, not overwhelm it. One can only hope that their plea for valuing "strategy over length" is heeded. Pascuzzo Makes a Case for the Defense--of Strategy Pascuzzo tackles technology, affordability issues Municipal golf still plays an important role in game's growth How has the golf ball harmed golf |
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