The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) welcomed Bill Bergin, Patrick Burton, Joe Obringer and Taylor Zimbelman as new Associate members to its ranks at the group’s recent 67th Annual Meeting in Greensboro, Ga. Their elections increase the number of ASGCA members who practice around the world to nearly 180.
Bergin is the owner of Bergin Golf Designs in Atlanta, Ga. His representative courses include The Foxland Course at Fairvue Plantation (now named Foxland Harbor), Gallatin, Tenn.; Heritage Plantation Golf Club, Laurel Hill, Fla.; The Club at Fairvue Plantation, Gallatin, Tenn.; Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, Chattanooga, Tenn. (remodel); and Pinetree Country Club, Kennesaw, Ga. (remodel).
Burton is a Senior Design Associate at Schmidt-Curley Design, Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz. His courses include Golden Mountain Golf Resort, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China; Liaoning Yingkou Gold Time Golf Club, Liaoning Province, China; Jingshan Lake Golf Club, Beijing, China; Grande Valley Golf Club, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; and Yulong Bay Golf Club, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Obringer is the owner of JFO Design LLC in Suwanee, Ga. His courses include Beijing South Woods Golf Club, Beijing, China; The Agua Kun Ming (Phil Mickelson Signature), KunMing, Yun Nan Province, China; Li Jiang Ancient Town Golf Club, Li Jiang Yun Nana Province, China; Synear International Golf Club, Zheng Zhou, He Nan Province, China; and Red River Golf Club, Mi Le, Yun Nan Province, China.
Zimbelman is a principal designer with Dye Designs Group in Englewood, Colo. His list of representative courses includes The Black Pearl at Pristine Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras; Fuego Maya - La Reunion Golf Resort and Residences, Antigua, Guatemala; Pound Ridge Golf Club, Pound Ridge, N.Y.; Broken Tee Englewood Golf Course, Englewood, Colo. (remodel); and Lykia Links Antalya, Turkey.
Candidates for Associate membership in ASGCA complete a rigorous, multi-phase application process that includes peer review of four completed courses, discussions with project owners and a personal interview to assess the candidate’s professional capabilities. This process typically takes two years for an applicant to complete.