Over 30 years of award-winnning golf course architecture
Passion Made Real
Paul Albanese has a passion for golf architecture, and that passion shines through in the award-winning golf designs he has created over 33 years. He prides himself on envisioning concepts and transforming creative ideas into a golf reality.
Below is a timeline of events of Paul’s career in golf, starting as a youngster in New Jersey, followed by him earning degrees from Cornell and Harvard University. He then started his golf design career in earnest and has been doing so ever since.
Roots in the Game
Picking up golf at age 8, Paul was a single-digit handicapper by 13. More importantly, he fell in love with the great courses of Northern New Jersey:
- Somerset Hills C.C. (A.W. Tillinghast)
- Baltusrol G.C. (A.W. Tillinghast)
- Plainfield C.C. (Donald Ross)
He started as a caddy at Fairmount Country Club, learning every nuance of the game on the ground and by caddying for many of the best golfers at Fairmont. Caddying for over a decade as a youngster enabled him to see firsthand how golfers of levels navigated the golf course, an invaluable lesson he has used throughout his career.
During the summer of 1988, Paul was the assistant superintendent at the Madison Golf Club in New Jersey. The experience showed him all apsects of what it takes to maintain a golf course, another invaluable experience that he took with him throughout his career as a golf architect…
Timeline of Paul’s Golf Life
1983-1986
The Early Days
- 1980s: Introduced at young age to some of the great Golden Age courses on East Coast, including
- Baltusrol
- Plainfield
- Somerset Hills
- 1982 – 86: Played on High School Golf team that won the New Jersey State Championship 4 years in a row.
1986-1990
Attended Cornell University; Earned a BS in Engineering
- 1986-1987: Started in all golf tournaments on Men’s Golf Team including Ivy League Championships at Bethpage Black.
- 1987-1988: Qualified to play in the ECAC Championships
- 1989-1990: Captain of Mens Golf Team
- 1990: Earned B.S in Engineering (Agricultural and Biological)
1990-1993
Attended Harvard University; Earned a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture (MLA)
1990 – 1991: First year MLA student; learned the fundamentals of Landscape Architcture
1992 – 1993: Received a Penny White grant to study golf course architecture in Scotland
Created 3rd year independent studio thesis to explore relationship of golf course design and public space
1990: Structured curriculum to explicitly study the relationship between landscape architecture and golf course architecture
1992
Internship in golf course architecture
Paul Albanese worked with Jerry Matthews at Matthews & Associates in in Lansing Michigan as an intern.
1993 – 1996
Full time associate golf course architect with Matthews and Associates
Jerry Matthews and his father Bruce have designed more golf courses in the State of Michigan than any other golf designer.
Paul in charge of following projects:
1995: Wyandotte Shores Golf Course, Wyandotte Michigan
1996: Hunters Ridges Golf Course (currently the Links at Hunters Ridge), Howell Michigan
1997: Timberstone Golf Club, Iron Mountain, Michigan; winner 3rd Best New Resort Course, Golf Digest
1996 – 2004
Owner golf course architecture firm with Ray Hearn
Paul in charge of following projects:
1997: Birchwood Farms Country Club, Birches 9 hole, Harbor Springs, Michigan
1997: The Tradition Golf Club, Edmond, Oklahoma
1998: Quail Ridge Golf Club, Alma, Michigan
1999: Moose Ridge Golf Course, South Lyon, Michigan
2000: Tam-O-Shanter Country Club (Major Remodel), West Bloomfield, Michigan
2001: Red Run Golf Club, Bunker Remodeling Project, Royal Oak, Michigan
2002: Watermark Country Club, Remodeling, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2003: Royal Scot Golf Course, Lansing, MI
2004 – 2018
Owner of golf course architecture firm with Chris Lutzke
2004: Mill Creek Golf Club, Rochester, New York
2005: Springfield Oaks, Bunker Remodeling, Oakland County, Michigan
2005: Washtenaw Country Club, Remodeling, Ypsilanti, Michigan
2006: French Lick Golf Club, Construction Management for Pete Dye, French Lick, IN
2007: Dayton Country Club, Remodeling Master Plan, Dayton Ohio
2007: Marrakesh Golf Club, Marrakesh, Morocco
2008: Sweetgrass Colf Club, Wilson, Michigan
2009: Full Cry at Keswick Hall, Construction Management for Pete Dye, Keswick, VA
2009: Zavidivo Golf Club, Construction Management for EGD, Zavidivo, Russia
2010: Old Marsh Golf Club, Construction Management, Pete Dye, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
2011: Beidaihe Golf Club, Beidaihe, China
2011: Kiawah Island Ocean Course, Remodeling Construction for Pete Dye
2012: Walnut Creek Country Club, Major Remodeling, South Lyon, Michigan
2013: Roseland Golf Club, Master Plan and Bunker Remodeling, Windsor, Ontario
2014: Tatanka Golf Club, Niobrara, Nebraska
2015: Lochmoor Golf Club, Bunker Remodeling, Grosse Point Wood, Michigan
2016: Whistling Straits, Construction Management for Pete Dye, Kohler, Wisconsin
2016: Links at Perry Cabin, Construction Management for Pete Dye, St. Michaels, MD
2005-2009:
2005-2009:
This program consists of 12 modules that focus on the design of golf courses from many perspectives and includes the integration of many facets of design. The students start by learning basic principles of design and spatial orientation and progress through the detail design process, including green, tee, bunker and hazard design. The final design project is a two month independent golf course design evaluated by external examiners
Graduates of the ECA program receive an MSc in Golf Course Architecture from both the Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh.
Paul also teaches a 10 day seminar for Cornell University’s Adult Education Program. In addition, he is a frequent guest lecturer at Michigan State University, and has spoken at many seminars and conferences.
2018 – Present
Owner Albanese Golf Course Architecture and Construction Management
2017: Amber Hills Resort, Hillside Course, Bac Giang, Vietnam
2018: Sage Run Golf Club, Harris, Michigan
2019: Kennett Square Golf & CC, collaboration w/ Brad Klein, Remodeling, Kennett Sq., PA
2020: Michigan State Mens and Womens Golf Team Practice Facility, E. Lansing, MI
2021: Saskatoon, Silver Nine, Caledonia, Michigan
2022: Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club, Master Plan and Bunker Remodel, Grosse Ile, MI
2023: Cable Hollow Golf Course, Master Plan and Remodel, Russell, Pennsylvania,
2024: Trout Lake Golf Club, Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin
2025: The Cedar Course (Kishke), Island Resort and Casino, Harris Michigan
2026: Amber Hill, Rock Valley Course, with K.J Choi, Bac Giang Vietnam
