About Bobby Weed Golf Design
01
Our
Origins
Bobby Weed Golf Design’s origins date back to the 1970s in Irmo, South Carolina. In this small town, Bobby Weed converted family-owned bean fields into a public driving range that shared his family name, Weed Hill Driving Range. It was here that Bobby’s passion for golf architecture was ignited.
Following college, Bobby took an internship at Amelia Island Plantation, working under the tutelage of Ron Hill, CGCS, and Pete Dye, ASGCA. These men would profoundly shape Bobby’s life and modern day golf course design.
Pete instilled in Bobby a set of foundational values about building world-class golf courses in the field – the kind of compelling layouts that stir the soul, sustain the environment, and satisfy financial expectations. These values guided the formation of Bobby Weed Golf Design, the assembly of our team, and how we approach work today.
"We all have someone who took hold of us and set us on our life's path, maybe without even knowing it. For me, that was Pete Dye. Everything I hold dear in golf took hold from my relationship with him."
Bobby Weed
02
Our Founder
Bobby Weed
Bobby Weed is involved in the design and development of every golf course from day one. His hands-on approach is the guiding force behind everything that we do.
Bobby’s professional career began with an apprenticeship under Pete Dye in the late 1970s, followed by a partnership that produced multiple notable golf courses.
In 1983, the PGA TOUR hired Bobby, where he advanced to become their chief architect in 1987. In that role, Bobby designed many of today’s best-known Tournament Players Club (TPC) venues, which continue to serve as host sites for several prominent events. Bobby also collaborated with a cross-section of noted TOUR players from the golden age to the modern era, including Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, and Chi Chi Rodriguez.
Bobby’s career and experience reached an apex in 1994 with the formation of Bobby Weed Golf Design. Today, over 30 years and 50 projects later, he is still handcrafting world-class golf courses for the best players in the world.
03
Our Core
Team
Chris Gray
Design Partner
Chris Gray oversees golf course design and project administration, under the leadership of Bobby Weed.
Chris’ career began in 1986 at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, NC with Weed and Pete Dye. In 1990, Chris joined the PGA TOUR, contributing significantly during the most expansive period of TPC development. Chris succeeded Bobby as the head of golf course design and construction in 1995, a position he held for a decade.
Over the past 35 years, other notable projects have included the design of TPC Deere Run, the revitalization of Storm King Golf Club for Army West Point and the historic renovation of TPC Harding Park.
Pate Clarson
Communications, Media Relations, Project Management
Pate Clarson supports the firm’s communications, media relations, strategy, project management and business development.
He has almost two decades’ worth of experience across business, sports, entertainment and hospitality. Clarson has worked for the ATP/WTA’s Mubadala Citi DC Open, Troon, Indigo Golf Partners, Buffalo Groupe, NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, NBC Sports and InterContinental Hotels Group, amongst other notable organizations.
Clarson earned a College of Charleston undergraduate degree and University of Florida MBA.
Melissa Roland
Business & Finance Director, CPA
Melissa Roland manages business and financial services for Bobby Weed Golf Design and its shaping company, Palmetto Shaping, Inc.
Melissa joined BWGD in 2019 after a long business consulting career in the public and private sectors. She was drawn to Bobby’s passion for golf, as well as his wife Leslie’s dedication to their HEAL Foundation, which enriches autistic lives. “The creativity, artistry, technology and sustainability that goes into designing a golf course is a marvel. Being a part of this company provides me with enormous gratification.”
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