Singapore: Schmidt-Curley Design’s reputation as one of the world’s most active and innovative golf course design firms has been enhanced with the retention of its title as Asia-Pacific’s Best Golf Course Architect in 2014.
It’s the fourth year in succession that Asian Golf Industry Federation member Schmidt-Curley Design has scooped the top prize in the Asia Pacific Awards’ Best Architect category and the eighth straight year that the company has claimed a top-three finish.
Co-founded by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley in 1997, Schmidt-Curley has designed more than 150 layouts in 25 countries with 80 courses across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Once more we greatly appreciate the honour and recognition,” said Curley. “This award is testament to the quality of our outstanding and highly talented team and the professional service we provide.”
Schmidt, currently serving as President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, said: “For nearly two decades we’ve been intimately involved with the Asian golf industry. We are proud of our record of consistent design achievement, master-planning expertise and client satisfaction.
“We are now working on our first design project in Myanmar and we’re excited to continue to lead the way as the region’s influence over global golf grows.”
The firm’s extensive work at China’s Mission Hills also received praise during the Awards ceremony in Singapore.
Ten-course Mission Hills Haikou – entirely master-planned and designed by Schmidt-Curley – maintained its position as the Best Golf Resort in Asia-Pacific while Mission Hills Shenzhen placed third in the category.
Its Blackstone Course, host of the 2011 World Cup of Golf and last month’s third edition of the World Celebrity Pro-Am, retained its Best Course in China title and was also named runner-up in the Best Championship Course in Asia-Pacific segment.
Curley believes it has become ‘one of the premier tournament courses in the world’ and that many more events will be staged there.
Curley said: “In a short space of time, the Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Haikou has established itself as one of the ‘must play’ venues in Asia. Its striking contrast of golf within a black lava field terrain is equally scenic and demanding and with risk/reward opportunity at the final holes, this course should prove to be one of the premier tournament courses in the world.”