Nathan Crace, ASGCA, PLA

A member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and a licensed Professional Landscape Architect (PLA), Nathan was born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised just across the Ohio River in Charlestown, Indiana where his parents and sisters still live. Nathan is a Graduate of Mississippi State University’s prestigious PGA Golf Management program–one of only three such programs in the world that were sanctioned by the PGA of America at the time. He also has a Bachelors in Business Administration with a Major in Marketing from Mississippi State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Nathan is a past member of the American Planning Association, a former affiliate member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and a long-time member of the Golf Writer’s Association of America.

Nathan volunteers as a guest lecturer and speaker at Mississippi State University for students from the PGA Golf Management, Sports and Turf Management, and Landscape Architecture programs as well as speaking at the ASGCA Annual Meeting, GIS, and regional golf and turf expos and industry gatherings.

In 2020, Nathan was named a member of the ASGCA Board of Governors for a three-year term.   (continued below)

Nathan isn’t afraid to get hands (and the rest of him) dirty to help a client. Here he is after a full day of verticutting greens prior to a no-till sprigging of existing greens at The Refuge.

Although his true passion is golf course architecture, he has discovered a keen sense of practical skill and ingenuity in residential and golf course master planning to provide clients with a better overall synergy in regards to the operations of a golf course, its related ancillary facilities, and any surrounding residential development. This ability enables his clients to realize a cost savings by better planning for the future for their facilities. More information regarding our land planning services can be found at www.watermarkplanning.com. For information about our services regarding the design of sports complexes, please visit www.watermarksports.com.

Nathan is also active in promoting the game of golf for juniors and promoting the golf industry for those seeking a career in golf and is an active member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA).  In 2020, he published his first fictional thriller titled Vincent Vino (available from www.MoonbayMedia.com) and you may have also read some of Nathan’s other literary works in his freelance column “Lipouts” where he wrote for more than 8 years about his perspective on current events in the world of golf. Lipouts appeared in a number of regional and national publications on a regular basis as well as special runs for features (you can read past columns at www.lipouts.com).  Nathan is also a regular contributing author to a number of national golf industry publications.

Through his educational background as well as life and work experiences, Nathan has gained invaluable insight into all aspects of golf–the game, the course, and the business. Nathan has completed several PGA seminars and, as a college student, participated in a project jury and seminar conducted at Mississippi State University while  by renown golf course architect Bob Cupp, who would later become Nathan’s lead sponsor for ASGCA membership more than 20 years later.

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Nathan’s educational background includes Turfgrass Management, Golf Course Operations, Design of The Golf Environment, Golf Course Architecture, Plant Biology, and Landscape Architecture in addition to International Marketing, Business Quantitative Analysis, Marketing Research and other specialized business courses to offer clients a full package of services.

Prior to becoming a golf course architect, Nathan served as assistant golf professional at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi (host site of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2019 US Women’s Amateur); Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky (site of the 1952 PGA Championship); Castlewoods Country Club in Jackson, Mississippi; and Diamondhead Country Club on the Gulf Coast. He has found that those “real world” experiences from the operational side of the golf industry have given him a leg up on other golf course architects because he fully understands how his work impacts the day to day operations of the courses he designs and/or renovates.