There are roughly 39,000 golf courses worldwide. Keep that in context for what I’m about to share.
Golf Club Atlas recently named the top 153 courses globally which are “Custodians of the Game,” and Landscapes Unlimited placed a whopping 16 on the esteemed list.
Those benefitting from the company’s development, construction and irrigation work include Crystal Downs (Mich.), Erin Hills (Wisc.) Lost Rail (Neb.), Riviera (Calif.), Sand Hills (Neb.), Scottsdale National (Ariz.), Southern Pines (N.C.) and Trinity Forest (Tex.). Sand Hills leads the pack at No. 5 with Riviera at No. 14.
Golf Club Atlas defines custodians as courses which, upon golfers walking off the 18th (or 9th) green, leave golfers feeling invigorated rather than exhausted with the allure of returning to the first tee being strong.
“It’s an honor to see so many of our partner courses recognized as true custodians of the game,” said Jake Riekstins, Chief Development Officer of Landscapes Unlimited. “We are proud to stand behind work that respects tradition and playability, ultimately leaving golfers wanting more. That spirit – thoughtful, enduring and purpose-built – is what guides everything we do at Landscapes Unlimited.”
Criteria for course honors on the custodian list includes those where:
- Engaging puzzles to solve beats one which does not.
- The ball is encouraged to run beats one where it is not.
- You can carry your bag at any time beats one where you cannot.
- You can play quickly while walking, beats one where you cannot.
- You can enjoy at all ages beats one where you cannot.
- Understated maintenance practices beat one with conspicuous green keeping.
- The simple game of golf is emphasized beats one which pursues the trappings of status.
- You want to play again and again beats one you only wish to play annually.
The dominance of Landscapes Unlimited partner courses on the custodian list follows the company recently named among the National Golf Foundation’s “Top 100 Businesses in Golf,” an honor it has held on the biannual list each year since the inaugural edition in 2018.
The NGF cites Landscapes Unlimited for its “project portfolio that includes more major championship venues and top 100 courses than any competitor in the industry, demonstrating its exceptional expertise and reputation for quality … (and for) beloved local layouts of various shapes, sizes and budgets.”
In its nearly 50-year history, Landscapes Unlimited has been the No. 1, go-to company to manage new builds and renovations for golf course owners and operators. Its ability to attract and retain top talent leads to it being regularly called upon to responsibly support the requirement of modernizing, updating and upgrading.
The company’s Project Development Group is also on a roll, leading capital strategies, master planning, pre-construction, total project design-build and fully integrated program management solutions for golf course as well as state-of-the-art practice facilities, golf entertainment venues, lodging and other amenities.
Further instrumental in Landscapes Unlimited success is its proprietary M4 data management services that efficiently maps, measures, models and manages projects’ lifecycles through aerial and terrestrial survey and bespoke operating platforms.
