Brian Schnieder, left, with his father, Rick, and brother, Paul, on the Swilcan Bridge.
Brian Schneider shapes, directed by 2-year old Isabelle.
Our youngest associate, Brian Schneider is also the most travelled of the group. Starting long before joining the company and continuing to this day, he never misses a chance to visit an interesting golf course in search of unique features. As a result, he is always quick with a design idea. No surprise he has had a hand in some of our boldest work to date.
How did you come to work with Tom?
"After graduating from college with a pair of science degrees, I did the obvious thing and decided I wanted to design and build golf courses for a living. I had bought and read Tom’s books, The Anatomy of a Golf Course and The Confidential Guide, and connected with what he’d written so I wrote him a letter asking for a job. Apparently, my total lack of qualifications or experience wasn’t enough to earn a position with RGD, so he recommended that I educate myself by studying great courses and sorting out what made them great. For the next five years, that’s what I did.
Throughout that time, I frequently pestered Tom with phone calls and letters, asking if he was ready to hire me yet. I finally got my chance in the summer of 2002. I was living in Philadelphia at the same time work started on the second course at Stonewall Golf Club in eastern PA. It was my shot to jump on a bulldozer and put my years of study into action. I became a full-time RGD associate that fall."
What has been your favorite learning experience in golf?
"Rather than just travel around looking at golf courses, I decided to travel and work as a green-keeper, to study design from a maintenance perspective. Many a thoughtful and generous superintendent took me in and I secured a string of positions at some of America's finest clubs, like Merion, Pine Valley, Shinnecock Hills and others, absorbing the nuances of the famous places I worked. I made my way around the country this way, working at one club while visiting other local courses of interest."
Brian Schnieder, left, with his father, Rick, and brother, Paul, on the Swilcan Bridge.
Brian Schneider shapes, directed by 2-year old Isabelle.