One would be hard pressed to find anyone with more construction experience than Eric Iverson... he got his first taste of the business as a teenager. From irrigation installation to shaping all over Japan for Dye Designs and ultimately designing a course, Staley Farms in Kansas City, on his own, Eric has done it all. He joined us in 2001 and has since taken the lead on some of the most technically challenging projects we have faced, making them look easy.
If RGD had a mission statement, what would it be?
"Every course we build should raise the 'golf I.Q.' of the people who play there, helping them appreciate the game at a new level. That is a goal we can apply to any project... anywhere."
What is the most underrated part of golf design?
"Most golfers, even those keenly interested in architecture, don't fully understand the 'mental labor' we put into the final product. From Tom's first thoughts on a new site down to the intern grinding on the final edge of a bunker, the constant scrutiny we apply to our designs and each other sets our work apart. Right up until the seed hits the ground we never stop searching for something to add, or sometimes subtract, to make our work unique. We also try to get everyone involved in some way, sharing ideas and opinions that would otherwise go unheard if left to conventional means of construction. I enjoy and learn from the on-site debate and make every effort to help those less experienced realize their ideas in the ground. Sometimes these ideas work, other times not, but it is the process that matters."