The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) has announced four new Associate members at its 67th annual meeting in Greensboro, Georgia, US.

Bill Bergin, Patrick Burton, Joe Obringer and Taylor Zimbelman take the number of practising ASGCA members globally to almost 180.

To become an associate member of the ASGCA, prospective affiliates will have completed a rigorous two-year application process. This includes a peer review of four representative golf courses.

Bill Bergin is the owner of Bergin Golf Designs, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Included in his portfolio of representative courses are The Foxland Course at Fairvue Plantation (now named Foxland Harbor) and The Club at Fairvue Plantation, both of which are located in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Patrick Burton is a senior design associate at Schmidt-Curley Design and has had a hand in the design projects of numerous courses in China, including the Golden Mountain Golf Resort at Qingdao City, Shandong Province.

Joe Obringer is the owner of JFO Design in Suwanee, Georgia, and has worked on courses such as Beijing South Woods Golf Club, Beijing; Red River Golf Club, Mi Le, Yun Nan Province; and the Phil Mickelson Signature course Agua Kun Ming in KunMing, Yun Nan Province, all of which are located in China.

Taylor Zimbelman is a principal designer with Dye Designs Group in Englewood, Colorado, who has worked on courses such as The Black Pearl at Pristine Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras; Fuego Maya – La Reunion Golf Resort and Residences, Antigua, Guatemala; and Lykia Links Antalya, Turkey.