The American Society of Golf Course Architects’ new president Jeff Blume used his inauguration speech at the society’s recent annual meeting in his home state of Texas to highlight the positive economic results of those who invest in golf facilities.

“The state of the game is strong, and we should all be committed to reminding folks of this whenever we have the opportunity,” he said. “Golf is a sound financial investment that carries with it many social, environmental and physical benefits.

“Golf course owners and operators are taking steps each day to reduce costs and improve revenues, often with the assistance of ASGCA members. This investment benefits communities in a number of ways, as seen by golf’s $84 billion annual impact on the U.S. economy. And through it all, golf remains an affordable means of recreation for 24 million people each year, at just $38 per round, on average.”

Blume began his career in golf design with ASGCA past president Jeff Brauer’s Golfscapes firm, before becoming a project architect for Robert von Hagge and then setting up his own firm, Jeffrey D. Blume, Ltd. His work includes the Grand Pines Golf Club at Bentwater in Texas and the redesigns of Boiling Springs Golf Club in Oklahoma and, returning to the college where he graduated in landscape architecture, the Golf Club at Texas A&M.

Blume described the ASGCA as truly unique: “We are a group of competitors that battle for commissions and attention on a daily basis, but collaborate, assist and mentor those with whom we compete. The camaraderie that we all share as a result of our common love for this great game binds us together.”