July 1, 2016 | BY MICHAEL COOPER
Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend of mine. He is Brandon Johnson, Vice President/Senior Golf Course Architect, for Arnold Palmer Design Company. Prior to joining the company in 2006, Brandon worked out of the PGA TOUR Design offices, but, was specifically assigned to golf course design work for The First Tee chapters. His portfolio is impressive, and he has worked on projects throughout the United States, as well as in China and Morocco.
I have known Brandon since 2002 when we met as co-workers and teammates at The First Tee. At the time, my primary responsibilities were developing and managing chapters in eight states throughout the southeast. I was one of five remote regional directors across the U.S., and Brandon was responsible for all The First Tee golf course designs.
We formed a talented team of professionals, driven by passion and purpose. Together, we exceeded organizational goals, and it was exhilarating to be part of a winning team!
We scheduled a 30-minute call to catch up with one another but wound up talking closer to 1.5 hours. Brandon talked about his wife and two children…now four and two years old. We laughed at how the years fly by, and the challenges of balancing family and work. He told me about how he remained involved with The First Tee by serving on the board at the local chapter in Orlando. We poked fun at how we both play less golf as the years go by, although Brandon still maintains a four handicap, playing out of Bay Hill CC.
Brandon Johnson and Arnold Palmer review golf course designs
Soon, our conversation turned to why so few black golf course architects. I mentioned two legends, Joseph Bartholomew and Dr. William Powell; both men of color and pioneers in the profession of golf course architecture. Brandon expressed admiration for both men.
I wanted to know more about Brandon’s golf background, and specifically about when and how he decided to become a golf course architect. I learned that he grew up in Charlotte, NC and began playing golf at the age of 12. He was introduced to golf by a friend who lived down the street, and he used an old set of clubs passed down from his father. Soon, he and his friend were a regular twosome at the local golf course; a scrubby, poorly conditioned facility that now is a housing development. Back then, green fees for youngsters were $3 per round, and Brandon would cut lawns to earn enough money to play golf. His golf skills improved and he made his high school golf team.
Brandon also had a love for art. He told me about his sister, who he said was a much better artist than him. Still, he loved to draw. He laughed as he told me stories about sitting in the classroom as a 14-year-old student, idly drawing golf courses. His parents recognized his love for golf and art and presented him with a picture book: Golf Courses of the PGA Tour. “I was completely blown away by Pete Dye,” he said. [Dye is a world renowned golf course architect].
A true love affair blossomed and Brandon enrolled at North Carolina State University, where he “blindly went into landscape architecture.” There, he met two professors. They took a personal interest in Brandon. The relationships grew and both became his mentors, and they remain in close contact today. Both professors were Harvard graduates, and they influenced him to go the same route. Brandon graduated from NC State, enrolled at Harvard, and earned his master’s degree in landscape architecture from the university in 1999. While a student at Harvard, Brandon had another life-changing experience.
Castle Stuart new course architects Brandon Johnson (Glasses) and Thad Leyton.
His skills and talents were ever-developing, and his network was getting broader. Brandon had an opportunity to participate in the PGA TOUR Minority Internship program, which was a popular entry point into the golf industry for minorities at that time. He took full advantage of the opportunity, and in fact, served three summer internships through the program.
As we spoke, he had fond memories of his experiences, and upon reflection, he called the names of several classmates who transitioned from the interns program to full-time employment and longstanding careers in the golf industry. This was in the late 1990’s, and at that time internship programs were a reliable entry point for minorities seeking a career in the golf industry. It’s unfortunate that the emphasis to intentionally prepare minorities for the golf industry plateaued during that timeframe, but began to slowly dissipate thereafter.
As we concluded our conversation, I asked what his most rewarding project had been. He told me it was helping to design the golf course at NC State University, his alma mater. I could hear the pride in his voice as he shared the experience with me. He mentioned that his parents and family were there for the grand opening, as were his former professors and mentors. Brandon said at that moment he had come “full circle,” and that he would forever cherish the opportunity to help design and create something so distinctive and meaningful, right there in the community where it all started.
Advocates Pro Tour players in front of Joseph Bartholomew statue in New Orleans
Finally, I asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. Without hesitation, he said: “To leave the world a better place than I found it…to make the space we occupy better.” Clearly, Brandon Johnson is not only at the top of his profession, but he also has a winning outlook on life. Like any true artist, his work is not just a job, and it’s not a career. Instead, his work happens to be his calling! I’m proud to call him my friend.
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ABOUT MICHAEL COOPER, PH.D. Dr. Michael W. Cooper is the former Director of Diversity for the World Golf Foundation/The First Tee and past Assistant Dean/Campus Director for Springfield College-Tampa Bay campus. Contact him at mcooper2@springfieldcollege.edu
