A Wealth of Experience
It has been 20 years since Dimitri enjoyed a year as a Belgium International Golfer, all be it for a short time, this time as an international amateur inspired Dimitri’s love of golf and fuelled his desire to become a golf course architect. This is where it all started, whilst playing many wonderful golf courses Dimitri realised his interest lay in the courses: bunker locations; shapes; contouring on greens; why some courses are better than others, and why people preferred to play some courses more than others. When Dimitri got his first opportunity to work in the golf course industry he took it with no hesitation.
Dimitri began his career in the golf industry as a turf consultant giving him a great understanding of the needs and requirements of all golf course terrains. He went on to work with Bruno Steensels, Mastergolf as an assistant designer, learning a great deal to help him in his future career.
Inspired by this time in the golf industry Dimitri went on to excel in his studies with The European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA), he was not only awarded the Diploma in Golf Course Architecture having spent two and half years studying, planning and finally providing a dissertation with his final project but he was also presented with the prestigious Toro Prize. A prize awarded to the best student over the two and half years. Quite rightly Dimitri thoroughly enjoyed his prize, a ten day trip throughout the USA from Golf Courses in Florida to the San Diego Golf Show and on to the Toro manufacturing site in Riverside. What a fabulous prize for a golf enthusiast.
Dimitri’s Golf Course Architect career was given another significant boost when in 1999, whilst still studying, Dimitri was a finalist in the much coveted Alister MacKenzie Lido Competition in Golf Course Architecture. The Lido Competition is open to architects worldwide, Dimitri’s challenge was to design a par 4 hole between two given lengths; the rest was up to him. His design was selected and he reached the finalist stage of the competition - a great achievement.
So with golf course architecture clearly a well chosen career, Dimitri went on to form a very successful and prosperous union with Golf Course Architects, Gaunt and Marnoch. Prior to their recent split Dimitri had spent five years working alongside Jonathan Gaunt and Steve Marnoch on various European Golf Course Projects. Whilst working in association with Gaunt and Marnoch, Dimitri won a significant tender to develop an eighteen hole golf course in Belgium, Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure. The construction of this course has been postponed but it was an exciting and interesting project to have worked on. |
