Ronald Fream has designed golf courses for over 40 years now, his body of work encompasses about 150 courses across 65 countries. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished golf architects, his passion for his work and the game remain undiminished.
The American is in the city in connection with his work as chief architect on the 18-hole, 7,000-yard Zion Hills golf course near Kolar. “Every time we come here, we discover something new and interesting about the property,” he says. “I learnt a long time ago you can’t come up with pre-conceived ideas sitting in an office and then pass them on to somebody and ask them to do it.”
He says, “You have to respond to the environment. The climate affects what you do. It forces the architect to be more creative, which I think is wonderful.”
Ronald places prime importance on the type of land used for the course, and believes that a good piece of land makes an architect’s work look good. “Sometimes it’s not so much that the architect was great; it was the land that was good. You need to let the site dictate.” About the manner in which water scarcity affects his approach to building a course in India, Ronald cites the rudimentary sewage-treatment system used as a hurdle. “Sea water can be used for irrigation, by following the model used in courses in Bali to tackle water scarcity.”
Often, golf courses are looked at as a waste of space, but Ronald contends, “When you build a golf course, you are creating a small economy by employing a few hundred to a thousand people at the very least. We’re not plundering the land; golf can be compatible with the land.”
Ronald also talked about the reasons India has not been able to produce many world-class golfers and blamed it on elitism hindering memberships to good golf clubs. “One of the main reasons there was not more golf in India early on was the attitude among those who belonged to the elite clubs. At the Delhi Golf Club, they used to brag about a 20-year waiting list. How do you learn golf if you’re going to be an old man before you get into a club?” The rising land prices are also another hindrance.“India did not invest in golf as much when land was cheaper, whereas other South-East Asian countries like South Korea started building courses 20 or 30 years ago, and we can see some of the benefits of their investment,” he says.
After decades of work, Ronald is now more relaxed, and considers himself retired. But the golf’s potential for growth in India, particularly Bengaluru, still excites him. It gives him, and us, a reason to be positive about the future of the game.
