Tim Lobb elected European Institute of Golf Course Architects president

The Australian-born architect will use his term to stress how quality course design promotes the game for players of all abilities.

EIGCA President Tim Lobb (middle) with newly appointed vice president Caspar Grauballe (left) and outgoing President Christoph Staedler (right).
Courtesy of Lobb + Partners

Tim Lobb, MEIGCA, has become the 12th President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA). Elected as President at the 2021 Annual General Meeting in Cardiff, Wales on Oct. 13, Lobb pledged to focus his term on the importance of design in the future of golf.

“We, as golf course architects, have the power to shape the future,” Lobb said. “We need to design courses that are relevant in our modern-day society. It is our chance, now, in a post-COVID world, to bring families and young people into golf. We must create the facilities that make golf interesting and fun.

“I will use my term as EIGCA President, and the platform this provides, to drive ahead with the message that the design of a course is fundamental to safeguarding the future of golf. We need to stress how the design of courses helps promote the game of golf for all.”

Lobb’s pledge to focus on the importance of design in the future of golf, follows three themes:

  • Collaboration – greater collaboration with other international associations to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences to achieve a broad understanding of our industry from a global perspective
  • Awareness – seek an enhanced appreciation in the wider (non-golfing) community of the positive environmental effect of well-considered golf course design
  • Impact – encourage stakeholders in the wider golf industry to understand and appreciate the importance of our expertise and the fundamental impact they have on the future of golf for all.

The Australian-born Lobb has worked in golf course design for 25 years. After starting his career in Melbourne, Lobb moved to Kuala Lumpur and in 1998 settled in the UK where he worked with European Golf Design and later formed a partnership with Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett. Based in Surrey, UK, Tim formed Lobb + Partners in 2016 and has additional offices in Canada and South Korea.

“I wish to thank Christoph Stäedler, MEIGCA, for what he has achieved during his term as President and for his support by nominating me for this role. I look forward to the next two years and working with Caspar Grauballe, MEIGCA, who begins his term as vice president.”

After his term as President ended in Cardiff, Staedler stood down from Council and USA-based Kari Haug MEIGCA was elected to fill the resulting vacancy. Haug is EIGCA’s Equality Advisor and is the first female to be elected as a member of the EIGCA Council. The membership of EIGCA’s Council therefore consists of:
  • Lobb MEIGCA (President)
  • Grauballe MEIGCA (Vice-President)
  • Niall Glen MEIGCA
  • Kari Haug MEIGCA
  • Gary Johnston MEIGCA
  • Paul Kimber MEIGCA
  • Christian Lundin MEIGCA
  • Gareth Williams MEIGCA
EIGCA membership stands at 101, with members based in 25 countries. Since the last AGM in 2020, EIGCA has gained two new members (from two countries), 10 have upgraded to full membership (from eight countries), and three new Candidates for Membership (from three countries):

New members (MEIGCA):
  • Pierre Fulke (Sweden)
  • Graeme Webster (UK)
 
Upgraded to member (MEIGCA):
  • Jakub Cervenka (Czech Republic)
  • Virginia Costa (Italy)
  • Kari Haug (USA)
  • Jari Koivusalo (Finland)
  • Brian Noble (UK)
  • Matt Osborne (Dubai)
  • Rubèn Palacios Setvalls (Spain)
  • Philip Spogard (Denmark)
  • Johnny Stenegärd (Dubai)
  • Lassi Pekka Tilander (Finland)
 
New Candidates for Membership (CfM):
  • Michael Harradine (Dubai)
  • Tom Kelly (UK)
  • Oliver Tubb (Canada)