Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects

What Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects does

Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects, operating publicly as Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects, is a Phoenix-based boutique professional services firm founded in 1988 that designs, remodels, restores, and reconfigures golf courses for enterprise clients including private and public golf clubs, golf resorts, and property developers. The firm's core services span the full lifecycle of a course project — feasibility analysis, site evaluation, routing and schematic design, entitlement consulting, shaping plan development, master planning, construction observation, and grow-in consulting — alongside specialized offerings in historic restoration, landfill and brownfield reclamation, and alternative facilities such as par-3, short, and practice courses. A sub-brand called LandBalance, formed in 2020, extends the practice into broader land planning solutions. The firm also offers naming and branding services for golf facilities, drawing on the principals' prior broadcast and environmental design background with clients such as Disney, Hilton, News Corp., and AT&T.

The business model is project-based professional services: engagements are quoted per project rather than sold as a product, pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the firm delivers work through direct consulting engagements sourced primarily via its website portfolio, published books, industry press, and word-of-mouth within the golf industry. The team is small (1–10 employees) and includes multiple ASGCA members, with principal Forrest Richardson trained under the late Arthur Jack Snyder. The firm maintains a public portfolio of named enterprise projects (The Hideout, Arizona Grand Resort, Promontory Club, Mountain Shadows, Baylands Golf Links, Olivas Links, Berkeley Country Club) primarily in Arizona, California, and Utah, and claims a global project footprint.

The firm operates as a privately held, independent practice with no disclosed external investors, no PE/VC backing, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. There is no software product, API, or platform — all output is custom architectural and design consulting. Recent strategic activity has focused on service-line breadth (LandBalance, alternative facilities, branding) rather than scaling headcount or geographic footprint.

Name

Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects

Legal name

Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects

Website

https://golfgroupltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects (dba Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects) is a Phoenix-based boutique firm designing, remodeling, and restoring golf courses for clubs, resorts, and property developers since 1988.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Course Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA)

Keywords

• Golf course design
• Golf course renovation
• Historic restoration
• Land planning services
• Master planning golf

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects provides golf course design, remodeling, master planning, historic restoration, and land/site planning services for golf clubs, resorts, and developers. The firm operates the LandBalance sub-brand (formed 2020) for environmental and land planning projects, including landfill reclamation. Principal-led engagements focus on traditional architecture, renovation, and restoration work across the United States and select international markets.

Product overview

Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects offers a portfolio of golf course architecture and design services delivered through its core practice and the LandBalance sub-brand division. Core offerings include golf course design and site planning, remodeling and renovation, reconfiguration and downsizing, historic restoration, practice and alternative facility design, feasibility consulting, landfill and reclamation projects, and naming and branding services. The LandBalance division, formed in 2020, provides dedicated land planning capabilities. The company does not offer a software product or platform—all services are professional consulting services in golf course architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LandBalance: A dedicated land planning division formed in 2020 to work with clients toward creative, exciting and sustainable planning solutions

Products and services

• Golf Course Design Original design of new golf courses for clubs, resorts, and developers, led by principal architect Forrest Richardson.
• Golf Course Renovation and Remodeling Remodeling and renovation services for existing golf courses to update playability, strategy, and aesthetics.
• Historic Restoration Restoration of historically significant golf courses, preserving classic design character while updating infrastructure.
• Master Planning Master planning services for golf properties, including long-range facility planning and strategic layout development.
• LandBalance Land Planning and Site Assessment Environmental and land planning services operated under the LandBalance sub-brand, including assessment and planning for landfills and environmentally sensitive sites.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Nicklaus Design: Jack Nicklaus's global golf course design firm. Overlaps with Forrest Richardson on new course and remodeling RFPs but is a far larger, brand-driven organization with international scale.
• Tom Fazio Golf Design: One of the most prolific and well-established golf course architecture firms in the industry. Competes in the same premium club and resort segment but operates at materially larger scale and brand recognition.
• Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects: Long-established golf course architecture firm with global footprint. Comparable service offering but operates at significantly larger scale and project volume.
• WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo): Large global hospitality and resort architecture firm with a significant golf course design practice. Competes for premium resort and club projects at a more corporate, integrated scale.

Direct peers

• Gil Hanse Golf Course Design: Independent golf course architecture firm specializing in restoration, classical design, and minimalist construction. Highly comparable boutique practice with similar reverence for historic restoration work and a similarly small team serving premium clubs.
• Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design: Boutique golf course architecture firm led by Kyle Phillips (designer of Kingsbarns and Yas Links). Comparable in scale, European and US footprint, and focus on natural-links and strategic design.
• Lobb + Partners: UK-based golf course architecture practice with broad international project portfolio. Comparable boutique firm offering new design, restoration, and renovation services to clubs and resorts.
• Rees Jones Inc. Family-owned golf course architecture firm with a strong renovation/remodeling focus. Closely comparable because both firms emphasize remodeling, restoration, and modernization of existing courses for club clients.
• Coore & Crenshaw: Renowned boutique golf architecture partnership of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Comparable focus on walkable, minimalist course design and historic restoration at top clubs.

Others

• Cabot: Integrated golf resort and club developer that operates its own properties and engages architects. Related because it is both a potential client for boutique design firms and a competitor offering turnkey golf destination experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/richdangolf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Richardson Danner Golf Course Architects