Q: Your first collaboration with MGM Mirage produced Shadow Creek, which remains high on every list of the greatest golf courses in America. What is it about the course that stands the test of time?

A: What makes Shadow Creek truly unique is that seeing is not believing. Guests’ expectations are high when they visit Shadow Creek, and the club doesn’t just meet them, it far exceeds them.

Q: Professional golfers who get into golf course design bring name recognition, but what advantages are enjoyed by designers like you, who did not play professional golf?

A: I’ve been designing golf courses longer than most professional golfers have been alive. Their names are recognized by people who watch golf, but our name is respected by people who play golf.

Q: How many golf courses are you working on at any given time?

A: Five to seven a year, depending on where each is in the permitting and approvals process. Right now we are working on courses in Oregon, Idaho, North Carolina, Florida, Palm Springs, Newport Beach, California, and Montreal.

Q: Do you have much time to play golf?

A: It comes and goes in spurts of feast or famine. Right now, no, I am not playing much at all. However, I am looking forward to playing a lot with my sons on a trip we have planned to Ireland.