CAGCS - 36th Annual Forum

8:00 am Continental Breakfast, Welcome, Introductions and Creed

8:30 am Jim Urbina, Jim Urbina Golf Design “The Evolution of a Golf Course.  So you think your golf course is an original design?” 

9:30 am Bruce Hepner, Hepner Golf Design

10:45 am Morning Break

11:00 am Mike Kuhn, Michael Kuhn & Associates, Inc

11:45 am Lunch

12:30 pm Paul Latshaw, Director of Grounds, Merion Golf Club, 
"“Restoration at Merion Golf Club”

1:45 pm Guided Roundtable Discussion featuring Jon Cavalier, Peter Korbakes, and Jason Way

3:00 pm - Conclusion

48-hour cancellation policy is in effect. 

Speaker Background and Histories

Jim Urbina began his education in golf design working with legendary golf course designer Pete Dye. Walking with Pete listening to what was important to him, sometimes kneeling down in the dirt with Pete so he could shape with his hands what he wanted the feature to look like. Pete Dye would look on as Jim would shape a green or sometimes even climbing on a tractor to show Jim what he wanted.  When Pete knew Jim didn’t understand a concept he would send him packing on a plane to look at a golf hole he was trying to emulate. Today, Jim is still spending considerable time looking at golf courses gathering ideas and formulating plans.

Jim has a degree from University of Northern Colorado in Education. During his tenure with the Dye family he met Tom Doak. For the next 17 years he would design and build golf courses with Tom Doak. Jim went on to build many golf courses using in-house crews, including Apache Stronghold, Pacific Dunes, Sebonack and Old Macdonald. As a consulting architect, Jim has worked to preserve and restore golden age courses around the US including San Francisco Golf Club, Pasatiempo, Yemans Hall and Sankaty Head, and many others.

In 2010 Jim established his own design firm Jim Urbina Golf Design where he continues to restore Golden Age Designs and has several new designs on the drawing board including a new course with Mike Keiser.  2020 is shaping up to be a busy year for Jim, he plans to restore the only Alister  Mackenzie course in Canada  along with a few Seth Raynor courses in the US. Jim currently resides in Denver Colorado.

Paul B. Latshaw’s career has taken him to some of the primer golf courses in the country. Paul spent his formidable years working at Oakmont Country Club, Augusta National, The Honors Course and Pine Valley and studying Turfgrass Management at Penn State University. His first superintendent position brought him to Merion Golf Club where he was charged with re-grassing the greens on the famed East Course.  During his time at Merion, Paul continued his education at Rosemont College, receiving a Master’s of Science in Management.  After 7 years at Merion, Paul left to become the Director of Grounds at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester New York. His tenure there culminated with the 2003 PGA Championship. Shortly after the PGA, Jack Nicklaus called and invited Paul to interview for the vacant Superintendent position at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin Ohio. Paul accepted the position in late 2003 and remained there for 13 years. A tenure that included countless course renovation projects and hosting 13 Memorial Tournaments and the 2013 President’s Cup. In 2017 Paul returned to Merion Golf Club to replace retiring Matt Shafer. His second tenure at Merion has included a full renovation of the East Course with the help of Gil Hanse. Paul currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife Ann Louise.

Bruce Hepner, owner of Hepner Golf Design, earned a Civil Engineering degree from Michigan Tech. Bruce began his career working for Forse Design in 1990 and 3 years later was hired by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design.  As Doak’s 17 year Vice President, Bruce ran or worked on 18 new projects around the world that included Cape Kidnappers (NZ), Ballyneal,(CO), Pacific Dunes (OR), and most recently Streamsong Blue in Florida. At the same time Bruce handled the majority of Renaissance Golf’s consulting work and has carried that client list onto his new company that was formed 9 years ago. Hepner Golf Design specializes in remodeling and restorations.  His consulting clients include such Top 100 clubs as Blue Mound G&CC, Essex County Club, CC of Fairfield, Holston Hills CC, and Onwentsia G. Hepner Golf has also completed successful projects at noted clubs such as, Franklin Hills CC, Detroit GC, Cape Arundel GC, Ekwanok CC, and Timuquana CC. He recently won the 2016 Golf Digest Best Renovation Award for his work at the Piping Rock Club in NYC and was named in 2018 as one of Golf Digest’s Top 5 restoration architects. Bruce currently resides in Traverse City.

Mike Kuhn is the owner of Michael Kuhn & Associates, Inc.  A graduate from Michigan State University in the Turf Management Program, Mike has been able to very effectively mesh his irrigation knowledge and his turf management experience to provide practical solutions to a variety of irrigation problems.  His first-hand experience with irrigation installation and repair allows him to effectively work with contractors and superintendents to help ensure that all project specifications are met.  Another important aspect is his ability to educate, not sell, superintendents and their members/owners on exactly why the project is taking place and the result they should expect from their investment.

Mike serves as project manager and designer, with special emphasis on system hydraulics, site construction observation, staking, GPS as-built documentation, and system programming.  He is knowledgeable and proficient at programming all major manufacturers' control systems and particularly enjoys providing follow-up client assistance after the system is installed and operational.

As the president of Michael Kuhn & Associates, Mike brings his full enthusiasm and dedication to every project.  His ownership stake in the firm also helps ensure continuity in client/consultant relationships that develop during the course of a project.    

                        Roundtable Discussion

Jon Cavalier is the man behind the lens for LinksGems photography with almost 90,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram. He is a member at Stonewall Golf Club and Sleepy Hollow Golf Club.

Peter Korbakes is a co-founder of Sugarloaf Social Club, a highly-influential create golf society, as well as Far & Sure Golf Tours. He is a member at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Jason Way splits time between writing for his website GeekedOnGolf.com and volunteering at Canal Shores Golf Course. He is a father of two junior golfers and a member at Kingsley Club. 

Confirmed Attendees: 

Drew Barnett
Nate Bolhous
Guest Bolhous
Guest2 Bolhous
Brian Bossert
Aaron Butler
Brian Chasensky
Matt Collingbourne
Nick Connolly
Steve Cook
Kyle DeRoo
Matt Flory
Tony Frandria
JT Hauser
Connor  Healy
Alec Hindman
Tim Kelly
Peter Killian
Cole Lehman
Mike Lemanski
Sam Mackenzie
Nick Marfise
Todd Marsh
Ben McGargill
Bill Meyer
Brian Moore
Steve Neumann
Scott Pavalko
Tom Prichard
Andy Revell
Greg Rounds
Dave Schlagetter
Peter Schmidt
Josh Schweber
Kyle Schwieter
Reece Streufert
Dan Tully
Jeff VerCautren
Scott Vincent
Bryan Widmer
Nick Yackle