BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Bill Bergin, ASGCA, of Atlanta, was elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organization’s recent 80th Annual Meeting in Nashville.
A St. Louis native, Bergin is a business graduate of Auburn University. One of the nation’s top collegiate golfers, Bergin qualified for five major championships and 50 PGA Tour events. Today, his focus as a golf course architect is to make the game available for everyone.
“Having worked on several First Tee and Youth golf facilities, the goals of inspiring and building better people through golf resonates with my personal experience and presents an opportunity, as ASGCA president, to take that message even further,” Bergin said. “The innate tenets of golf are valuable to all, not just to those exposed to the game. Golfers represent better citizens through the lessons the game teaches, and golf courses provide green space, recreational opportunities and environmental benefits, which have a positive impact on the entire community. My aim is to support and expand on that message.”
In 1986, a missed 3 ½-foot putt changed the course of his life. Had he made the putt on the 72nd hole at the Atlanta Classic at Atlanta Country Club, Bergin would have earned a PGA Tour card. “As I look back, I am convinced it worked out exactly the way it was supposed to,” he said.
Bergin soon retired from competition and began to gain an understanding of club operations and the abilities of everyday players as a club professional before acquiring technical design experience under ASGCA Past President Bob Cupp.
“As a player, I enjoyed mapping golf courses before yardage books were readily available,” he recalled. “I was fascinated by how the ground, hazards, angles and strategy all worked together. I was a good student, learning the nuances of design from a player’s perspective.
“I was incredibly fortunate to learn from some great people at Cupp Design – including ASGCA members Billy Fuller, David Johnson and John Fought – and Chris Brands, Mike Riley and many others.”
Since founding Bergin Golf Designs in 1994, he has combined his strategic instincts and extensive design experience with the latest technology and a dedication to detail in project management. Along with his design associates – including his son, Matt, and Justin Killingsworth, both ASGCA members – Bergin offers design and construction supervision services for new layouts, renovations and practice facilities.
Bergin’s design highlights include:
- Richland Country Club in Nashville, named as one of Golf Digest’s Best Transformations for 2023
- The Keep at McLemore in Georgia, named 2025 Best New Course by Sports Illustrated
- Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club, a sandy gem nestled along 30A on the Florida panhandle
- McLemore Club, an “ASGCA Design Excellence” selection on Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia
- Minnesota Valley Country Club, a renovation of a Seth Raynor design in Bloomington, Minnesota
- Oaks Country Club, an A.W. Tillinghast renovation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, recognized by Golf Digest as one of the 2015 Best Remodels in the U.S.
- Tennessee Grasslands, a 36-hole facility on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, one of Golfweek’s 2009 Best New Courses
- Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, a Donald Ross restoration on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga
In 2017, Golf Inc. Magazine named Bergin one of the Top 10 Most Innovative People in Golf for his work with the Longleaf Tee Initiative, which provides additional tee options and encourages golfers to play from tees based on how far they hit the ball, rather than their age, gender or handicap.
Bergin now brings a lifetime of golf experience to his new role, heading ASGCA and its membership for the next year.
“One of my favorite things about being an ASGCA member is our shared experience,” he said. “We know what it’s like out there. We know the joy of landing a new project. We know the disappointment of not getting one. We know the fulfillment of taking a project from start to finish and seeing people enjoy what we have been part of creating.”
Bergin became an ASGCA member in 2013. He and his wife, Mary, live in Atlanta. They have two children and four grandchildren.
ASGCA Background
Founded in 1946 by Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones and 12 other leading architects, the American Society of Golf Course Architects is a non-profit organization comprising experienced golf course designers located throughout North America. Members have completed a rigorous application process that includes the peer review of representative golf courses. ASGCA members are able to counsel in all aspects of golf course design and remodeling and include many of the great talents throughout the golf industry.
For more information about ASGCA, including a current list of members, visit www.asgca.org or call (262) 786-5960.
Media Contact
Marc Whitney
262-786-5960
marc@asgca.org
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