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Geoffrey S. Cornish, FASGCA (August 6, 1914– ) is a golf course architect, Fellow of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and historian.

Cornish was born in Winnipeg, Canada and received a Bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master's from the University of Massachusetts, both in agronomy. His interest in golf course architecture was aroused upon graduation in 1935, when he was hired to evaluate soils and find topsoil on the Capilano GC under construction in West Vancouver, British Columbia, for Canadian architect Stanley Thompson. Two of his classmates had turned the job down in favor of graduate school. He trained for four years with golf architect Stanley Thompson and was later employed for a short time as greenkeeping superintendent at the St. Charles CC, Winnipeg, Canada.

After apprenticing with Thompson and serving in the Royal Canadian Armies famed The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment in Europe during World War II. After the war, he returned to become an associate of Stanley Thompson in 1946 and '47. This was followed by an association with Lawrence S. Dickinson, pioneer turfgrass scientist, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. With his wife Carol's support, he initiated a practice in golf course design in 1952.

By 1980 Cornish had planned more courses in the New England states than any other architect in history. He had also designed and remodeled layouts in other parts of the United States, in Canada and in Europe. He was the author of numerous articles on course design and turfgrass subjects. In 1981 he received The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Distinguished Service Award and in 1982 The Donald Ross Award.

In 1964 Cornish was joined by William G. Robinson, who in 1977 established the firm of Cornish and Robinson, Golf Course Designers, Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta. Together they prepared the publication GOLF COURSE DESIGN: AN INTRODUCTION, distributed by the National Golf Foundation. In 1983 he was joined by Brian M. Silva to establish the firm of Cornish and Silva. In 1995 Mark Mungeam became a partner and the firm became Cornish, Silva and Mungeam, Inc. In 2006, Brian Silva left and the firm re-organized to become Mungeam Cornish Golf Design.

He deserves credit for working with landowners and contractors to enable the creation of numerous, low cost public facilities that generated thousands of new golfers. Most would not have been built without his support and clear guidance.

Now primarily retired from course design, Cornish continues to write and teach. Long a contributor to Harvard University Graduate School of Design class on Golf Course Design and the University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge Winter School for Turf Managers, he has had published numerous books on course architecture, including the widely read seminal "The Architects of Golf", which he co-authored with Ron Whitten, golf architecture editor for Golf Digest magazine.

Among the over 150 new course designs to his credit are the Pines course at International Golf Course in Bolton, Massachusetts, that is still the longest course in the world when playing from the "Tiger" tees, so named long before Tiger Woods was born. Other notable courses include: Summerlea Golf & Country Club, Montreal, Quebec, Center Valley Club, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, The New Ashburn Golf Course, Halifax, Nova Scotia and The Quechee Club, Quechee, Vermont

In 1967, Cornish became a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), along with Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Robert Muir Graves and served as President in 1975. He is a honorary member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.

Cornish was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1996.

Books

 * The Golf Course (1981), ISBN 0-8317-3943-6, HarperCollins. Ground breaking research materials on the architects of golf around the world. Co-authored with Ron Whitten.
 * The Architects of Golf (1993), ISBN 0-06-270082-0, HarperCollins. Updated reprint of The Golf Course.
 * Golf Course Design with Robert Muir Grave (1998) ISBN 0-471-13784-7, John Wiley and Sons.  Standard textbook at college level.  First Golf Design textbook to be translated into Chinese.
 * Eighteen Stakes on a Sunday Afternoon (2002), ISBN 0-907-186432, Grant Books (U.K.)
 * Classic Golf Design (2002), ISBN 0-471-41372-0, John Wiley and Sons
 * Golf Course Design (2006) ISBN 0-907186-58-9, An Annotated Bibliography and Highlights of its History, with Dr. Michael Hurdzan, ASGCA. Grant Books (U.K.)

Awards

 * 1981 GCSAA Distinguished Service Award
 * 1982 ASGCA Donald Ross Award
 * 1984 N.G.F. Outstanding Service Award
 * 1991 Metropolitan New York GCSAA John Reid Lifetime Achievement Award
 * 1992 Canadian GCSA John Steel Award
 * 1996 Golf Course Builders Association of America Don Rossi Humanitarian Award
 * 1996 Silver Medal of the British Institute of Golf Course Architects
 * 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Massachusetts
 * Distinguished Service Award of the US National Golf Foundation

Design Philosophy
Course architecture is the search for the magic of the Links where excitement achieved by getting a ball into a tiny hole is enhanced by beautiful landscapes and unpredictable terrain.

Education

 * Doctorate ( Honorary) University of Massachusetts 1987
 * Masters degree (Agronomy) University of Massachusetts 1952
 * Bachelors degree (Soil Science) University of British Columbia 1936