J Drew Rogers

Water and Turf Management

A Summer to Remember

I was fortunate enough to have two, sizeable renovation/construction projects going on simultaneously in Naples, Florida that commenced work in April, 2017.  As we began the work, water levels in the lakes were at all-time lows.  Banks were exposed down to unseen depths – lakes were half their normal size and volume.  Concerns quickly mounted […]

Girding for the Aftermath of Winter’s Wrath

If you’re living most anywhere in the Eastern US, chances are good the winter of 2014 has been a long, cold and entirely forgettable stretch.  The Mid-South has also endured more than it’s share of snow, ice and record-cold temps.  The Upper Midwest and much of the Northeast have been nothing less than arctic, hence […]

What to Make of a Golf Course Restoration

A number of years ago, Brad Klein invited me to speak at Golfweek’s Restoration Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.  So as I prepared for my talk, I thought it might be high time to explore just what we all refer to as a “restoration” and how that differs from a “renovation” – a discussion that would […]

Jens Jensen & the Evolution of Today's Landscape

  Now I can recall sitting in a college lecture hall, over 20 years ago, listening to my Landscape Architecture History professor babble on about English gardens, pocket parks, Sir Humphrey Repton, Capability Brown….and a fellow by the name of Jens Jensen.  Why do I remember his name?  Even then, it struck me that his […]

Golf Courses and Machu Pichu; A Connection?

Several weeks ago, I found myself channel surfing (a common, last ditch effort before going to bed).  I happened to stumble upon a documentary program on PBS on Machu Pichu.  I have always had a strong curiosity and desire to visit this Incan ruin someday, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World…so I […]

Is Newport National the New Model?

  The past few years have been exhausting.  Golf industry trends have been as depressing as the Nightly News.  So when you hear a success story, it really stands out and makes you take pause.  One such incidence involves a links style golf course in Rhode Island that I co-designed with Arthur Hills called Newport […]

Brown by Design

  It sure has been a heck of a summer, hasn’t it?  The upper Midwest has seen some brutally hot periods… very dry, and windy.  Not a great recipe for keeping a golf course looking good – not to mention our own yards. Our droughty conditions should serve as a great reminder though – that […]

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