NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES — The ASGCA Foundation, associated with the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has presented its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to American golf-course architect Rees Jones. The recognition took place at the society's annual meeting in Nashville earlier in October 2026. Golf Course Architecture reported the news on 26 October 2026. The published announcement does not identify the precise presentation date or building, so the reporting date should not be mistaken for the date of the ceremony.
More than an architectural prize. Foundation president Jeff Blume presented the award in recognition of Jones's long service to the profession and to both ASGCA and its charitable foundation. Jones's career designing and remodeling golf courses forms part of the story, but the foundation especially highlighted his support for professional collaboration, education and the organization's activities. He was the youngest person to serve as ASGCA president, helped arrange access to leading courses for fellow architects during annual meetings, and backed foundation initiatives through time and resources.
A distinction from the Donald Ross Award. One of Jones's enduring contributions, Blume explained, has been his role in establishing and nurturing ASGCA's Donald Ross Award, an institution dating back to 1976. Jones himself received that honor in 2013. The ASGCA Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award presented in 2026 is a separate, newly established distinction. Readers should not confuse the two names or imply Jones has won the same award twice.
A career built across hundreds of courses. After working in the family golf-design business, Jones established Rees Jones, Inc. in 1974, with its office in Montclair, New Jersey. The firm's own biography credits him with the design or renovation of more than 300 golf courses. His work on layouts used for major championship golf earned him the nickname the Open Doctor. The firm's experience encompasses courses that have staged US Opens, PGA Championships, Ryder Cups and other major events.
East Lake illustrates the legacy — and its evolution. Jones helped revive historic East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta during the early 1990s, contributing to the recovery of a course whose earlier history includes Donald Ross and the young Bobby Jones. The property became a defining host of the TOUR Championship. Yet golf-course architecture rarely stays frozen in a single era: Andrew Green completed a further major restoration in 2024, so the club's current layout cannot be described simply as Jones's untouched design. It is an example of several generations of architects working with an evolving historic site.
Why the honor matters. The Foundation's first lifetime award recognizes an aspect of golf architecture that is often overshadowed by dramatic bunker images and championship rankings: mentoring future designers, improving understanding of courses, helping preserve the game's heritage, and fostering opportunities for public golf. In remarks following the presentation, Jones emphasized the foundation's work supporting broader access to golf and educational opportunities in the profession.
Dates and locations verified. The award was presented during October 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee; the report was published 26 October 2026. The exact ceremony venue has not been independently confirmed and is deliberately not stated. The separate East Lake Golf Club depicted in the accompanying archive image is at 2575 Alston Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30317.
Sources: Golf Course Architecture's 26 October 2026 report quoting ASGCA Foundation representatives; ASGCA's official annual-meeting record; Rees Jones, Inc.'s official biography; East Lake Golf Club's official history.
Photo note: This is a genuine 8 May 2015 archival photograph of the No. 9 fairway at East Lake Golf Club, a course associated with Jones's restoration work. It is not a photograph of the award ceremony nor of East Lake after the 2024 rebuilding. Photographer Cem0030, license Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0; hosted using Wikimedia Commons' resized image, with no editorial retouching. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Lake_Golf_Course.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
Read more on this topic
Court blocks further tree removal at East Potomac: what the ruling means for public golf
A federal court on October 26 barred further tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links and required 10 business days' advance notice of irreversible changes. The public course's future remains contested.
Dunbar Golf Club advances clubhouse and nine-hole course redevelopment while championship links stays open
Scotland's historic links is adding a clubhouse, practice facilities and a nine-hole short course. Visitors can still play the championship course during construction, with temporary clubhouse arrangements.
Brian Campbell defends Mexico Open title after a 2026 season without a top-10 finish
The 2025 champion returns to Vidanta Vallarta on 29 October–1 November, but poor recent form and a redesigned course complicate his defence.
There Is No One-Size-Fits-All 'Women's Swing': Lessons From 6 Golfers and 9 Coaches
A 2026 qualitative study interviewed 6 women golfers and 9 coaches about individualized technique, equipment and learning. What it means for lessons and club fitting, plus a clearly labeled editorial 24-shot check.