Poppy Ridge
Livermore, CA with Jay Blasi
New Project
Golf is a Simple Game
At least, that’s what Eclectic Golf founder Ben Malach thinks. Not everyone agrees, which is part of the reason he got into this business in the first place. Somewhere between the earliest laid plans of Scotland’s seaside links and the gargantuan post-modern developments of today, golf course design lost its way. This led to features, holes, and courses that are dull, out of scale, and incompatible with their environments. We intend to buck this trend by bringing back the game’s original spirit to every project: strategic intent, artistry, sustainability, and enjoyment.
Good golf need not be complicated, but it’s better when it’s eclectic.
Featured Projects
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![Poppy Ridge 6th hole with hills in background]()
Poppy Ridge
CA, USA | A tired, underutilized NCGA facility received a complete overhaul from architect Jay Blasi. Eclectic Golf was instrumental in the construction of the property, with our design of the entire bunker scheme and many putting surfaces.
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![Wilshire Golf & Country Club under construction with large patches of disturbed soil and construction equipment.]()
Wilshire Country Club
CA, USA | While it garners less attention than other Los Angeles greats, Wilshire is one of the perennial highlights on the LPGA Tour. Working with Kyle Phillips to preserve the original Norman Macbeth design involved our management of the entire site, including barranca, bunker, and green construction.
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![An overhead view of The Fields in LaGrange, Georgia]()
The Fields Golf Club
GA, USA | The Fields is a bastion for low-profile, affordable, and interesting golf in the South. Eclectic Golf assisted owner/architect Mike Young with bunker, tree, teeing ground, and drainage work.
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![Johnson City Country Club aerial view with fairways, bunkers, and scattered trees, surrounded by rolling hills.]()
Johnson City Country Club
TN, USA | The only A.W. Tillinghast course in Tennessee deserved more love than it had received. Working under the direction of architect Mike Young, we used the club’s extensive archival materials to redesign bunkers in a Tillinghast-style unique to this property.
Our Services
Design
Strategic intent first.
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With any renovation design, a clear understanding of the club’s needs must be established. Only then can goals be set, and a vision that resonates with the membership and improves the landscape can begin. From small-scale bunker work to a complete overhaul, the steps remain the same: understand the problems, ensure functionality across each touchpoint, and finish with meticulous detail.
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While every original design depends heavily on its unique site, our philosophy is to extract as much character and distinction from that landscape as possible. From thoughtful hazard placements that influence tee and approach shots to intricately planned greens that require multiple plays to unlock their puzzle, an Eclectic Golf Original Design emphasizes interesting, replayable golf over the repetitive and monotonous.
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A sound Master Plan that includes short and long-term goals is key to any golf course’s longevity. While outputs vary across clubs, each master plan document considers your property’s unique challenges and goals to develop a clear and unified vision for the future.
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A full understanding of how your course fits into the historical context of its era and the architect who built it can help ensure the end product remains true to its original roots, avoiding modernization without careful consideration of the past.
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When undertaking large-scale renovation work, it’s critical to also assess your existing turf to ensure it aligns with your property's intended goals and the changing climate. Thoughtful agronomic planning with new drought-tolerant, low-input grasses can often deliver benefits well beyond reduced maintenance costs.
Build
Function informs artistry.
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Without functioning and efficient infrastructure, your golf course is fully susceptible to the hands of Mother Nature. Drainage, irrigation, and pathways are critical to ensuring the course performs as intended, allowing strategic and visual elements to emerge naturally from their sound function.
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Reducing maintained turf acreage is one of the easiest ways to lower maintenance costs and enhance a landscape's aesthetics. We develop and implement plans for the placement and maintenance of these low-input areas and how they support your biodiversity strategy beyond tree planting.
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When building bunkers, the basics of drainage, overall scale, and landscape integration must come first. Then, drawing on our extensive experience with entire bunker plans, we expertly shape them to align with the intent of the overall course design.
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Greens are the most critical component of a golf course’s identity. They must not only be built to drain well, support the ground game, and promote sound agronomics, but also be engaging, offer ample pin positions, and integrate seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.
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They are often overlooked, but poor teeing areas are among the most frequently complained about by players. Building tees that are not only in the correct location but also large enough to promote proper drainage, turf health and tee rotation is critical.
Refresh
Small changes, big impact.
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Refining fairway and greenside mowing lines is an easy way to improve playability, restore intended approach angles, and bring back optionality and creativity to the approach and chipping game.
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Trees are an important part of many courses’ playing and natural environment, but they must be managed. We evaluate their health, placement, and impact to ensure they support the strategy, maintain healthy turf conditions, and promote long-term course resilience.
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Sometimes a full-scale bunker renovation isn’t feasible or necessary. We can assess your bunker’s form, drainage, and sand quality to keep them working properly as playable hazards, and in line with the design intent of your course.
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If left unchecked, all greens naturally shrink over time with regular maintenance practices. This causes you to lose pin positions and negatively affects wear patterns on the green. We offer multi-step plans to bring these areas back into play, improving turf health and design variety in the process.
Eclectic Golf in the Media
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![A person swinging a club, with the text 'Golfers ANONYMOUS' above.]()
Interview with Golfer’s Anonymous
03.2025 | Ben Malach joins Noah Kortkamp to discuss his beginnings in the industry, including his jobs at St. Andrews and general design philosophy.
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![Black square with ScoreGolf logo.]()
‘The New Era For Architects’ by ScoreGolf
09.2018 | Robert Thompson pens a feature on the new young faces in Canadian golf course architecture, discussing the industry's trials and tribulations with Ben Malach, Keith Cutten, Riley Johns, and others.
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![Logo for Golf Club Atlas featuring two crossed golf clubs, a golf ball, the text "EST. 1999".]()
‘Golf Architecture Resources’ for Golf Club Atlas
11.2024 | Ben Malach lists the best books, podcasts, and online resources for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced golf course architecture curioso.
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![The church pew bunkers at Oakmont Golf Club.]()
‘US Open at Oakmont’ with Golfer’s Anonymous
06.2025 | Ben Malach discusses Oakmont Golf Club in preparation for the US Open. A true one-of-one design, Oakmont is one of the great early examples of “bringing the links inland.”
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![Sun shining through trees on a grassy area, casting long shadows.]()
‘Tree Management, Plans & Related Topics’ for Golf Club Atlas
04.2024 | The 2023 Masters and its infamous tree incident prompted Ben Malach to question tree management practices, their benefits, and how clubs can control their golfing experience.
