Forrest L Richardson

Early life and education

Forrest Richardson was born and raised in Burbank, California, before moving to Phoenix, Arizona in the 1960s. His parents were Lee Roy Richardson, an inventor and pioneer of the motion picture and animation equipment industry, and Edna M. Richardson, Ph.D., a renowned educator and author. Forrest Richardson became interested in golf at a very early age when his Uncle Maurice Richardson introduced him to numerous miniature golf courses throughout California and Arizona. In 1967, Forrest's brother, William L. Richardson, took him to play his first round of golf at a regulation course. Shortly after, Forrest Richardson began studying the game and eventually announced that he would one day design golf courses. Throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s, he built golf holes in his backyards in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area, creating "courses" he named "Forest River" and "Rolling Rocks." Forrest Richardson attended Phoenix College, studying Communications Design. He also participated in the ALSG Study Group based at the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland, where he followed an independent study course in golf course architecture. That program eventually prepared him for his early work with Arthur Jack Snyder before forming Golf Group Ltd. (now known as Forrest Richardson & Associates).

Personal life

Forrest is married to Valerie M. Richardson, a marketing and branding professional. They have one daughter, Haley Lu Richardson who is an actress.

Professional career

Forrest Richardson began his career under the guidance of Arthur Jack Snyder [5](1917–2005), an accomplished golf architect who transformed his career from golf course superintendent to designer in the late 1950s. Snyder served as Grounds Superintendent of Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s. In 1988 Forrest Richardson founded Golf Group Ltd. (now known as Forrest Richardson & Associates. Forrest Richardson & Associates is based in Phoenix, Arizona with an office also located in Southern California. Forrest Richardson has designed, remodeled and restored more than 20 golf courses and has been involved in the planning of more than 80 golf resort, golf development and golf transformation projects throughout the world. He has worked throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Asiatic Russia and Europe.

Other accomplishments and career highlights

Prior to becoming a golf course architect, Richardson had a brief career in market research and then in television art direction. He was Art Director of KPHO Television in Phoenix, Arizona from 1980–1981, which at the time as an independent station with a track record of remarkable ratings within the Phoenix, Arizona market. In 1981 he founded Richardson or Richardson with his wife, Valerie. The firm, based in Phoenix, Arizona, was a celebrated design consultancy serving clients including Hilton Hotels, Disney Development, News Corporation and Coca-Cola. The firm specialized in brand development, packaging and environmental graphics. In 1986 the couple decided to shift away from branding and marketing to allow Forrest to pursue his work as a golf course architect. Forrest Richardson has written five books on the subject of golf course architecture and is a contributor to various magazines and publications on golf management and golf development. In 2007 he co-founded Golframes, an art publisher specializing in limited edition golf prints of famous courses and golf art. In 2010 he co-founded The Golf Hole Hall of Fame. More recently, in 2013, he helped to establish The Parks Legacy Project, an organization dedicated to preserving open space through responsible development and planning.

Boards and affiliations

Forrest Richardson is a past-president of the Phoenix Fire Department's Fire-PAL Board of Directors and currently serves on that board. He has served as the Chairman of the City of Phoenix Design Review Appeals Board. He is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and served as a board member from 2008-2010. He is a participating instructor for the National Golf Foundation Municipal Golf Institute, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Remodeling University. He is a member of the Golf Course Architecture Archive Committee of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in conjunction with the ASGCA. He has served an instructor for the following conferences and programs: