Having been a golf course architect for 50 years, Tom Clark has experienced just about all one can within the business.   Hired by Ed Ault upon graduating college in 1971, Tom has been creating & reworking golf courses ever since.

With the firm that eventually became Ault, Clark & Associates being based in suburban D.C., the amount they did in the area over five-plus decades is astounding.  The firm has worked on, designed or renovated a wide-ranging list of courses ranging from munis to daily fee publics to some of the top-tier private clubs in the area.  Tom himself can be solely credited with over 100 new designs, many being in the region, among them Blue Ridge Shadows, Pleasant Valley & River Creek.  He was integral in the original layout & building of TPC Avenel & his latest, Cutalong at Lake Anna, officially opens later this year.

This is part 1 of our conversation where we talk about his career and extensive work in the region.  For part 2 we will go into more detail on Cutalong.