New President of American Society of Golf Course Architects

Jason Straka, ASGCA, of Dublin, Ohio, was elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organization’s recent 75th Annual Meeting in Cleveland.

A principal with Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design with Dana Fry, ASGCA, Straka is devoted to environmental golf-course design, his projects with Fry having won many environmental accolades.

Straka, a native of northeastern Ohio, developed and strengthened his commitment to environmental design while a student at Cornell University. In 1994 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture, followed in 1995 by a Masters of Professional Studies degree in Agriculture – Turfgrass Management, Agronomy, and Environmental Golf Course Design Studies. An active member of ASGCA, Straka served as the ASGCA Education Committee Chairperson from its creation in 2012 through 2018 and was one of the youngest members ever elected to its Executive Committee in 2018.

“I am honored to serve ASGCA, my colleagues, the golf course design profession and the game of golf during ASGCA’s 75th-year anniversary,” Straka said. “While golf has seen a resurgence of late, we still find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic and politically divided times. It is my charge to carry on the success of my predecessors, lead where there is no road map, and continue to help the golf industry grow and nourish the game. Further, I look forward to strengthening the influence of ASGCA by encouraging all qualified designers to participate, and by working even more closely with our industry partners.”

A hallmark of Straka’s career has been demonstrating his philanthropic commitment to educating others within the golf community. He has served as an instructor at a variety of professional institutions around the world, including The Graduate School of Industry and Environment at Kyungwon University (Seoul, South Korea), the Brazilian Golf Confederation, the Brazilian Superintendents Organization, the Portuguese Greenskeeper’s Association, the Polish Golf Properties Conference, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, the Canadian International Business Conference, and the Golf Course Owners Association of America, among many others.

Straka has led educational courses at Cornell University, Purdue University, the University of Idaho, and Delhi State University. He also served for a decade as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University.

The design portfolio for Straka, which includes courses for Fry/Straka as well as Hudzan/Fry, features dozens of projects, including Camelback Golf Club, Ambiente Course, Scottsdale, Arizona; Georgian Bay Club, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada; Los Robles Greens Golf Course, Thousand Oaks, California; Shelter Harbor Golf Club, Westerly, Rhode Island; The Oaks Club, Heron Course, Osprey, Florida; Kenwood Country Club, Cincinnati; and Union League National Golf Club, Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey.

Straka will serve as ASGCA President through the fall of 2022.