North man Stuart Rennie is named Toro Golf

Course Architect Student of the Year 2009

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Stuart Rennie (29) of Keppie, the leading UK architecture practice, has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Golf Course Architecture from the European Institute of Golf Course Architects with Distinction.

The landscape architect, pictured right, has also been awarded the coveted Toro Golf Course Architect Student of the Year 2009. The prestigious qualification is the only accredited Golf Course Architectural diploma running in the world and attracts students from across the globe.

Stuart is now one of the few qualified golf course architects practising in Scotland, which creates a unique selling point for Keppie. The practice intends to provide specialist design advice to both new and existing golf clubs across the UK and internationally.

The practice’s capabilities now include environmental assessment, design reviews and expertise, masterplanning, landscape design and landscape and habitat management plans.
With Stuart’s specialist environmental knowledge gleaned from his course and dissertation research as well as professional practice experience, Keppie can also help clubs gain Environmental Certificates from the Scottish Golf Environmental Group.

Stuart Rennie’s first golf-related project delivered is the synthetic turf nine-hole putting green at Maxim Office Park in Lanarkshire off the M8 link between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The putting green, designed to provide a leisure activity for the office park, was constructed by European Golf and endorsed by Alastair Forsyth, PGA Professional.
Stuart Rennie, Landscape Architect at Keppie, said: “I’m delighted to have completed my post graduate studies in Golf Course Architecture and very much looking forward to putting it to use at Keppie. There is a massive market for both new courses and existing clubs looking to upgrade or gain environmental accreditation.

"With so few multi-disciplinary architectural practices specialising in this area, we have identified a gap in the market and hope to develop opportunities with new and existing clients. With Scotland being the home of golf, it makes perfect sense to give it a shot.”
A keen golfer himself, Stuart has been a member of Muir of Ord and Royal Dornoch Golf Clubs since a young age, both courses which inspired Stuart to the career path he is on. He played for the North of Scotland golf team, competing at junior, youth and senior level before moving to Edinburgh to study.

Stuart studied Landscape Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art and received a scholarship for golf playing for the Heriot-Watt University team. He has now been working in professional practice as a landscape architect for three years and is working towards his Chartership.