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Raise Your Game: What does your job involve?

Ross McMurray: I take a project and look at the land to determine whether we can actually build a golf course or not, and then run with the whole project through the detailed design to the construction. My involvement with the project usually finishes on the day that the golf course opens for play.

RYG: Is this a job that you always wanted to do?

RM: When I was at school, I used to really annoy my careers advisor by saying 'I want to be a golf course designer,' and he'd say 'No, no son, you've got to find something else you can really do.' He advised me to do landscape architecture at university and that really helped a lot because the disciplines involved in designing landscapes are very similar to the disciplines involved in designing golf courses. What I added to my landscape background was my passion for golf.

RYG: What subjects did you have to study?

RM: I carried out master planning on all sorts of projects, such as environmental projects, designing sport facilities and even just learning how to design car parks and road layouts. This also expands to learning about bio-culture, soils, a little bit of geology, trees, plants and grasses. All these elements that I learnt at university have been useful for the job I do today.

RYG: You designed the 2010 Ryder Cup golf course here at the Celtic Manor. How long did it take?

RM: My involvement in this project has lasted about 10 years. It's a long process. Wales had to win the bid to get the Ryder Cup to begin with and I worked with them through that bid process. We then had to organise all the planning and construction of the golf course which was a huge undertaking in terms of engineering. We also had to work closely with ecologists to protect and conserve wildlife, as well as archaeologists as this area is an important roman archaeological heritage site.

RYG: What advice would you give to someone looking to be a golf course designer?

RM: If you can, learn a design discipline such as landscape architecture or engineering. It's not easy to get into golf course design because there aren't many opportunities, but you have to make yourself stand out. You need the passion for the game as well. You have to be able to understand how the game is played at all different levels, not just the professionals, but the average player and the beginner as well.

I can't play like a professional, but I have to sometimes think like a professional in terms of the way that they play the game. I'm very lucky that I do travel abroad, but you need to have that in-built dedication, as well as ability to work in different environments, to work in different countries, with different characters, if you're going to be a success.

RYG: Who are your favourite players that have played on your courses?

RM: I've been very lucky in that several of my courses have been used for tournaments and it's always a privilege to see players who have won major championships play on them. I've really enjoyed watching Sandy Lyle and Bernhard Langer particularly, but another favourite of mine is Colin Montgomerie.