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Golf Course Architect
Rick Smith is a renowned American golf professional best known for his instructional career and his later work in golf course design. Originally celebrated for his teaching—consistently ranked among the top instructors by PGA Tour players and Golf Digest—Smith transitioned in the mid‑2020s into a full‑time career designing and renovating courses.
He’s partnered with Phil Mickelson and been honored as a Legend of Golf Instruction by Golf Digest in 2024, and inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2012. As a course architect, Smith has designed multiple acclaimed layouts at Treetops Resort in Michigan, including the Signature (1993), Tradition, and Threetops par‑3 course—each drawing inspiration from Scottish and Irish design and consistently earning high praise and awards.
He has also collaborated internationally on projects in Canada, China, Bali, and recently opened Bella Verde Golf Club in California in 2024.
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