Drew’s background in golf originated as a young player and while working at his local Club and former PGA Tour stop, Quail Creek Country Club in Robinson, Illinois. An accomplished player in the high school ranks, Drew then focused on ways to make golf a career. He went on to study Landscape Architecture at the University of Kentucky, graduating in 1991. After working on the maintenance crew at his home course for one year, Drew took on a full-time position with the design staff for world-renowned golf course architect, Arthur Hills. As the firm continued to grow, so did the opportunities for Drew. He quickly took on full management of multiple new course and renovation projects and became a recognizable face for the firm. In 1999, Arthur appointed Drew as a partner in the firm. Soon thereafter in 2001 he was accepted as a member of the prestigious American Society of Golf Course Architects. In 2003 Golf Inc. Magazine included Drew as a rising star in “Golf’s New Breed of Architects” featured in their Ultimate Guide to Architects. During his 18+ years with Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest & Associates (AHSF), Drew collaborated with Arthur on over 30 full 18-hole designs and over 20 major renovations.
Drew’s most recognized efforts include Oitavos Dunes in Portugal, recently acclaimed among Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses in the World” and among the “50 Greatest Courses of the Last 50 Years”. Oitavos Dunes was also a stop on the European PGA Tour, hosting the Portuguese Open there four times. Newport National Golf Club also opened in 2001 and quickly become credited as one of the finest courses in New England, and the “#1 Public Course in Rhode Island” by Golf Digest. The Sunset Course at Mirasol, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is honored among the “Best Communities for Golf” by Links Magazine and would also host the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic in 2003. More recently, his efforts were promoted at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The course has already hosted a PGA Jr. Ryder Cup, an NCAA Regional Championship event and was recognized among the “Top 10 New Private Courses in the US” by Golf Digest in 2007 and among the “Top 100 Modern Courses in the US” by Golfweek in 2010. As the firm began focusing more globally, Drew represented AHSF in the Mediterranean Region of Western and Southern Europe and was successful in growing the brand in the Portuguese market.
Drew’s career also highlights a collection of notable renovation and restoration efforts to existing courses. Among them are The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, The Chevy Chase Club in Maryland, Siwanoy Country Club in New York, The University Club of Kentucky in Lexington, The Country Club of Columbus in Georgia, Belle Haven Country Club in Virginia, Manor Country Club just outside of Washington, D.C, The Ivanhoe Club near Chicago and Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Florida. Drew has also actively consulted at notable venues including Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan, Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, Congressional Country Club in Maryland and most recently, restoration efforts at Old Elm Club near Chicago.
In an effort to grow the awareness of the game, Drew has been a featured speaker/panelist at a variety of local, regional and international golf conferences, including environmental golf summits in Turkey and Portugal and also for the promotion of golf development in Italy. His involvement in advancing sustainable golf and environmental stewardship in golf were realized in Portugal where the Oitavos Dunes project received Audubon International’s highest distinction; “Gold Signature Sanctuary”. This was the first such designation in Europe and only the second in the world at that time.
In 2010, Drew established his own design practice. Whether working abroad or stateside, his primary focus is to design golf courses with intriguing options that enhance enjoyment and ultimately meet the primary needs of their users and operators. Drew’s ability to work closely and congenially with clients has enabled him to maintain strong, productive and lasting relationships. His appreciation of traditional - even the occasional quirky design elements - and a fondness for all things simple and natural are always a distinction in his work.