TEAM

Our core team has been together since the start, growing and evolving over the years. We’re driven by passion and a serious commitment to excellence, backed by years of hands-on experience.

Jeremy Slessor

Managing Director

I’ve been in the golf course business since 1976, working all over Europe, the US, and Africa. 

Before earning my Turf Management degree from Michigan State, I managed courses in the UK. Later, I joined the iconic Robert Trent Jones Sr. design company, where I was involved with projects like the historic 18-course Alabama State Retirement Fund development and led European operations from Spain.

In 1994, I joined European Golf Design and became Managing Director two years later. Now, I work closely with clients, analyze new projects, and oversee our global operations. I stay on top of the latest golf resort trends and love sharing my insights as a speaker and regular contributor to golf publications. It’s all about pushing the game forward and creating unforgettable courses.

I still love coming to work, and I love going home – I am married to Jo and we have two grown kids. When I’m not working, I enjoy walking (with Jo and Woody the dog), playing golf, fly-fishing and kayaking. I used to run a lot, but the knees have gone!

Ross McMurray

Designer

I graduated in Landscape Design from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and began my career with Cotton, Pennink and Partners, a renowned golf course architectural practice.

In 1990, I joined IMG Design, which later became European Golf Design, where I’ve designed courses across Europe, including the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor Resort, host of the 2010 Ryder Cup, and The Marquess Course at Woburn, named England’s Best New Course in 2002.

I’ve collaborated with top golfers like Bernhard Langer on The Dunes Course at Costa Navarino and Colin Montgomerie on The Dutch in Holland. My portfolio includes other notable courses in Germany, Spain, and the UK, as well as redevelopments at prestigious clubs like Portstewart and The Golf House Club Elie.

As a Past President and Senior Member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, I remain passionate about the game and am still chasing the perfect swing!

Gary Johnston

Designer

My journey into golf course architecture began with a degree in Turfgrass Science and hands-on experience in course maintenance across the UK and USA.

After earning a Master’s degree from Heriot-Watt University, I joined European Golf Design in 2003, where I’ve worked on award-winning projects worldwide.

Highlights include Dubai Hills Golf Club, named ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ in 2019, and Irie Fields at Kittitian Hill, the first GEO Certified Development course. I’ve collaborated with Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie on courses like Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Turkey and Lighthouse Golf Resort in Bulgaria. Recent projects include new 18-hole courses in Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Dubai.

I also lead course renovations, including Wynyard Golf Club and Prince’s Golf Club, and am currently overseeing the redesign of Foxhills Country Club. As President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and a GEO Sustainable Golf Champion, I’m passionate about creating sustainable, beautiful courses. Off the course, I enjoy cheering on my sons at football matches.

Robin Hiseman

Designer

I’m the architect of the JCB Golf & Country Club, ranked among the top 100 golf courses and top four parkland courses in the British Isles.

Recent projects include restoring Harry Colt’s East Course at Wentworth, updating Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club for its 2024 DP World Tour return, and designing courses like La Grande Mare in Guernsey and Yudinskaya Valley in Siberia.

After earning a degree in Landscape Architecture in 1991, I worked with Hawtree and later established my own practice, designing notable courses like Dragon’s Tooth, ranked among the world’s top 50 9-hole courses, and an Arctic Circle course in Norway. Joining European Golf Design in 2004, I’ve collaborated on projects worldwide, including Casa Serena in the Czech Republic and The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain with Colin Montgomerie.

A Golf.com ranking panellist, I love canal boating, road cycling, and exploring new music and films. A dream trip to New Zealand, with golf clubs in tow, is still on my bucket list!

Dave Sampson

Designer

I graduated in 2002 from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa with degrees in Architecture and Building Arts.

After moving to the UK in 2003, I worked as a cricket analyst for Surrey County Cricket Club before joining a London architectural firm as a Design Associate. Winning the Golf World Design-A-Hole Competition in 2002 led me to European Golf Design in 2004, where I’ve been designing courses for 20 years.

As lead designer, I created the highly acclaimed Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, host of the 2023 Ryder Cup and ranked Italy’s No. 1 course in 2024. Other notable projects include the Evian Resort in France, home of the LPGA’s fifth major, and Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia, a regular host of international tournaments and award-winning course. I’ve also worked on Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland, Zavidovo PGA National in Russia, and numerous other courses globally.

A Senior Member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, I’m currently working on projects in the UK, Italy, Croatia, Indonesia, Spain, and France. A passionate sports enthusiast, I spend my weekends playing or managing cricket, golf, or hockey and, when at home, enjoy walking my dog or watching sports—much to my family’s frustration!

Tom Kelly

Designer

Born in Nottingham, my passion for golf started at age three, watching with my dad and hacking up the garden with a plastic set of clubs.

By ten, I joined Radcliffe-on-Trent Golf Club, eventually achieving a category one handicap and representing Nottinghamshire—despite a legendary block-slice and the occasional duck hook.

After earning a Master’s in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from the University of Birmingham, I realized my passion lay in designing golf courses. Following a gap year traveling South America, New Zealand, and Australia, I worked on construction projects with Michael Clayton Golf Design in the Melbourne Sandbelt, greenkept at The Castle Course in St Andrews, and later spent six years as a CAD Technician and Surveyor with MJ Abbott.

I joined European Golf Design in 2018 and completed the European Institute of Golf Course Architects programme in 2021 with distinction. A member of Liphook Golf Club, I’m a passionate golfer and outdoors enthusiast who loves live music, films, and travel. If I could, I’d be a professional golfer competing in The Masters—but only after fixing my block-slice!

Matt Sturt

Head of IT

With over 30 years of experience in CAD, graphics, and IT systems, I’m a Microsoft and Cisco professional specializing in advanced cloud-based solutions.

I began my career in the late 80s at a consulting engineers/architects practice, heading their pioneering CAD and Earth Modelling department.

After a stint in Malaysia, I joined European Golf Design in 1995 and later gained Microsoft and Cisco accreditation while working as a Systems Engineer for a large telecom company. Returning to EGD, I now oversee all IT operations and produce tournament staging plans and visuals for the DP World Tour, Rolex Series, and Ryder Cup in collaboration with The European Tour.

Outside of work, I’m a keen pianist, enjoy theatre, modern art and dog walking/cycling in the countryside near my home in North Wales.

Gareth Weeks

Design Associate

I grew up in Cardiff, where I fell in love with golf at ten after my brother introduced me to a local pitch-and-putt course.

Weekends were spent honing my skills at Cottrell Park and Radyr Golf Club, sparking a passion that extended to golf course design.

After studying landscape architecture at the University of Gloucestershire, I gained hands-on experience at Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Course and trained under Green Tyger Design, followed by four years at Weller Designs. There, I worked on major projects like Basingstoke Golf Club and earned my EIGCA qualification in 2023.

In 2024, I joined European Golf Design, eager to contribute to world-class projects and continue growing in a field I love.

Laurie Walsh

Projects Manager

Laurie Walsh is a seasoned golf industry professional with over 40 years of experience spanning virtually every dimension of the field – from greenkeeping and construction to design, project management, and regional sales leadership. His career is a testament to both technical mastery and commercial acumen, built across four continents and some of the most ambitious golf development markets in the world.
 
Laurie’s journey began in the early 1980s at Chatswood Golf Club in Australia, where he trained as an apprentice greenkeeper and earned his Certification in Turf Grass Management through TAFE. From those foundational years, he progressed through a series of construction and superintendent roles across Australia, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam, developing deep expertise in turf science, irrigation, earthworks, and the full lifecycle of golf course construction.
 
By the mid-2000s, he had taken on director-level responsibilities, overseeing five-course golf developments in the UAE and Vietnam and leading construction operations across entire regions. A significant chapter of his career was spent with IMG Golf Course Services in Singapore (2007–2016), where as Senior Design Associate and Project Manager he combined design supervision with business development – most notably closing a landmark $10 million multi-course design deal, the largest of his career.
 
His commercial talents came fully to the fore at Rain Bird International (2016–2019), where as Regional Manager for Southeast Asia he led sales teams across eight countries, achieved 20% growth across managed territories for two consecutive years, and drove 100% sales growth in Vietnam – earning the international salesman of the year award twice.
 
Laurie then returned to project and design leadership. At Desert Group in Dubai, he secured a AED 59 million construction tender for an Abu Dhabi golf course during the Covid-19 period, demonstrating resilience and resourcefulness under pressure. He subsequently moved to Red Sea Global (2023–2025) as Director of Landscape Architecture and Golf, where he managed the full design and implementation process for major golf projects, working closely with sustainability teams to pursue GEO Certification.
 
He is the Projects Manager with European Golf Design, seeking new business opportunities, overseeing construction compliance, managing design contracts, and ensuring that design intent is faithfully realised on site.
 
Throughout his career, Laurie has built an extensive global network of architects, superintendents, and developers, and remains an active member of the American Golf Course Superintendent Association. He combines the rare ability to think strategically at a business level while remaining deeply hands-on in the technical realities of golf course construction and design.

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