Modern Architects Series: An Interview with Jones Protégé and Mena House Golf Course Renovator Bettina Schrickel
Bettina Schrickel
One of my favorite things to come across in my study of golf history is weird photos. A random famous person playing, people or animals wandering into a serious player’s shot path, golf courses in odd settings. And by odd I mean like next to the pyramids of Giza.
You’ve probably seen some classic golf/pyramid juxtaposition photos—there is one of some curiously unsweaty white women hitting balls in the Cairo heat, and one of photographer George Lewis teeing up a ball atop one of the ancient stone structures. Those examples whisper colonization and imperialism to me, but I do love one of some local Egyptian men playing Mena House Golf Course.
Built in 1899 as a feature of the Mena House Hotel, the course had fallen into disrepair by the end of the following century. In 2012, however, hotel management decided it was time for some renovation, and enlisted the help of German-American golf course architect Bettina Schrickel.
The daughter of a landscape architect, Schrickel studied landscape and golf course architecture in the U.K., worked for Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and eventually started her own firm: Lioness Golf. She competed for this project with the knowledge that there would be no pay, but also that working alongside a wonder of the world was a once-in-a-couple-centuries opportunity.
Below is my interview with Bettina. I originally sent her a super nerdy set of multipart questions but she preferred to write out her story stream-of-consciousness-style, so I rewrote the questions to fit what she shared and inserted them to break up the read. Enjoy!
How did you enter the golf world and what attracted you to the game?
I was born in 1972 and raised in East Germany. My father was a renowned landscape architect who was the leading architect in the inner city landscape design of East Berlin. I seem to have inherited his passion. There were no golf courses in East Germany at the time—all golf courses in the area were transformed into agricultural fields after World War II. And there were only two golf courses in West Berlin.
The reunification of Germany in 1990 brought to the outskirts of Berlin many investors looking to build new courses. At the same time, my father opened his own landscape architecture firm where I apprenticed right after high school, as landscape design was my passion.
My parents decided to move out of the city of Berlin and create a home for us overlooking the tenth hole of the newly founded Golf & Country Club Seddiner See, a twenty-five-minute drive away from Berlin. It’s now one of the leading golf clubs in Europe, hosting many events on the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course.
I had already started to study landscape architecture at university, when, during my first summer vacation, I joined my parents in learning how to play golf. I previously thought golf was a sport that provided an opportunity for the old, elitist men of Germany to get together and celebrate their social status, and I wasn’t wrong, but I fell in love with the game and the beauty of golf courses.
Did your father teach you golf course architecture or did you study it in university?
As my father was rather famous in his field of landscape architecture, I decided to go a new path—my own—and specialize specifically in golf course architecture (GCA). I simultaneously studied landscape architecture at the University of Greenwich in England and interned for two summers with two of the best GCA firms in Germany to find out if this was truly what I wanted to do and to see if I had any talent. I was told I did and joined the newly formed course at the British Institute (now the European Institute) of Golf Course Architects at the same time that I was graduating with an honors degree from Greenwich.
In 1998, I moved to Northern California for a three-month internship with Golfplan. At the end they asked me to stay, for which I was very grateful, but I had already set up several other internships for my six-month visa. But I promised to return, which I eventually did.
After Golfplan, I interned with Rain Bird and their irrigation designers in Southern California. Learning about the irrigation business ended up taking less time than I anticipated, so I decided to use the rest of my visa to go on a great adventure—I looked up a list of the top 100 golf courses in the United States, contacted the golf course superintendents of fifty-four of them, and took the trip of a lifetime traveling across the country, visiting each one, which I consider a vital part of my education.
What was your favorite course from that experience? Do you prefer golfing in the U.S. or Europe, or is it impossible to decide?
It is very difficult to point out favorites—there are many courses that have left a lasting impression in my heart. The criteria that make me appreciate a golf course are high aesthetics, natural beauty, a creative and challenging layout, and good maintenance. All golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula are magical, especially Cypress Point, Spyglass Hill, and Pebble Beach. I also love Tillinghast courses such as Baltusrol, San Francisco Golf Club, and Winged Foot. There are so many beautiful modern golf courses, especially by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and the Dyes. I have a great appreciation for true British links and heathland courses as well.
What was the transition like from your degree program and internships to working full time in the field?
Everyone was very kind and helpful, sharing everything they’d learned from the work of previous architects. My previous mentors of Deutsche Golf Consult hired me to man their stand during golf conferences in Germany while I was still studying in England, so I was able to make contacts with other industry leaders. Ronald Fream, a leading golf course architect from California, was supposed to be a featured speaker at the Fairway Exhibition in Munich. I contacted him (using my little fax machine in England, I might add), and asked him if he would meet me in Munich, as I was very much interested in the American way of course design. He was so kind and offered to meet with me at his hotel. He spent three hours showing me plans for the projects his company was working on at the time. In the end, he said, “I have never had an intern at my company before, but you seem to be so enthusiastic. Please come and join my company, I will make it happen,” and it ended up being a great experience.
Once I returned to Golfplan in Santa Rosa, I worked for some months with the company until the office manager Jim Stuart was hired by Robert Trent Jones II in Palo Alto, CA, and it is he who recommended that Robert Trent Jones II hire me because he saw a lot of potential and talent in me. I was interviewed by the partners of the company and got hired to help with the European Market. I worked diligently for RTJII and contributed to the success of several projects.
Did you experience sexism as you were trying to break into the industry?
Golf has always been dominated by men and golf course design has typically been a second career for retired men pro golfers. I was nervous before attending a golf conference for the first time. Being the only woman there was a daunting challenge, but I was warmly welcomed and also taken seriously. It is crucial to convince with enthusiasm and knowledge to gain acceptance.
What was it like working for Jones, Jr.? Did you enjoy it? Did he teach you anything particularly valuable or give specific advice? Did you ever meet his father? If so, what was that like?
I have been Mr. Jones’s personal assistant and supporter for the past twenty-two years. I helped him through the grief of his father’s passing after we took the phone call together from the doctor in Florida. I have worked with him in various countries and helped him organize his home office regularly. We shared his late father’s home in Fort Lauderdale for many years. We are best friends and enjoy our joint passions for golf, poetry, and politics. I am very lucky to have such an amazing and talented mentor.
It seems that RTJII became a strong supporter of women’s golf thanks to his mother. Ione Davis Jones, the late wife of RTJII, founded the Dorothy Tournament in the 1950’s at Coral Ridge Country Club—the golf club that the Jones family owned for fifty years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Even though Mrs. Jones did not play golf herself, she strongly supported the recognition of women in golf, and it seemed to have influenced her son. He has always valued my opinion on projects as well, back then and now. I am forever very grateful.
Which architects have influenced your design philosophy and taste?
I‘ve always followed the design principles of A.W. Tillinghast and both Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. They are, in my opinion, the most elegant architects in the golf world.
I often hear men say a course is “meant” to be played from the tips, which makes me feel like I’m not playing it “properly” if I play middle or forward. How much thought do you give to forward tees? Are they a primary concern or an afterthought?
Proper placement and elevation of forward tees is key—I always emphasize that the visibility of hazards and the playability of each hole should be equal from every tee. Most men architects fail to give forward tees much thought. They give forward players a shorter tee shot but a less enjoyable experience. I have played on many golf courses where back tee players are given very interesting, scenic shots across lakes, but forward players have to tee off on the other side of those lakes with no water in play whatsoever. This is tragic and chauvinistic! Other examples are having completely different angles of play in relation to hazards and poor visibility of fairway hazards off forward tees due to lack of added elevation. Aesthetics and a fair and enjoyable game for all players is very important, especially since golf has risen in popularity during the last two decades all over the world.
Out of all the projects you’ve worked on, which has been your favorite?
Mena House Hotel Golf Course at the foot of the pyramids of Giza. It was built in 1899 and by the 2000’s was in desperate need of restoration. I took several trips to Cairo, discussing remodeling strategies with the management of the hotel and golf course, and my design proposal was chosen out of a pool of seven. The goal wasn’t for Mena House to be able to compete with other courses, but rather to enhance the special experience of playing near a wonder of the world. I created a completely new routing where 18 different holes can be played safely on a former 9-hole layout, replaced flood irrigation with a modern irrigation system, and obeyed the rules of the department of antiquities for shaping the course. The view of the pyramids from many holes is spectacular.
Locals playing the course shortly after it was built in 1899
Do you think architects have a responsibility to be environmentally conscious? If so, how do you demonstrate that in your projects?
Environmental stewardship begins during the planning stage of a golf course, but there are many ways to make existing courses more eco-friendly and reasons for doing so. Golf courses are green spaces, oxygen producers, usually require smaller amounts of herbicides than farmland, can serve as wildlife habitats, and provide a solution for covering closed landfills and other ecologically damaged sites.
I would like to encourage every greenkeeper, architect, and golfer to consider the ecological potential of their golf course and how it can be improved. Steps for improvement do not always have to be costly—many can be incorporated in the daily work process or become part of a long-term improvement plan.
Aerial view of Mena House Golf Course and the pyramids of Giza
What advice would you give aspiring architects, particularly young women?
My advice is to learn as you go and use every opportunity to create your own plans. This creates confidence in all aspects of your chosen career. Add some dedication, consistency, and diligence, and combine with talent and a sound education and you'll get there!
I wanted to benefit other aspiring architects with the knowledge I obtained during my trip across the U.S. and founded the Grand Tour Scholarship in 2000. I was able to secure Toro as a sponsor and all golf courses I had visited on my trip across the U.S. agreed to be involved. Three years in a row, two students were able to embark on a three-week trip to visit top golf courses in the eastern U.S., and two students did the same in the western U.S. However, I decided to end the project, as it took an overwhelming amount of work to organize and honestly, none of the participants ever said, “Thank you, Bettina.” But it’s good to know that most of them are now successful golf course architects in different parts of the world.
What is something you’re looking forward to in your career or life in general?
My home course, Golf & Country Club Seddiner See, is hosting the first Amundi German Masters, an international women’s tournament on the Ladies European Tour, this summer. The last time a tournament like this took place on German soil was the 2016 European Masters. The tournament will broadcast in 40 countries, but unfortunately, the purse is only 300,000 Euros (that’s another pet peeve of mine, considering how much money men professional golfers earn in comparison).
But looking forward to the tournament, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. told the press: “It’s a very flexible, well bunkered, strategic golf course that suits both expert women’s and men’s games. It will give the Ladies European Tour the tool it needs to present a great contest.” I agree wholeheartedly and so do my mother and her 80-year old friends who enjoy playing on this golf course regularly using properly placed tees.
Golf & Country Club Seddiner See—the pyramid vibes come full circle
First and third photos used with permission from Bettina Schrickel; second photo from Mena House Hotel website; fourth photo from Golf & Country Club Seddiner See website