Golf course design is exciting.

In the calm and contemplative voice of one who has walked the greens of both sport and spirit, Tom Kite, the great American golfer, once said: “Golf course design is exciting.” To the unknowing ear, these words may seem simple—almost casual. Yet within them lies the timeless truth of creation, of vision, and of the eternal human yearning to shape nature into harmony with the soul. For in the act of designing a golf course, Kite speaks not merely of sport, but of crafting beauty, of working with the elements of earth, wind, and water to create something that challenges both the body and the mind. His statement is not about recreation; it is about art, about the joy that comes when human imagination meets the living world.

To understand the origin of this quote, one must know the man who spoke it. Tom Kite, born in 1949 in McKinney, Texas, rose from the quiet practice ranges of his youth to become one of the finest golfers of his generation, winning the 1992 U.S. Open and securing his place among the legends of the game. Yet, as his competitive career matured, Kite found a new calling—not in wielding the club, but in shaping the stage upon which the game is played. He entered the world of golf course design, where artistry meets geometry, and where nature becomes both collaborator and canvas. In his words, “Golf course design is exciting,” Kite was expressing the thrill of this transformation—the exhilaration of creating spaces that blend competition, contemplation, and communion with the earth.

For what is a golf course, if not a living landscape—a poem written in soil and grass? The designer walks upon untamed ground and must listen to its voice. He must learn the character of the land—its hills, its winds, its hidden water. To carve a fairway through such terrain is not to conquer it, but to reveal its beauty. The excitement that Kite speaks of is the excitement of discovery, of collaboration with nature. Like the ancient sculptor who saw the statue sleeping within the marble, the golf course designer must see the course already alive within the land and free it with patience and care. The process is not of domination but of dialogue—a conversation between man and nature, where both are transformed.

History offers us a story of similar spirit: the tale of Frederick Law Olmsted, the visionary who designed Central Park in New York City. When Olmsted first beheld the land, it was wild, swampy, and uneven. But in its disorder, he saw potential for balance and grace. He shaped paths, lakes, and meadows not to erase nature, but to let it sing in harmony with human need. Just as Olmsted made the city breathe with green life, so too do course designers like Kite craft sanctuaries where sport meets serenity. Both labors share the same sacred impulse—the desire to bring order from chaos, beauty from simplicity, and purpose from possibility.

The excitement Kite speaks of is thus the thrill of creation itself—the same pulse that stirred the hearts of builders, architects, and artists throughout time. To design a golf course is to design an experience: to imagine how the morning sun will fall across the green, how the wind will whisper through the trees, how challenge and joy will meet in every swing. It is not just a craft but a philosophy—a way of thinking that balances discipline with intuition, control with freedom. Kite’s excitement arises from this dance between vision and reality, between the perfection of the mind and the imperfection of the earth.

Yet his words carry another layer of meaning, one that extends beyond golf. They remind us that creation itself is exciting—that to build, to shape, to imagine is one of humanity’s greatest joys. Whether we are designing a course, writing a story, or nurturing a dream, we each play the role of designer in our own lives. The land may be different, but the spirit is the same. We are all called to look upon the raw material before us—our talents, our challenges, our circumstances—and transform them into something beautiful and meaningful. The excitement lies not in perfection, but in participation—in daring to create.

So let this be your lesson, O seeker of purpose: approach your work as a designer approaches the land—with respect, patience, and vision. See beauty where others see barrenness. Let your labor be not of pride, but of wonder. And remember Tom Kite’s simple yet profound truth: that in every act of creation—whether shaping the earth, crafting art, or molding your own destiny—there is excitement, there is joy, there is life. For creation is the mirror of the divine, and when we build with heart and intention, we too partake in the eternal work of bringing form to the formless, meaning to the moment, and grace to the world.