Cary Bickler Golf Course Design

Crafting Courses, Shaping Experiences

Comprehensive Golf Course Design Solutions

Our golf course design services focus on creating exceptional courses that are both environmentally sensitive and visually stunning. For new course designs, we incorporate sustainable practices to harmonize with the natural landscape, minimizing environmental impact while maximizing playability.

When it comes to remodels, renovations, and historic restorations, we respect the original character of the course, enhancing it with modern touches to improve functionality and aesthetics.

Our services offer expert guidance for projects of any size, ensuring each course reaches its full potential.

Additionally, our turf reduction expertise introduces drought-resistant landscaping, conserving water and creating beautiful, resilient landscapes perfectly suited for arid environments.

Crafting Courses That Honor the Land and Inspire the Game

Services

Environmentally Sensitive New Golf Course Design is about crafting beautiful, playable courses that respect and enhance the natural environment. By carefully studying the landscape, we integrate the course with existing ecosystems, preserving native plants and habitats while minimizing water and chemical use. This approach includes using eco-friendly materials, designing for natural drainage, and adapting to local topography, which not only reduces environmental impact but also creates a more sustainable, resilient course. The result is a golf course that harmonizes with its surroundings, offering players a unique experience that celebrates nature and conserves it for generations to come.

Golf Course Remodel, Renovation & Historic Restoration focuses on revitalizing existing courses to enhance playability, modernize facilities, and celebrate the unique character of each course. Our approach respects the original design intent while integrating modern standards and sustainable practices, making each hole both challenging and environmentally conscious. Whether it’s restoring the heritage features of a classic course, reimagining the layout to improve flow, or updating bunkers and greens with modern techniques, our goal is to preserve the course's legacy while making it more enjoyable for today's players. The end result is a refreshed, engaging course that balances tradition with innovation.

Golf Course Design Services include expert guidance to help course owners and operators bring their vision to life while optimizing every aspect of the design. From site analysis to master planning and budgeting, we work collaboratively to ensure each project aligns with environmental goals, aesthetic ambitions, and practical needs. Our team advises on sustainable practices, innovative design solutions, and industry best practices, tailoring each recommendation to fit the unique characteristics of the land and the goals of the course. Whether it’s a new build, a renovation, or a historic restoration, our services empower clients to make informed decisions that enhance playability, aesthetics, and long-term sustainability.

Turf Reduction focuses on creating beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes that thrive with minimal water use, making it ideal for courses in arid climates or regions looking to conserve resources. This approach replaces traditional high-water-use plants and grass with native, drought-resistant vegetation and strategically placed hardscapes, reducing the need for irrigation and maintenance. With turf reduction, golf courses not only benefit from lower water bills and upkeep but also gain a unique, visually striking aesthetic that blends naturally with the surrounding environment. The result is a course that conserves water, supports local ecosystems, and offers players a distinctive, eco-friendly golfing experience.

Featured Project

The Springs Country Club

The bunker renovation at The Springs Country Club has reshaped these features into something far more intentional, both strategically and visually. Each bunker was recontoured to sit naturally within the desert landscape, working with the existing terrain instead of fighting it, while improving shot values around the greens and throughout the course. Updated drainage systems were incorporated to handle the region’s occasional but intense weather, keeping conditions consistent and reliable. At the same time, the greens were redesigned with refined contours and improved substructures to support faster, more consistent playing surfaces that hold up day to day.

The greens were thoughtfully redesigned to support faster, more consistent playing conditions without sacrificing playability or character. Subtle contouring was refined to eliminate awkward or unusable pin positions while preserving enough movement to keep things interesting at higher speeds. The internal structure was upgraded with improved drainage and a modern root-zone profile, allowing the surfaces to stay firm and true throughout the day. The result is a set of greens that can comfortably handle increased speeds, rolling clean and predictable while also rewarding a well-struck approach.

Featured Project

La Valle Coastal Club

The bunker renovation at La Valle Coastal Club golf courses has transformed these key elements into strategic and aesthetic features. Each bunker has been carefully reshaped to blend seamlessly with the coastal landscape, emphasizing natural contours and enhancing playability. Modern drainage systems were installed to withstand the region's climate, ensuring the bunkers remain pristine after heavy rains.

The redesign also focused on providing a balanced challenge for golfers of all skill levels. With crisp edges and artful placement, the renovated bunkers now guide strategy and elevate the visual beauty of the courses. This thoughtful renovation preserves the character of La Valle Coastal Club while modernizing its infrastructure for years to come.

“We reshaped every bunker to feel like it belongs to the land—cleaner lines, better drainage, and a design that challenges good players while still welcoming everyone else.”

Featured Project

Mesa Verde Country Club

The impact of the renovation project on membership sales at the Mesa Verde Country Club has been outstanding. The improvements have created a result which has not only enhanced the Club’s appeal but also maintained the inherent natural beauty of the golf course.

However, it was the progression of the project which ignited excitement and enthusiasm in the Members of the Club which raised membership pride and club awareness.

Members were proud to promote their club during renovations, even eager to bring guests to play the course. They were excited to tell their friends what was happening at their club and enthusiastic to witness the next step in the construction project.

The buzz of what was happening at the club was out into the community. Prospective members heard through a friend or saw on social media the changes happening and wanted to take a look.

Prospective members who toured the club saw the vision that was created by the plans to restore the golf course as well as an upgrade to the entire interior of the clubhouse with a more modern contemporary design. During their “hard hat” construction tours the prospective members were shown the full extent of the renovation.

I just want to give you a vote of sincerity. I’ve been playing this golf course as the guest of a member for 25 years, and WOW! What a terrific job you did.'“

As Mesa Verde Country Club approached its 60th anniversary, it became clear that the original William F. Bell design had been diluted by years of incremental changes that impacted strategy, sightlines, and character. In 2012, the club launched a master plan to restore the course’s original intent while improving playability and aesthetics, alongside updates to the clubhouse and facilities, creating a unified vision that honored its past while preparing for the future.

The renovation was carefully managed to stay on budget and keep the course open, with strong communication helping members understand key elements like the tree plan, which rerouted 15 holes and restored 11 lost doglegs. Work was completed in four phases, including bunker reconstruction, greens built to USGA standards, new tee complexes, infrastructure upgrades, and the addition of 135 trees. The result improved playability, safety, and long-term maintenance, while modernizing conditions with better drainage, turf, and water systems.

The impact has been felt both on and off the course, with increased member pride and strong interest from prospective members throughout the project. What began with available memberships quickly shifted to a full waitlist, with initiation fees reaching their highest levels in decades. The renovation not only restored the course’s character but positioned the club for sustained growth moving forward.

Featured Project

Encinitas Ranch Golf Course

Designed as a new course in 1998, Encinitas Ranch Golf Course showcases an architecture that embraces both natural beauty and player-friendly design. The course layout was crafted with an emphasis on open fairways, gentle slopes, and strategically placed hazards that appeal to golfers of all skill levels. Its coastal location plays a central role in the experience, with sweeping ocean views on several holes that make each round as scenic as it is enjoyable. The course’s architecture respects the unique landscape, incorporating the natural contours of the land to create a layout that feels organic and in harmony with its surroundings.

Encinitas Ranch also stands out for its balance between challenge and accessibility. The generous fairways offer room for strategic play while carefully placed bunkers and water features provide intrigue without overwhelming newer players. This thoughtful layout rewards accurate shots without punishing less experienced golfers, creating an inclusive environment that caters to everyone, from seasoned players to beginners.

Adding to the course’s appeal is the way it subtly integrates native plants and natural landscaping to conserve water and highlight the coastal beauty. The use of native, drought-resistant plants gives the course a distinctly Southern Californian feel and supports sustainable practices. Encinitas Ranch offers an inviting design that celebrates its coastal setting, making it a go-to destination for golfers looking to enjoy an artfully designed course that captures the spirit of its location.

Cary’s career experience includes an extensive array of golf course designs with a specialization in golf course remodels, renovations, and restorations of historical value.

As the golf industry has become more environmentally conscious of the need for sustainability, Cary has risen as a leader working actively with golf course owners in both the public and private sectors. All his new course designs and long-range Master Plans address the need for greywater reclamation, reduced water usage, turf reduction, wildlife habitat, and long-term environmental sustainability.

Other Projects

Tahoe Donner Golf Course

The Springs Country Club

De Anza Desert Club

Encinitas Ranch Golf Course

Soboba Springs Country Club

La Jolla Country Club

Carlton Oaks Country Club

Camp Pendleton Golf Course

Moraga Country Club

Palm Desert Country Club

San Diego Country Club

Del Mar Country Club

La Cumbre Golf & Country Club

Marbella Country Club

Indian Wells Country Club

La Valle Coastal Club

Duneside at Baywood Greens

Mesa Verde Country Club

Marrakesh Country Club

Lomas Santa Fe Country Club

Hawks Landing Golf Course

The Loma Club

Fairbanks Ranch Country Club

Shandin Hills Golf Club

Las Posas Country Club

Coronado Golf Course

Los Cabos Country Club

Stockdale Country Club

Alondra Golf Course

7 Lakes Golf & Country Club

“January 2018, our Club had a sales list of 33 memberships for sale. As of today, we have a wait list for an Equity Golf Membership and seeing our club go in an upwards direction with a sales price that has tripled since prior to renovation.”

— Mesa Verde Country Club

Contact us via email

cb@bickler.com
1220 Rosecrans Street Suite #314
San Diego, CA 92106