Last year, at the request of its developer and owner, Gary Chensoff, I researched, wrote, supervised the design of and printed a book on the creation of Calusa Pines, which many critics regard as the best golf course in Florida. I enjoyed the project so much I reached out to my friend Curt Sampson, the best-selling author or numerous trade books about golf, such as "The Eternal Summer," "Hogan," "The Masters," and the current best-seller "Roaring Back, The Fall and Rise of TIger Woods," to join me in a new venture to research, write, design and print exceptionally well-written and beautiful club histories. Strawn & Sampson was formally launched at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando in late January, 2020. The industry response, especially among golf course architects, was enthusiastic. Dr. Michael Hurdzan, himself the author of several distinguished books on golf architecture and an authority on golf literature with a peerless golf library, offered a strongly supportive comment. “As a golf architect and collector for the past 50 years," Hurdzan said, "I have seen how quickly important golf history can be lost, especially in this digital age where everything floats off on a cyber cloud. Documenting and preserving this vital heritage and information for future generations falls back to one of society’s oldest methods: the written word. No one is better at preserving club histories than John and Curt. The reason is their passion for golf, penchant for detail, and thrill of discovery of lost facts and personalities. Just read any one of the six books that they have collectively written to convince yourself that these are the guys that I want to write my history.” If you would like to know more about Strawn & Sampson, please contact John Strawn at john@johnstrawn.com

John Strawn followed an unusual path to his career in the golf industry. Trained as an historian, he taught at a liberal arts college before embarking on a writing career. His book on the design and construction of an Arthur Hills-designed golf course in Florida, called “Driving the Green,” was published by HarperCollins in 1991. Soon after its publication, John joined Arthur Hills & Associates as a partner and vice-president, focusing on business development in the western United States. He continued to write about the golf business, both in magazine articles for various publications and as a contributor to the USGA’s centennial history, “Golf, The Greatest Game,” published by HarperCollins in 1996.In 2000, John joined the prominent California-based golf course design firm, Robert Trent Jones II, serving as CEO until 2008. Courses designed by RTJII during the years John led the firm won numerous best new course awards, and several, such as Sweden’s Bro Hof Slott and The Scandinavian Club in Copenhagen, earned a place among the world’s top one hundred courses. John enjoys a wide array of friendships and professional associations formed as he traveled the world on behalf of RTJ II.At GGA Partners, John continues to provide insight and strategic guidance to clubs, resorts, tourist associations, developers and other members of the world-wide golf course community.John has been a member of the Golf Writers Association of America for more than twenty-five years. He recently joined with the best-selling author Curt Sampson to form Strawn & Sampson, publishers of high-end golf club histories. He will continue as a Director of GGA Partners while leading Strawn & Sampson.

A leading international golf course design firm based in the USA

A leading international golf course design firm.