From day one, golf course architect Christine Fraser has challenged the status quo with her sheer presence as a queer woman in a heteronormative male-dominated game. She disrupts the golf space by asking a simple question: how can she make her much-loved sport accessible to more people so they can benefit from the game and the game can benefit from them as it makes strides towards greater diversity and inclusivity? As a child on her grandparents’ greens, golf was a utopic safe space where she could dream and explore, but early on in her competitive career, Christine began to feel like she was losing the fun. To foster a safe space for all players, she’d have to do things differently, face potential resistance and stand by her values. Driven by her passion for the sport and an entrepreneurial legacy, she’s now wholly focused on a movement to make physical and cultural accessibility, environmental stewardship and inclusivity par for the course.
Tell us your story. What brought you to golf? And what made you love it enough to forge a career in the sport as an architect?
I grew up at Camden Braes, my family’s golf course built by grandparents in the 1970s. My mother worked at the pro shop, so my brother and I would tag along during the summer months when we weren’t in school. We spent all day outside, occupying ourselves in the ponds and woods and on the fairways until my mother’s shift was over. I learned to play golf there, and it’s where I fell in love with golfing landscapes. The course became my safe space during those formative years. Part of what I love about golf is its power to break down social barriers. When we play, we’re all just trying to make the best of the ebbs and flows of the game as a metaphor for life, and I find a lot of inspiration in that.
When did you start looking at golf through the lens of accessibility and inclusivity?
The history of golf is marred by segregation by class, race and gender, and the impacts of that are still felt today to varying degrees. For a lot of people, the sport still offers only limited opportunities. That’s something I realized when I left home for university. Because Camden was an affordable public golf course—and therefore inclusive of players from different economic backgrounds, ages and abilities—I naively thought all golf was like that. At Camden, I was surrounded by capable and respected women, my grandmother being the owner and my mother heavily involved in day-to-day decision-making. In college, I met teammates and competitors who were all amazing women athletes. We were respected for our talent and potential, but that all disappeared when I graduated and entered the golf industry. The real world looked nothing like Camden or my women’s golf team. All the people with authority or persuasion were men: coaches, players, owners, caddies, committee members, board members...There was no representation, and it became incredibly apparent that I was the only woman in the room.
It’s clear those early realizations shaped the values you bring to your work today. You talk specifically about socially responsible form and function. How does that show up in your ideas and designs?
As a golf course architect, the first values I look to are inclusivity and accessibility, and socially responsible form and function primarily means creating with the intention of fostering a sense of community and belonging. A golf course should be a place where individuals from diverse backgrounds can play comfortably, connect, share experiences and build relationships through the sport. That involves prioritizing accessibility—things like thoughtful tee placement, fairway widths and pathways, facilities and amenities. It also sparks a reflection on environmental stewardship. You can’t design a course without taking its ecological impact into account and integrating sustainable practices. I have a responsibility to minimize the green’s ecological footprint and preserve natural habitats and biodiversity through means like environmentally-friendly construction materials, efficient irrigation systems, native vegetation and sound maintenance practices. And then there’s my favourite part: engaging and collaborating with the local community. I’ve learned that the best way to do that is by actively seeking input from various stakeholders, including golfers, residents and accessibility advocates. It’s about finding value in diverse perspectives and engaging in a participatory process. It’s really about designing with, not for.
How does that relate to wanting to prioritize impact over intent?
Impact over intent is about the importance of focusing on the actual outcomes and effects of decisions rather than solely on the intentions behind them. There are so many instances of positive intentions that unfortunately led to detrimental impacts. A prime example are forward tees. They were meant to create a more inclusive setting for women, juniors, seniors and beginners but were carelessly placed to the side of the hole, often under trees and misaligned towards the woods, and made the golf experience really unenjoyable in the end. By actively engaging in conversations and seeking feedback, we can gain valuable insights into the real impacts of our actions and make more informed choices and course corrections. The key is to actively listen to the perspectives and experiences of others to better grasp the consequences of our decisions.
With all that in mind, what does success look like for you?
I want to look back on my career and be able to say I was part of the movement that redefined golf culture. I want to be certain that people from diverse demographics feel welcome and empowered to play and that my designs contribute to a vibrant golfing community.
