Canada’s Christine Fraser: Different Thinking In Old Designs

Christine Fraser doesn't fit the mold of a typical participant in the golf course architecture business, and she's OK with that.

Christine Fraser wants golf to open its collective eyes. To her way of thinking, golf could be more inclusive, more diverse, and more interesting for a greater number of people. And though she might rub the old boys of golf the wrong way, she’s just fine with that.

“That strict, posh, upper-class golf culture makes me feel bad,” Fraser said from her home in Windsor, Ontario. “And that led me to want to pursue my career from an entirely different perspective. I want to be an advocate, for women and girls and anyone pushed to the side in the game. I want to invite more people in.”

The way forward for Fraser is through golf design, which was her entrance to the game. She has worked with some of the game’s best, apprenticing under Martin Hawtree in the U.K., and partnering with Canadian restoration expert Jeff Mingay more recently. And increasingly Fraser is gaining attention for her perspective on how ...