Jamie Black & Gunther Schrecklinger

Jamie Black was killed in a tragic accident in Dubai. On 1st September he went for a run and stopped at one of his projects to see how it was progressing. He stepped in a puddle that was live and was electrocuted. He had recently become engaged to his girlfriend, Louise, who is expecting their baby daughter.

Peter Harradine and Anthony Hodgson said, “It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the sad demise of Jamie Black. Jamie was a 27 year old golf course architect from Scotland and one of the finest gentlemen we have ever met. He followed his passions in life and applied them to his career. Jamie had achieved more in his 27 years than many others accomplish in a lifetime. Jamie enjoyed making people feel good through his genuine smile and conciliatory Glaswegian accent, his humble presence, intelligence and his firm and sincere handshake. Unfortunately he leaves us much too soon but we will always be grateful for the times we spent with him. Jamie Black will be missed by many.”

Secondly Gunther Schrecklinger, coincidentally from the same Diploma course as Jamie – which graduated in 2001 – died in July in a car accident in Germany. Someone drove into the back of his car at 200 kph. Luckily his wife Gertie who was with him survived unhurt. Gunther graduated from EIGCA but he concentrated on his work with grey water and eventually left the Institute when it became obvious that this was going to be his specialist subject rather than golf course architecture. He lectured to the Institute on “Alternative Sources of Water for Golf Course Irrigation” at the CPD Conference in 2001.

Ken Moodie, EIGCA President, said, “I was greatly saddened to hear of the loss of two very fine colleagues, Gunther Schrecklinger and Jamie Black, who I had been fortunate to know during their time on the Diploma course. They both attended the same years of the course, from 1999-2001, and died recently in separate tragic accidents. They will be much missed.”