Mr James Edwards

Admitted as an Associate Member (AEIGCA) in 2008; upgraded to Member (MEIGCA) in 2020.

Graduated from Heriot-Watt University of Edinburgh with a Professional Diploma in Golf Course Design in 2006. Became a Graduate Member of EIGCA.

A former professional golfer and buildings architect, in 1998 James Edwards began a career in golf course architecture.

His prowess as an amateur golfer won Edwards a golf scholarship to Florida Atlantic University, as well as visiting many of the great golf courses in the United States. Back in the UK, he qualified as a buildings architect at Greenwich University, and later studied golf architecture as part of the European Institute of Golf Course Architect’s diploma programme in Edinburgh, Scotland. He spent 8 of his early professional years working for one of the UK’s most experienced golf architects, Howard Swan where James worked on over 100 courses of varying characteristics in 20 countries.

In 2009, Edwards Design International (EDI-Golf Ltd) was established. A UK based golf course architecture practice and academy design specialist brought a fresh focus on delivering dynamic golf solutions of all shapes and sizes to some of the leading Clubs, golfers, teachers and Institutions in the UK & Europe.

James worked hard to define their approach and developed his three-point-specialism upon which we have built our reputation; (i) to re-order and re-masterplan clubhouse surrounds where necessary to create a seamless customer journey and experience (ii) designing-in the shorter version of the game to respond to the time poor golfer and increase golf participation and (iii) conceiving the leading short game academies and future range facilities in the Country and their implementation.

James’ experience and qualification to deliver is based solely on the cumulative time he invested on driving ranges and academies across the World during his playing career and the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. This information gathering has led to a deeper, more detailed understanding of the overall customer journey and what ultimately attracts the modern member and golf visitor.

At present, James is consulting on over x40 projects in the UK, Europe and Asia in all stages of development. The finest academies of their type in Scotland, China, Eqypt, Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg are well under construction/planning and last year alone, EDI delivered x5 academies in x5 different counties in the UK and arguably the finest in each.