Jim Ryan, Jr. has been fascinated with golf architecture his entire life.  From his childhood, where his school notebooks were filled with golf drawings and hole designs as opposed to the proper subject, to the present day designing and building golf, Jim is fortunate to have realized his true purpose.

Jim has been exposed to the game his entire life as his father cut down old, steel-shafted golf clubs allowing him to start honing his swing in the backyard at the age of three.  He fell in love golf, spending countless hours on the course with his family and friends, but was always more fascinated with the design rather than just playing the sport.  

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During his childhood, Jim found a golf design video game, “Sim Golf”, that allowed him to design and play his own golf courses on the computer.  He would often find inspiration from that week’s PGA TOUR event to design his courses, exposing him to the variety of design philosophies early on.  As Jim got older, he completed a high school senior thesis on the topic of golf architecture, and was fortunate to have the opportunity to route, render and 3D model a golf course on what was once the proposed property of a real golf club.

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Jim’s entrance into the professional field of golf architecture came after graduating from Penn State University, where he served as a Project Manager for Mottin Golf Course Renovations in Philadelphia.  He oversaw several projects on the construction/contractor side of the business with Mottin Golf, then moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina to study under noted Donald Ross Restoration Architect, Richard Mandell, ASGCA.  After two years in Pinehurst, Jim moved back to Philadelphia to work with Tyler Rae and help to Rae to establish his own firm.  Jim simultaneously launched his own firm in 2020 serving select, solo clients outside of his work with Rae.  

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Fortunate to have grown up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, arguably the most influential city for golf architecture in America, Jim now subscribes to the principles of design laid out by the “Philadelphia School of Golf Course Architecture.”  These principles, seen at area courses like Merion and Pine Valley, promote strategic golf architecture that challenges the most skilled players, but allows even beginners to enjoy the game.

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Jim’s connection to Philadelphia School of golf course design runs even deeper, as he was fortunate to attend the same primary school as George Thomas, architect of Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club and he was even born at a hospital on the former site of a Donald Ross and William Flynn-designed golf course!

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Outside the office, Jim can be found at his home Club on the golf course with his family and friends.  If not at a golf course, you can most likely find Jim supporting his beloved Penn State Nittany Lions Football team, whether near or far, every Saturday in the fall.

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Jim Ryan, Jr. ~ Golf Architect
641A N Providence Road
Media, PA 19063
(610) 505-4517
JimRyanGCDesign@gmail.com