Get to Know: Golf Sketch Artist

Flaghunting.com has been busy this week with several new partnerships, as well as re-designing our website which will launch in the next few weeks! These changes will allow you to order our new "How to make a yardage book" for your course directly from our site, allow orders to be processed without email, and new collaborations and products to be unveiled...

Our latest partnership includes the artwork of Daniel Smith, and will be featured on our signature yardage books from this point forward! His artistic flowing lines and knowledge of golf course architecture is prevalent in all his sketches... If you'd like to order a yardage book featuring Daniel's work, you can do so here.

Without further ado, we want to highlight our newest partner, Daniel Smith to the team!

Poppy Ridge - Merlot Hole #8

Q: Tell us a little about yourself?

A: I'm a highly passionate golfer who grew up playing competitively and enjoys integrating the game within my responsibilities and goals. I like to intuitively design and draw landscapes and structures, naturally from an engineering family, and therefore expanding my knowledge of such by going to Penn State for Civil Engineering. My ultimate goal is to combine my interests of golf and design into a career in golf course design and architecture. Every day, I work to grow my skills in golfing, drawing, designing, photography, and Photoshop.

Q: How long have you been sketching and where do you see yourself in 5 years? Do you see this as hobby or do you hope to pursue something “more” with it?

A: I can't tell you when I started sketching because I've always dabbled with it as a hobby. I like to consider it, for myself, as a necessary skill and lost art for all types of designers. In 5 years, I see myself starting at either a golf course architecture or civil engineering company.

Daniel's 2017 Golf Digest - Lido Design Competition Entry

Q:I know you are a “student” of golf course architecture and enjoy reading books on the topic. What is your favorite book and why?

A: My favorite book on golf course architecture is "Grounds for Golf" by Geoff Shackleford because it has a great layout, is highly informative, and is humorous at times.

Q: Tell us about being a caddie at Oakmont Country Club, and what the 2016 US Open was like if you attended?

A: Caddying at Oakmont is a pleasure and a dream every time I step foot on the grounds. The members and staff are a vibrant community, and this place excels in all aspects of industry innovation. It sometimes gets hard out there in the sun, but I always divert my mind to the conversation at hand or the architecture of the course. I actually worked the 16' Open as a standard bearer, and it was a surreal experience that I will always remember. It was hectic because of the rain delays. There was one point where they escorted all of the players and walking scorers to the locker room. I was standing there adjacent to Adam Scott and James Hahn. Hahn, was talking to a young bearer about Clash of Clans. Then a flood of paparazzi busted in, and low and behold they brought the Stanley Cup inside! Lets go Pens. My week concluded with witnessing Dustin hit that approach on 18. On that hole, birdie is rare.

Q: Anything in particular that stood out to you in the course preparation or just how brutal playing conditions were?

A: Aside from the club's recent renovations, there was nothing the course physically did to prepare for the open other than grow the rough and build temporary infrastructure. The rough was so thick that you had a better chance of getting on the green from a bunker.

Q: Whats your favorite golf design quote?

A: "Golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair?" - Pete Dye