Andy DevaneyGolf course design has its own familiar cast of names. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sir Nick Faldo and Greg Norman have all appeared on the World Golf Awards’ designer roll of honour. Now an Indian architect has joined them, although this particular achievement belongs to two men rather than one.
Aashish Vaishnava and British designer Jon Hunt have been named Golf Course Designer of the Year 2026, winning under their joint Aashish Vaishnava & Jon Hunt – AV IDG banner.
The award was announced at the 13th annual World Golf Awards ceremony, held at Madinaty Golf Club in Egypt on 7 November.
And there is an important distinction here. This was not an Indian or regional design award. The partnership appears in the WORLD section of the official World Golf Awards winners list, confirming its place in the global category.
A First for Indian Golf Course Architecture
For an industry in which established international names have dominated the designer honours, Vaishnava’s inclusion represents a significant moment.
The award’s published winners from 2015 to 2025 include Ernie Els, Nicklaus, Faldo, Player, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Henrik Stenson, Norman and Peter Matkovich.
IMG Golf Course Design took the title in 2022, but that was a company award. Until 2026, no individually named Indian golf course architect had appeared among the winners.
That makes Vaishnava the first within this particular award’s published history, a distinction worth making accurately rather than stretching it into a claim about every honour in golf architecture.
For Vaishnava, the recognition is as much about opening professional doors as collecting another trophy.
“For me, this is a moment to put Indian golf design in the international conversation. It belongs to the people who have trusted our ideas, our team and the partnership Jon and I have built. I hope it encourages more young Indians to see golf as a profession in which they can contribute on the world stage.”
It is an interesting point. Golf’s international conversation tends to focus on the people playing the courses. Those responsible for designing them rarely enjoy quite the same attention, despite the considerable influence their work has on the game.
An India–UK Partnership More Than 20 Years in the Making
The award also recognises a working relationship that has developed over more than two decades.
AV IDG brings together Vaishnava’s Indian practice and International Design Group, based in Bristol, with expertise spanning golf course design, resort architecture, landscape design and luxury real estate masterplanning.
The wider design team includes Bob Hunt, Jon Hunt, Andrew Craven and Vaishnava.
It is a collaboration combining Indian and British design perspectives, with Hunt emphasising the importance of creating courses that belong to their surroundings.
“Our partnership brings different perspectives to the same ambition: golf courses with character and a strong sense of place. Sharing this recognition with AV is a chance to celebrate what sustained collaboration between India and the UK can achieve.”
That emphasis on character and location goes to the heart of golf architecture. A course needs more than an impressive setting or an attractive collection of holes. Its design must make sense to the people playing it.
An international award recognises the architects. The experience of playing their courses remains a separate judgement.
More World Golf Awards Recognition for AV IDG Projects
The individual designer title was not the only recognition connected to the partnership in 2026.
Prestige Golfshire Club was named India’s Best Golf Course, while Al Dhannah Golf Club in the UAE collected Middle East’s Best 9 Hole Golf Course.
Both appear among the projects for which the practice reports design credits.
The partnership’s design-credit record also includes previous World Golf Awards wins associated with Tobago Plantations in Trinidad and Tobago and The National Azerbaijan Golf Club.
It is a portfolio spanning different countries and golfing environments, although an important distinction applies when considering the wider awards tally.
AV IDG associates 33 World Golf Awards wins between 2014 and 2026 with projects and professional roles involving the practice. Of those, 14 are attributed to design-credit work, including the 2026 designer title. The remaining 19 relate to associated projects involving management, rebuilding or consultancy.
Those achievements should not be confused with 33 individual golf course design awards.
The broader World Golf Awards programme recognises venues, courses and hospitality alongside the people working behind the scenes, as reflected in our coverage of the 2026 awards.
A Place on the International Design Stage
For Vaishnava and Hunt, the 2026 title provides recognition for a partnership that has been operating across India and the UK for more than 20 years.
For Indian golf architecture, there is something further to take from it.
The designer roll of honour, previously occupied by some of golf’s most recognisable international figures and established design businesses, now includes an Indian architect sharing the title with his British colleague.
And for young Indians considering a professional future in golf, Vaishnava’s message is a useful reminder that the industry extends well beyond playing, coaching and tournament competition.
Some of the most influential work in golf happens long before anyone arrives on the first tee.
