Bill Bergin is hardly unique in his role as a former tour professional-turned-golf course designer. Nor is he the only architect to apprentice at a major firm--in theis case, Bob Cupp Designs--before striking out on his own. The 40-year-old Atlanta native isn't even the only Class A PGA teaching professional now involved in building golf courses. But Bergin may be singular among architects in bringing the sum of those experiences to the table as he stakes his reputation in the dog-eat-dog world of golf course design.

Bergin's break-out effort came at his alma mater's Auburn University Club, which opened in the fall of 1999. There he showcased a distinctive design philosophy gleaned from his diverse background. "Playing in Europe for three years [a stint that included a 1984 top-60 ranking on the Order of Merit], I really learned the value of playing along the ground," he says. "The idea is to challenge the accomplished player to make sound strategic decisions, yet allow the recreational player to keep bumping along in play."

Bergin's other solo designs include Twelve Stones Crossings in Nashville, Tenn., and Woodfin Golf Club in Spartanburg, S.C. Next up is a collaboration with Larry Mize on the Jubilee Course at the Last Plantation near Nashville. "I'm really looking forward to working with Larry," Bergin says. "We're going to have a special piece of land to work with on this old plantation farmland around a lake." It may not take long before "special" is the way golfers describe Bill Bergin's work, too.