Rick Robbins

In his late 20s, Bob Cupp was working as a club professional in Florida, not making much use of his degrees in fine arts and illustration and graphics. But Cupp eventually found a way to combine his talent in golf and art.

After dabbling in golf course architecture, Cupp got a call out of the blue from Jack Nicklaus in 1970, went to work for him and discovered his calling. Fourteen years later, Cupp went out on his own and built a successful business that includes more than 150 projects.

Cupp's two most acclaimed courses -- both in Oregon -- are ranked in the top 100 public courses in America by Golf Digest. Crosswater hosted a Champions Tour major, the Tradition from 2007-10. Pumpkin Ridge, near Portland, hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 1997 and 2003, as well as a current LPGA Tour event.

Cupp has also collaborated with several tour pros. Liberty National, across the river from Manhattan, was created with the help of Tom Kite and hosted a PGA Tour event.

Jerry Pate was Cupp's collaborator for the no. 1 course in Mississippi, Old Waverly, and they built one new course and redesigned another at Indianwood in Michigan, which then hosted two U.S. Women's Opens and a U.S. Senior Open.

Cupp also has four courses on ScoreGolf.com's top 100 in Canada, including no. 9 Beacon Hall near Toronto, the second course he built after going solo in 1984.

The first course he built on his own, Port Armor (now Reynolds Landing), was named by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as the second best course in Georgia. You can probably guess the first.

With his reputation rapidly growing, Cupp had opportunities to cash in, but preferred to remain a solo act.

"I could have built into a very large operation, like many of our competitors," Cupp said. "But then I would become a manager of designers rather than a designer."

In the world of golf course design, Cupp has a different background. He played baseball at the University of Miami and after graduation, worked in advertising and did a stint in the army.

He also is something of a Renaissance man as a painter, furniture builder and blacksmith. He also sings and plays guitar and cello.

Cupp also is an author, writing the acclaimed "The Edict, a novel of the beginnings of golf."