Golf & Country
Designing a family landscape that grows with them.
There are projects where the desire is just about aesthetics, and then there are projects like this one, where first and foremost, it’s about connection.
The “Golf & Country” project is a play on its amenities and setting. Residing on the rural family property, this landscape needed to do more than just look good. It needed to hold space for cousins of every age, parents with full calendars, and the kinds of weekends where time doesn’t matter and no one really wants to go inside. It needed to feel like home, but also like a getaway. Something grounded, but not static. Social, but never chaotic. And most of all, it needed to feel like theirs.
The challenge: a farmyard that doesn’t feel like a farmyard
The family home sits on a large, active farm. It’s wide open, unstructured, and exposed. While that openness gives you views, it doesn’t always give you comfort. The side yard adjacent to the house had potential, but lacked flow, function, and intimacy. When they reached out, the family knew they wanted a space that could handle large gatherings, but not feel like a big open field. And as a family of practical people, every element needed a purpose.
Through our conversations, a clear picture started to emerge: they needed a landscape that could evolve with them, where kids could play now and teenagers could hang out later. A space that felt like a calm morning retreat and a full-blown party pad. Something that said, “this is our place,” without ever trying to shout it.
Designing for now, and for what’s next
The design clicked when I stopped imagining the property as it was, and started imagining the memories that would be made here. I pictured the sounds of kids laughing, running barefoot from one end of the yard to the other. I imagined parents stealing moments around the fire while the chaos unfolded just out of earshot. And I thought about how fast that chapter of life goes, and how this yard could help slow it down.
We started layering in zones: an outdoor fireplace for relaxed conversation, a tucked-away fire pit behind the waterfall for late-night chats and s’mores, a swim pond that feels as natural as it is fun. A curved arbor provides scale and structure, subtly enclosing the space without shutting it off from the farm beyond. And then, of course, there’s the mini-putt, complete with movable boulders so the course can shift and evolve as the kids do.
Every space was placed with intentionality. The outdoor dining area spills easily from the home’s large glass doors, leading the eye (and guests) out to the pond and surrounding landscape. Sightlines capture the best of the west, including those unforgettable sunsets. And sounds were just as considered: the waterfall acts as both a visual anchor and a gentle acoustic buffer between zones, letting people gather without feeling overwhelmed by too many conversations.
Details that matter more than you think
You might not notice it at first glance, but the boulders edging the pond aren’t just decorative; they create tiered access for swimmers of all confidence levels, and spots for parents to sit and dangle their feet without getting soaked. The fire pit’s gas burner was selected for its extra-high BTU output — a thoughtful touch for the rural winds that move through the valley. And the stonework around the firepit was intentionally planted with moss and thyme in the joints — a detail that adds softness, scent, and seasonal texture.
Even the grade change, which might have felt like a limitation, became an opportunity. A staircase wrapping around the pond not only creates a gradual flow through the space but offers unique “peek-a-boo” views of the waterfall and upper fire pit. It’s the perfect spot to sit with your back to the pond, watch the sun dip below the horizon, and forget you’re even on a farm.
A family yard that does what family does best
This yard is a reflection of the people who live here: warm, generous, and full of life. It’s a space that holds energy and calm in equal measure, where you can make noise, but also find space to reflect.
After construction was complete and the family had been living in it for a while, I heard about how they had been enjoying the space. These were stories of gathering, of laughter, of unexpected games, and new traditions. One of my favorites was how the kids started changing up the mini-putt layout, always turning it into a different course and the odd, stray golf ball. I could tell these were the types of stories that will eventually start with “Remember the time when….”
You can’t design memories, but you can design for them. And that’s probably the most fulfilling feeling as a designer.
