About
Bob Gwynne is not a professional golf architect by training; he and John Raese designed Pikewood National themselves, using their backgrounds in mining and engineering for inspiration and construction.
Bob Gwynne is best known as the co-architect of Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, West Virginia, a course widely recognized for its distinctive mountain setting and classic design elements. Alongside business partner John Raese, Gwynne conceived and built the course on former company land, taking a hands-on approach without relying on traditional golf architecture experience. Their vision materialized into a top-tier private course, drawing acclaim for its natural routing and minimalistic features, such as greens built at grade and a restrained use of bunkers. Built over nearly a decade and opening in 2009, Pikewood National was named Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course of 2009 and entered America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses shortly thereafter. Gwynne’s unique role as a self-taught designer, validated by touring professionals and a distinctive dedication to classic course philosophies, cements his place in modern golf architecture history.
