About
To oversee Kauri Cliffs, Harman made 46 trips from Florida to New Zealand, demonstrating extraordinary dedication to the project.
David Harman was a distinguished American golf course architect best known for the acclaimed Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand. Born in 1956 in Bryan, Ohio, Harman’s career in golf course design began in the 1970s with Jack Nicklaus’s design firm, after a football injury ended a promising athletic scholarship at Ohio State. He founded Golf Course Consultants in 1980, contributing to the construction of more than 30 courses worldwide, including several for Arnold Palmer, such as Tralee in Ireland and PGA West in California. In 1996, Harman launched his own architectural firm, quickly earning recognition for projects like Shingle Creek and Orange County National in Orlando, Florida. However, Kauri Cliffs became his defining achievement, making 46 trips from Florida to New Zealand and shaping one of the world’s most spectacular coastal courses. Harman’s career was cut short when he passed away from cancer in 2005, but his legacy endures through his influential and beloved courses.
