About
While serving in U.S. Army Intelligence in Asia, Poellot met Robert Trent Jones II, a chance encounter that launched his career in golf course architecture and led to his eventual leadership of RTJII's Asian operations.
J. Michael Poellot is a renowned American golf course architect with a career spanning over five decades and a legacy of more than 200 golf course projects worldwide. After earning a Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University in 1966, Poellot’s career was propelled by a meeting with Robert Trent Jones II, leading him to oversee the Asian operations for the prestigious firm and become vice president. By 1988, Poellot established his own design group based in California, focusing on a global clientele with notable projects across the USA, Mexico, Central and South America, and throughout Asia, including Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Arizona and North Park Country Club in Bangkok. Poellot is highly regarded for advocating player-friendly yet strategic layouts, as well as for leadership within the American Society of Golf Course Architects, serving on its Board of Governors and earning election as a Fellow in 2013. His influence extends from championship resorts to private clubs, shaping the golfing experience for players of every level.
