About
Roger Rulewich designed every course on Alabama's famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail—468 holes across 26 sites—yet his name is not attached to a single one, as they are all credited to Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
Roger Rulewich emerged as one of golf’s most prolific and unsung architects after a distinguished career closely tied to the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr. A Yale civil engineering graduate of 1958, Rulewich entered golf course architecture after an apprenticeship with Jones, crafting courses in an exacting style that echoed his mentor’s vision. For 34 years, he was Jones’s chief designer, shaping or remodeling over 125 courses worldwide, many credited to Jones but fundamentally molded by Rulewich’s hand.
Rulewich’s talents shone brightest in the mammoth Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, where from 1989 to 1992 he directed the design and construction of the largest golf project in U.S. history, spanning 24 courses and 324 holes. This monumental achievement epitomized his mastery of large-scale, strategic golf design, even as Jones remained a figurehead.
Beyond the Trail, Rulewich’s work includes Saratoga National in New York, Grande Dunes in South Carolina, and significant bunker restorations at Yale Golf Course. Known for courses with naturalistic touches, craftsmanship, and shot value, he is admired for balancing aesthetics with challenge. Though content to work quietly behind the scenes, Rulewich’s impact on modern golf architecture is profound and enduring. Now retired in Vermont, his legacy remains etched in the fairways and greens of courses appreciated by golfers worldwide.
