Armen Suny

Armen Suny has been involved in the golf and golf course residential community industry for over 30 years. Suny’s experience in the industry is unparalleled, having been employed at 5 of the top 100 golf courses and communities in the country and consulted at many others.

Suny has been a Golf Course Superintendent, PGA Tour Tournament Director (“The International”), General Manager (Shadow Creek for Steve Wynn), Community Entitlement/Developer, Consultant, Executive Recruiter, and Golf Course Designer. This industry encompassing background has given Suny the ability and uniquely qualified him to understand all facets of the golf course residential community.

SCOREGolf - Best New Golf Course 2009

#1 SAGEBRUSH GOLF AND SPORTING CLUB

Merritt, B.C.
Architect: Rod Whitman, Richard Zokol, Armen Suny

Richard Zokol’s travels to such places as Sand Hills in Nebraska and Oregon’s Bandon Dunes spawned his vision for Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club. The golf course — a combined architectural effort of Zokol, Rod Whitman and Armen Suny — is a minimalist links design set in B.C.’s breathtaking Nicola Valley.

“It’s exceeded my expectations and my expectations were very, very high,” says Zokol, chairman and CEO of the club.

The club is private, but play is currently open to unaccompanied non-members by invitation only. One-day experiences, including unlimited golf, lunch, dinner and fly-fishing in a private lake — are being sold for $700 per foursome; overnight experiences for $1,000. It’s up to the buyer to fill the foursome. Invitations must come from Zokol or club president Terry Donald. Zokol insists invitations are easily obtainable, but notes that per-day play is limited.  

“We like to say when you play at Sagebrush the group in front of you teed off yesterday and the group behind you tees of tomorrow,” Zokol quips. “We want to differentiate Sagebrush from any other golf course.”
The $1,000 paid can go towards the 2009 ‘Sagebrush Posse’ membership cost of $5,000.

Panellist Comments:
“Wonderful course — I look forward to playing it again when it plays hard and fast like the management’s vision sees it.”

“It's a links golf feel, where they play the game on the ground, but it has an interior B.C. look, high in the hills looking down across the Nicola Valley. Whitman, Zokol and Suny have taken a hilly piece of dry land and created what will soon be one of Canada's best courses.”

“Sagebrush is great example of minimalist design; what set this course apart from many others are the green complexes and bunkers.”