Continuing the Dye Legacy: Cynthia Dye McGarey’s Harmonious Approach to Golf Design

A mother-son duo shapes the future of golf while staying rooted in nature

By: Alison Elsner

Cynthia Dye McGarey may be part of the legendary Dye family—her uncle was Pete Dye and her father was Roy Anderson Dye—but she has established herself as a powerful force in golf course architecture. She has proven her mettle and cemented her credibility in a field traditionally dominated by men. As principal golf architect of Dye Designs Group, McGarey founded the firm with her husband, O’Brien McGarey, in 2003.

“Most of my designs are outside of the United States,” McGarey said, pointing to successful projects such as West Coast Haikou in Hainan, China; the Ferrum Club in Yeoju-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea; Dreamland Golf Club in Baku, Azerbaijan; Erbil Hills Golf Club in Erbil, Iraq; and Golf de Déva on Grand Terre in New Caledonia.

She understands the global recognition of the Pete Dye name and embraces his legacy as a revered golf course architect. Pete Dye, who was married to fellow designer and amateur champion Alice Dye, is connected to the Coachella Valley through his development of the Mountain Course at PGA West in La Quinta—known for its dramatic elevation changes, pot bunkers and signature island green on the 16th hole—and the Pete Dye Resort Course at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort and Spa. He passed away in 2020.

McGarey had the opportunity to work alongside her uncle on the Shenzhen Tycoon Golf Club in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China—a course recognized for its sustainability, thanks to her expertise and improvements.

This year, McGarey and her son, Matthew, redesigned all 18 putting surfaces and two practice greens at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Korea. The course, designed by cousin Perry Dye in 1992, has hosted the Kolon Korea Open since 2003. Woo Jeong Hills is owned by Kolon Industries, one of South Korea’s leading textile and chemical manufacturers. Dye Designs Group prioritized pin placements by updating the size, contouring and drainage of the greens. The project was especially meaningful, as it was Perry Dye’s first design in South Korea—a country where the Dye family has contributed significantly to the recreational landscape.

McGarey’s work in 2003 on the San Roque Club in Andalusia, southern Spain, a few miles from Gibraltar, was a true family affair involving collaboration among Cynthia, Pete Dye, Perry Dye and Matthew McGarey.

She began her career studying horticulture at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and later entered the landscape architecture business, focusing on plants and natural environments.

Her full-time entry into golf design came unexpectedly when cousin Perry Dye invited her to work on landscaping for courses in Asia. That experience sparked her transition into full-scale course design. Today, Dye Designs Group is based in Denver, and she partners with her son, Matthew. Her husband, O’Brien McGarey, serves as president and CEO of the Group.

“On the first golf courses I worked on with my family, I was called the tree lady,” she said.

McGarey navigated the challenges of balancing motherhood with a demanding career. She often brought her five children to job sites and relied on a supportive network of family, including nannies who were interested in golf and later worked in the office.

She acknowledged that working on a few U.S.-based courses allowed her to spend more time with her children. Some of her top domestic designs include The Wolf at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort and White Horse Golf Club in Kingston, Washington—her first solo design.

She was recognized as the design coordinator for the Promontory Pete Dye Canyon Course in Park City, Utah, in 2002. The American Society of Golf Course Architects welcomed her to its prestigious association in 2012.

“Each project takes a few years out of your life,” McGarey said. “But, for instance, with the West Cliffs course in Portugal, it took 12 years to complete, so it’s much more than just a building project. It’s an entire depth of cultural experience where my husband and I made lots of friends and became really familiar with the lifestyle. We still take vacations there.”

West Cliffs Golf Links, on Portugal’s Silver Coast about an hour north of Lisbon, is one of the most scenic courses built in Europe in the last decade. Designed by McGarey in 2017, the course plays through sandy coastal terrain with elevated views of the Atlantic Ocean. Built within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, McGarey prioritized minimal earth movement, native habitat restoration and water conservation.

She’s been credited with accomplishing less than 16 percent disturbance of the site at West Cliffs during construction. She led efforts to restore over 200 hectares of natural habitat, and she removed invasive species and reintroduced native flora, ensuring the course blended seamlessly with its surroundings.

She doesn’t just design on paper or via video. McGarey is a firm believer in spending time on-site, working closely with construction teams, committees, general managers and staff.

“It makes more sense to be hands-on. My uncle Pete was like that, too,” she said. “Dye Designs Group actually had an office in China to manage the multiple courses we were building. I found myself jumping around from city to city a lot. In remote places like Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Portugal and New Caledonia, I schedule myself to stay longer but not visit as frequently. Being on-site really makes a difference in the outcome of the project. I always say, you snooze, you lose.”

Her horticultural and landscape architecture background provides enhanced perspective on integrating natural elements into course layouts. Her attention to detail ensures that every course reflects the local climate, vegetation and terrain.

McGarey personally designs planting plans and oversees landscaping on-site, maintaining that courses should be true to their location, with landscaping that reflects regional identity and natural beauty. This philosophy results in courses that feel organic and immersive rather than artificially imposed.

She prefers to build from scratch but also enjoys working with her son, who specializes in remodeling.

“Starting fresh allows for more creativity,” she said. “It’s tough to do a remodel. There are lots of committees and personalities involved. A clean slate is easier, just like an artist prefers to paint something new as opposed to painting over another artist’s work.”

She added, “The reality, though, is that every golf course needs to be continually updated because there’s a limited life expectancy for every component of the course.”

As for being a woman in the industry, McGarey said she doesn’t see it as an issue. “Ultimately, it’s more about building relationships,” she said. “There is still some ‘old boys’ network’ activity, but I am confident that clients hire me because of my exceptional work, references and credibility. And I’m always involved in promoting more women in the field of golf course architecture.”

Cynthia McGarey’s vision blends artistry with sustainability and continues the Dye tradition while evolving it. She’s not only preserving the family legacy but is also redefining what it means to be a golf course architect in the 21st century. Her projects emphasize harmony with nature, strategic design and a deep respect for the land.

She implements her own signature version of the family design philosophy. And perhaps the best part for her is that she gets to work with her son, Matthew, as they take on the world of golf course design together.

Dye Designs Group
Denver, Colorado
dyedesignsgroup.com, 303.898-8550