Today’s guest is Jaeger Kovich, founder of Proper Golf and a golf course architect whose shaping work has influenced courses across New Jersey and the championship venue for the 2026 PGA Championship, Aronimink Golf Club. From discovering the game in New York City to working under Tom Doak and Gil Hanse, Jaeger shares the unconventional path that led him into golf course architecture and the moment at the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills that changed everything.

The heart of the conversation centers on New Jersey golf. We discuss his work at Knickerbocker, Morris County Golf Club, and Canoe Brook, what defines great Metropolitan-area architecture, and how architects decide what to restore, modernize, or leave untouched. Jaeger also explains what everyday golfers misunderstand about course design, what makes a layout fun yet challenging, and how restoration projects like Aronimink shape the championship stage players will see in 2026.