Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 29, 2026

Gil Hanse

Gilbert Hanse is an American golf course designer. Hanse, along with his business partner Jim Wagner, was selected to design the Rio 2016 Olympic Golf Course, the first Olympic venue to host golf since 1904.

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Jul 29, 2026
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Gil Hanse source ↗

Gilbert Hanse (born August 12, 1963) is an American golf course designer. Hanse, along with his business partner Jim Wagner, was selected to design the Rio 2016 Olympic Golf Course, the first Olympic venue to host golf since 1904.1

Education

Hanse attended secondary school at Hunter Tannersville High School in Tannersville, New York. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and his master's in landscape architecture from Cornell University in 1989. Hanse was the recipient of the William Frederick Dreer Award, which allowed him to spend a year in Great Britain studying the history of golf architecture.2

Gil Hanse's project, Mossy Oak Golf Club, at Old Waverly in West Point, Mississippi source ↗

Golf Course Design

In 1993 Hanse founded Hanse Golf Course Design. His longtime design partner Jim Wagner joined the firm in 1995. Friend and golf historian Geoff Shackelford has also assisted in the design of several projects.3 Other members of the design team include Kevin Murphy, Ben Hillard, Bill Kittleman, Tom Naccarato, Amy Alcott. Hanse Golf Design's in house golf construction team is named Caveman Construction. He has mentored younger golf architects in various projects as shapers, notably Kyle Franz at The 2016 Rio Olympic Golf Course, Blake Conant at Oakland Hills Country Club (South),4 Kye Goalby at Pinehurst Number 4,5 Angela Moser at Los Angeles Country Club (South).

Golf Courses (Original Design)

Sources:67

  • The Apogee Club, 2024 8
  • Applebrook Golf Club, 2001
  • Ban Rakat Club - Ballyshear, Thailand, 2021 910
  • Boston Golf Club, Hingham, Massachusetts, 2005
  • CapRock Ranch, Valentine, Nebraska, 2021
  • Craighead at Crail Golfing Society, Scotland, 1998
  • Castle Stuart, Scotland, 2009
  • Childress Hall, Texas, 2025
  • Circle T Ranch, Westlake, Texas, 2021
  • DAMAC Hills, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2016 11
  • Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, Texas, 2023 12
  • French Creek Golf Club, Pennsylvania, 2004
  • Golf Club of DBI, Tennessee, 2023
  • High Grove, Florida, 202413
  • Inniscrone Golf Club, Pennsylvania, 1998
  • Jonathan's Landing Golf Club, Jupiter, Florida, 2021
  • Ladera, Thermal, California, 202214
  • Kinsale, Florida, 202415
  • Les Bordes (New), France 2021 16
  • Mossy Oak Golf Club, West Point, Mississippi, 2016
  • Ohoopee Match Club, Georgia, 201817
  • Olympic Golf Course, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, 2016
  • Pinehurst (The Cradle), North Carolina, 2017
  • Prairie Club (Horse), Valentine, Nebraska, 2010
  • Rustic Canyon, California, 2002
  • Stonewall (Old Course), Pennsylvania, 1992
  • Streamsong Black, Florida, 2017
  • The Park West Palm, Florida, 2023

Amagansett Golf Club

Golf Courses (Restoration)

Source:18

Golf Courses (Renovation)

Source:32

Golf Courses (Closed/No Longer Exist - NLE)

  • The Capstone Club, Brookwood, Alabama, Opened in 2002 – Closed in 201440
  • Tallgrass, Shoreham, New York, Opened in 2000 – Closed in 20174142
References

References

  1. "Members Only - American Society of Golf Course Architects".
  2. "Cornell to make green mark on 2016 Olympics - Cornell Chronicle".
  3. "Gil Hanse, January 2000 - Golf Club Atlas". Ran Morrissett. March 20, 2009.
  4. "Oakland Hills(South) - Ross restoration". Golf Course Architecture.
  5. "GolfPass - Pinehurst No. 4 Design". GolfPass. April 27, 2018.
  6. "Hanse Golf Design - New Golf Course".
  7. "Hanse Golf Design - Golf Course Drawing Boards".
  8. "The Apogee Club".
  9. "Ban Rakat Club".
  10. "Ballyshear's Lido inspired design". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. "DAMAC Hills".
  12. "PGA Frisco". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. "Fescue - New Golf Course".
  14. "Golf Digest Interview with Gil Hanse". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  15. . July 14, 2023 https://kinsaleclub.com/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. Morrissett, Ran. "Les Bordes(New)". Golf Magazine.
  17. Sens, Josh. "Profile of Hanse Wagner design". Golf Magazine.
  18. "Hanse Golf Design - Golf Course Restoration".
  19. "Non-profit to restore Cobbs Creek with Gil Hanse".
  20. "Interview with Hanse". Fore, Southern California Golf Association.
  21. "George Thomas' Marion Restoration by Hanse".
  22. "Sport Illustrated Curtis Cup with Hanse". Sports Illustrated.
  23. "Top 100 update". April 6, 2020.
  24. "GolfWeek Interview". October 18, 2021.
  25. "Design Preview with Andy Johnson". May 31, 2022.
  26. "Preview Design Interview".
  27. "USGA Championship Preview with Hanse". August 17, 2022.
  28. Morrissett, Ran; Brown, Thomas; Messix, Adam (May 18, 2022). "3 architecture experts discuss the charms and challenges of Southern Hills". Golf Magazine.
  29. "USGA Golden Age Design".
  30. "Hanse Green Design Decisions".
  31. Sullivan, Paul (September 16, 2020). "Championship Design Decisions with Hanse". The New York Times.
  32. "Hanse Golf Design - Golf Course Renovation".
  33. "Renovation Timeline".
  34. Kramer, Scott. "Gil Hanse Takes On La Costa". Forbes.
  35. "Golf Australia Interview". YouTube. November 16, 2016.
  36. "The University of the South, Sewanee – Hanse Golf Course Design".
  37. "Sewanee Golf - The Course at Sewanee - 931 598 1104". www.thecourseatsewanee.com.
  38. "Golf course designer Gil Hanse finishing work at Sewanee". timesfreepress.com. August 8, 2012.
  39. "The natural way: Vineyard Golf Club's unique commitment to organic maintenance". GCM Online. August 2017.
  40. "Capstone Club - University of Alabama Golf Closure".
  41. "GolfClubAtlas - Tallgrass Design Reviews".
  42. "Tallgrass Closure".