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People & the land Architect
Architect
Gil Hanse
Gil Hanse founded his firm in 1993; Jim Wagner joined in 1995. They describe a practice rooted in work on the ground, where designing new courses and restoring old ones both require close attention to the land.1
In the archive 29 Courses at 23 ClubsDated work 1999–2026
Course work
Published course connections in the archive.
- RestorationDonald Ross course master plan and restoration
-
- Redesign
- RestorationCourse master plan and restoration
- Renovation
- Restoration
- Restoration
Restoration begins with looking
At Winged Foot, that work began with a plan for all 36 holes. In a 2020 interview, Hanse recalled restoring the East Course first. The Club then moved ahead with the West, whose restoration was completed in 2017.2
His example was practical: reopening the fronts of greens gave members room to run a ball onto the putting surface. Mapping technology also allowed the team to rebuild greens with greater confidence that their contours could be reproduced.2
For Hanse, research into A.W. Tillinghast’s work guided those decisions. In the same interview, he credited Wagner and Winged Foot superintendent Steve Rabideau alongside his own contribution.2
Sources and record notes26 references
Sources for this history
- Hanse Golf Course Design
Hanse Golf Course Design
Firm introduction: founding, Jim Wagner and work in the field.
Consulted 2026-09-14 - Gil Hanse Restores Courses to Their Glory
Paul Sullivan / Hanse Golf Course Design
September 16, 2020 interview: master plan, reopening green fronts and mapping greens.
Consulted 2026-09-14
Architect record sources
- Hanse Golf Course Design: Gil Hanse Restores Courses to Their Glory (opens in a new tab)Architect identity
- Hanse Golf Course Design (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Baltusrol official fact sheet (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Hanse Golf Course Design / Chris McDaniel (opens in a new tab)Course design
- PGA Tour Colonial broadcaster packet (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Newport Country Club history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Building on Our Historic Collaboration with Gil Hanse (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Hanse Golf Course Design restoration record (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Pinehurst: No. 4 owner historical account (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Pinehurst: The Cradle owner course record (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Pinehurst Resort: Thistle Dhu history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Quaker Ridge Golf Club history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- USGA: 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur fact sheet, page 1 (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Southern Hills official history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Streamsong official architect page (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Historic Lineup of Championships Coming to The Country Club (opens in a new tab)Course design
- The Kittansett Club (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Hanse Golf Course Design interview (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Los Angeles Country Club official history (opens in a new tab)Course design
- The Olympic Club: Golf (opens in a new tab)Course design
- TPC Boston Guest Information 2021 (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Hanse Golf Course Design Winged Foot portfolio (opens in a new tab)Course design
- Yale Golf Course official history (opens in a new tab)Course design