Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: Green Design

Having navigated one year of writing about the importance of finding, organizing, and identifying the best set of golf holes to comprise a full golf course, it is now time to turn to the components of those holes—which bring holes to life, add flesh to the bones, and ultimately are what the vast majority of golfers […]

Turning Back the Clock: Course Corrections

Stale. Tired. Overgrown. Past its prime. Those aren’t words you want to hear describing anything, but they’re particularly hurtful when attached to golf courses. Bad enough if you’re talking about a Mom-and-Pop nine-holer charging a few dollars a round. But for a private residential course? Pure poison. To attract new members, keep existing members happy, and remain in the spotlight, upscale […]

Creating Alternatives to Original Golf Templates

The word ‘template’ is, of course, part of modern-day golf architecture speak. It’s not quite clear when the term was first used to describe certain hole designs, but we do know it has its origin in golf pioneer C.B. Macdonald’s trips to Britain and France between 1902 and 1906 when he sought to identify the […]

Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: Building the Natural

With a routing in place and the best of the natural characteristics maximized, it’s time to start thinking seriously about the placement and character of the golf features. On our projects, my partner Jim Wagner and I always emphasize to our team that we want to “build the natural,” that is, create aspects that appear […]

Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: Pathfinding

In this age of GPS and satellite navigation, we seldom set out on a journey in our car not knowing our final destination or how we are going to get there. That is not the case for the golf course architect setting out to route a golf course. While the goal is always the same—to […]

Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: The Land

Whether you’re designing a building, a road, or any structure, every good design starts with a solid foundation. In the case of golf course architecture, that foundation is the land. There are relatively few great golf courses that do not sit on great pieces of land. The exceptions rely on features created by golf course […]

Where Would Coore & Crenshaw Be Without Kapalua?

Just imagine a golf world without gems such as Sand Hills, Bandon Trails, Cabot Cliffs, Friar’s Head, and Streamsong Resort’s Red Course. Such a scenario might have been reality if it wasn’t for the success of the Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course in Hawaii, which shut down in February 2019 for a nine-month renovation costing upwards […]

5 Most Exciting Courses in Development

In the decade since the Great Recession, the worlds of golf course construction and course architecture have undergone wholesale changes. The emphasis is now on quality rather than quantity, as well as natural over decorative, which means courses generally cost less to build and maintain and are far less harmful to the environment. A handful […]

What’s Tougher: Renovating a Course or Designing New?

When asked if they’d rather build from scratch or renovating existing courses, most architects say they prefer to build new. Some pause a moment, however, before adjusting their response. “Actually, it depends.” There’s a lot to think about. Before taking on a new course, the architect must consider the quality of the site, how far […]

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