Gil Hanse is the winner of the design competition to create the Olympic golf course for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil. This will be the first time golf will be in the Olympics in more than 100 years and Hanse is honored and humbled to have been awarded this once-in-a-lifetime design commission.  The Larkin Group partnered with Hanse to be the Sustainability Manager for the Olympic Course.

The selection committee  stated,”Hanse Golf Course Design tackled the challenge of designing a course for use by both elite and amateur athletes, one of the main legacy objectives.  It addressed the environmental sustainability directives for the games and efficiently conformed to the building restrictions on the land.”

Hanse, Golf Magazine’s 2009 “Golf Course Architect of the Year”, is the principal architect of the Larkin Group. His magnificent Links course, Castle Stuart, in Inverness, Scotland, was voted the “Best New International Course” of 2009.  He has been hired to undertake a dramatic renovation of the “Blue Monster” at the Doral Resort and Spa in Miami. In the summer of 2011 Hanse was commissioned to build 27 new holes at Bandon Dunes, Oregon. He is currently renovating the front 9 of the Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard.

Gil Hanse is an acclaimed proponent of traditional golf who believes a course should be simple and elegant in appearance, yet sophisticated in strategy and interest. This philosophy is evident in his design work at the Boston Golf Club, Craighead Links and Castle Stuart.

Gil and his design partner, Jim Wagner, are unique among architects. The two members of “Caveman Construction” like to do the shaping of greens and bunker themselves, guiding the bulldozer by feel as much as an adherence to the drawings. Hanse’s minimalist design philosophy, use of native vegetation and natural contours complement the sustainable philosophy of Owen Larkin, Jeff Carlson and Dr. Frank Rossi.

Hanse has also been awarded a commission by the PGA Tour to design its newest course in China. In addition, he’s built new courses in South Korea and Japan. Hanse has also been entrusted with renovations of The Country Club of Brookline (for the 2013 US Amateur Championship), The Kittansett Club, Fishers Island Club, Los Angeles North and a host of other classic venues.

To view some of Gil Hanse’s portfolio go to our Projects page for a representative display of some of his original courses as well as his renovations and restorations.