“Our golf course(s) should come as closely as possible to reflecting the natural surrounds.”  — Gil Hanse

• As golf course architects, Hanse Golf Course Design has a responsibility to the natural environment.
  • We let the site terrain dictate the design. That means we focus on integrating the golf course into the natural landscape as much as possible and not disrupting what the land naturally looks like. As a result, our philosophy fosters an environmentally friendly golf course.  In Gil’s opinion, the best examples of golf architecture are those that appear completely natural and carved into the landscape.
• Our unique approach to caring about the native ecosystem is the cornerstone of building a sustainable golf course.  In order for a golf course to be sustainable, the architecture of the course must be interwoven with the agronomy.  Hanse Golf Course Design prioritizes this within each phase in our process:
  • Prior to construction:
    • Turf grass selection – We carefully select grasses that are most successful to the local climate.  This sustainably manages water, prevents soil erosion, and greatly improves maintenance and resource management in the long run.
      • We work closely with the golf course superintendents, and agronomists who are “scientists” in grasses.
      • The variety of grasses available has grown significantly in the last 10 – 15 years. This means selecting grasses that balance sustainability with quality playing conditions.
        • For example, depending on the climate, selecting bent grasses that are disease resistant and drought tolerant reduces maintenance and makes the course more sustainable and efficient, while presenting excellent conditions for golf.
      • Incorporating indigenous plants – We ensure the plants “belong” and that they can thrive in their environment and habitat.  Planting a wide variety of native plants also creates a habitat for wildlife – birds, insects, fauna, natural flora – to return to after construction so they can flourish in the surrounding areas.
      • Analysis of trees – Tree removal is serious and we approach it with great thought and care.  Through addition by subtraction, some dying, diseased, or damaged trees must be removed to promote the healthy growth of others and give grasses and native vegetation the ability to flourish.  This also restores the sense of place and scale that reveals the unique character of a site.  
    • During construction:
      • Extensive erosion control is utilized throughout the duration of construction.
      • We are careful in the way we treat the earth.  We never pound or mash the earth; thus, maintaining the natural soil structure that is there and, in turn, allows the turf grass to flourish. By interacting carefully with the soil structure, we can preserve the natural feel of the land. 
      • Protecting soil structures also means we do not allow construction traffic into the native surrounds.  We also put-up secure fencing around all of the existing native habitat to protect, preserve and, ultimately, integrate the golf course back into its natural surrounds.
      • By taking care and thoughtfully approaching each element in construction, we can protect land and resources and speed the transition back into the natural habitat that will surround a course.
    • Following construction:
      • Once site construction is complete, maintenance and resource management are key.  Hanse Golf Course Design works closely with superintendents at its courses to ensure that maintenance practices continue to be as sustainable as possible.
        • The in-play areas, such as tees, fairways and greens, should remain “tightly wound” and they should all be maintained carefully.  Then, like in a tapestry, the edges soften and the course blends into the natural surrounds.
        • The careful selection of grasses and native plants used in the course helps tremendously with resource management, including water management and drainage solutions, and can reduce water usage by up to 20 percent. 
        • Fully allow areas to naturally restore themselves back to their original footprint inclusive of wildlife and native species. 
• A few examples of our focus on golf course sustainability and enhancing the positive environmental impact of golf courses –
  • Ohoopee Match Club (Cobbtown, GA) – The Ohoopee Match Club was carefully placed in a diverse Georgia landscape.  A long sand ridge follows the Ohoopee River in central Georgia, and we carefully preserved the diverse landscape and sandy soils to create a natural edge into which the golf course gracefully merges.
  • Olympic Golf Course (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – Transplanted 15,000 species to restore 82 acres of native habitat, increasing fauna species by more than 220%, and creating an on-site nursery with over 475,000 plants from native seed.
  • The Vineyard Club (Martha’s Vineyard, MA) – Consulted and helped to implement sustainable course management practices at the Vineyard, a world leader in organic course management techniques – application of organic pesticide on the greens and whipping the fairways in the morning to remove moisture and prevent fungi.
    • Replaced conventional pesticides with bio-stimulants and composted fertilizers
    • Use of nitrogen to make the turf hardy and increase the growth rate, essentially working to “grow the plant out of disease”
  • The Royal Sydney Golf Club (Rose Bay section of Sydney, Australia) – We partnered with local environmental consultants to re-establish the Eastern Banksia Scrub habitat to the golf course. Core to that restoration was replacing disruptive invasive tree species with tens of thousands of indigenous plant species to restore this endangered habitat to significant portions of the property.
  • Craighead Links (Crail, Scotland) – Gil was chosen to design the new course at Crail Golfing Society due to his environmental sensitivity, specifically given his focus on the retention of local natural, historic, and cultural qualities. Choosing Gil to design the course to be “at one with the clifftop environment and ancient medieval walls” gave Gil the honor of being the 1st American architect selected to build a course in Scotland.

Photo credit: Andy Johnson, 5th hole at Ohoopee Match Club