Gil Hanse to Design New Course in Mississippi

[Matt Frey, PGA]

The below press release came across the wire today.

<sub>RENOWNED GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT GIL HANSE AND OUTDOOR BRAND ICON MOSSY OAK JOIN FORCES TO CREATE A ONE-OF-A-KIND NATURE’S GOLF EXPERIENCE IN THE SOUTHEAST
 
WEST POINT, Mississippi (February 24, 2015) – The George Bryan family, founders of Old Waverly Golf Club, announced today that it has joined two forces of nature – golf course architect Gil Hanse and outdoor brand Mossy Oak – to create a truly unique new golf experience with the highest detail in nature preservation.
 
Mossy Oak Golf Club is set to open in 2017 in West Point, Mississippi, and will feature a 7,400 yard, par-72 golf course, a clubhouse and guest cabins to accommodate golf travelers. Together, Hanse, Mossy Oak, the George Bryan family and 76 founding members are creating a new premier golf destination experience that will be known as Nature’s Golf, a sustainable and mindful approach to course development that leaves a gentle footprint on the local habitat while delivering a world-class golf experience.
 
“Nature’s Golf is a perfect complement to Hanse’s minimalist approach to course design and a logical extension of the Mossy Oak brand,” said George Bryan and Toxey Haas, co-founders of Mossy Oak Golf Club. “The lay of the land and depth of the untouched prairie will guide the development of this new course and inform fairway routings, to the point of utilizing existing ridge views for the final green complexes on which legendary putts will be made.”
 
Many great courses are equally recognized for their natural beauty and minimalistic design, but few have delivered a 360-degree nature experience from course design and development, native landscaping, management techniques, irrigation strategies and the player experience.  Not only will Mossy Oak be the namesake for this new course, but its team of experts are partnering with Hanse to physically prepare the land for course development and guide the selection of native grasses, wildflowers, plants and trees to be used in the project.
 
“Mossy Oak is an iconic thought-leader in the outdoor industry and I’ve admired the approach that they have taken towards preservation and the love of the outdoors,” said Hanse. “We are excited to learn from each other and innovate in the way we approach the design of the overall golf experience. We believe that the outdoor enthusiast and avid golf traveler share a common love of nature, and the inherent qualities in this site will allow us to seek to create the ultimate in Nature’s Golf.”
 
For the last three decades, Mossy Oak has been pioneering new techniques to help land owners manage the process of growing and maintaining natural habitats. Mossy Oak has grown from a leader in outdoor camouflage print into a family of recognized brands that enable people to live their best lives outdoors. The company’s Mossy Oak Properties is a leader in enabling land owners to secure prime recreational and hunting land. Through Gamekeepers, Mossy Oak delivers thought leadership in not only preserving and restoring natural habitats, but also in establishing native vegetation to nurture the survival of local game wildlife. Its Nativ Nurseries incorporates superior root-system growth strategies to produce hearty vegetation that enable reforestation and habitat preservation.
 
“The literal mission statement of our entire enterprise is connecting human beings with the outdoors and nature; the golf course is literally nature,” said Mossy Oak founder Toxey Haas. “Our goal is to create a truly unique golf experience and to develop it into not only one of the finest golf courses in the country, but in the world.”
 
In addition to the new golf club, Hanse has designed the practice facility to serve as the official home for the Mississippi State University men’s and women’s golf teams. The facility includes a five-green driving range, short-game training areas and a 16,000 square foot putting green formed into the shape of the State of Mississippi.
The first phase also features a 6,400-square foot team clubhouse with locker rooms, players’ lounge, coaches’ offices, indoor putting center (with SAM PuttLab training system), exercise room and conference room. Construction is expected to be completed in 2015.

The project will also feature a 2,400-square foot indoor hitting bay, equipped with two Trackman swing and ball flight analysis systems and a club repair room which will be constructed in 2015.

“We are honored and privileged to receive the generosity of our supporters and the partnership of Mossy Oak and Mr. Bryan to make this truly amazing practice facility a reality for our program,” said Ginger Brown-Lemm, women’s golf head coach for Mississippi State University.
 
“This facility is a program changer for us and we are overjoyed by the partnership and vision of both Mossy Oak Golf Club and Gil Hanse to make our dream a reality,” said Clay Homan, men’s golf head coach at Mississippi State University.
 
Mossy Oak Golf Club is adjacent to Old Waverly Golf Club of Mississippi, one of the premier golf courses in the Southeast and home to the 1999 Women’s U.S. Open and 2014 ISPS Handa Cup. The George and Marcia Bryan family have owned and operated the private club since its creation in 1988. The membership has stretched beyond West Point, Mississippi, to include people from a 200-mile radius around the South, and the family sees the addition of Mossy Oak Golf Club contributing to the positive economic impact for the region. The new course will become an extension of the Old Waverly Golf Club, with opportunities for guests to stay and play at both championship courses.
 
About Mossy Oak
Mossy Oak is one of today’s iconic outdoor brands. With beginnings as a maker of camouflage clothing for hunting, Mossy Oak has grown into a family of brands that address the full spectrum of preserving, caring for and living your best life outdoors. Today, Mossy Oak includes Mossy Oak Brand Camo, the leading designer and decorator of camouflage in the outdoor market, Mossy Oak Gamekeepers, a membership club that serves as a thought leader in preserving and nurturing natural habitat and wildlife; Mossy Oak Properties, a real estate franchisor focused on helping consumers find and preserve their own piece of land; Nativ Nurseries, a horticultural company that shares root-system growth strategies and plant varieties with land owners nationwide; and Mossy Oak Biologic, a supplier of wildlife seed and management products sold through traditional retail outlets. Mossy Oak Productions and Moose Media have become one of the nation’s largest independent outdoor segment production companies. Mossy Oak produces and directs the popular Outdoor Channel series “Hunting the Country,” which appears weekly on the cable network. For further information, visit www.mossyoak.com.
 
About Hanse Golf Course Design
Hanse Golf Course Design was formed in 1993 by Gil Hanse and joined in 1995 by partner and Vice President, Jim Wagner. Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, the firm has dedicated its professional practice to the hands-on creation and restoration of some of the finest golf facilities in the world by creating golf courses that are fun and interesting to both professional and recreational golfers. In 2009, Hanse was elected “Architect of the Year” by GOLF Magazine and in the same year his Castle Stuart golf course in Scotland was considered to be “the Best New International Course.” He has since designed recognized golf courses such as the Blue Monster Course at the Trump National Doral, Miami, and in 2012, Hanse Golf Course Design was selected to build the Olympic Games Golf Course for the 2016 games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee. For further information, visit www.hansegolfdesign.com.
 
About Old Waverly Golf Club
Considered one of the premier golf clubs in the South, Old Waverly was founded in 1988 by the George and Marcia Bryan family. Designed by Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp amidst the rolling hills and natural lakes outside West Point, Mississippi, Old Waverly is an 18-hole, 7,200 yard, par 72 championship golf course. The club has been the host of many USGA amateur qualifiers, the 1999 Women’s U.S. Open and the LPGA Legends Tour 2014 ISPS Handa Cup. For further information, visit www.oldwaverly.com.</sub>

[Scott Weersing]

Ok, here the questions that come to mind:

What is available land like? Does it have holes already there, such as, Sand Hills, or is this more of move lots of dirt?

What other courses is Hanse building at the same time? What about the public course in Bandon?

[Rees Milikin]

Nothing against Gil Hanse (extremely nice guy and great well known architect), but I wish they would have of at least considered a certain Mississippi State Grad & GCA member who built what is perhaps the best 9 hole course in the US.

[Howard Riefs]

http://golfweek.com/news/2015/feb/24/gil-hanse-golf-course-architect-mossy-oak-miss/

[Paul OConnor]

"“Mossy Oak is an iconic thought-leader in the outdoor industry..."

Now that is some of the finest self-proclaimed marketing bullshit I've heard in a while. 

[Mark Pritchett]

This is exciting news for West Point, MS and Miss. State as well.  Old Waverly is a first class operation in facet and the Hanse course will be a welcome addition to the community.  Best of luck to all involved in this project!

[Mike Hendren]

"“Mossy Oak is an iconic thought-leader in the outdoor industry..."

Now that is some of the finest self-proclaimed marketing bullshit I've heard in a while. 

Paul, I take it you ain't from around here?

Bogey

[Greg Tallman]

"“Mossy Oak is an iconic thought-leader in the outdoor industry..."

Now that is some of the finest self-proclaimed marketing bullshit I've heard in a while. 

Paul, I take it you ain't from around here?

Bogey

He ain't, He done showed that.

[Carl Rogers]

Ok, here the questions that come to mind:

What is available land like? Does it have holes already there, such as, Sand Hills, or is this more of move lots of dirt?

What other courses is Hanse building at the same time? What about the public course in Bandon?

Many of you may not understand the topography of MS all that well.  If I were to guess ... Much the eastern part of the state, in contrast with the delta, is a mix of harwoood / softwoood forest with very subtle rolling hills between very small drainage creeks that will not have much if any water in them in dry periods.  Most soils will be fairly heavy organic.  I wonder what this site will be.  The only sandy soils will near in clearly recognizable flood plains. ..... forgot to say, it is HOT in the summer.