About
Hansen’s debut golf course at Budersand was built atop a former World War II military base, requiring the demolition of twenty-six old buildings and the transformation of a historically significant landscape into a celebrated links course.
Rolf-Stephan Hansen is a German golf course architect and qualified landscape architect, renowned for his work in transforming the landscape of golf on the island of Sylt. Hansen began his career as a landscape architect in 1994 and developed his expertise in golf course architecture through advanced studies at the European Institute of Golf Course Architects from 2000 to 2002. His most acclaimed project, the design of Budersand Golf Course in the mid-2000s, stands out as a rare example of links golf in Germany, earning attention for both its strategic design and its sympathetic integration with the natural dune environment. Hansen’s approach combines respect for classic Scottish and Irish links traditions with a pragmatic understanding of local agronomy and landscape. More recently, Hansen has continued to shape golf in Sylt through the ongoing master planning and redesign of Golf Club Sylt, focusing on playability, water management, and sustainability. His reputation is built on creative adaptation and a deep appreciation for the natural setting of every site he works on.
