Ray Hearn

Raymond Hearn is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and president and founder of Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs, Inc. Hearn has made an award-winning mark throughout North and Central America and his company has been prolific in renovation and restoration work that transforms existing courses.

Hearn points to many factors and people who have impacted him and contributed to his company’s success since its inception in 1996. He said chief among the factors is passion, especially in master planning renovation and or restoration updates to existing courses. His firm is selective and works on four courses maximum per year so that he can significantly be involved with each project.

Unique among modern day golf course architects, Hearn is among the few with multiple degrees in Landscape Architecture and Agronomy, and he studied Golf Course Architecture and Turfgrass Science as minors. His well-rounded journey includes winning the prestigious Evans Scholarship from the Western Golf Association in 1979 and being named Rainbird Irrigation’s first ‘Man of the Year Award’ winner in 1986.

The late Robert Trent Jones Sr. recommended that Hearn seek a diverse education course of action, and suggested he seek out Dr. Keyon Payne at Michigan State University. Hearn listened to Jones and Payne and gained a broad prospective to golf course design. He has studied the works of Dr. Alister MacKenzie and worked with Pete Dye on the Wabeek Country Club in Michigan. Dye was one of Ray’s sponsors in his entry to the ASGCA.

In 2014 Hearn was recognized as one of the most innovative golf course architects practicing globally by Golf Inc. Magazine. In addition, in a six-year span (2013-2018) he was presented with the American Society of Golf Course Architect’s prestigious Design Excellence Award four times. He stresses innovative work practices to keep construction costs down so that golf clubs and courses have their best opportunity for economic success. He has experience in more than golf course architecture. He is also schooled and experienced in land planning, landscape architecture, civil engineering, hydro-geo engineering, turfgrass science, soil science, horticulture, golf course management and spent two years as an assistant superintendent helping run a 20-person crew at the Colt and Alison design at Country Club of Detroit. He also worked under Peter Cookingham in creating abstracts for the United States Golf Associations Turfgrass Information File at Michigan State Univeristy, which is the largest turfgrass and soils research database in the world and used by superintendents and researchers worldwide.

Hearn is also an accomplished writer and teacher. Jones and Dye told him to study courses overseas in the birthplace of golf. He made over 12 trips to study in Scotland, Ireland and England. Since 1996, he has taught a golf course design class, taught onsite for several years overseas, and now offers it on the Internet for developers, board members, golf professionals, superintendents and golf enthusiasts.