William Carlson

William Carlson’s love for golf course architecture began at a very young age, stemming from playing the game and drawing golf holes at age 12. His interest grew as he was inspired by the wealth of golf architecture resources available online, and he later began reading the works of the all-time greats.

Carlson’s first step into the golf course design industry was in 2021. After reaching out to the club’s superintendent, he was invited to visit Gil Hanse’s restoration of Lake Merced, where he watched the project start to finish. He’d go on to visit more projects, including restorations at the Olympic Club (2022-23), Pasatiempo (2023-2024), and the renovation of Poppy Ridge (2024-2025). During this period, Carlson would begin his first hands-on project at Northwood Golf Club in Monte Rio, CA.

Carlson researched the relatively undocumented history of the Alister MacKenzie course and put forward a proposal to begin restoring features of the original course, starting with one of the bunkers. The proposal was accepted and with the support of the club, the bunker project was completed in May 2025. The project was a great success for the club, sparking a continuing restoration effort, and for Carlson. Notably featured in Golf.com, Golf Architecture, and the NCGA magazines, it opened more opportunities in the industry.

In 2024, Carlson began studying landscape architecture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Following his freshman year, he was recruited to work as an intern for David McLay Kidd Golf Designs during their construction of Battle Run Golf Club in Lincoln, NE. While at school, Carlson has stayed involved in the industry by writing articles on golf architecture for Fried Egg Golf and recently working with the Cal Poly golf program on building a new team practice facility at Dairy Creek.