(1951 - 2012)

Born: January 27, 1951, Mill Valley, California

Died: November 19, 2012, Mill Valley, California, at age 61

At the University of California at Berkeley, class of '73, Nelson designed his program, he says, "all geared at becoming a golf course architect. "A native of the San Francisco Bay area, he remained in California after graduation, working for Bob Graves and, later, Ron Fream.

In 1983 he moved to Hawaii where he established his own company, Nelson & Wright Golf Course Architects, now known as Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects. He and his company designed golf courses worldwide, many throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Rim.

Robin helped transform the golfing landscape of Hawaii, becoming its most prolific golf course designer with many well-known resort layouts such as Mauna Lani and lesser-known "gems" to his name.

In 1987, Robin became a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

He was named Golf Course Architect of the Year in 2000 by Boardroom Magazine, and his courses received numerous "Best of" recognitions in American and international publications.

Robin Nelson died November 19, 2012, after a valiant battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 61.