Golfadelphia

I don’t care what the book says. The casino wrote the book!

– Basically any guy who doesn’t know what they’re doing at the blackjack table

New Year’s in Las Vegas was always an adventure. University was driving distance away and while it was my first time there of age, there were those older than me who knew the town better than the college we came from. Just like those before them had done and so on. The 1990’s marked a transition for the city. Back then, the casinos still had remnants of distinction. An aura, even an attitude. There were still places like O’Shea’s and Imperial Palace right in the middle of the strip where as a struggling college student, could stretch out at a low stakes table while tipping the cocktail waitress well to get a steady stream of Jack and Cokes. You might actually end up a bit ahead but rarely ever completely washed unless you did something drastic. Alas, you would think a $1.00 single deck blackjack table would be harmless enough but it seemed to destroy us all. I was always nice to the dealer because I’m convinced they some how to control the action but even my charms wouldn’t work here. They would simply smile and say sorry as they raked the chips away.

I never really liked doubling down. It always felt like an act of desperation to me. I just never felt like the odds justified it. You really need to be at 20 or 21 with that one card you get to feel comfortable at all and even then, the dealer seems to figure out a way to at least push. Really the only time I liked doing it was when I had 16 or 17 with an ace. I felt I had more options that way, even if I really didn’t. But really, the double down, or the double or nothing bet otherwise, seems to be a great way to bust out and get further in the hole. I remember on one of the trips, my buddy ripped up his ATM card because he kept losing, trying to break even by doubling, even tripling his bets. He had to go with the nuclear option because he realized he couldn’t trust himself. On the other hand, when you’re up and playing with house money, the double down is a good way to punctuate those winnings. And if it ends up not working out, you don’t get hurt.

Golf course development is indeed riding high right now. There are plenty of chips at the table and the double down is on.

Vegas at New Year’s was fun until it wasn’t. It wasn’t just getting older and tired of the crowds, the city was changing, as it always has. More money, bigger and bigger and in a lot of ways, less character. Almost ten years after college, I had my bachelor party there and you could tell things were still changing even then. My most recent time there a couple years ago seemed to mark an end of an era. Hard Rock was on its last legs, on the verge of closing. The casinos are larger, the tables all have higher limits and they’re all packed. And they’re all the same now. High end, yet with a mixture of night club, tourist ignoramus and overcrowding. But it all really follows the whims of the clientele. If one is interested in that distinct gritty old school Nevada casino, try Reno, or Laughlin. Yet I still go to Vegas. It has transformed but is still fun, in a different kind of way. At least Smoke Wagon is just as available as water. That’s reason enough. Yet how Vegas evolves with its popularity and money is always worthy of some study. If one looks hard enough, there are some parallels with golf course development.

Just like the beginning of last year, we’ll dive into the sea of new golf courses that are opening soon. There’s plenty to touch on, as the New is not only doubling down but multiplying tenfold. It makes sense, as golf seems to be bursting at the seams. There is now a lottery in place just for the opportunity to book a trip to Bandon two years in advance. Wait lists abound. Public courses are turning semi – private. Semi-private into private. It was 40 degrees and wet the last time I was able to get out, the kind of weather no one likes playing in but me. I was expecting an empty course but instead, the place was bustling. The increase in demand keeps growing while more and more money is going into course construction and development. By my count, there are approximately 150 projects at some stage this year in the U.S., which consists of new construction, renovations, restorations, re-designs, short courses and the like. Approximately 50 of those are new openings this year.

Of course, there’s a risk of doubling down. The higher number of openings are more inclined to make an impression on this current era of course architecture. No doubt there will be some extraction as to what these openings convey about course architecture and our current perception of what is aspiring design. To be sure, many of these projects appreciate this and are promising magnificent deliveries, with claims the new course will be the, “pride” or “crown jewel” or what have you of that particular state or region. Now more than in a while, the developers, owners and architects of our age have the ability to make an impression and direct a path onwards for course architecture. The restorative/renovative wave of projects, for the most part and above all else, have focused on maximizing interest. This is different than in immediate eras past, where the primary focus was challenge, followed closely by conditioning and non-functional aesthetics. Whether that interest comes from restoring to original design intent or re-designing in an attempt to conjure a better playing experience, the central theme has indeed shifted in work to existing courses. Interest over challenge. If challenge is enhanced collaterally to the project, then all the better. But at least outwardly, there just aren’t all that many projects touting they are aiming to make the place harder.

The risk of doubling down comes with over saturation, or even a tipping point. In the Season Preview, the question was asked, which of these new golf courses will be considered “great” decades from now. Course architecture history tells us greatness usually comes from some ground breaking originality, excelling in some legendary fashion in current design trends or resurrecting some long forgotten design concept that gets everyone excited about it again. Rarely, if ever at all, however, does greatness come by chance. It is usually sought after, well planned out, then pursued relentlessly even after opening. Most every design era reaches a tipping point when there’s a rising tide of sameness as courses all start looking alike, the majority of them chasing the success of those before it, perhaps trying to improve upon it with different designers and different land. At some point, however, the golfer looks out at the sea of sameness and starts to crave distinction, variety. Course architecture starts to seek out in more earnest originality, challenging the architects to forge beyond complacency.

If anything, this current crop of openings will tell us more about what point in our current era we find ourselves.

The double down is indeed on. Let’s look at the intriguing, the good, the retreads and the bad. What is laid out will make its impression on golf course design for at least a decade, more like two or three on average. And while the focus is the directions in which course architecture seems to be moving, I’m also wondering fairly out loud. In what ways does all of this development address growing demand?

The majority of the below are opening this year. With the sheer number of openings ramping up, we’ll focus on openings for the corresponding year moving forward. So next year, we’ll focus on 2026 openings and so on. Some of these might have or had projected openings this year but experienced delays and may no longer be doing so. Notable restoration/renovation/re-designs opening this year are also included, as well as some international projects.

New by the New (relatively newer architects)

Rodeo Dunes

Mike Keiser and his sons, Michael and Chris, have selectively expanded Dream Golf’s portfolio on the business model that proved a success at their first site, Bandon Dunes. Seek out naturally gifted land that might be out of the way for most folks and then rely on that land for inspirational golf. Bandon continues to add courses, as does Sand Valley. And now, 50 miles northeast of Denver (and happenstance on the way to Sand Hills) in Roggen, Colorado, is one of their newest set to open this year: Rodeo Dunes. A private club with two full courses, one being designed by Coore and Crenshaw and the other will be the first solo design by Jim Craig, Coore and Crenshaw’s lead assistant for two-and-a-half decades. C&C’s course is of the artistic minimalist ilk with comparisons already being made to Sand Hills in how the duo worked hardest at figuring out which eighteen holes should be left from them collection they discovered on site. Craig’s site is comprised of dramatic, large dunes that he used in conjunction with the rumpled land, which he likened to North Berwick with the design features. The Keisers have written that they envision Rodeo Dunes as some where the mystique of the American West meets the spirit of links golf. They also characterized the facilities as, “rugged hospitality.” Sand Hills certainly embodies a lot of this to some extent, so it will be interesting to see how Rodeo Dunes distinguishes itself with these concepts. They have planned for six courses eventually to be built. The American prairie and the depths into which Sand Hills and even Ballyneal reside certainly exude a certain mystique that it seems Rodeo Dunes will try to ambitiously capture. While I will never tire of C&C’s design style because of how it provides such a brilliantly beautiful artistic connection with the land, it will be intriguing how Craig asserts his own style, then how subsequent courses do so.

In fact, Craig’s role at Rodeo marks quite the departure for Dream Golf. Here’s a look at their golf courses among all properties, including year opened and lead architect.

• Bandon Dunes, Kidd, 1999
• Pacific Dunes, Doak, 2001
• Bandon Trails, Coore & Crenshaw, 2005
• Old Macdonald, Doak/Urbina, 2010
• Bandon Preserve, Coore & Crenshaw, 2012
• Sand Valley, Coore & Crenshaw, 2017
• Mammoth Dunes, Kidd, 2018
• The Sandbox, Coore & Crenshaw, 2018
• Sheep Ranch, Coore & Crenshaw, 2020
• The Lido, Doak, 2023
• Sedge Valley, Doak, 2024
• Shorty’s, Whitman, Axland & Cotten, 2024

Nine full length courses in a 25-year span, Doak has four, C&C has three, Kidd has two. The last time Dream Golf used an architect other than Doak or C&C for a full length course was Bandon Dunes. The last time Dream Golf had an architect design his first solo project for them, was . . . Bandon Dunes. Craig has certainly earned the opportunity and for Dream Golf, could be an intriguing refresh for their projects utilizing different talents every now and then. You know, something about doubling down on the new.

Then again, maybe not. Dream Golf’s next recent project, Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, will be a public destination resort showcasing a good amount of elevation changes among pine forests and meadows with two golf courses. Who will be designing those courses you ask? Tom Doak, whose course opens this year, and Coore & Crenshaw, whose course will open in 2026. With respect to presenting meaningful public golf, Texas has been chiseling away. PGA Frisco and now Wild Spring, the state’s arsenal of golf continues to expand and diversify. And then, Dream Golf’s site in Northwest Florida, Old Shores, will be a public destination course designed by Doak, currently scheduled for a 2027 opening.

Indeed, doubling down on the new means not just more new courses, but architects taking on new solo projects as those new courses like Jim Craig. Scott Hoffman’s first project, Lost Rail just outside Omaha, was his first opening last year but Mapletøn Golf Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is still is one of his early works. Hoffman worked extensively for Tom Fazio and now designs this private course in the expansive Midwest prairies that he compares to Shinnecock and National Golf Links of America. The last time a private club opened in the Sioux Falls area was over sixty years ago. Large greens, larger natural blowout bunkers and firm and fast slopes comprise the expansive landscape, the golfer able to use it all from round to round. Hoffman’s debut work has been promising thus far in how he imparts his own flair to links style structures of play on dramatic terrain. His comparisons here are ambitious but looking at the below rendering, he certainly has my attention. As an aside, Mapleton is an example of fulfilling the rising demand in the private sector. The founding is almost a direct result of overcrowding in the area’s existing private clubs, very much how many other clubs start out.

21 Golf Club

King Collins Dormer has made an impression for over a decade now with its mega-naturalist style where the power of nature is within the structure of play. It’s valiant design, memorable and all with brilliant intent. It should be noted that they work just fine on unremarkable land as well, just visit Sweetens Cove for that affirmation. From what I have played, there are several layers to their designs that many might miss while getting stuck gazing at the magnificent visuals. In some ways, there are similarities to Strantz but KCD is more anchored to Golden Age attributes and perhaps a bit more daring strategically. We now have the benefit of KCD designing in the sand hills of South Carolina at the 21 Golf Club. As we’ll see below, superlatives are used often in marketing new projects but here, Collins provides substance and detail behind it and, well, I just plain believe him. He has said two things about this project that resonate. “Opportunities of this stature in the world of golf course architecture are precious few.” And, “[W]e plan to deliver one of the most exceptional and distinctive experiences in American golf.” The opportunities quote is the one that really smarts, as, once again, we’ve all seen what they’re capable of when they believe an unrivaled opportunity presented itself. Sweetens was that once that precious opportunity for them, knowing they needed to make the most of it to springboard into other opportunities, like the one they now find themselves grasping. Collins characterizing the golfer having one of the more distinctive experience in American golf is a tall order but coming from him, he has my attention.

Anyways, probably a few words about the courses. The Hammer will be the first course to open, focused on match play with three reversible holes after the full eighteen to settle those matches still tied up at the last (hence the club name for the 21 holes it will ultimately house). KCD states it will be a presentation of golf in its purest form, demanding boldness, creativity, and skillful execution from the golfer. It will include an array of strategic options which KCD is striving for “endless possibilities.” Selections of tees and a variety of routings from the match participants will keep play lively and varied.

Upon completion of the Hammer, the second course will start to be built, which is inspired by Alistair Mackenzie’s routing for El Boquerón in Argentina, a course he designed but was never built. The course was to be located on a coastal site with nine double greens and apparently considered one of his more daring designs. It will not be a replication, but rather KCD will impart their modern interpretation of the design. The sand hills and towering dunes will be used for the large green complexes necessary to carry out the double green concept, ensuring a wealth of massive undulations KCD is becoming well known for. Distinction between the two courses is evident and with well articulated course identities for each, this is a much anticipated project.

Trout National – The Reserve

I’ve always loved the Olympics. The 1984 Games were in my backyard and from there, I had dreams of being the Bo Jackson of the Olympics; track and field for the summer and super G for the winter. My wife loves them too so we watch a lot of it. Curling grabbed my attention a few games ago. I picked up some of the strategy, shaping and touch of the shots (or whatever they’re called) and now watch a lot of it. It just so happens that Beau Welling is a big curling aficionado when he’s not designing golf courses. As chief design director at TGR Design, Beau and Tiger worked together at Bluejack and after seeing Welling’s work at PGA Frisco Fields Ranch West, their portfolio and versatility has me trying to visit more courses either or both have been involved in. It appears I won’t have to go far if the opportunity arises, as Mike Trout has worked with others in establishing a club in nearby Vineland, NJ which TGR designed. Set on sandy soil on what used to be a silica sand mine amidst forested pines and farmland, strategy dominates the structure of play with wide fairways and contemplative paths to the green. The greens are well contoured with smooth transitions from fairways and to subsequent tee areas. That smooth, flowing nature of broad shouldered contouring is appealing, especially in how it evokes a provocative ground game.

Marcella Club – Skyline Course

Park City, Utah is the site of another new course and Tiger’s first mountain course design. The Uinta mountains and Mount Timpanogos with the valleys residing between provide a remarkable canvas for a course that allows freedom off the tee to uncork its strategic character. The greens will vary in size yet the short grass surrounds allow for an array of recovery depending on the golfer’s acumen for intuitive resolve. Welling is in for this one as well. A Second course, “Ambush,” is already in the works. TGR Design is increasing its projects and thus far, their modern look with an abundance of strategy and recovery character ™ has been intriguing and appealing. I’m looking forward to the unfolding of their work and how it progresses.

Freestone Club

Freestone Lake is the largest privately owned lake in the country, which happens to be in Texas. A development of its name that totals a staggering $1B with luxury housing and the like will include a golf course designed by Beau Welling. The course is not mentioned on his website yet and there is very little out there on the development or the course, although it appears to be opening at some point this year. It also appears the course will be built on the island on the west side of the lake. We shall see.

TBD Course Name

In Twin Bridges, Montana, which is the southwest area that the show Yellowstone was fictionally based, Kye Goalby is leading the design efforts with associates Eamon Sullivan and Matt Smallwood, the same design build team that worked on The Tree Farm in Aiken. The course is set near Big Hole River, which is known for its fly fishing. There isn’t a whole lot out there on the course just yet but grow in and opening are slated for this year. Ryan Book of Bethpage Black Metal reports that the course will be walking only, is fescue-based and the owner compared it to Brora. Goalby is yet another who has worked for a couple decades alongside Doak, Coore & Crenshaw and Hanse on an array of well known courses who is now starting in on his own projects. What we do know of the course sounds appealing. Brora is a very low profile, strategic links resting at the northern reaches of the Scottish highlands on the eastern shore of the North Sea. Goalby’s course doesn’t seem to be seaside or even water side, but possesses the undulations and hills to warrant some similarity in play. If fescue is used throughout fairways and greens, I’ll make my way there, to the dismay of the Dutton family (Beth was my least favorite character by the way). Sorry, just had to get that out.

Tepetonka

Doubling down on the new once again here with Ogilvy, Cocking & Mead designing their all-new first course in the U.S., a couple hours west of Minneapolis. It’s also the first golf course built in Minnesota in the last seventeen years. Set on sandy undulating ground with Shakopee Creek randomly cutting through, rolling dunes swell and collect near a cliff side. Mead characterizes the course as strategic and eminently playable, their only design charge being to find the best eighteen holes of golf out there. While one can experience OCM’s work at the newly opened Fall Line, as well as what they did at Shady Oaks and Medinah 3, this is their first opportunity starting from scratch. Jim Nantz is a founding member and lots has been said about how special this place will be, so yet another remote destination with lofty aspirations attached to it that could very likely meet them.

Gamble Sands – Scarecrow Course

Kidd is adding a second full length course to the resort with partner Nick Schaan, who worked as lead creative for this project. To ensure there wasn’t too much similarity with the first course, Kidd used a healthy dose of competitive rivalry, essentially goading Schaan he couldn’t create anything that compared to the original. One main distinction is how Schaan pushed the holes closer to the edges of the valley and river cliffs, which ramps up the scenery as well as the risk reward scenarios. The approach shots are a bit more traditionally challenging with a distinction in green shaping and bunkering while the terrain has more abrupt steepness in parts than the original but the main theme of player emboldenment is present, especially off the tee. Kidd characterized his role as more of an editor than anything else, entrusting Schaan with the design details and acting as the governor if things needed to get reigned in. A well thought out complement to the original provides even more incentive for the discerning golfer to make the journey.

New by the Old (or Vets)

After focusing on the newer architects and their projects above, let’s take a look at those who have been at it for quite some time, as many of them are still very much in full swing.

Crazy Mountain Ranch

We’re back in Yellowstone (t.v.) territory in Southwest Montana. Rip might actually be leading a construction crew on this one. Coore & Crenshaw are designing. In the Season Preview, we touched on Coore’s design sentiments on how they go about seeking distinction in each project, which consists of staying within defined traditional concepts, then instilling variety within that framework with different arrangements and compositions. Much of their variety is by articulating the individuality of the land, as all of their sites rich with character. The setting of Crazy Mountain seems to conjure a mixture of Sand Hills, Rodeo Dunes and Clear Creek as their work in mountainous settings is either limited or plenty, all dependent on one’s definition of mountain. The point is C&C still have lots to explore in natural environs such as Crazy Mountain finds itself. A private club co-owned by Discovery Land and Lone Mountain Land Company, an array of activities will be available to its members, golf among them. It will be walkable, which became the impetus for the routing in imparting focus to such a broad-shouldered parcel of land. Instead of trying to capture the entirety of the massive scale, C&C focused on how man would move from creek to bluff and so on; how would he walk there. The magnificence of the land will always be there but the focus of man upon nature allows them to emphasize individuality in how we relate to it. It is C&C’s first course in Montana.

The International Golf Club

In Bolton, Massachusetts, The International is a 36 hole complex where Tripp Davis designed the Oaks course in 2021 and now Coore and Crenshaw have technically rebuilt but have done so on such a comprehensive scale it can be considered new; the Pines course. Built on the site of the former longest golf course in the world that was designed by Geoffrey Cornish while none other than Francis Ouimet consulted where C&C took advantage of rolling hills amidst rock outcroppings weaving their way through the pines. It will be the first golf course opening in over ten years in Massachusetts and yes, it will be shorter than its predecessor. The photos below evoke a mixture of Boston Golf Club and Hidden Creek. Its classic, raw look is appealing and seems to provoke an engaging strategic ground game.

Palmetto Bluff

Coore and Crenshaw are indeed busier than ever. However, they were originally slated to build a course here over a decade ago before the housing bubble, so have finally returned to do just that. The course will ingratiate itself to Low Country vegetation, navigating the live oaks and Spanish moss among sandy soil on the east end of the bluff. C&C had the freedom to use the land without any model in place for real estate, which allowed them to seek out the most artistic and lively course possible. An emphasis on recovery character ™ will define a lot of its course identity, with that native vegetation coming into play in seamless transition from the fairways similar to what they did at Pinehurst 2. The design charge seems authentic and the golfer can expect a low profile, low country course that seeps into its setting.

Childress Hall Golf Club

Along the lines of Rodeo Dunes to the extent the vision model is inspired by Sand Hills, Childress will feature a course by Doak and another by Hanse, with the Doak design opening first (preview play began last month). It’s the first private facility that would have courses by both designers. Two hours east of Amarillo and three hours west of Dallas, the landscape has been lauded as one of the more naturally gifted Doak has been able to work on, and that’s saying something. A geological anomaly in the area resulted in a deposit of a hundred miles of sand in West Texas, these courses are the first to take advantage of it. There isn’t much out there on the specifics of the course even as it is on the cusp of opening but course architecture enthusiasts are certainly intrigued and looking forward to learning more.

Sandglass Golf Club

Speaking of Doak, another of his new courses opens in Martin County, Florida. Brian Zager was the lead associate with Doak, who took on the same role with the Lido project. Apparently Pine Valley, North Berwick, the Old course and Muirfield were all used as models for the design while Kyle Harris will be Director of Grounds. Harris held the same position at Streamsong for years and worked for Doak before that, so the course seems to mean business. Firm, fast and bouncy on the raw terrain is the order of the day. Like Childress and several other new projects, however, there isn’t a whole lot of information out there at the moment. I see logic in that position; perhaps they would like the course to make its impression first and let those impressions form what is said about it instead of the other way around. It’s scheduled to open this year, so hopefully more information starts coming out soon.

High Grove

If you go on Google Maps and put in Lake Wales, FL on the terrain setting, you can see the 100 mile protrusion that runs north to south and is known as the Lake Wales Ridge. The strand of sand dunes reach 100 – 175 feet high and the course is set on a 1,200 acre lot of orange groves. So yes, the course name is apt. A private venture, the sandy soil and unique land features at this particular point of the ridge is intriguing, especially having personally traversed various parts of the ridge and coming away impressed with its geographical vigor. Hanse and Wagner are focusing on unpredictability and surprise while using restraint and wise graduality of anticipation. I can’t help but think of a southeastern Ballyneal at least with respect to the terrain with more Sandbelt tones than links. Should be a fairly distinct structure of play for the region.

Kelly Ranch Golf Club

In Escalante, Texas, which sits southwest of Fort Worth, Tripp Davis is designing on a site with 200 feet of elevation change and craggy undulations amidst strands of live oak and cedar elms. The site will be sand capped and grassed with Stadium Zoysia while the greens will feature TiffEagle Bermuda. The club is directed towards the “golf purist” and Davis will focus on the course melding in to the natural terrain. The club, however, is part of a bigger housing development plan that comprises 2400 acres and 2500 custom homes, which will also include high end shopping and dining, an athletic club, elementary school and hospital. It will be interesting how such an ambitious project remains for the golf purist and would like to hear a lot more details on this one but Davis has proven a solid architect that certainly will know how to impart distinction and natural tranquility to the site amidst the accompanying planned community.

The Rose

Speaking of Tripp Davis, he’s involved in the design of another course just outside Athens, Georgia. Firm and fast conditions on rolling topography amidst unique landforms are the order of the day while Bubba Watson, Brendon Todd and Chris Kirk will collaborate with Davis on the design. A blend of traditional and modern golf should be the prevailing design as the club founders envision the course being one of the most prominent in the Southeast. More lofty aspirations where we look forward to much more detail how they intend to get there yet the blending of styles is indeed enough to stir interest. Will the entourage of tour pros make a difference, time will tell but a focus on marrying modern and classic has potential.

All Other Types of New

Watersound Club

As for tour professionals, Davis Love is one who is growing with their portfolio in recent years. Scott Sherman is currently the lead architect who was involved with Philly well-knowns White Manor and Glen Mills. Watersound is a the new third course of the club where the design adheres to the existing topography while using water and bunkers in strategic fashion. A bit more naturalistic and meaningful flair to modern visuals and conditioning, the course is a pleasant unison of eras that makes the round go by swimmingly.

It’s nice to see modern courses receive the restoration treatment as opposed to re-design or renovation. We once again allude to the Season Preview https://golfadelphia.com/2025/01/10/2025-preview/ where Sonny Vaccarro talks about the inevitable fall from grace of the athletes we build up to the apex. What happens to the courses of old, that fall out of favor or from eras past. Even courses from the Golden Age were changed, with the belief they could be, “improved upon” by technology or were no longer relevant because of gains in the professional game. Course architecture ultimately corrected with the restoration movement. Now, while modern design themes have been shunned or thrown away as of late, some are coming back again and that includes the Dyes. Tom Doak will be the first to touch the greens at Crooked Stick since Dye, which will be completed this year while Love is involved in restoration work to Harbour Town, where he will rebuild greens and bunkers in an effort to restore fading features while tweaking to remain relevant for the Heritage. The work will be completed and open this year. Davis Love continues this trend of modern restoration with Hazletine, where they will start in on a master plan and build a 10 hole short course inspired by Alistair Mackenzie’s never built approach and putt course for Augusta National.

Miakka Golf Club

Another ex tour pro and Ryder Cup Captain, Paul Azinger, is teaming up with Dana Fry and Jason Straka to design near Sarasota at what Straka characterized as, “one of the best natural sites for golf” he has ever been affiliated with. Situated on two miles of Miakka River with mature oak hammocks abounding, the design is inspired by the Australian Sandbelt with no rough as part of its recovery character ™ and using natural features angling into the corridors of play. It will be the only course in Florida with its own sod farm and everything but the greens will be sodded, focusing on firm and fast conditions with Zoysia. They are intent on ultimately hosting a PGA event and the club is invitation only

Glynlea Country Club

‘Tis the year for former Ryder Cup Captains designing their own courses, as Jim Furyk takes a shot near Port Lucie, Florida, teaming up with Michael Beebe, who focuses his work in the southeast with a notable renovation of Ocala Golf Club. The course will be in a gated community and the emphasis will be to engage golfers of all skill levels.

Contentment

Upon the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, Lester George is designing a template-hole course for a destination private club with lodging but not housing that has been a long time coming. The Eden, Biarritz, Sahara, Maiden, Road and Redan (among others) will all be represented on the mountainous terrain. That terrain has the potential to perhaps shine lesser explored looks and structures on these templates as well as George’s interpretations of them. The owner, Curt Sides, pays tribute to his upbringing and grandparents with the course and club, seeking to establish a place of refuge for its members. The template craze continues and we’d like to see how George goes about distinguishing this modern rendition amongst intriguing terrain.

Windsong – North Course

John Fought with Tom Lehman as a consultant designed the South course, which is ranked sixth in the state and in the top 200 of modern courses. Fought was tagged to design a second course on the property as well, which he seeks to distinguish the challenge with classic design tenets taking advantage of a modern infrastructure. Fought wants the challenge to come from the strategy instead of sheer length and expanse of the land whole some of Shoreacre’s template holes will serve as inspiration. The course was supposed to open last year but uncommon rains delayed things to this Spring. After closing in 2008, the club has flourished and the second course should complement the other with gorgeous land available for the purpose.

Bella Ridge Golf Club

The fourth public course mentioned and second one opening this year, Bella Ridge is in Johnstown, Colorado, which is north of Denver on the way to Fort Collins. Art Schaupeter designed the course, who’s responsible for TPC Colorado. A family of golfers that operate a dairy farm on the side decided to build a golf course on undulating rich land for the benefit of the community. Strategic options that the golfer will need to commit to or else, an array of tee positions, gradual yet substantial elevation changes and a variety of loops are all envisioned by Schaupeter, who knows the land is blessed terrain for the purpose. Residential development is along with the course but is placed out of the way or even well above. Public golf options are always in need and based on everything we know at this point, should be journey worthy.

High Pointe Golf Club

Yes, High Point opened last year but it wasn’t covered then so it will be now. The course was born in 1989 as a young man seized the opportunity to personally craft all of the greens himself and opened as a daily fee course. Tom Doak was his name and the course made an impression, achieving a ranking within the top U.S. top 100 courses by Golf Magazine. Minimalism was not en vogue when Doak began his career yet he, along with Coore & Crenshaw, were able to impart their legendary talent on the design style which created a renaissance within golf course architecture. It was a movement, forever changing course design and ushering one era to another. It was a confluence of factors really, all from an over saturation of overly modern, built up condition monsters. There was too many of them and the golfing world was in need of a new direction. From developers like Youngscap and Keiser to architects such as Doak and C&C, then Hanse as he was ultimately selected to build the Olympics course in Rio, it all led to where we are today. High Pointe fell victim to the financial crisis of 2008 as the industry once again more or less paused.

The resurgence of golf course construction the last few years provides us with a bevy of new and revitalized golf to study and examine. And now we have the unique situation of an architect being able to restore his very first course. We have indeed come full circle. Doak’s meteoric career arc upward from those days in the 1980’s at High Pointe, where he has been and what he has accomplished, returning back to the very same terrain. The course is now private, benefitting from an injection of capital for a modern infrastructure while Doak uses what was there and made it memorable along with what he now knows to make it better. The land is here, always has been, now it has the advantage of retrospect. One day, we’ll likely stop seeing Doak’s name so much in these articles about new construction as he decides to settle down in the comfortable confines of Northern Michigan, walking the fairways of High Pointe. Where it started and where he can now enjoy at the tail end as golf courses take their forms, trends and greatness onwards.

Part II coming out shortly, which will get into selected new international projects, new reconstruction projects and we try to take a stab at the meaning of it all while pondering where the next greatness may shine from.