Some Exciting New Golf Course Projects (Part 1)

Since the recession, we’ve been lucky to get one or two new course openings a year. 2023 will be different. Golf construction is at its most active level in almost two decades, and a handful of new courses as well as a number of substantial redesign efforts are set to debut. Together, these projects may well shape the next set of trends in golf architecture. So over the next few weeks, I’ll write about some new builds and redesigns that have opened recently or will open in the near future.

Landmand (Homer, NE)

King-Collins Golf

Public

Landmand technically opened in September 2022, and I regret not being able to see it then, but I look forward to experiencing mature turf conditions in 2023.

During the planning and construction period of this project, I visited the site about a half a dozen times. It was remarkable to watch Tad King and Rob Collins render such a wild property golfable. A few architects had even passed on the project on because of the severity of the land. But that was for the best. Architects that pride themselves on minimalism would have had difficulty here. Finding 18 varied holes without moving much dirt would have been a challenge. This is why King-Collins was a good fit: they aren’t afraid of a little (or a lot of) earthmoving. At Landmand, large industrial scrapers and D8 bulldozers spent months softening slopes and carving out golf holes. The results were compelling. From day one, it was clear that Landmand would have a handful of spectacular moments—the par 3s in particular, because of their ability to play from one big ridge to another.

There are a couple of questions I look forward to resolving: 1) how cohesive is the course despite its severity? and 2) how playable is it? At Landmand, the basic natural elements—wind, terrain—make getting from tee to green a task by itself. Are the hugely undulating greens too much when the wind blows? Or are they adventurous fun? As someone who loves a bold set of greens, I’m eager to see whether King-Collins walked the tightrope and pulled off great golf on a property other architects turned their noses up at.

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The Golf Park (West Palm Beach, FL)

Hanse Golf Course Design

Public

Technically, this is a redesign of the defunct West Palm Beach Municipal Course, but it may be the 2023 (re)opening I’m most excited about. This is affordable public golf in close proximity to a large population center. Also, the Park is built on a sandy site that drew comparisons to the Sandbelt of Australia long before Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner got their hands on it. A group of investors led by Seth Waugh has ambitious plans for the local programming that the facility will be able to offer through the PGA and its junior programs. In a region overrun by bad, overpriced public golf, the Park should be a much needed oasis.

The Tree Farm (Batesburg-Leesville, SC)

Kye Goalby, Tom Doak, and Zac Blair

Private

Another project I’ve tracked from its early days is Zac Blair’s first course, the Tree Farm. After spending years overcoming the obstacles that prohibit most people from building golf courses, Blair has gotten to the final stages of detail work on his first co-design. He, along with Kye Goalby and Tom Doak, have built what will become one of the most sought-after invites in the Southeast. The Tree Farm is just outside of Aiken, close to Augusta, and on a lovely piece of rolling land. The property has two distinct ridges and a valley cutting through the property, which allows for dramatic and varied golf. The star of the show is this terrain and the manner in which the design team arranged the holes on it. I’ll need to return and see the finished product, but I played a few rounds on the near-completed course in November, and I have no doubt that it will be in the mix for new course of the year.

Check out our Club TFE-only video on the design and construction of the 12th green at the Tree Farm.

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Old Barnwell (Aiken County, SC)

Brian Schneider and Blake Conant

Private

On the other side of Aiken, another pair of up-and-coming architects are getting their first crack at a new 18-hole design. Old Barnwell will add a different flavor to the impressive catalog of courses in the Aiken area. By the end of last year, Schneider and Conant had built and grassed six holes. These holes sit on a relatively flat ridge, whereas the remaining 12 will plunge into much more diverse and undulating terrain. Still, the six finished holes give a glimpse of the approach that Schneider and Conant are taking. There are old-fashioned mounds, berms, and other funky features that draw your eye. Perhaps my favorite detail is the berm that stretches across the entrance to the first fairway. It will rarely come into play, but it serves as a symbolic introduction to the course’s style. I have no doubt the remaining 12 holes will be as fun as the initial builds, and owner Nick Schreiber’s long-term goals for the club are a breath of fresh air.

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Up next in this series: the Lido, Brambles, and more…

Until then, which recent or upcoming golf course projects are you enthused about?