(Above; photo: Evan Schiller)
When David McLay Kidd toured the site of his latest course, the first purpose-built club within the Dormie Network, he immediately knew he had a winner. “The landscape is otherworldly, with hundreds—if not thousands—of square miles of treeless Sandhills,” he says. The sequencing of his completed course emphasizes the landscape’s natural variety, with no two holes playing the same. Fairways are as expansive as the views, but for players who have the skill (and gumption) to attack, playing corridors can be tighter than they look. On several occasions, the opportunity to take on the hero shot will have many golfers throwing caution to the wind.
“The club has improved the playability of the course without sacrificing the difficulty. In particular, it has made much better uses of the water features, carving holes that will undoubtedly produce iconic moments. Fescue has been added in all the right places, adding visual character and danger for wayward shots. I can’t wait to see it test the tour players in the 2026 Presidents Cup.” —Roger Steele.
This is how you make nine holes of golf exciting.The new King-Collins layout at Palmetto Bluff might as well be a full 18, maybe even more, as the 3,100-yard track is reversible. Better still, the routing was conceived to encourage cross-country play, which means golfers are allowed to discover adventurous holes that aren’t formally outlined on the scorecard. Best of all? The architects conceived the course with match play in mind. Game on!
The brainchild of architect Tom Doak, shaper Kye Goalby, and professional golfer Zac Blair, the 6,855-yard course at Tree Farm Golf Club in western South Carolina embraces all the attributes that members of a private club typically value. Green-to-tee transitions are a short walk, which promotes faster play. Most holes were designed to let the natural movement of the land provide the challenge, so a greater variety of experiences can be had from one round to the next. And, says Doak, “You are never more than two holes away from the clubhouse at any point on the property,” which means it’s easy for members to tack on extra holes and stock up on refreshments.
The first new full-length course built at Pinehurst Resort in three decades, No. 10 plays across terrain that, in many ways, is more dramatic than anything else at the resort. Yet, in the estimation of David DeSmith, the new Tom Doak design remains on brand. “The waste areas choked with wire grass and the shot values are pure Pinehurst,” he says, adding that the course overall is “daring, imaginative, and as fun as
it is challenging.”
The newest stop for the PGA Tour is one that has caddie Geno Bonnalie excited, and not just because it’s based in a region that has been overlooked by the tour for decades. The golf course at Black Desert Resort (and the land surrounding it) is dramatic, with sprawling patches of black lava rock blanketing the area. “You’ve got these great big mountain spires around you—everything red—and then you have the contrast of the black lava rock and the green fairways and greens,” Bonnalie says. “It’s very striking.” That said, first-time golfers will likely discover Black Desert’s not-so-hidden secret early in their rounds: Not only is it difficult finding balls in those black rocks, but it’s impossible to hit a shot from them. “Be prepared,” Bonnalie advises. “Have another ball in your pocket.”
“Fun and challenging to play, the course is beautifully presented with stunning vistas. Cambered fairways, doglegs, large bunkers, and challenging greens will keep you on your toes—provided you don’t get distracted by views of the beautiful mountain range all around.” —Scott Cranfield
Built upon former sugarcane fields, this contemporary links course—the first of its kind in the Indian Ocean—relies on native grasses to promote ecological diversity. The routing provides plenty of variety, too, with five par-5s, five par-3s, and a couple of drivable par-4s.
The site of the newest public course in Tasmania was discovered by PGA Tour pro Mathew Goggin, who grew up in the area. After Goggin introduced the parcel of land to professional golfer Mike Clayton—a partner of the golf course architecture firm Clayton, DeVries & Pont—Clayton simply said, “If we mess this up, it still could be the second-best course in Australia.” In other words, the undulating sand dunes along Seven Mile Beach Peninsula were naturally made for golf. Yes, it’s a long trip getting to Australia, but in an equally long lineup of courses, 7 Mile Beach is the latest that makes it worth it.
Is the first hole a long par-3 or a reachable par-4? You could ask that question of the second and sixth holes, too; and therein lies the charm of this nine-hole Mike Nuzzo design. With wide fairways that play firm and fast, the course, as Nuzzo sees it, “suits a lot of different types of play.” In David DeSmith’s opinion, the Squeeze also embraces an old-world aesthetic. “The landforms are more Ireland than Florida,” he asserts, “and you’ll need to be both smart and creative to negotiate them successfully.”
The classic heathland courses in southern England long ago proved that a course needn’t be 7,000 yards or par-72 to be a proper test. Tom Doak drew inspiration from those venues when he built the latest course at Sand Valley resort. Freed from the constraints of surpassing 7,000 yards, Doak let the discovery of the land’s best possible green sites dictate the routing of Sedge Valley. The result is a par-68 gem that doesn’t exceed 6,200 yards from the tips. Just don’t expect your rounds to be a walk in the park—Sedge Valley still boasts a course rating more than two strokes above par.
Pristinely manicured, the new Ray Hearn design at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth takes a literal interpretation to the term “parkland” golf. Moreover, the course exemplifies what can be accomplished when you wipe the slate clean. The 200-acre site was previously home to three nine-hole layouts that were average at best. In their place, 7,000 yards of Golden Age–inspired golf now stand ready to wow all those who play here.
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