Ones to Watch
These are the people and places we will be following closely in 2026, from tour rookies to restorations of some of golf’s greatest courses.
Great Dunes Course
Jekyll Island, Georgia
The Great Dunes golf course on Jekyll Island, originally designed by Walter Travis, is reopening by the end of 2025, two years ahead of its 100th anniversary. Running alongside the Atlantic, Great Dunes is the only golf course in Georgia to use a brackish-water irrigation system.
Nauka
Mexico
Spanning some 900 acres of jungle and beach on the Riviera Nayarit coast north of Puerto Vallarta, this resort community started to roll out its impressive list of amenities in the fall. By this time next year, that list will include two Tom Fazio golf courses (an 18-hole championship routing and a nine-hole short course), a 91-room Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort, a beach club, a deep-water marina, and private residences designed by Olson Kundig.
A Toast from Dewar’s
Here’s to tomorrow’s leaders stepping into the spotlight. Classic with a twist, the Dewar's Old Fashioned honors rising talents rooted in tradition yet shaping the future.
Teeth of the Dog, Casa de Campo
Dominican Republic
Given Teeth of the Dog’s dramatic, ocean-side location, it’s easy to see why Casa de Campo’s flagship golf course, a Pete Dye design, has long been considered one of the Caribbean’s premier layouts. Those accolades will be even more effusive come December, when the course reopens following a comprehensive restoration by Jerry Pate. The project includes the rebuilding of greens, the reshaping of bunkers, and re-grassing the entire course in Dynasty Paspalum, a varietal that is ideal for seaside play.
Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant
New York City
“I am especially excited about the upcoming opening of chef Gabriel Kreuther’s newest restaurant in Hudson Yards, New York, that joins his iconic restaurant along Bryant Park. I admire his artful approach to Alsatian-inspired cuisine and cocktail pairings.” —Stephanie Mcleod
Brian Rolapp
“I’m genuinely excited about where golf is going in 2026. The sport finally feels like it’s embracing evolution without losing its soul,” Roger Steele says. “With TGL finding its footing, the Masters pushing creative boundaries in content and coverage, and Brian Rolapp stepping in to bring his NFL experience to the PGA Tour, there’s real momentum building.” Rolapp was appointed CEO of the PGA Tour in June, but it is in 2026 and 2027 when we will begin to see his ambitions for the tour touch down. Rolapp has voiced intentions to revise the season-ending playoffs and also the need to bring “scarcity” to the schedule, which might mean a move toward fewer tournaments and a meaningful offseason.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort
Naples, Florida
This new Four Seasons Resort with a Tom Fazio–designed golf course and a restaurant from James Beard Award–winning chef Gavin Kaysen is situated along a sandy beach in the Gulf Coast’s most glamorous destination. Consider our curiosity piqued. Scheduled to open in phases before the end of 2025, Naples Beach Club is on our short list of places to visit in 2026.
Fox Harb’r
Canada
“The golf courses at Fox Harb’r are undergoing a redesign, and nine of the new holes for its Ocean Course—imagined by the duo of Canadian golf course architects Doug Carrick and Thomas McBroom—[already] opened for play. It’s the first time these two talented designers have collaborated, and the result is simply thrilling. The new Ocean nine is a links-style course that plays firm and fast and takes you right to the edge of the Atlantic. Its greens are uniformly slick and vexing. When the full 18 of the Ocean Course debuts in 2026, you can expect a world-class experience at a five-star resort that does everything very well.” —David DeSmith
Andrew Green
After boldly redesigning the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club and successfully restoring Inverness Club, the East Course at Oak Hill, and East Lake Golf Club—among many others—architect Andrew Green is finally putting the finishing touches on his first original design, Firefly, just south of Nashville. If his from-scratch creations are executed with the same expertise and finesse as his masterful restoration projects, Green could emerge as golf architecture’s next big thing.
Rising Talent on Tour
“Watching the Ryder Cup had me thinking: Who might be in the next Ryder Cup that the average golf fan might not know at this point? Jacob Bridgeman: This kid is so good—doesn’t seem to have a fault in his game. Jackson Koivun (shown): Still an amateur, but he has finished in the top 11 in each of his last four starts on the PGA Tour. Andrew Novak: This guy thinks he can make it from anywhere, and generally, he’s right. He’s played great lately, and I see him just getting better and better.” —Geno Bonnalie
Streamsong Resort
Florida
The modern masterpiece of Streamsong will continue to grow in the fall of 2026, when the resort’s fourth golf course will open for preview play. Kingdom List panelist David McLay Kidd, the designer of the course, calls it a “seminal project” for which “expectations are high.” We couldn’t agree more!
Melanie Green
Look out for New Yorker Melanie Green in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2026. The 23-year-old won twice on the Epson Tour this year to finish at the top of the “Race for the Card” rankings. “It’s every kid’s dream come true, right?” says Green. “I am looking forward to seeing how my game fits out there and all the places I am going to get to see. I get to live out the dream.” Green has a history as a clutch golfer, particularly in winning the 2024 British Women’s Amateur at Portmarnock, outside Dublin.
“We’re entering a moment where presentation, storytelling, and access in golf are catching up to the quality of play. It’s no longer just about who wins on Sunday, but how the game connects with people on every level. Golf feels younger, sharper, and more intentional than it has in years. For players, fans, and creators alike, this next chapter is shaping up to be the most exciting yet.” —Roger Steele
2026 U.S. Open
New York
The past meets the present at the 2026 U.S. Open next June, when the championship returns to Shinnecock Hills on Long Island. This will be the sixth U.S. Open to be played at the Southampton club, 130 years after its first, in 1896. “I’m very excited about the 2026 U.S. Open happening at Shinnecock Hills,” starts Mcleod. “Dewar’s is the Official Scotch Whisky of the U.S. Open, and we’re thrilled to continue that partnership. The Hamptons is an iconic summer spot, synonymous with epicurean discovery and fine-dining experiences. Each year, to celebrate the championship, we release our Dewar’s 19 Year Old Champions Edition, and for 2026 we have something special up our sleeve inspired by the Hamptons.”
The Panelists
PGA Tour caddie Geno Bonnalie
Travel and lifestyle editor and luxury hotel expert Samantha Brooks
Golf writer and globetrotter David DeSmith
Chef with two Michelin stars, at last counting Gabriel Kreuther
In-demand golf course architect and amateur pilot David McLay Kidd
Dewar’s award-winning master distiller
Stephanie Mcleod
Golf journalist, broadcaster, Kingdom contributing editor
Alexandra O’Laughlin
Ten-time major champ, Hall of Famer, all-star mom Annika Sörenstam
Content creator, bomber off the tee, social media icon
Roger Steele
