Rees Jones is under way with a project to redesign two 18-hole golf courses into a 27-hole layout for Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
The 480-acre destination was acquired in 2022 by Mast Capital, a real estate development and investment firm, and Amzak Capital Management, an asset manager and private equity investor. As part of a $92 million redevelopment of the resort, Mast Capital and Amzak brought in Jones to reimagine the golf experience, Troon Golf to oversee golf operations, membership, sales and marketing, and architecture and design firm EoA Group to transform the resort and guest areas.
The two golf courses, designed by Arnold Palmer’s firm, will be renovated to create three distinct nine-hole routings that can be rotated to create different 18-hole rounds. Construction began in 2024, starting with six holes from the former Palmer course and the relocation of the driving range. According to Troon Golf, “the renovation preserves the legacy of the original courses while elevating them to modern championship standards.”
All greens are being rebuilt to USGA specifications; bunkers are being reshaped, repositioned, and filled with new sand; tees are being rebuilt along with adding new ones; and a new irrigation and drainage system is also being installed.
The three nines will finish near the resort’s redesigned 500,000-gallon ‘Super Pool’. The three configurations will rotate daily, with course distances ranging from 6,600 to 7,005 yards.
The practice facilities now span 13 acres and include a double-sided driving range extending more than 360 yards, two TifEagle bermuda putting greens and three short-game areas with greenside bunkers.
The first nine is expected to open in late 2025, with the second in early 2026 and the third to be renovated in spring 2026.
Work at the resort, which includes 43 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, a fitness centre and a spa, also covers the arrival and lobby areas, redesigning guest rooms, new dining, upgrading event spaces and modernising outdoor areas, pools and meeting spaces. A multi-court padel complex will also be built.