Golf Course Architecture - Issue 81, April 2025

The global journal of golf design and development I SSUE 81 JULY 2025

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1 WELCOME By the time you read this, the US Open will be firmly in the rear-view mirror, and the Open Championship will be imminent. But as I write, play has just begun at Oakmont and there is a firm focus on the difficulty of the course. I have never seen Oakmont in the flesh, so I am not going to try to make any kind of assessment of the course’s architectural merits. Television and photography are no substitute for actually being on the property, and I have little time for people who make pronouncements about courses they haven’t seen. Many far better judges than I view Oakmont as one of the world’s greatest golf courses, and that’s enough for me. Nor am I going to get involved in a debate about whether the course’s design is penal or strategic. But judging a course as a tournament venue does not, I think, require such detailed knowledge. In advance of the championship, the media has been full of stories about how Oakmont’s greens are faster than ice, and its rough resembles a hayfield after a rainstorm. Of course, much of this is hype: I have been a journalist plenty long enough to recognise an easy story. But there is no doubt that Oakmont presents a different sort of challenge from that laid down by today’s fashionable courses, where wide fairways and sparse-at-best rough encourage players to open their shoulders and hang the consequences. Is that a good thing? On one level, certainly yes: variety has not ceased to be the spice of life. But I think there is something else going on here, and that is the desire of golf-watchers to see the pros suffer. Those of us for whom scores under par are a pipe dream, and double bogeys more common than birdies, enjoy seeing the best in the world make the occasional big score. And that’s the appeal of courses like Oakmont as tournament venues. Perhaps it may produce defensive golf, where hitting fairways and greens, even at the cost of letting fly a few times, is the wisest strategy. But in this era of 350-yard plus drives, is that entirely a bad thing? Is it bad to be tough? ADAM LAWRENCE

3 Follow Golf Course Architecture: Published by Tudor Rose Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane Leicester LE1 5RA Tel: +44 116 222 9900 www.tudor-rose.co.uk ISSN 1745-3585 (print) ISSN 2754-9828 (online) Printed in Great Britain by Micropress Printers. © 2025 Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, including whether by photocopying, scanning, downloading onto computer or otherwise without the prior written permission from Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. Views expressed in Golf Course Architecture are not necessarily those of the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. Readers should take appropriate professional advice before acting on any issue raised herein. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising material and editorial contributions. The publisher assumes no liability for the return of unsolicited art, photography or manuscripts. It is assumed that any images taken from sources which are widely distributed, such as on the Web, are in the public domain. It is recognised though that since such images tend to be passed freely between sources it is not always possible to track the original source. If copyrighted material has ended up being treated as public domain due to the original source not being identified please contact the publisher, Tudor Rose. Golf Course Architecture (ISSN No: 1745-3585) is published quarterly by Tudor Rose, and distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, 701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is pending at Philadelphia, PA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Golf Course Architecture, 701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft, PA. 19032. PEFC Certi ed This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources www.pefc.org PEFC/16-33-576 Golf Course Architecture is published with the support and guidance of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, and GEO Foundation. Contributing Editor Adam Lawrence News Editor Richard Humphreys Editorial team Alice Chambers, Rebecca Gibson, Amber Hickman, Laura Hyde, Alex Smith Contributor Ron Whitten Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Publisher Toby Ingleton Publication & Sales Manager Benedict Pask Production Manager Stuart Fairbrother Website Development Chris Jackson Circulation Sophia Brinkley Subscribe www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/ subscribe Photography Baltusrol Golf Club, Johan Benestam, Jeffrey Bertch, Big Cedar Lodge, Country Club of Harrisburg, Cracknell Landscape Architecture, Tripp Davis, EIGCA, European Golf Design, Fazio Design, Caspar Grauballe, Steven Halliwell, Hann Reserve, Hanse Golf Design, Harris Kalinka, Jason Hogg, Kansas City Parks & Recreation, King Collins Dormer, Larry Lambrecht, La Moye Golf Club, Leeds Golf Design, Gary Lisbon, Mackenzie & Ebert, Jason Miller, Kevin Murray, Nicklaus Design, NMP Golf Construction, Mike Nuzzo, Brian Oar, Rob Perry, Tyler Rae, Matee-Ur-Rehman, Rees Jones Inc, Reynolds Lake Oconee, Robert Trent Jones II, Evan Schiller, Jacob Sjöman, The Cliffs Kangaroo Island, The Royal Sydney Golf Club, Trump International Golf Links, Fred Vuich, Jim Wagner, Wallgrow International

6 CONTENTS TEE BOX 8 Our Tee Box section begins with a look at King Collins Dormer’s plan for Royal Dornoch, which includes a new 18-hole layout, new holes for the Struie course and a new par-three layout. INSIGHT 34 Ron Whitten shares his perspectives on the AW Tillinghast design at Swope Memorial in Kansas City, where a project is in progres to recapture the architect’s original vision. ON SITE 54 The New course at Trump Aberdeen may have attracted far less attention than the Old, but the final result is just as dramatic, as Toby Ingleton reports. Cover photography courtesy of Jacob Sjöman FEATURE 38 The par-three eighth hole at Oakmont got a lot of press during the recent US Open for being virtually 300 yards in length. Adam Lawrence investigates why players are so hostile to long one-shotters.

7 INTERVIEW 46 From working for his father, to going his own way and building a reputation as perhaps the greatest preparer of tournament courses, Rees Jones’ life has been one big adventure. He spoke to Adam Lawrence about past, present and future. REPORTS 78 IMG Golf Design has routed the new Eschuri Vung Bau golf course through Vietnam’s Phú Quốc forest and alongside pristine white sand beaches. 82 Richard Humphreys speaks with the team involved in the $3 billion Hann Reserve development in the Philippines, which includes the construction of three golf courses. 86 Greg Norman’s firm has designed an 18-hole layout for Moon Palace Punta Cana, a new luxury resort in the Dominican Republic. 90 Mackenzie & Ebert and MJ Abbott complete initial steps to elevate the playing experience at La Moye Golf Club, located on the island of Jersey. 92 Nine holes of the Peter Harradine-designed Capital Hills course near Islamabad, Pakistan, are on track to open in 2026. 94 Tripp Davis has overseen infrastructure updates and subtle design changes at the Bill Diddel-designed Wichita CC. ON SITE 64 The new Torre course at Portugal’s Terras da Comporta resort has a lot to live up to, given the existing Dunas course is widely regarded as the country’s best. But it doesn’t do too badly, says Adam Lawrence. 72 Toby Ingleton reports on the reopening of the Upper course at Baltusrol, which marks the completion of Gil Hanse’s restoration of AW Tillinghast’s groundbreaking dual courses. HOLING OUT 96 We close the issue by taking a look at the striking tee location for a new short course at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.

TEE BOX Royal Dornoch selects King Collins Dormer for new courses 8

Royal Dornoch Golf Club in the Scottish Highlands has selected King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design (KCD) to expand its golf facilities. It will be the US firm’s first project in the UK. The KCD proposal includes revising the Struie course, which was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1877, so it “no longer lives in the long shadow of the Championship course”, as well as creating a new 18-hole layout and a new par-three course. The plan also includes a new practice facility with a short-game area, a four-hole practice loop of par-three holes, two Himalayas-style putting greens and a children’s course, 9 Designers propose a new 18-hole course, a reworking of the Struie layout and a new par-three course. Image: Harris Kalinka A rendering of the new course proposed by King Collins Dormer for Royal Dornoch

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11 TEE BOX which will be routed into the target greens of the practice facility. Nine firms submitted proposals following the club’s acquisition of 50 acres of land alongside its Struie course. Principal designer Rob Collins said: “We have given great consideration to the operations of these facilities and are suggesting a central location from which to manage the Struie course, the new course, the practice facility and the par-three layout. Ample acreage has been set aside, as well, for potential key club initiatives including an upgraded maintenance facility, staff housing and parking. Finally, acreage adjacent to these facilities is available for potential future clubowned lodging.” These plans follow the construction of a new £13.9 million clubhouse, located to the right of the first tee of the Championship course. The new clubhouse will open in 2026. “Usually, the opening of a new clubhouse, which has been mooted for 30 years or more, would mark the end of the journey for any golf club but for Royal Dornoch it is about what the next step is going to be,” said general manager Neil Hampton. “The investment being made will pave the way for even greater economic and employment benefits for the wider community and, hopefully, there will be more good news to come as and when the [nearby] Coul Links project gets the green light from the Scottish Government. “Golf has long been the key economic driver in this part of the country and additional, high quality, eco-friendly championship courses created by highly regarded designers can only enhance our reputation as a golfing destination and encourage visitors to extend their stay in the Highlands. “The KCD team’s imaginative concept and passion for Royal Dornoch and using the land at our disposal in a different way, captured our imagination. They will be very much hands-on from start to finish, taking the project from the drawing board to the construction phase and completion. We are at the early stages of the process and detailed plans and costings will be put before the membership further down the line.” Image: King Collins Dormer “ The investment being made will pave the way for even greater economic and employment benefits for the wider community” The proposal from King Collins Dormer includes a new 18-hole layout, new holes for the Struie course and a new par-three layout

TEE BOX 12 The Royal Sydney Golf Club in Australia has opened its newly named Bay course following a comprehensive renovation by Hanse Golf Design. Greens and bunkers have been rebuilt, new drainage, irrigation and SubAir systems have been installed, and an extensive tree and landscape management programme has been executed. Course superintendent Adam Marchant said: “Gil’s design has created many new areas of interest on the course. There’s the sharp hook at the approach to the seventh green, the Boomerang green on the eleventh and the new bunker complex on the inside of the dogleg on eighteen. Gil’s green contouring gives us plenty of options to vary the challenge for golfers with our pin placements. “Moving from our old routing – which had the ninth hole at the far end of the property – to a ‘two loops of nine’ routing presents fun options for nine-hole play, or even composite courses with our nine-hole Centenary course.” Crucial to the project was work relating to trees and native plants, with Harley Kruse developing a landscape plan that has been implemented in conjunction with the Hanse renovation. “Now, we have a beautiful heathland links completely comprised of natives that are endemic to the area,” said Marchant. “In quadrupling our floral diversity, we have also been able to provide yearround flowering that will add to the beauty and interest of the course.” Read an extensive report on the GCA website, covering both the renovation and the club’s landscape and environmental work. Royal Sydney opens Bay course Photo:The Royal Sydney Golf Club Image: Hanse Golf Design

13 Sandy was in California in the last issue, on the third tee at the wonderful Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. The course was restored to George Thomas’s original design by Tom Doak and his team in 2016, and is a glorious place. Well done to Scott Schuemann of St Louis, Missouri, who spotted it and was drawn first from the hat. We hope you enjoy wearing your much-coveted shirt! This month, our roving rodent is at a Scottish links that has been touched by many of the game’s great architects. We think that’s plenty of information to be going on with: if you know where he is, and fancy one of our GCA golf shirts to show off on the course (or wherever you choose to wear it!), send your answer to gopher@golfcoursearchitecture.net. GOPHER WATCH Interlachen set for ‘reimagining’ by Fazio Design Fazio Design and Turfgrass are collaborating on a renovation of the Joe Lee-designed golf course at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Florida. Tom Marzolf is leading the project for Fazio Design, and his plan aims to address the club’s ageing infrastructure with upgrades to irrigation and drainage, while also reimagining course features, including the expansion of greens to allow for more pin positions. The short-game area and practice facility will also be upgraded. Bunkers will be repositioned to challenge the longer hitters and renovated to feature flashed sand faces. Marzolf has also planned for firm, sandcapped approaches that encourage the ground game, which will be complemented by the addition of lowmow surrounds. Turfgrass will lead the integration of agronomic best practices into the design. “Their attention to detail, scientific precision and commitment to excellence make them an invaluable partner on any project,” said Marzolf. Turfgrass is providing a comprehensive suite of services to guide the renovation. This includes a full peer review of agronomic specifications, material evaluation and laboratory testing oversight in partnership with Kansas-based Turf & Soil Diagnostics. Materials such as greens mix, bunker sand, drainage gravel and turf selections will be assessed to ensure optimal quality, with testing protocols established to maintain consistency. Site visits at key phases of the renovation will allow Turfgrass to work closely with the teams from Fazio Design and Interlachen, including superintendent Bryce Gibson, and contractor Total Turf Golf Services. These visits will focus on turf establishment and course preparation, irrigation strategy, nutrient programming, pest and weed control, equipment planning and maintenance budgeting. Adam Moeller of Turfgrass said: “Our goal is to support the club’s vision by ensuring the agronomic foundations are world-class – so this golf course not only looks and plays beautifully, but also stands the test of time alongside the Fazio/Marzolf design.” Image: Fazio Design

TEE BOX The par-four tenth hole at Scarecrow, a new course by DMK Golf Design at Gamble Sands in Washington State, photographed by Brian Oar. The resort will hold a soft opening of the course in August 2025, joining the original Sands layout and the 14-hole Quicksands course, which opened in 2014 and 2021 respectively. “On the Scarecrow’s front nine, you start inland from the riverfront and you’re completing it on the par-three ninth with probably the biggest view on the golf course,” said David McLay Kidd. “This infinity par three looks down 20 miles of the Columbia River Gorge. I mean, it is just breathtaking. “And then the back nine begins along gulches and the river’s edge, with a lot of drama, a lot of heroic shots, before really building towards a big crescendo.” THE BIG PICTURE 14

Photo: Brian Oar 15 The tenth hole also has a 20-mile view down the river, all the way towards the town of Pateros. “On the Sands, the river is on an oblique angle – you don’t get to see all the way down,” said Kidd. “That is very different on Scarecrow.” Another aspect that separates the courses is the topography. “The fourteenth green has a very steep slope that doesn’t exist on the Sands,” said Kidd. “The original course is on a much softer piece of land; there aren’t any holes that are significantly uphill or downhill. But on Scarecrow, there is significant elevation change; the fifth hole is 40 feet uphill, the tenth is around 40 feet downhill.” For more photos and additional insight from Kidd, visit the GCA website.

The keystone of the company is to deliver golf courses based on Paul McGinley’s design philosophy which is founded on the classic strategic mode of H. S. Colt and Donald Ross. “I believe in designing golf courses that give a deeper understanding of the traditions of the game and that will build a relationship with you as it’s custodians.” PAUL MCGINLEY PRINCIPAL DESIGNER paulmcginleydesign.com joe@golfmcginley.com Dublin, D11 KP73 Ireland Design • Renovation • Restoration Founded 2005

17 TEE BOX Golfplan reroutes seven holes at Sembawang Golfplan is leading a renovation of the golf course at Sembawang Country Club in Singapore. Sembawang started in 1967 as a ninehole course laid out by British Royal Marines. Ten years later it became an 18-hole layout, which was remodelled in 2013 by New Zealand architect Chris Pitman. “Over the past 12 years, the golf course has served the members well,” said Jerrom Tan, the club’s marketing executive. “However, over time, it has experienced wear and tear, with those effects more strongly felt in a tropical climate. Often, blind holes are the culprit of dangerous and slow play. From unnecessary waiting to hasty shots, golfers may not always make the right assessment.” Golfplan’s work includes reversing the routing of holes eleven to seventeen, renovating greens, bunkers and tees, regrassing fairways with Stadium Zoysia and greens with Primo Zoysia from Sports Turf Solutions, as well as irrigation and drainage upgrades. “The routing changed on seven holes and these now slice into the course rather than out, thus, adding protection to the adjacent properties and roads,” said David Dale, partner at Golfplan. The landing area on the fourth hole is being lowered and trees that were on the inside of the dogleg have been removed, reducing the blindness for the shorter hitters. “We have also had to pull the green back away from the entry road as this is being expanded by the airbase for improved access,” says Kevin Ramsey, partner at Golfplan. “We have designed four new greens and preserved three of the original greens from the seven holes that we rerouted. All green surfaces are being softened to add more pinnable areas.” Bunkers are being redesigned. “All bunkers are being reimagined with repositioning and reshaping to improve access, playability and visual aesthetics,” said Dale. “CapillaryFlow and Loksand are creating better drainage and more stable bunker faces.” “Overall, we feel we are improving the playability, safety and strategy of the golf course and when reopened it will feel like a new experience for members,” says Ramsey. Work began in December 2024 and the club expects to reopen the course in May 2026. Photo: Sembawang Country Club Golfplan’s Kevin Ramsey and David Dale visit Sembawang, with renovation work well under way

18 TEE BOX Grauballe realises ‘untapped potential’ of Isaberg’s West course Caspar Grauballe is nearing completion of a renovation of the West (Västra) course at Isaberg Golf Club in southern Sweden. The club is located near the city of Jönköping and has two 18-hole layouts. The East (Östra) course opened in 1975, while the West opened in 2010 and has hosted several tournaments on the Swedish Golf Tour. “The club approached me with the aim of modernising and enhancing the playing experience,” said Grauballe. “They recognised that, given the quality of the site and its natural surroundings, the courses had untapped potential. “Set beside a large lake and river, the West unfolds across rolling terrain, dominated by mature pine woodland and swathes of heather undergrowth. During my initial assessment, it quickly became evident that several of the issues the greenkeeping team faced with drainage and turf health stemmed from the design of the green surrounds. In many places, water would flow directly onto greens and poorly placed bunkers had created bottlenecks where wear and tear became an issue. “Water management around the greens is critical in the Nordic climate, where winter ice build-up can significantly impact playing conditions well into the short playing season. The challenge, then, became one of improving strategy for the players while enabling the greenkeeping team to maintain higher-quality surfaces through smarter design.” Budget constraints meant a full greens rebuild was unfeasible, so Grauballe and the club opted to rebuild green surrounds and bunkers. Isaberg’s in-house team began work in 2018 with the architect regularly visiting the site. “I focused on reducing the number of bunkers and rethinking the strategic character of each hole to encourage more thoughtful shotmaking,” said Grauballe. “A key objective was to make the course fairer for players with slower swing speeds by opening up ground-based options and removing greenside bunkers that previously blocked running approaches. “To retain interest and variety, the new surrounds now feature more pronounced undulations and closely mown run-offs. Bunker construction has been upgraded with CapillaryFlow liners and a small Durabunker edge, resulting in vastly improved durability. The bunkers now retain their shape without constant edging and washouts have been eliminated, freeing up staff to focus on overall course presentation and detail work.” There are five holes left to work on, including building a new fourth green on higher ground that overlooks the Hammarsjön lake.

19 Photo: Caspar Grauballe Photo: Reynolds Lake Oconee Steve Smyers designs new course for Reynolds Lake Oconee Steve Smyers has designed a new course for the Reynolds Lake Oconee community, southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Fenmoor will become the community’s eighth course when it opens in autumn 2026, joining the Preserve, Great Waters, National, Oconee, Landing, Creek Club and Richland layouts. The Fenmoor site features marshy land, native grasses and rolling hillsides. “The land is absolutely ideal for golf,” said Smyers. “We’re very fortunate to have a piece of property this diverse, with the movement of the land – gentle rolls, swales, valleys, hummocks, mounds and ravines – combined with the presence of water running through it.” Water will be a defining feature of the course, with rivulets and streams branching from Richland Creek, and with Lake Oconee visible from much of the course. The lake will also influence play on numerous holes, including nine greens that will be built near the water’s edge. The Country Club of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania has hired Nagle Design Works to develop a long-term masterplan to return the course closer in style to that designed by original architect, William Flynn. “Flynn built the course in 1917 – it was one of his first designs,” said Jim Nagle. “A few years later, another architect came in, and eliminated a large proportion of Flynn’s course, and over time, other holes have been wholly redesigned. “It has a wonderful set of varied par threes, and the par-five eleventh has enormous potential. It was a Flynn hole, but the green was moved and rebuilt at some time and is not good. We can build a more Flynn-link green.” The project is in planning. “We will use this year to develop our ideas,” said Nagle. “The club is planning a new irrigation system, and that will drive the scheduling.” CC Harrisburg hires Jim Nagle for Flynn-inspired renovation Photo: Country Club of Harrisburg

21 TEE BOX Detroit completes irrigation work and prepares for renovation Detroit Golf Club in Michigan has completed the first phase of irrigation work in preparation for a Tyler Rae renovation of the North course. Contractor NMP Golf Construction completed installation of new mainlines and valves on the Donald Ross design in the winter of 2024/5, working alongside the club’s head of agronomy Sam Moynihan. “The decision to install irrigation and storm drain systems ahead of the 2025 renovation has been key,” said Darryl Bartlett, chief development officer for NMP. “We have created a solid infrastructure that allows the team to focus on constructing course features with great efficiency. “This approach also provides essential tie-in points and precise elevations for fairway drainage and the two-inch lateral drainage systems. On a very flat site, having known and accurate elevations is invaluable. It enables Tyler and our shaping team to set exact bunker floor grades, locate fairway basins and fine-tune other surface features with confidence and efficiency.” All greens will be rebuilt to their originally intended scale and height, and feature new drainage and bentgrass. They will also have a rootzone mix from Profile Products. “The bunker style will be the main eye-catcher since Ross installed high, sand-flashed bunkers that were very rare during the early stages of his career for a northern course on poor draining soils,” said Rae. “Functionality will follow, and we will incorporate liners from Better Billy Bunker and high-quality angular sand so that they play firm and crisp.” The architect notes that holes nine, fourteen and seventeen are great examples of how the project is balancing history and modern needs. “We are shifting greens away from high traffic areas so that there is more room for golf, while also restoring their original green shapes and contours,” said Rae. “This is a delicate balance for sure!” Bartlett adds: “A key engineering challenge was the site’s flat topography. We partnered with our sister company, Soleno, to custom-manufacture 60 unique 36-inch drain basins with multiple pipe connections – ranging from 12 to 30 inches in diameter – and installed at depths of up to 25 feet to tie into the existing city’s storm system. This level of customisation and technical execution has been critical in setting the groundwork for construction.” Visit the GCA website to read more about the project. Photo: NMP Golf Construction Image: Tyler Rae A visualisation of Tyler Rae’s plan for the thirteenth

23 TEE BOX Savan Resorts in Savannakhet, Laos, will open a new nine-hole short course, by Nicklaus Design, for preview play in September 2025. The development at the resort is being led by Hong Kong-based Continental Group. The course will feature Stadium Zoysia on tees, rough and approaches, TifEagle bermuda on greens and bahia for outer rough, all supplied by Sports Turf Solutions. Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management has managed the project and the team includes local contractor Pepsun, lead shaper John Carson, irrigation designer Jeff Stamper of Cadsult and agronomist Hamish McKendrick. A Toro irrigation system was supplied by Jebsen & Jessen. What is the vision for the Savan short course? The ownership set out to create an additional amenity for the newly acquired casino hotel in Savannakhet. There was already a well-appointed but incomplete two-story clubhouse and an underutilised driving range. The owner initially wanted a fulllength nine-hole course, but once he had decided on the volume of real estate needed to make the project viable, the golf area was only left with 16 hectares. He was not very keen on a par-three layout, but we convinced him we could create a short course where players could utilise most clubs in the bag. A residential element has also been masterplanned on the periphery of the course. Currently most of the hotel guests are gamblers from Thailand, but it is Photo: Nicklaus Design The ninth, which can be played from 145 to 272 yards, is the longest hole on the course “ The tees are enormous free flowing organic shapes that provide multiple shot angles” Sean Quinn of Nicklaus Design talks about a nine-hole par-three course that is taking shape in Laos. Q&A with Sean Quinn

25 expected that the golf course will attract a more diverse clientele. An amusement park has been built for kids, and a new indoor swimming pool is to be added. How have you transformed the site? The site was a nondescript broad hill with no interesting features other than a handful of nice trees and scrubland. All the good trees were saved and incorporated into the course design. Approximately 500 good-sized indigenous trees have been purchased from nurseries in Thailand, with all the trees selected and placed in the field by Nicklaus Design. The property was also pockmarked with pits where the hotel garbage was being disposed. Prior to construction, environmentally the site was a disaster, but the pits were cleaned up and the waste removed in an ecologically sensitive manner. Earthworks began in late November 2024 and around 120,000 cubic metres of dirt was moved in a careful and balanced cut and fill exercise. We also created three deep lakes to generate dirt and to store water. Can you provide an insight into the design of the course? The shaping is bold with 11 metres of vertical elevation change between the lowest point on site and the highest. The course routing starts and finishes near the existing clubhouse and hotel. The longest hole will be from the back tee on hole nine at 272 yards while the shortest is 70 yards from the forward tee on hole eight. We have created an exciting set of greens with a generous number of pinnable areas and subtle contouring. The putting surfaces are large, with an average size of 690 square metres, and are surrounded by bunkers or low areas. Operationally, each green will have two pins with different coloured flags to create an 18-hole round. This is helped by the variety of tee yardages and angles on every hole, allowing for two distinctly different nines when playing twice. The tees are enormous free flowing organic shapes that provide multiple shot angles, with most holes having a five-club swing between forward and back tees. The average tee area is 1,200 square metres, but they are easily mown with ride-on equipment and flow seamlessly into the fairways. All holes are distinctly unique, but the eighth has an island green and will no doubt be a favourite. Also, the sixth has a bunker in the middle of the green, and eight metres of elevation change from tee to green, with that combination sure to make that a player favourite, too. And to top it off, lights have been installed at holes seven, eight and nine to provide a three-hole night golf loop. The range is also lit for nighttime usage. Speaking of the range, we have created five target greens with multiple framing bunkers. Complementing this is a practice green, chipping green and a short-game area. Image: Nicklaus Design Nicklaus Design’s plan for the 16-hectare site has included the creation of three lakes, with one home to the eighth hole’s island green TEE BOX

26 Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects expects construction to begin this year on a new course for Quito Tenis y Golf Club in Quito, Ecuador’s capital city. The RTJ II firm completed a project in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, in 2022. “The people at Guayaquil CC were contacted by those from Quito,” said Bruce Charlton, president of RTJ II. “The two situations were similar: they each had a nice 18-hole course that was part of a big sports facility that was built in the 1950s or 60s. And at Quito, the club is surrounded by housing, industrial and other uses, so, they started a search to find a new site.” Charlton describes the plateau site they found as “crazy good”. He says: “Imagine the cliffs along the eighth hole at Pebble Beach, but much bigger. It’s very dramatic. It’s truly one of the strongest sites I’ve ever worked on. “The clubhouse and other activities are at the southern portion, then the course heads north with returning nines. Thirteen holes directly touch a canyon edge. We didn’t have to transform the site at all; we’re just naturally laying the course without a lot of earthmoving. We’ll take what the land gives us and go with it.” With the course to be built at 9,500 feet above sea level, Charlton and Gorman have had to design long holes; the latest plan has the back tee golfer playing to an 8,200 yardage, which Charlton says will play more like 7,400 yards. “Our overall philosophy everywhere is firm, fast and fun,” said Charlton. “Up on the plateau there is some wind, and you’ll have to play under it on some holes. We’ve made sure that there is plenty of width. A number of greens come right up to the cliff, but there are places to bail out. “There’s a nice natural stream that, as it runs towards the north, gets deeper and becomes a side canyon to one of the bigger canyons. We determined early on that we wanted to use that. Holes eleven and twelve are directly adjacent to it on the west side, while seventeen and eighteen play on its east side. Obviously, the canyons are well defined, making players very aware of the drama… and our routing is very respectful of that.” The club would like to host a PGA Tour Americas event, and the RTJ II RTJ II to begin work on ‘crazy good’ site in Ecuador TEE BOX The RTJ II team have designed a routing for the new Quito Tenis y Golf Club course that has several greens on the cliff edge

27 Photos: RTJ II firm has designed places to hide pins, change angles and add distance. “We’re also using ribbon tees, which can vary hole lengths by more than 100 yards,” said Charlton. “They also wanted a par-three layout, so we were able to get most of the main course out by the canyons and fit in a pitch-and-putt that will be for beginners.” New golf course takes shape in Zimbabwe Construction is under way on a new Peter Matkovich-designed golf course at The Hills Luxury Golf Estate in Harare, Zimbabwe. “The Hills Luxury Golf Estate is part of our vision to develop premium gated communities in Zimbabwe,” said Ken Sharpe, CEO of WestProp Holdings. “The project has faced challenges typical of large-scale developments; however, the delays have allowed us to perfect the estate design and bring out a development that we had not imagined 14 years ago.” The project, estimated to cost US$280 million and incorporates 862 home sites, includes the complete revamp of the former Warren Hills layout, which closed in February 2023. “The layout is undergoing a complete redesign, with changes to the routing, greens, hazards and overall layout to enhance playability and aesthetics,” said Sharpe. “Matkovich’s design philosophy ensures that the course remains challenging yet enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels. “The course is designed to cater to local and international golfers, including professionals and leisurely players. The redesign incorporates modern golfing standards, ensuring a premium experience for residents and visitors alike.” Construction of the golf course is expected to be complete by mid-2026, with an anticipated opening of December 2026. Image: Harris Kalinka Image: RTJ II

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29 TEE BOX A new golf course designed by Canadian architect Jason Miller is in construction near Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. The Timehri Sands course is the vision of the DaSilvas, a Canadabased Guyanese family. The Guyana government has supported the project, and the Ministry of Sport is planning to host local, national and international events once the course is completed. A new road construction project will make the course, located near Cheddi Jagan International Airport, more accessible from Georgetown. “The vision for the site, which was an old sand pit weathered by rain and wind, is to soften the outer steeper banks and utilise these higher elevations for a series of tee decks and unique greens complexes that play in and out of the valley zone,” said Miller. “Fairways will roll and tumble throughout the property, separated by tree groupings or sandy wastes zones. These outer slopes will provide great views across the golf course, from tees and greens, as well as the clubhouse. “The site’s undulations will provide a plethora of lies that will challenge both the ground game, as well as provide the opportunity for an aerial attack on the greens. Angles into the greens will be an important consideration for the low handicap golfers, in order to set up their green strategy and score well.” The course will be seeded with Pure Dynasty paspalum, supplied by Atlas Turf International and Pure Seed. “We chose Pure Dynasty due to its ability to handle the sub-tropical location, sandy soil, humidity, warm temperatures and rainy periods,” said Miller. “Its upright cut helps to keep the ball up and to make life easier for beginners.” Shaping of the opening nine is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. Another nine will be built in a second phase. Once 18 holes are complete, the course will be playable from 4,000 to 6,700 yards. Image: Miller Golf Design Group The opening two holes play to a shared fairway The dogleg par-four fifth plays to a green tucked between dunes The par-five ninth plays downhill to a massive dune that bisects the fairway, and the amphitheatre green is tucked into the site’s main hilltop The sixth plays over a deep valley to a green that is set within one of the site’s forest areas Playing from a hilltop, the par-three third is surrounded by a sandy waste area COURSE BLUEPRINT Timehri Sands

30 A new golf course designed by Darius Oliver at The Cliffs Kangaroo Island destination in South Australia is on track to open for preview play in January 2026. “The opportunity to work on a site that was just as beautiful and just as dramatic as Cape Wickham was a great privilege, but also a little daunting,” said Oliver. “Kangaroo Island is the perfect place to build a destination course.” Oliver’s design has five holes (two, three, eight, fourteen and fifteen) laid out along the clifftops, while three holes (one, seven and thirteen) play south towards the cliff edge. “The eighteenth doesn’t reach the coast but offers a lovely final view of the Southern Ocean,” said Oliver. “There are views from most holes, and a surprisingly glimpse of Pelican Lagoon from the par-three twelfth. While the aim is to build 18 really solid, fun and interesting holes, it’s really the flow of the round and the variety of settings, and surprise views, that we hope will provide golfers with a full sensory experience and keep them coming back. “While there are some similarities with Wickham, the courses are quite different,” continued Oliver. “The Cliffs is set along a more linear coastline, with the seaside golf up on much higher cliffs. The long views are stunning. Fortunately, the internal holes are blessed with rolling duneland that resembles ‘The Cups’ country of the Mornington Peninsula. Some of my favourite holes are away from the coastal edge. “Like Cape Wickham, although a dunes-style golf course, it’s not one of those modern layouts with sand everywhere. For the most part, bunkers are used sparingly and strategically. The pure sand dune holes do feature some natural waste areas, but the inland holes weave through rolling dunes covered in island pasture grasses that provide an ideal rough.” The Cliffs Kangaroo Island to open in 2026 TEE BOX

31 Photo: The Cliffs Kangaroo Island Royal Drottningholm opens two short courses Royal Drottningholm Golf Club near Stockholm, Sweden, has opened a four-hole reversible short layout and a three-hole par-three course, both designed by Johan Benestam. The ‘Little Himalayas’ reversible course has four greens and eight teeing areas, with holes ranging from 50 to 77 yards. “This design offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing golfers to just use a putter or practice a variety of shots with any other club,” said Benestam. The new par-three course has one hole at 71 yards, a second at 142 yards and a third at 98 yards. “The construction of this course includes creatively designed greens, a few greenside bunkers, and synthetic turf tees,” said Benestam. Rain Bird provided an irrigation system and CapillaryFlow supplied bunker lining for both courses, while tees, fairways and greens all feature creeping bentgrass and out-of-play areas are fescue. Photo: Johan Benestam Golf Course Design New El Ebano course by Mike Nuzzo to be built on Mexico’s Gold Coast Cardon Adventure Resort in Sinaloa on Mexico’s Gold Coast has appointed Mike Nuzzo to design a new golf course and Landscapes Unlimited for construction, which will begin in early 2026. The El Ebano layout will be routed through a mountain landscape, with Pacific Ocean views from 12 holes. The course will be part of a masterplanned beach and golf resort that also includes activities such as ocean and pool surfing, fishing, mountain biking, skateboarding, hiking and racquet sports. Landscapes Unlimited’s project development group will oversee aspects of design and engineering, permitting, project administration and budget planning. “Landscapes Unlimited is proven as the best in the business when it comes to ‘soup-to-nuts’ planning and construction of golf courses on-time, on-budget and of the highest quality,” said a Cardon Adventure Resort spokesperson. “We didn’t even look at other companies for the role.” Nine holes are expected to be playable by 2027, and the full 6,900-yard course is scheduled to be completed by late 2028. Image: Nuzzo Course Design

Golflink Evolve esie@golflinkevolve.com European Company Office Sherkin House, Rathmore, Portarlington Co Offaly, R32 WP04 UK Company Office 4th Floor Office, 207 Regent Street London, W1B 4HB • St Andrews Links (New and Old) Fife, Scotland • Trump Turnberry Ayrshire, Scotland • Trump International Golf Links (New and Old) Aberdeen, Scotland • Royal County Down Newcastle, Northern Ireland • Royal Troon Golf Club Troon, Scotland • Royal Birkdale Golf Club Southport, England • Royal Lytham & St Annes England • Royal Liverpool Golf Club Hoylake, England • Royal St. George’s Golf Club Sandwich, England • Loch Lomond Golf Club Luss, Scotland • Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg, Ireland • Portmarnock Golf Club Dublin, Ireland • Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club Deal, England • Ardfin Golf Course Jura, Scotland • Western Gailes Golf Club Irvine, Scotland • The Berkshire Golf Club Ascot, England • Golf du Bois d’Arlon Belgium • Le Golf National Paris, France • Hankley Common Golf Club Surrey, England • Hillside Golf Club Southport, England • Golf Club Breitenloo Zurich, Switzerland • Carton House Golf Kildare, Ireland • Prince’s Golf Club Sandwich, England • Nyn Park Hertfordshire, England • Kingfisher Country Estate Antrim, Northern Ireland • Mortonhall Golf Club Edinburgh, Scotland • Lundin Golf Club Leven, Scotland • Milltown Golf Club Dublin, Ireland • The Heritage Golf Resort Laois, Ireland Trusted by the world’s leading clubs for all aspects of golf course construction and renovation work Photo: Jacob Sjöman Trump International Golf Links (New) Aberdeen, Scotland Photo: Royal Birkdale Golf Club Royal Birkdale Golf Club Southport, England

33 Photo: Leeds Golf Design Giulia Ferroni of Leeds Golf Design is halfway into a 10-year renovation at Cirencester Golf Club in Gloucestershire, England. “The renovation was driven by a desire to modernise a golf course that had become a little tired, while also creating more interest, particularly around greens,” said general manager Leighton Walker. “We see this project as essential to ensuring the course copes with the next 20 to 50 years of its life, while enhancing the playing experience for golfers. In places it will boost the challenge and, in other areas, make the course more approachable for the average player.” Ferroni adds: “The course is an original James Braid design, and one of the aims of the masterplan is to reshape bunkers, green surrounds and other features suitable for modern needs but maintaining the original style whenever possible. The layout was also changed in the mid-1990s when three new holes were built on adjacent land. The style of those holes is not consistent with the rest, so we will address that and provide a uniform course presentation.” Read more about Ferroni’s work at Cirencester on the GCA website. ASGCA’s By Design magazine explores career origins Golf course architects Jan Bel Jan, Steve Forrest, Don Knott, Trey Kemp and Logan Thompson talk about the people, courses and experiences that planted the seed for their career, in the latest issue of By Design magazine, produced for the American Society of Golf Course Architects by the team responsible for GCA. The issue includes case studies on Olde Eight in South Carolina and Cypress Bend in Louisiana, and much more. To download the latest issue and subscribe to By Design, visit www.asgca.org. Gary Johnston becomes EIGCA president Gary Johnston has become the new president of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, following a ceremony at the institute’s annual meeting and 25th anniversary celebrations in Dornoch, Scotland. Johnston (pictured left, with past president Caspar Grauballe) has worked for European Golf Design for over 20 years. Read more on the GCA website. Photo: EIGCA Ferroni reaches halfway point of ten-year renovation at Cirencester TEE BOX

RON WHITTEN We concluded that very little of AW Tillinghast still exists at Swope Memorial Golf Course. His routing is still intact, but the greens and bunkers had been rebuilt so many times that very few original features still exist. Tillinghast made his plans in early 1934, then left an assistant in charge, Thomas Henry Riggs-Miller. Tillinghast never returned during construction and in 1935 began his three-year stint as a consultant to the PGA of America, driving around the nation, inspecting courses and making recommendations on how to cut budgets. Tillinghast did stop by Swope in 1936 as part of his tour and told a reporter his plans were not carried through as originally intended. There wasn’t much Tillinghast to preserve, but a good amount A team is at work to recapture AW Tillinghast’s original vision for Swope Memorial in Kansas City. Honouring a historic gem INSIGHT A 1935 photo of Swope Memorial’s fifth hole (now the sixth) Photo: Kansas City Parks & Recreation 34

35 to ‘restore’. We call our process a sympathetic restoration, trying to address 21st century demands to an early 20th century design. We suspect the greens were surface drained and, thus, had distinct slopes on which pin positions could still be placed because the greens were mowed higher in those days. But the greens we found at Swope today were those installed in a 1989 remodelling. While they tried their best to give it some Tillinghast flavour; in my opinion, they failed for the most part (and primarily an ill-advised ‘Great Hazard’). Many of those rebuilt greens were two-level affairs, with the transition slope invariably placed perpendicular to the angle of approach, resulting in a collection of very similar, almost monotonous two-step greens. We have some decent photos of each green (except the second) from 1934, and while a couple of two-level greens could be found among the originals, there weren’t that many. As there are no original detailed hole-by-hole green plans from Tillinghast, we’ve had to guesstimate on his original contours with what little photographic help we could muster, keeping in mind present day green speeds. Architects Todd Clark and Brent Hugo have developed what I think are a superb set of greens that we’re now installing, ones that will reflect those shown in photographs, but massaged to provide far more pin placements. One example is the third green, which will have a left-to-right flow to it to help move shots down and around a master trap in the right front portion of the green. The green on the par-three fourth (which had been two levels) will now feature a slightly convex putting surface with the front half pitched toward the tee and the back half flowing away from the direction of play. There will be bigger greens that previously existed, partly to provide the superintendent with more potential hole locations and partly to allow us to create some Tillinghast slopes within the greens without sacrificing hole locations. A page from Tillinghast’s 1916 brochure, The Golf Course, where he advocated for ‘Dolomites’, multiple and freefrom mounds that act like a miniature mountain range

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