The July 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture features the New course at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, on the cover. Toby Ingleton paid a visit and spoke with the project team about the dramatic site, which centres on a system of high dunes that are as impressive as those found on the club’s first course.
The par-three eighth at the recent US Open at Oakmont got a lot of press for being virtually 300 yards in length, with many players critical of the hole, and long par threes in general. For our main feature article, ‘Not for a long shot?’, Adam Lawrence spoke with several golf course architects, including Steve Smyers, Dave Sampson and Christine Fraser, about their thoughts on long one-shotters.
Adam also reports on a visit to the new Torre course at Terras da Comporta, designed by Sergio Garcia’s firm. “It might not be able to dethrone its sister Dunas for the title of Portugal’s best course, but it is a very good partner,” he writes.
Our third ‘On site’ article is on the Upper course at Baltusrol in New Jersey, where Gil Hanse has now completed renovation of the AW Tillinghast’s famous ‘dual courses’. “From an architecture standpoint, the golf course had been changed less than the Lower,” says Hanse, who renovated the Lower course in 2021. “As I look back over the masterplan sheets we did, there was significantly less movement of bunkers.”
“I want the entry level golfer to have a place to play and have a sports activity that they enjoy for a lifetime,” says Rees Jones, in an exclusive interview for this issue. He speaks about following in the footsteps of his father, his work at Bethpage Black, as the 2025 Ryder Cup approaches, projects in Asia and much more.
Ron Whitten writes about Swope Memorial, where he is consulting on a project led by CE Golf Design that is aiming to recapture AW Tillinghast’s original vision for the Kansas City course. He writes: “There wasn’t much Tillinghast to preserve, but a good amount to ‘restore’. We call our process a sympathetic restoration, trying to address 21st century demands to an early 20th century design.”
We also have reports on Eschuri Vung Bau Golf Resort, a new IMG course located on an island off the coast of southern Vietnam; the US$3 billion Hann Reserve development in New Clark City, Philippines, which will have courses by Nicklaus Design, KJ Choi and Faldo Design; a new golf course by Greg Norman’s firm for the Moon Palace Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic; the Mackenzie & Ebert renovation of La Moye Golf Club on the island of Jersey; the new Peter Harradine-designed Capital Hills course, which is part of a huge development in Islamabad, Pakistan; and Wichita CC, where Tripp Davis has completed an infrastructure-focused renovation for the Kansas club.
Elsewhere, our news section includes the proposals by King Collins Dormer for Royal Dornoch in Scotland, the Gil Hanse renovation of Royal Sydney in Australia, the new Scarecrow course that DMK Golf Design has created for Gamble Sands and insight from Canadian architect Jason Miller on the new Timehri Sands golf course that is being built in Guyana.
We hope you enjoy the read!