Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

Ten golf course designs to look out for in 2025

Golf participation continues to rise, as reported by the R&A and National Golf Federation, and with that comes new golf courses and renovation projects.

To kick off the year, we are highlighting ten projects that we think are going to catch the eye of the golfing public in 2025.

Five new courses that will officially open in 2025

The MacLeod course at Trump Aberdeen, Scotland

A design team of Martin Hawtree, Christian Lundin and Christine Fraser are creating a new course that spans hundreds of acres of rugged coastal terrain with views across the North Sea. It has been laid out over three distinct areas: sandy dunesland, heather-clad heathlands and expansive wetlands. The MacLeod course is expected to open in summer 2025.

The Keep at McLemore in Georgia, USA

Designed by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, McLemore’s second course occupies a spectacular setting on a mountaintop plateau. With five holes that play along a cliff edge, the course is punctuated by rocky outcrops and there are 70-mile views from almost every hole on the course. The Keep opened for preview play in September 2024 and will have its grand opening in summer 2025.

Shura Links, Saudia Arabia

A Curley-Wagner Design course, Shura Links is being developed by Red Sea Global on an island off the west coast of Saudi Arabia that is connected to the mainland by a 3.5-kilometre causeway and is about half an hour from the newly opened Red Sea International Airport. The course is on track to open this year.

The Torre course at Terras da Comporta, Portugal

For the second course at Terras da Comporta, Sergio Garcia’s design team and contractor CJW Golf are working on a 365-hectare parcel of sandy land with pine forest and rice paddies, overlooking the sea. The Torre course is expected to open in June 2025.

7 Mile Beach in Hobart, Australia

Seeding of the new Clayton, DeVries & Pont course was completed in March 2024 and the layout is now growing in. Preview play is expected to be available in summer 2025 with a full opening by the end of the year. Read more about the project from our 2022 interview with Mike Clayton.

Five major renovations that will be completed in 2025:

The Upper course at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey, USA

Hanse Golf Design completed work on the Lower course at Baltusrol in 2021, and subsequently moved on to a renovation of the Upper course, again seeking to restore much of the original design intent from AW Tillinghast. The course will reopen in spring 2025.

La Grande Mare, Guernsey

European Golf Design (EGD) is making use of new land to renovate, reroute and extend the Channel Islands course. “The prime site characteristic is the widespread use of water hazards, which offset the short length with some thrilling shots,” says Robin Hiseman, architect at EGD. A soft opening is scheduled for summer 2025.

Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina

Love Golf Design will lead a restoration that aims to preserve classic shot values and design as well as ensure the course has championship-level playing conditions. Work includes rebuilding greens, bunkers and bulkheads. The course will close for construction in May 2025 and is expected to reopen in November.

Donegal Golf Club, Ireland

Paul McGinley Golf Course Design has completed two phases of renovation work at Donegal Golf Club, located on the Murvagh Peninsula on Ireland’s Atlantic coast. The third and final phase focuses on seven holes and will take place in 2025.

The Island course at The Singapore Island Country Club, Singapore

Brett Mogg is leading a redesign of the Island course, which is expected to cost more than $20 million. The project, which includes all course features and the installation of a SubAir system for greens, is progressing and the Island is expected to reopen this year.

Previous Article Happy holidays to all Golf Course Architecture readers!
Next Article Four courses set to officially open at Cabot Citrus Farms
Print
4043 Rate this article:
No rating
Slideshow HTML
  • 2025 new golf courses renovations
    Jacob Sjoman

    The MacLeod course at Trump Aberdeen is expected to open in summer 2025

  • 2025 new golf courses renovations
    Evan Schiller

    The Keep opened for preview play in September 2024 and will have its grand opening in summer 2025

  • 2025 new golf courses renovations
    Red Sea Global

    Shura Links, a Curley-Wagner Design course, is on track to open on an island off the west coast of Saudi Arabia in 2025

  • 2025 new golf courses renovations
    Rain Bird

    The Upper course at Baltusrol will reopen in spring 2025 following a renovation by Hanse Golf Design

  • 2025 new golf courses renovations
    Harbour Town Golf Links

    Love Golf Design will renovate Pete Dye’s Harbour Town this year, with the course to reopen in November 2025

ADd Image Credit here for home page
Jacob Sjoman
Richard Humphreys

Richard HumphreysRichard Humphreys

Other posts by Richard Humphreys
Contact author

Contact author

x

Subscribe to the Golf Course Architecture newsletter


  • ©2025 Tudor Rose. All Rights Reserved. Golf Course Architecture is published by Tudor Rose.