Portstewart Golf Club, a Place Worthy of Praise
By Nick Edmund Too long in the shadow of its northern neighbors, this renovated links has earned another look The country of Northern Ireland is smaller than the state of Connecticut, and yet in recent years has produced three major champions: Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, and, of course, Rory McIlroy. It can also boast […]
Sand Valley – Mike Keiser has Done it Again
By James A. Frank Everything you’ve heard is true: It is possible to build Bandon Dunes in the Midwest. And the fun has just begun. Mike Keiser has done it again. The man who gave us Bandon Dunes—and got us flying off to play great courses in out-of-the-way places—has brought his magic formula to […]
Congaree – A South Carolina Golf Club with a Mission
By Graylyn Loomis When a new world-class course is being built, the golf world typically knows about it—and talks about it—years in advance. But not Congaree, in Ridgeland, S.C., about 30 miles northwest (inland) from Hilton Head. Even the locals didn’t know what was being built on the former rice plantation, while a dive […]
Los Angeles Country Club (North) After its Makeover
Restored to its original strategic splendor, the tinsel-town treasure is ready for its close-up Los Angeles is a city with little tolerance for yesterday: Venerable buildings are razed to make way for mini-malls and not-so-freeways cut through old neighborhoods without mercy. Thus, it was a blessed anomaly to see the wiser heads at the Los Angeles Country […]
The 21st Century Wave of Breathtaking Golf Courses
If you like courses that are about real beauty rather than real estate (and who doesn’t?), then you have to agree that we are in the midst of a very special period in the history of golf architecture. Gone, hopefully for good, are the days of large-scale developments anchored on courses whose sole purpose was […]
The Story of Liberty National, NYC’s Local Track
By James A. Frank Paul Fireman is a man with a rare sort of vision—the ability to see possibilities where others don’t. Back in 1979 he saw potential in a fledgling British shoe manufacturer. He became the U.S. distributor, eventually bought the company, and in 2006 sold that company—Reebok—for $3.8 billion. About that same […]
Stoatin Brae – Michigan’s New Course from Renaissance Design
By Tony Dear In his 16 years with Tom Doak’s architectural firm Renaissance Golf, Erik Iverson has worked on numerous incredible sites. He was a design associate and shaper on the jagged, finger cliffs at Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand, the sandy knolls at Barnbougle Dunes in Australia, the beautiful Long Island coastline at […]
Mayacama: Wine and Golf at their Best
“Are we a wine club with golf or a golf club with wine programs? That’s what people always ask,” says Jonathan Wilhelm, managing partner of Mayacama, the 675-acre community in the hills of northern Sonoma County, Calif., an hour north of San Francisco. “We look at ourselves as a guest house in wine country for […]
Osprey Cove Golf Club
Following the first rule of real estate—location, location, location—will bring the savvy real-estate consumer to Osprey Cove, the 1,100-acre community in south Georgia that is both close enough and far enough way. “We have the tideland, marshes, and the unique feel of the Lowcountry,” explains Mike Nolen, general manager of the golf club, “while […]
Shenendoah Golf Course at Turning Stone
Why don’t more golf instructors design courses? Teachers understand how real golfers play, which should make them good at building to complement our games. But I can name only one prominent teaching pro who is also an architect: Rick Smith. As a teacher, Smith has worked with countless amateurs as well as Tour pros including […]
