Karoo lessons at Cabot Citrus Farms.
Courtesy of Cabot Citrus Farms
The new year will bring a host of new (and newly revised) courses. But to keep our expectations realistic, we focus on community outreach projects. Here are nine that we decided to play.
Poppy Ridge Golf Course
Livermore, Calif.
Opening date: Summer
Like its sibling, Poppy Hills, in Monterey, Poppy Ridge is owned by the Northern California Golf Association and has long been one of the Bay Area’s best daycare standards. But in its original configuration, the 27-hole course had poor holes, marked by high elevation changes and long walks between holes. Enter architect Jay Blasi. For the cost of the new facility, Blasi created an 18-hole tournament, using the most exclusive of the three existing facilities. The result is a compelling, hiking-friendly course, woven into a rolling, vineyard-lined area, about an hour east of San Francisco. Call it a good value, much improved.
Scarecrow at Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash.
Opening date: August 1
Returning to work in the apple country of eastern Washington, David McLay Kidd has made the final round of his second 18-hole course at Gamble Sands. This is in the area that McLay Kidd had hoped to use more than a decade ago for his first course at the resort but was unable to because power lines were in the way. With those lines removed, the main canvas is made ready for tracking. Although similar in spirit to the original Gamble Sands course (on GOLF’s list of the Top 100 Courses in the US You Can Play), with wide fairways and plenty of ground game options, the new structure, Scarecrow, is much more demanding on the green – and more spectacular in its walk. and its view of the river valley. After a limited shooting performance this past fall, the course is scheduled for an August ribbon cutting.
Hosted by Pasatiempo
Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Opening date: Now
On the California course where he chose to make his home, Golden Age giant Alister Mackenzie modeled aspects of his later career at Augusta National, with yawning paw prints and interesting, sloping greens. Now, architect Jim Urbina has restored those plants to their original push style and rebuilt the bunkers with modern construction methods, bringing the beautiful course into an even brighter light. Technically, Pasatiempo breaks our time, as it reopened completely in December of 2024. But that revelation was so recent, few golfers experienced the revamped course.
Old Petty in Cabot Highlands
Inverness, Scotland
Opening date: Preview summer 2025/2026 grand opening
Already home to Castle Stuart (No. 89 on GOLF’s list of the World’s Top 100 Courses), the Cabot Highlands will soon have an assistant, courtesy of Tom Doak. In collaboration with Clyde Johnson, the lead of his project on the site, the architect has come up with a route that turns the trip into a beautiful trip, with the Moray Firth photobombing in the background and the historic church of Old Petty (the sign that gives the course its name. ) to make a cameo along the way. Although the grand opening is scheduled for 2026, the preview game will be available from Aug. 1 to Sep. 30 of this year.
7 Mile Beach Golf Club
Hobart, Tasmania
Expected openings: Spring/Summer 2024
If you need a good excuse to haul your crutches around the world, Mike Clayton, Mike DeVries and Frank Pont have you covered. They are the builders of 7 Mile Beach, in a postcard-perfect location next to the sandy beach of the same name, about 20 minutes from Tasmania’s capital. Delayed for years due to many roadblocks, the course has cleared the last of the hurdles and is expected to be ready in the first half of 2025.
Karoo Course, Cabot Citrus Farms
Brooksville, Fla.
Opening date: Jan. 21
The ‘karoo’ is the sound made by sandhill cranes, their trumpet calls heard near the base of this rugged Kyle Franz design in the Sunshine State’s sand castle. This course is one of the 18-holers at Cabot Citrus Farms, a relatively new and short recreational course. The preview game started at Karoo 2024, but Jan. 21 marks its official opening – and the grand opening of the hotel itself.
Other highlights:
Karsten Creek Golf Club
Stillwater, Okla.
Recognized for his restoration of prestigious places such as Oak Hill and Congressional, Andrew Green was enrolled in the development of the home course of Oklahoma State. Along with the redesign, the work includes new geothermal greens, better adapted to the climate, and a host of renovations aimed at challenging the elite college players who get first-hand access to the facility. With the right planning – and for a fee – the public can attach it to Karsten Creek, too. The course should be ready by the start of the 2025 season.
With respect
The Teeth of the Dog
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Grass replanting, sand cover, habitat and green restoration are among the planned improvements to Pete Dye’s Caribbean heritage site. The design firm of Jerry Pate is managing the project, which is scheduled for completion in late 2025.
PGA West Stadium Course
Palm Springs, Calif.
If you’re listening to American Express later this month, you’ll be looking at the Streamlined Stadium, Pete Dye’s famous desert design, where the green has been restored to its original size and shape, among other improvements. The recently completed work was part of a three-year, multi-million dollar project that included the development of two other Dye tracks at PGA West (Mountain and Dunes). The platform is the best, however, and, two weeks from now, you can watch the pros play it before you pick it up for yourself.
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