Golf Course Architecture

Newgreens Chatswood, near Sydney, Australia, has opened following a redesign. Originally known as Chatswood Golf Club, the former 18-hole course has been redeveloped by architect Neil Crafter into a 12-hole layout following a reconfiguration of the site. On the new eleventh hole, Crafter says: “It is a redeveloped version of the old seventeenth hole, which plays from elevated tees across Swaines Creek to an undulating fairway with a sandstone escarpment along the right side. The green has been moved back from the old hole and is now at a risk-and-reward length for better golfers who must ask themselves whether the risk of going for the green in one from the tee is worth it, given the many hazards around the green ready to grab a stray tee shot. Shorter hitters should position their tee shot up the right side, just short of the fairway bunker, for a straightforward pitch into the green that avoids the front-left greenside bunker. The safe play from the tee is out to the lower left portion of the fairway, but this requires a tricky uphill approach directly over the greenside bunker. While a short hole, the eleventh really packs a punch.” Read more from Crafter about the 12-hole design: https://lnkd.in/eVMkx_nD

Rodeo Dunes has opened its first course, a Coore & Crenshaw design, to its founding membership. The new layout is the first of potentially six to be built on the 4,000-acre site. The destination, set in the high plains of Colorado and with views of The Rockies, is the latest venture from Sand Valley co-developer Michael Keiser Jr. Read our story: https://lnkd.in/etHgY3ze 📸 Jeff Marsh

RTJ II hired to design new course for Thai CC near Bangkok. “We wanted to flip the script of what one expects when playing golf in the tropics and bring something new to the region,” says Mike Gorman, senior project architect at RTJ II. “This course allows golfers to use the terrain to their advantage. We call it ‘lay of the land’ golf, following the existing terrain and emphasising the ground game over artificial hazards.” Full story: https://lnkd.in/eiqzpQUT

Formby Golf Club Ltd near Liverpool, England, reopens its seventh hole following changes by McDonnell & Cooper. GCA visited the course and interviewed architects Joe McDonnell and Sam Cooper about the project. “We put a great deal of effort in to shape the bunkers so that they appeared as a pair,” says Cooper. “By expanding the right side of the fairway, those who play away from the obvious visual danger and bail out right are left with a completely blind shot to the green.” Read more about the project: https://lnkd.in/eKtj_EgN

New book and film series will celebrate the careers of Coore & Crenshaw. GCA editor Adam Lawrence and StoryLounge producer and former Sony Music executive Vaughn Halyard, who is also the current president of the Donald Ross Society, will produce the projec which includes books and a documentary series. Read about the new project: https://lnkd.in/esgsnne4

Cabot Revelstoke’s golf course, designed by Rod Whitman, is set to open for preview play in autumn 2026. Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and co-founder of Cabot, said: “The scale and beauty of the legendary destination make this one of the most captivating projects we have ever undertaken and an ideal location for Cabot’s first mountain golf and ski experience.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/egCtakdR

Rogelio Abarca of Greg Norman Golf Course Design talks about the firm’s least-disturbance approach to design projects in Mexico.   “From the outset, our ‘least disturbance’ design philosophy guided the work,” he says. “In environments like Riviera Maya where El Camaleón was built, the goal was not to impose a golf course onto the landscape, but to carefully shape the course within it. Many natural elements had to be preserved while working with the terrain and surrounding biodiversity.”   Read more from Abarca: https://lnkd.in/eX-KCNGZ

From our April issue, a report on Brian Curley’s new golf course for Dhoho Golf Club, located in the East Java region of Indonesia. “At Dhoho, I have created what may be some of the largest, most varied and wild green surfaces I have ever done on 18 holes, and they create a unique ground game experience,” says Curley. “We are fortunate to have so many great things align here: a wonderfully committed owner, a fantastic property, amazing surrounding views and incredible design. “I am confident this project will be heralded as one of Asia’s best.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eS5mvSEJ Curley - Wagner | Brad Burgess | Bill Rosmarino | Flagstick GCCM | CADSULT | The Toro Company | Jebsen & Jessen Group

Five-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie West is collaborating with architect Mike Koprowski on a new short course for Candyroot Lodge in the Carolina Sandhills. The par-three layout, Sweet Tooth, is West’s first foray in golf course design. “My golf journey began on par-three courses, so this project feels incredibly personal to me,” she says. “I grew up playing on a public course, and that shaped my love for the game. With Sweet Tooth, I want to create that same kind of environment, where families can connect, kids can discover golf for the first time, and players of all levels feel welcome and excited to play.”   The short layout will join an 18-hole course, designed by Koprowski, which is already under construction and is on track to open for preview play in November 2026. Read more about both courses: https://lnkd.in/er9vX8qG