As golf’s popularity soars, a wave of new courses is teeing up from Florida’s Emerald Coast to the middle of Missouri.
Created by renowned architects and world-class golfers, complete with ocean views, environmentally-friendly greens and flower-filled roughs that promote local ecosystems, these lovely layouts are redesigning the game for a new generation of players.
Whether you’ve been hitting the links for years or just getting the hang of your clubs, these are some of the new courses to try to get on next, just in time for National Golf Month.
The Third at Camp Creek Inn
30A’s Watersound Club already has two excellent golf courses, but it’s so popular that the team decided to add another one. Aptly named The Third, the 18-hole course was designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III.
To play, you’ve got to be a member of the club or a guest at its hotel, Camp Creek Inn. Book a stay and you’ll be in for a treat — the chic, inviting rooms have pleasant views and luxurious amenities, plus you have access to all the club has to offer, from its three courses to its incredible beachfront restaurants, pools and lounge areas.
The staff is highly hospitable on and off the greens. Speaking of the main event, Love designed it to be ideal for players of various levels with six different tee options. There are expansive greens with undulations that encourage plenty of ball movement, strategically positioned bunkers, unique flora and fauna (including an eagle’s nest), and a tasty rest stop with mini hot dogs and sliders.
The Pines at The International Golf Club
The International, a premier golf club steeped in rich history that’s just 35 minutes outside of Boston, debuted a brand-new course earlier this summer. The site has been home to a golf course since 1901, when it was opened as a public nine-hole playing field. In 1953, it was made private, and in 1955, the Pines Course was unveiled as the longest golf course in the world at 8,040 yards.
While the course held that title for more than 50 years, it was reimagined by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw as a course stretching just over 7,000 yards. The architects believe in the golden age of golf and that the best courses are those that encourage playing a traditional, strategic game. It is with this mentality that the duo re-routed the course to make better use of its interesting landforms and mature vegetation. Drought-resistant and low-maintenance fescue grass is on the tees, fairways and roughs, allowing for greater shot diversity. The Pines is one of the first new courses to open in Massachusetts in the last decade.
Should you need a place to stay after you play, Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel Boston is less than an hour away and promises a memorable and beautiful respite across from the Public Garden.
The Shoe
In July, the Golden Horse Golf Club in Williamsburg, Virginia, unveiled The Shoe, a nine-hole beauty designed by Rees Jones. Known for his thoughtful and innovative approach to course architecture, Jones threaded the holes through subtle undulations that present a challenge even for seasoned golfers. With no bunkers in front of the greens, it’s also ideal for beginners who haven’t mastered their chip shots yet.
The Shoe is also perfect for those with tight schedules, seeing as how every hole is a par three. Another perk of The Shoe is its Colonial Williamsburg location, meaning it’s but a stone’s throw from Four-Star Williamsburg Inn, a historic property with 62 guest rooms, world-class dining and other lavish amenities.
Poppy Ridge
Fans of Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach will be thrilled to know that its owners, Northern California Golf Association, have opened a sister golf course in Livermore, California. The Jay Blasi-designed Poppy Ridge is done with warm-weather turf that requires less water and makes for exceptional playing all year round. The fairways are wide, thanks to the location’s dramatic elevation changes and windy nature, while the greens are of various sizes and shapes. The course is also more walkable and features a new fleet of golf carts equipped with the latest technology.
Although it’s a 50-minute drive from Poppy Ridge, San Francisco is where you’ll want to stay the night. Five-Star The St. Regis San Francisco is one of the city’s finest hotels and is close to the Bay Bridge, so you won’t have to drive far into the town to rest.
Cliffhangers at Big Cedar Lodge
Cliffhangers is a course that lives up to its name. A part of Ridgedale, Missouri’s Big Cedar Lodge — the 4,600-acre Lodge is one of five nature-focused resorts from Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops — Cliffhangers is built into the Ozark Mountains’ naturally rugged landscape, with winds coming through towering cliffs and dense woodlands that add intrigue to every shot.
The 18-hole, par-three stunner offers breathtaking lakeside views, much like the five other courses that were already onsite. Cliffhangers’ third hole, known as “Lion’s Den,” probably tells the scenic story best: the tee lies inside a limestone cave and requires players to drive their ball through a waterfall that spills over the entrance, creating dramatic, Instagrammable strokes you couldn’t have dreamt up in your wildest miniature golf fantasy.
