Golf course construction is booming. A lot of that is happening in the private club model, but there are new public courses opening at high-end resorts both at home and abroad. There’s a ton to be excited about, so we’ve rounded up the most interesting new courses to check out in 2025. Some might require you to call in a favor, but the thrill of the chase can be part of the fun.
By Bloomberg November 19, 2024, 3:02:54 PM IST (Published)
As we inch closer to 2025, we look at seven golf course from across the world that are set to welcome the golf enthusiast Some of these golf course might require you to call in a favor, but the thrill of the chase can be part of the fun. (Image: Reuters)
Broomsedge in South Carolina | Broomsedge, 35 minutes east of Columbia, South Carolina, is golf’s feel-good story. Mike Koprowski, who co-designed the course with Kyle Franz, was convinced that it was the perfect ground for golf and bought the land with his own money. The course seeks to take a prime place in a rapidly growing golf region in the Sandhills of South Carolina and to take advantage of the Masters halo effect each April. Though private, the course will offer public play at special times of the year via a request portal. The course features firm and fast conditions on a compact routing of 200 acres with multiple strategies for players of all skill levels. Opens in February 2025. (Image: https://www.broomsedgegolf.com/)
Scarecrow in Washington | The Cascade Mountains provide the backdrop for this rugged course in Brewster, Washington, with holes sitting in a saddle of land perched above the Columbia River. It was conceived when designer David McLay-Kidd was hired to build a sister course to his original layout at Gamble Sands. The setting provides golfers with an experience of playing over rolling terrain and with long-range views of the river and mountains in the distance. Opens in August 2025. (Image: https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/)
Kinsale Golf Club in Florida | The east coast of Florida has been undergoing a development boom, but over in Naples, on the peninsula state’s west coast, there has also been an expansion craze. Kinsale, built by Gil Hanse, proves that what’s old is new again, as it takes its inspiration from C.B. MacDonald and what became known as the “template holes” he created by scouring Scotland in the late 19th century for the best holes he could find. Hanse’s course is a modern take on those holes, and like those courses of yesteryear, it plays over a wide-open surface framed by native vegetation at the edge of the course. Opened Nov. 1, 2024. (Image: https://kinsaleclub.com/)
Old Petty at Cabot Highlands in Scotland | The Cabot Collection has been aggressively expanding in the last three years with new projects and property acquisitions. This year alone the company announced investments in both Bordeaux and Norway, and 2025 will see the completion of all golf construction at Cabot Citrus Farms, north of Tampa. But it’s Cabot’s project in Inverness, Scotland, the ancient home of golf, that has us putting a Google alert on flight prices. Slated to open in late fall, Old Petty is another dynamic design from Tom Doak that will include crosscrossing play on a huge shared fairway on the first and 18th holes. “We looked to Tom to create something special, and perhaps unconventional by modern standards,” Ben Cowan-Dewar, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cabot, said in the media release. Opening late fall 2025. (Image: //cabothighlands.com)
Shura Links in Saudi Arabia| Shura Links is part of a larger phase of coastal development in Saudi Arabia that includes the new Red Sea International Airport, which opened to international flights in April and will serve all 11 hotels on Shura Island, just a 30-minute drive away. Designed by Brian Curley of Curley-Wagner Design, the course will be Saudi Arabia’s first island golf course and is built in conjunction with Golf Saudi in its effort to make the country a destination for the sport. According to a press release announcing the course, “Every hole has been designed to provide maximum variety, playability and memorability. Holes four to seven hug the coastline, while holes 14 to 18 provide a crescendo finish with each enjoying a backdrop of open sea or channel views.” Opening in March 2025. (Image: Red Sea Global)
Loraloma in Texas | Loraloma will be David McLay Kidd’s first course in Texas. His emphasis has been on the land’s contours, utilizing the Hill Country’s terrain to create a golf course rooted in the region’s character. The private course is part of a new private residential community in Austin that will feature views of the Pedernales River and dramatic elevation changes, including shots over 100-foot ravines. Opening in fall 2025. (Image: Loraloma )
Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina | Currently under construction, the new course at Palmetto Bluff by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw will take golfers through the tapestry of Low Country vegetation in Bluffton, South Carolina. Weaving through live oaks and dangling Spanish moss, the course has gentle rises and falls over terrific sandy ground, which promotes prized playing conditions and drains exceptionally well. The course’s construction is aimed at alleviating crowds at the private community’s existing May River Course, which offers play to guests of the Montage Hotel. Opening in November 2025. (Image: https://www.palmettobluff.com/)
