Development & Design
Development at all-time
low, but golf course
renovations continue
While the number of new golf
courses — and the total number of
courses — continued a long-term
decline in 2016, operators are still
investing in golf through large-scale
renovation projects.
In its annual report, “Golf
Facilities in the U.S. - 2017 Edition,”
the National Golf Foundation (NGF)
reported that 986 major course
renovations have been completed
since 2006, representing a total
investment of at least $3 billion. ;e
number does not include minor
rehabilitation projects, which were
done without signi;cant impact on
the courses’ operations.
Only 10 new golf facilities opened
in 2016, the lowest number on
record. ;ey included ;e Loop at
Forest Dunes in Michigan and Mossy
Oak in Mississippi, both Golf Inc.
Development of the Year honorees.
NGF is tracking new courses in
the pipeline, including 55 courses
of 18-hole equivalent that are under
construction and another 37 that
are in the planning stages. Of those,
28 are daily-fee courses ( 12 new
facilities and 16 additions to existing
properties).
Streamsong Black in Florida, the
reversible Silvies Valley Ranch in
Oregon, Bayou Oaks in Louisiana
and Stoatin Brae in Michigan are
among courses scheduled to open in
2017.
;e number of golf courses in the
U.S. continued to decline, dropping
by 190 to end 2016 with 15,014
facilities, NGF reports. Overall, the
number of facilities was down 5. 6
percent since 2006.
A total of 230 facilities closed
permanently during the past year.
IN DEVELOPMENT
Tiger Woods to design
course for Johnny Morris
Johnny Morris is bringing Tiger Woods
to the people. ;e founder and CEO of
Bass Pro Shops has been assembling a
golf mecca near Branson, Mo., with four
courses designed by some of the biggest
names in golf.
Tiger Woods will add his name to the
complex by designing a 19-hole course,
which will be an homage to Payne Stewart,
as well as a family-friendly par- 3 short
course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale,
Mo.
;e resort already has a nine-hole,
Jack Nicklaus-designed par- 3 course, an
Arnold Palmer-designed practice facility
and a family-friendly, Gary Player-
designed 13-hole track.
It also has two traditional courses:
the Tom Fazio-designed Bu;alo Ridge
Springs Golf Course and a Coore &
Crenshaw-designed track that will open
next year.
Tiger’s design will be his ;rst public
course. Scheduled to open in 2019, it will
showcase the region’s natural beauty and
will feature a dramatic 19th hole, which
can be used to settle un;nished wagers.
;e hole, envisioned by nature-loving
Morris, is dramatically set in a natural
cavern.
Developers say the new course will
be challenging but player-friendly and
walkable. It is being built on the site of
Murder Rock Golf Club, a John Daly
design that Morris acquired in 2013 and
later closed.
Tiger Woods
and developer
Johnny Morris
go over plans
for a new
course to be
designed by
Woods at Big
Cedar Lodge.