Are you looking for new courses to play in all the wrong places? Probably. New golf courses are popping up in the most unlikely of locales these days. Check out these new layouts set to debut this year or next. A very impressive line-up!
Ozarks National–Branson, Missouri
Opening next week (April 29, 2019 is the official opening), this much anticipated layout, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design is part of the Big Cedar Lodge golf portfolio that also includes Buffalo Springs (Tom Fazio), Mountain Top (Gary Player) and Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus). Outstanding features at the 7,036-yard Ozarks National include a 400-foot wooden beam and plank bridge, which connects the tee box and fairway of the 13th hole that stands 60-feet above a flowing creek and jaw-dropping views of the surrounding Ozark terrain.
Lustica Bay Golf Club–Montenegro
The first course built in this tiny country, Lustica is a Gary Player Design expected to open nine holes in 2020 and another nine in 2021. It’s part of a master planned community that encompasses a hotel, marina, golf course villas and marina village. The impressive site features spectacular views over the Adriatic Sea, Kotor Bay and the mountains beyond as well as dramatic elevation changes. Design features include stepped fairways, small cavernous bunkers and small putting surfaces.
Payne’s Valley–Branson, Missouri
Slated for a grand opening in 2020 with expected preview play in 2019, the course is named in honor of golf legend and Ozarks native, the late Payne Stewart. It will be the first completed fully public-access course in the world designed by Tiger Woods’ design firm TGR Design. Being built to showcase the region’s pristine beauty, the championship course will feature a dramatic 19th hole, “The Rock,” that can be used to settle unfinished wagers. The hole was envisioned by nature-loving Morris, and is set in a dramatic geological feature. The challenging, but player-friendly walkable course will have a stunning conclusion where golfers will traverse through a natural cavern system to return to the clubhouse after completing the 19th hole.
Vistas del Pedregal Golf & Country Club–Dominican Republic
Set in a mountainous region near the capital of Santo Domingo, this Greg Norman design is expected to open late 2019 or early 2020 along with a learning center and short game facility. The beautiful site has dramatic elevation changes and is surrounded by tropical forests. Golfers will enjoy panoramas of mountains and ravines. Norman is staying true to his design philosophy of sustainability and least disturbance. The championship course will play to a par-72 and measure 7,225 yards from the tips.
Dumbarnie Links–Scotland
Expected to open in spring 2020 near St Andrews, this upscale daily-fee course will be similar to Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart in that the land will be enhanced somewhat by innovative earth moving techniques. Designed by Clive Clark, the Dumbarnie has a mile and half of sea frontage with views of the Firth of Forth. Fourteen of the holes will have views of the Bay and the Firth of Forth. The design incorporates three potentially driveable Par-4s and will range in yardage from 5,300 to 6,900 with a special set of professional tees that can stretch the course to 7,600 yards.
