Best club built in a urban area in the last 25 years?

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

If we use MSA for the 1MM measure, St. Louis has Forest Park.  Hale Irwin's firm redesigned it in 2003-2004

From the Forest Park website ...

"Their principal architect, Stan Gentry, took the task of re-working Robert Foulis' work with a keen eye on incorporating the look and feel of the original course."

The course is no more than 5 miles from downtown.

Interesting thing about Forest Park, and I never realized this until I learned about GCA, is that the renovation brought about several McDonald/raynor template holes such as the Biarritz, an Alps, a similar replica to St. Louis CC's Blind hole, and a squared green. Not sure about Stan Gentry's bio but it was an obvious nod.

They also resisted the urge to stretch it out and kept it a very manageable 6300 yards from the tips.

[Sidney Lin]

I have never played this course but Capital Golf Club in Melbourne Australia. It is in the Sandbelt of Melbourne so think Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath (actually almost adjacent!).

It was built by Lloyd Williams who then owned Crown Casino Melbourne and since sold that to the Packer family for $67.6m (AUD) who also own Ellerston on their private property. http://www.propertyobserver.com.au/finding/location/vic/29066-lloyd-williams-sells-capital-golf-club-to-crown-resorts.html

Capital refuses to be reviewed and access is only granted to high rollers at Melbourne's Crown Casino allegedly.

It looks spanking and very much a Melbourne Sandbelt course.

[Jim Nelson]

Las Vegas falls around the 2 M number and it is fairly concentrated.  The city of Las Vegas has a smaller population than you  might expect but keep in mind that the Strip is in the county area and not technically in the city.  Overall Metro area is pretty condensed tho, probably no more than 25-30 miles in diameter.

So it qualifies as an urban area although many of the neighborhoods feel suburban and are.  The last 25 years build out of golf courses would be a long list.  The last few years…. crickets…  There is talk of a new course going in by The Discovery Land people in the west.

Best courses in last 25 years?

Shadow Creek
Southern Highlands (you could get there via public transportation)

[Sidney Lin]

I thought water was becoming an issue in Vegas so they have stopped building golf courses that are quite thirsty.

Mission Hills in Shenzen with its 12 courses would be up there ... Surrounding population over 20 million...

[Martin Toal]

Portmarnock Hotel Links which is well within Dublin City boundaries. May struggle with the 1 million requirement, though.