This may be depressing but I am sure many of you have found or seen locations that would be ideal for a golf course you would love to design or have a hand in designing but for one reason or another, that would never happen.

For me, the place that stands out the most are the sand dunes on the north side of Prince Edward Island. These are incredibly wild and open dunes near the town of Cavendish [or is it North Cavendish?], which are now part of a Canadian National Park. Not far away is Green Gables Golf Club which is by Stanley Thompson but it just barely gets into the dunes and has been changed considerably, as I understand it, since the original design.

The Links at Crowbush Cove only touch into those dunes but still result in a good course.

I would think an architect would go to great lengths to work on land like that. I would post photos of it if I knew how. Jordan, if you are out there, please send me an email to tell me how to post photos.

Any other spots?

Anyway, I am sure there are ideal spots where you architects would love to work, but perhaps cannot.

Cow Neck for sure.

Probably Gardiners Island.

Gazos Creek, on the coast between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay.

I can’t remember specifically, as I have only been through the area once, but Mike DeVries pointed out to me a few areas along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan that consisted of very interesting dunes, and could be utilized as great golfing terrain.  I’m not sure what bureaucracy has the jurisdiction over this land, but I would presume there must be something similar to the California Coastal Commission that would prevent any such land from being developed.  This is the same reason that most of these other sites mentioned will never be developed for recreational (golf) use.  

How about the great seaside dunes at Fort Ord, or the amazing property that was threaded late last year just north of Santa Barbara around Gaviota.

Michael, you beat me to it! I'm in total agreement on both counts. In addition, every time I drive through the Santa Ynez Valley I see spots here and there that make me imagine what could be. And how about Camp Pendelton? I'm sure there is a reason Shackelford picked that area for a setting in his novel, The Good Doctor Returns. Lots of good spots I've noticed through out the base.

Lunada Bay on the Palos Verdes Peninsula - Coastal Cliffs with some character, inlets, bluffs, etc, and a broad expanse of meadow land.

I don't know how available or unavailable this land is, but there is some amazing dunesland along Hwy 1 between Rockport and Point Arena in Northern California.

I'm not sure if its military owned, private, or apart of the park system, but there are some remote stretches of jaw dropping land right on the ocean.

If this land were to become available, how is the permitting in CA?  Is it even in the realm of doable.  As Mike Keiser had a long fight in Bandon, would Nor Cal be any easier or tougher?

Even better yet this:

With the natural undulation of the land in Golden Gate park,  the old mature Cypress trees, and a somehwat naturally sandy base, you could build a course to rival Olympic and SFGC.

Pete Galea's mention of the dunesland on the San Mateo County (CA) coastline near Gazos Creek is right on. It is part of a state park and not far from the Anjo Nuevo protected wild-life area, so nothing will ever happen there golf course-wise. Still, it is a nice spot to get out of your car, walk around and route your own golf course.

Almost half of Eastern Washington.  Between the scablands and the palouse.  Not sure what the soil composition is, but it sure looks a lot like the Nebraska and Eastern Colorado as far as hills and dunes.  Probably never see a course due to lack of population and value of land for wheat.

What's the place near Vandenburg or Santa Barbara County?  Hollister Ranch ...

Mashomack Wildlife preserve, Shelter Island
2100 acres-10 miles of coastline
Beautiful sandy bluffs,pitch pines, beautiful oaks.
My routing hugs the coast for 17 holes after playing accross on the first

Does anyone know of a deal where a nature preserve was logically convinced to allow a golf course (as low enviroment impact as possible)under the arguement of providing recreation for thousands of humans while still preserving the 16 piping plovers (or whatever) that are currently in residence?
While still preserving the public's right to hike and enjoy such a property,of course.

In my example you'd be impacting less than 10% of the property (and only about a third of that would be maintained)

Could a land preservation swap be arranged?
10000 acres of upstate New York land for 150?