Where in the World?

[Jason Topp]

I echo the ranch land on the Big Island.  Terrific views and weather.  Great terrain.  I don't know about the soil or availability.  

[Smokey_Pot_Bunker]

For what it's worth here are a couple of areas which seem like good places for golf courses for me.  

California-Around the area of Lompoc or Solvang past Santa Barbara with nice rolling terrain, mature oaks and mountain ranges and a temperate climate.

California #2- This maybe a bit remote but along I-5 driving up (north) the central valley with the costal mountain range to your left the foothills of those mountains seem ideal terrain for locating the right piece of property for a golf course.  West of the fresno area?

Washington- The palouse region of the western part of the state near Pullman and Spokane Wonderful rolling terrain moderate climate possibly even in winter (only seen pictures).

Florida- Between Ocala,Orlando and Tampa.  good terrain for Florida, Mature Oak trees, good climate.

Africa-Namibia Coast.  Skeleton Coast only seen pictures of this area but the imposing dunes along the coast seem like a good place off the beaten path.


That's all I can think of right now.

[Sean Leary]

Not to throw the big island idea under the bus, but didn't Chuck Schwab already try to do this with Nanea?  I've heard nothing but great things...

[John Kirk]

I'm a west coast US guy, first the Bay Area, now up in Oregon.  If I were living in California, I wouldn't want to deal with building in an other country, though Scotland might tempt me, since my kin is Scottish.

Dunesland on the Oregon coast is likely the best local soil and geography for golf.  The weather is relatively mild, with maybe 250 play days per year.  It's right next to California.  Good land might be available for a low enough cost to make it worth being within a few hundred miles.  The southern Oregon coastal towns would accommodate another great course.  I'd talk to Tommy.  I don't know the area well enough to know the great private dunesland areas; much of it is state owned.  But the weather/sand/ocean is hard to beat so close to home.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Not to throw the big island idea under the bus, but didn't Chuck Schwab already try to do this with Nanea?  I've heard nothing but great things...

Ditto...I've talked to some folks who have played there recently...raves all round for the Kidd course.

[Mike Benham]

There are some very attractive sites along the Central California coast ... and with the recent ruling on eminent domain, I'm sure one of the local communities could claim the land from the Air Force and build a first class resort with plenty of tourism revenue.

North of Vandenburg AFB

South of Vandenburg AFB

[Chris Munoz]

Tom, this piece of property is not located on the ocean, but its has a great terrian for a golf course.  Its a old cow farm located in Dutchess County, NY-Rhinebeck.  The land is on 500+ acres.  Enough for a 18 hole golf course and maybe a par 3 course.  Kind of reminds me of the land at Erin Hills, the Hurdzan/Fry Design in Erin Hills Wisconsin


Muni

[Bill_McBride]

Tom, what is the projected clientele of the course?  If it's a Sebonac or Friars Head typical member, the course could be more remote, accessible by private jet.  If a level or two down from there, accessibility by commercial air might be a requirement.  Transportation requirements could affect location.  

California coastal permitting could be a major factor too!  

[Mike_Young]

Tom,
Some of the best dunes I have seen are in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina on the Island of Florianopolis....google it...good climate and 10 years ago was just coming into it's own.
Mike

[Johnny_Browne]

Tom,
I would second Mike Sweeneys post - St Patricks in Donegal, NW Ireland - here are a few reasons
36 holes of links already there but poor design and even poorer conditioning - however planning therefore not an issue
12 month golf - will never be closed although wet and windy at times
No need for irrigation systems
Goes along a wonderful beach and stretch of coastline
I have long felt that with a top class architect it could be the best 36  holes links in Ireland bar none
Would bring a much needed boost to the area - Donegal has lost 3-4000 jobs recently with the closure of manufacturing companies
Is 2 hours from Belfast Airport and 1 hour from Derry Airport
There are quite a few good (but not great) links courses in NW Ireland and so could become a viable golf centre

Cons
Owner is regarded as "cranky" and so far unwilling to sell
The only thing you can depend on with the weather is that you cannot depend on it
I have quite a few pictures which I will post sometime and I intend to go back up and play again and take more photos.
Johnny Browne

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I agree with Mike Young, awesome property in the florianopoplis area..the same thing in northern Brazil in Bahia and probably the best natural golf land I have evr seen, the dunes of Chile.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

It's not links land, but there is still some fabulous heathland in Poland and it's not that long ago (up to the end of communism) that the farmers worked the land with horses.  There's another horse-and-scoop heathland gem along the lines of Swinley Forest simply waiting for an entrepreneur.

Someone also needs to look at the old eastern-bloc military training grounds to the west of Berlin - pure heathland.  

[Russell Lo]

How about NW Scotland? I've heard it's remote as hell but tremendous linkslands.

[Tom_Doak]

Heathland in Poland?  Really?  That one has me intrigued, although I doubt this client will choose it.

Thanks everyone for the ideas.  I'm all ears if you've got more, too.  One of these days I'm going to be in position to make some of them happen.

[Voytek Wilczak]

Heathland in Poland?  Really?  That one has me intrigued, although I doubt this client will choose it.

Tom:

Lots of soil in Poland is sandy, and heather is very common.

For example: the bunker is already made here:

http://www.roztocze.stalwol.pl/Roztocze/Html/FHtml/pict162.htm

There is only a handful of golf courses there now, but one is a Gary Player design.

Poland also has some tremendous hardwoods, old forests on rolling terrain, often with a manor house included...

I go there as a tourist now (having been born there), and when I visit these old manor houses and minor castles (often turned into hotels and restaurants), sitting on many hectares of rolling hardwoods, I am thinking - there must be a Pine Valley there somewhere....

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

The coastline on Maine has few equals, the scenery, topgraphy and natural rock formations are second to none. I think it has more potential than "another" dunes site for you.

Ian

[Jack_Marr]

Tom,
I would second Mike Sweeneys post - St Patricks in Donegal, NW Ireland - here are a few reasons
36 holes of links already there but poor design and even poorer conditioning - however planning therefore not an issue
12 month golf - will never be closed although wet and windy at times
No need for irrigation systems
Goes along a wonderful beach and stretch of coastline
I have long felt that with a top class architect it could be the best 36  holes links in Ireland bar none
Would bring a much needed boost to the area - Donegal has lost 3-4000 jobs recently with the closure of manufacturing companies
Is 2 hours from Belfast Airport and 1 hour from Derry Airport
There are quite a few good (but not great) links courses in NW Ireland and so could become a viable golf centre

Cons
Owner is regarded as "cranky" and so far unwilling to sell
The only thing you can depend on with the weather is that you cannot depend on it
I have quite a few pictures which I will post sometime and I intend to go back up and play again and take more photos.
Johnny Browne

If Enniscrone isn't a great Irish golf course, then we have none in the country.

[Johnny_Browne]

Jack,
To be fair I was not including Enniscrone as I was really meaning Donegal as N West - Rosses Point is a great course of course and should be on everyone's itinerary but I left it out as it is outside Donegal. I consider Ballyliffen as good but not great courses.  I have not played Enniscrone and therefore cannot properly comment but from those who have and whose views I respect it is not considered one of the great links of Ireland to rank with Co Down, Portrush, Ballybunion etc.
When I play it I will comment as I see it.
Johnny

[Jack_Marr]

Johnny

You should deffinately try to get out there if you're over. It's getting better all the time too. I agree with you about the other courses. They are all very enjoyable to play.

On another note = What if the greatest course on earth was built in a country not renouned for golf, say Russia or Croatia. Would it get the recognition it deserves?

Jack

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Voytek,

Thanks for confirming the Polish heathland bit.  I was there a number of times in the 80s travelling round in a Polski Fiat or (worse) on a bus provided by the state artistic agency which was incapable of anything above 30km per hour.  I had plenty of time to notice the plentiful heathland and other fecund sites.  Interestingly, my driver spoke no English and I no Polish, but with the aid of paper and pencil I was able to explain the principles of golf to him!

There's also some heathland left in the former East Germany - especially the old Russian Army tank training areas.  I remember flying into Berlin over some of these one time when the Communist authorities routed our flight from Dusseldorf at some outrageously low altitude (to make the westerners burn more fuel, the pilot told us) and quite large tracts of land were very similar to the military training grounds on the heathlands of Surrey and Hampshire.

[Paul_Daley]

TD:

You cannot go past New Zealand's South Island. More specifically, I'm referring to the expansive Otago Peninsula -
a golfing gold mine waiting to be discovered: sandy; rugged; windblown and extreme; confronting vistas. Ring of Kerry-like, in many parts. And it is only 30 minutes from the vibrant city of Dunedin.    

The opportunity must exist to piggy-back onto what's already been acheived. As you know, Julian Robertson's much vaunted NZ "String of Pearls" has seen him launch Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers. From where I sit, I don't see two courses as constituting a genuine "string". And so, with these two courses being located in the North Island, surely his third one must be slated as South Island. Perhaps, also, his people are assessing the Otago Peninsula. Ask NZ professional Greg Turner what he thinks about this awesome landform.

If Julian is not interested, and you'll know the protocol here, jump in for your client.





 

[Steve Lapper]

Tom,

   There's a world-class site (and existing 18) sandwiched right between Southampton GC and your new Sebonack course. It might well become available to the "right" client who has ties to the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. The site s so good it's already hosted quite a few majors!

  Not hard to get to and plenty of existing layout ideas! Just have your client wait a few years, make the right bid, at the right time, in the right administration, and build the new owners a little card room....... and voila!

  No need to travel to the ends of the earth for perfection!!!

  You might even be annointed as the new "Big Sultan of Southampton."

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tibet  

[John Shimp]

Still plenty of property in the NC mountains.  Tom Fazio has built 3 high profile projects (Wade Hampton, Diamond Creek, and Mountaintop)there.  Still not many classic designs in the NC mountains though.  Most good courses tend to be flashy except for Linville, Highlands, and Roaring Gap.

[ChipRoyce]

Mustang Island, Texas.

Perhaps a strange suggestion, but a beautiful barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico and land similar on which Lido & Gulfstream was built with bayfront and oceanfront land available.

I said it first and would be glad to help secure land- can't wait for my honorary membership!