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Creating the Course — The Final Design
Editor's Note: This article is written in partnership with Adobe.
AI is impacting the way we live in virtually every industry and across all platforms. In golf course design, however, the capability of AI to help develop ideas and craft new courses has only begun to be explored.
Golf Digest teamed up with the golf team at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, to see what the future of AI-assisted golf course design could look like (click here to watch our video feature about this project). The goal was for the student-athletes to design a signature par 3, par 4 and par 5 using Adobe Firefly and Boards software, and ultimately produce an entire, AI-generated 18-hole course.
To help the team prepare for this assignment, Golf Digest’s Architecture Editor Derek Duncan traveled to Maine and joined the students at their home course, Martindale Country Club. While walking the course, Duncan and the student golfers discussed general architectural principles and talked through some of the lessons they could incorporate from studying the holes they regularly play. After the walkthrough, the team returned to campus and got to work drafting versions of their new, ideal golf holes onto Adobe Boards. Once they had their concepts worked out, the powerful creative intelligence of Adobe Firefly transformed those ideas into fully integrated, lifelike renditions of holes that look ready to play.
It took Adobe Firefly only a matter of seconds to transform an almost infinite array of inputs and inspirations (in this case from amateurs like the Bates golf team) into intricately realized golf holes. In the hands of professional architects and firms, there seem to be no limits beyond imagination for how this technology can be used to help showcase potential ideas to clients, to develop three-dimensional building plans or to streamline production.
We asked the Bates players to let their imaginations run free and not feel limited in what kind of holes and landscapes they asked Firefly to conjure. We wanted to see what their dream holes, and ultimately a dream golf course, would look like using these remarkable tools.
The result is a collection of original holes, including a signature par 3, par 4 and par 5, that explore an extraordinary range of not-quite-real but entirely plausible settings for golf. The course the student athletes created represents an enthusiastic vision of what golf can be, and the capabilities of these new technologies.
1. This signature par 5 winds through a towering forest of pines, demanding accuracy over brute strength. Strategic bunkers guard the approach to a green set into a natural amphitheater, rewarding those who play smart position golf. It’s a true three-shot hole for most, but a tempting risk-reward opportunity for the bold.
2. Framed by golden firefly bush and dense forest, the Bates College team’s signature par 4 tempts players with a generous fairway but punishes misfires with deep greenside bunkers. Precision on the approach is key: miss short and you’ll face a tricky up-and-down from the sand; miss long and you're chipping back from a tight lie.
3. A dramatic par 3 that demands a full carry over water to a tightly guarded green tucked beside the lake’s edge is the Bates team’s last signature hole. With multiple tee boxes staggered along the water’s edge, the hole is thoughtfully designed to offer a fair but formidable test for players of all skill levels.
4. This picturesque par 4 is laid out among tall sand dunes and demands a well-placed drive to have a chance at reaching the elevated green in two. The green sits high on a dune, so approach shots require loft and precision to hold the surface. Players who choose to lay up will face a blind, uphill shot that adds complexity to an already demanding hole.
5. With bunkers guarding both the fairway and the green, players must choose how aggressive to be on this hole. Hitting driver brings the left bunker into play and creates a tougher angle, but leaves a shorter approach. Laying up avoids the fairway bunkers and sets up a better angle to attack the green without flirting with the greenside bunkers.
6. This striking green is perched atop a ridge and demands accuracy with a short iron. Hitting the green is essential, since any miss will lead to a blind recovery shot. Deep bunkers completely surround the green, making recovery difficult and penalizing even slight misses. The hole rewards crisp iron play and disciplined decision-making.
7. A stream cuts across the fairway, forcing golfers to choose between laying up and going for it. Playing right avoids the stream but creates a tougher approach over the bunkers. Favoring the left side brings the hazard into play but rewards a successful drive with a much cleaner and more direct line to the green. It’s a classic risk-reward setup.
8. Set high in the mountains, this hole features a tree guarding the fairway and forces a decision off the tee. Players must choose their line based on the pin position on the two-tiered green. No matter the route, elevation and wind are major factors. Each visit plays differently, making this hole a fresh challenge every time.
9. This short par 3 is carved into the side of a sand dune and demands a high, accurate shot to clear the deep bunkers that dominate the front view. Though it’s only a short iron, swirling winds and tricky visuals created by the surrounding dunes can make club selection and execution difficult. It’s deceptively tough for its length.
10. A long par 5 that rewards precision over brute force, this hole challenges players with bunkers that pinch the fairway at multiple points. Tee shots and layups both demand accuracy, as missing the fairway brings a difficult recovery and a challenging shot into an elevated green. It’s a three-shot hole that tests discipline and shot planning.
11. Three strategically placed bunkers shape how this hole is played. Hugging the right-side bunker gives players a cleaner approach and a slope to feed the ball forward. A safer tee shot to the left leaves a longer second over bunkers. Each choice comes with consequences, and golfers must decide when they want to face the tougher shot.
12. Set along a crystal blue lake, this tee shot requires precision between water on one side and bunkers on the other. Laying back avoids the hazards but leaves a longer approach. Aggressive players who carry the bunkers are rewarded with a slope that funnels the ball forward, leaving a much shorter and more favorable look at the green.
13. Rolling hills and deep bunkers define this hole, but the real challenge is the lack of flat lies. Players have to adjust to awkward stances and control their distances carefully. The green falls away from the fairway and is surrounded by trouble, making accuracy on the approach shot crucial. This is a thinking player’s hole from start to finish.
14. This dramatic par 4 hugs the coastline and forces a decision off the tee. Aggressive players can drive past the bunkers and leave a short pitch into the green. Conservative players can lay up for safety, but they’ll face those same bunkers on the approach. The hole guarantees a difficult shot—players just get to choose when to face it.
15. A long par 3 with a green that wraps around a deep bunker, this hole rewards boldness. Players have to commit to a long iron or hybrid and trust their line to find the putting surface. A safer play is available to the right, which leaves a straightforward pitch, but the real reward comes with taking on the flag directly.
16. Perched along a rugged coastline, this hole plunges down from a hilltop to a green framed by danger. Carrying the bunkers opens up the chance to reach the green as the slope helps feed the ball forward. Laying up offers safety and a higher, softer approach but demands a perfect distance to hold the sloping green.
17. This rugged hole winds through classic New England terrain, with few flat lies and a rumpled fairway. Two bunkers near the tee are more forgiving than the pair farther up, which pose a real threat to aggressive drivers. Those who lay back must hit a pure second shot to avoid trouble. Every decision here carries weight.
18. Set on a mountain ridge, this hole features split fairways separated by bunkers and a stream. The left fairway is wider but leaves a longer approach to a multi-tiered green. The right side offers a better angle, but accuracy is essential with a deep ravine waiting right. Golfers must choose between comfort and a cleaner look at the green.