6 new courses on our bucket list for 2026
There’s no stopping the boom in new golf course construction. Dozens and dozens of new projects deserve a spotlight, but here are 6 courses we’re excited to see in 2026.
There are dozens if not hundreds of projects that would be worthy of highlighting in this space. But we chose six to discuss in the below video about the courses we’re most excited about seeing in 2026.
Perhaps golf's most important restoration of the past few decades should be ready in 2026. Yale Golf Course has always been one of golf’s great ‘what ifs.’ The landmark C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor design is viewed by some as potentially top 25 course if it ever got the TLC it needed. It finally has—after a multi-year project overseen by Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and team now completed, the golf world has been anxiously waiting for years. Next year will be 100 years since the course opened, so we’re expecting the finished product to be on display for the centennial.
Here's some drone footage taken a few weeks ago by Chris Girling (note this was shot during a harsh Northeast winter):
You can watch the full video here:
The Great Dunes project at Jekyll Island Golf Club is worth everyone's attention. For just over $100, public golfers can play a newly renovated Golden Age design, originally by Walter Travis, with dramatic sandscapes, seaside views and really cool architecture. Jeff Stein and Brian Ross oversaw a transformation of an old 27-hole complex and have delivered engaging course design accessible to all—at an affordable price. We hope other public facilities take note and make similar investments at their courses to elevate their golf experiences.
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On the other end is a project in Georgia with a huge price tag. The Fall Line, situated about two hours from Atlanta on one of the country’s most significant sand belts, boasts 36 holes designed by Geoff Ogilvy’s design team, OCM. The East and West courses are vastly different—the East course is inspired by British heathland accents while the West course is more in the Australian sandbelt ethos. It’s the next great destination club in the middle of nowhere Georgia, following Ohoopee Match Club’s success.
Another destination club has arrived outside Aiken, S.C.—which is now a sneaky mecca of new golf. The latest is 21 Golf Club, and the first course is an intriguing concept. Owner Wes Ferrell sought to recreate another great ‘what if’ in course architecture—a design by Alister MacKenzie that was never built in Argentina, el Boqueron. Architect Brian Zager brought MacKenzie’s vision to life about 100 years later, and the concept with nine double greens and two returning loops has a lot of people excited. Rob Collins, Tad King and Trevor Dormer are working on a second course, the Hammer, designed for match play.
Jeff Marsh
Wild Spring Dunes (above), like Rodeo Dunes, is another new destination from Michael Keiser. The Tom Doak course at Wild Spring Dunes will open fully next year, with a second 18 by Coore/Crenshaw coming after. This 2,400 acre property is equidistant between Dallas and Houston and will instantly elevate the great golf available to golfers in Texas.
Streamsong’s new course will likely fully open in 2027 but be available for preview play in 2026. The resort will now boast a true Mount Rushmore of modern designers with David McLay Kidd joining Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Doak and Gil Hanse at the Florida resort. Kidd’s site sits at the highest elevation of the four courses—with vistas across the entire complex, and it follows the naturalistic theme of Red and Blue with some bold features—emphasizing the unique shapes discovered in the building process of the former phosphate mine.
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Like we said, there are dozens of other projects worthy of attention: Trout National, Rodeo Dunes, the newly renovated Dallas National or Patterson Club, Childress Hall, etc ... we can go on and on as we enjoy this continued golden age of in course construction. Golf Digest will feature the Best New Courses of 2025 in the first few weeks of January—stay tuned for much more.
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