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Public golf is under assault.
Besides the usual closures where public and municipal golf courses are being turned into AI-driven data centers, nature preserves and housing communities, there's a disappointing new trend emerging during the post-pandemic golf boom that every public golfer should be worried about impacting their communities. Some really strong public and resort courses are being redesigned and going fully private under new owners.
All three courses are located in popular golf destinations frequented by traveling golfers. Public golfers have already said goodbye to Bear's Best Las Vegas in Nevada and soon will do the same at Old Corkscrew near Naples, Fla., and the King & Prince Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Ga.
As a public golfer my whole life, I'm sad to see them go. I've played Bear's Best, rebranded as the Amara Golf & Social Club, and Old Corkscrew multiple times. They're challenging and scenic Jack Nicklaus designs in key golf vacation getaways. I never got to experience the King & Prince, but it was on my bucket list. All of them will be missed by local players and traveling golfers.
Why are public courses going private?
Like everything else in the world, it's about dollars and sense. The margin to make money for public golf course owners and operators is slim. One bad weather year, a natural disaster like a flood or hurricane or a season of poor conditions can derail the viability of the whole operation. The easiest way toward stable profitability is a membership that pays regular dues and is committed to the game. All the industry statistics indicate that private club golfers spend more money on lessons, gear and events and play more often.
When new owners spend millions of dollars to buy these properties, they want to see a return on their investment. Creating exclusive private clubs with modern amenities will certainly help to sell high-end real estate that's going to be available at two of the three properties.
The modern movement of public-to-private started before 2020, although golf's rising popularity has accelerated the trend. It started at one of golf's most beautiful resort courses in Mexico of all places. The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol on the Baja Peninsula was partially rerouted in 2019 to make room for new facilities at a swanky private playground called The Cove Club. GolfPass got an exclusive behind the scenes look in 2023 at the changes.
The Pines Course at The International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass., made the jump next. After a redesign by Coore & Crenshaw that began in 2023, the course once famously among the longest in the world debuted in June as the centerpiece of a 36-hole private club.
Could more public facilities follow suit? There are likely more opportunities out there should golf and the economy continue to thrive.
The local impact of each closure
Bear's Best Las Vegas closed in June as its new owner, Mulligan Holdings, is reportedly investing up to $300 million to transform the Nicklaus design into a luxury community of boutique villas, hospitality suites and a fancy clubhouse. Jackson Kahn Design will reimagine the course, which featured replica holes from top Nicklaus designs like Old Works in Montana, Castle Pines in Colorado and PGA West's Tournament Course in California. Trying to replicate holes from other states always felt a bit disjointed and disingenuous to me, but playing Bear's Best was always fun. Instead of competing against TPC Las Vegas or the newly rebranded Serket (formerly Rio Secco) for business, the new Amara will be fighting high-end clubs like TPC Summerlin and The Summit for its golfers. If public golfers had to lose one course among the three, this was it.
The loss of Old Corkscrew is a bigger blow. It was one of the few public options in a Southwest Florida market oversaturated with private clubs and resort-private facilities (where you have to stay on property to play). Some golfers despised how much water is in play on Old Corkscrew in Estero. I just tiptoed around it with conservative caution every time I played.
According to the Naples Daily News, the Hoffman Family of Companies, which bought Old Corkscrew in 2022, has hired Kyle Phillips to build a 7,100-yard, par-71 heathland course scheduled to open in 2027. Old Corkscrew, in its current form, remains open for now, receiving a one-star review on GolfPass Oct. 2. The company also owns Old Collier Golf Club, another highly regarded private club in Naples.
Meanwhile, it's architect Beau Welling who was hired by new owner South Street Partners to lead the transition of the King and Prince Golf Club, which will go fully private by mid-2026. Tee times are still available for $159+ on the 6,462-yard routing from Joe Lee and Billy Fuller that dates to 1989. Welling recently completed three renovations in Georgia: Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Coosa Country Club in Rome and Ocean Forest Golf Club on nearby Sea Island and has worked with South Street Partners on multiple projects, including the developing new Orange Hill course and club community at the Kiawah Island Club.
South Street Partners, one of the largest owners and operators of private residential club and resort communities in America, including Kiawah Island Club, Palmetto Bluff, The Cliffs, Barnsley Resort, The Beckwith – Crested Butte, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, Naples Grande, PGA National Resort and Residences at Salamander, is a private equity real estate investment firm headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and Charleston, S.C.
Welling's work will be more a refinement than a redesign. King and Prince has ranked among the top 15 Golfers' Choice courses in Georgia every year since 2014.
“Our approach is to stay true to the original character of the course, while introducing design elements that improve playability, strategy and visual interest," Welling said. "It’s about refining what’s already here and creating a more engaging experience.”
Could this trend impact one of your favorite local public courses? Let us know in the comments below.
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