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Ben Cowan-Dewar's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Cowan-Dewar should be enjoying his newfound "suite" life as CEO and founder of his Cabot brand. He's arguably the hottest golf developer on the planet, building golf resorts and communities in multiple exotic locales around the globe: the Caribbean, the Scottish Highlands and the mountains of British Columbia.
His passion, though, lies in the dirt. His love of golf course architecture has propelled his career to this point. He's not afraid to mix it up with the best golf course architects in the world, telling them what he likes, and what he doesn't, about the courses they're building for him. How a golf course looks, plays and inspires is what drives him.
"I look at it as A: it's a subject (golf course architecture) I care deeply about; and B: we will own these (courses) for a long time," Cowan-Dewar said. "I am not a shrinking violet and will offer my opinions. We try to be collaborative. They are the experts. They are the ones who bring it to reality. I never had the desire to do it alone by myself. It is a good recipe to be collaborative."
Cape Breton puts Cabot on the map
Although he'd been traveling the globe as a golf tour operator, Cowan-Dewar's current career path launched its upward trajectory with the 2012 debut of Cabot Links on tiny Cape Breton island adjacent to Nova Scotia, Canada. Cabot Cape Breton eventually became the East Coast's version of Bandon Dunes. It's on the ocean, walking only with caddies, sells out every season and is hard to reach. Its immediate success led to expansion: more lodging; the addition of Cabot Cliffs (2015), Canada's top resort course; and finally The Nest (2020), a lighted, 10-hole par 3. Today, Cabot Cape Breton is widely considered Canada's No. 1 golf destination. Its rapid rise gave Cowan-Dewar the street cred among investors to take his vision international. Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser has been a key mentor and investor.
"When I really got serious about (development), it was as the Cliffs was rounding into form," he recalled. "We knew from that moment in time, the bulk of the golf we would build would have to be just as special. We started looking into the Caribbean. That goes back to nine years ago, we started looking at sites. Rather than thinking we need to get to five or more, we thought, 'If we do one more, it's one at a time, brick by brick'."
That singular approach has inspired the Cabot Collection - some of golf's most anticipated projects post-pandemic: the opening of the private Point Hardy (2023) at Cabot St. Lucia in the Caribbean, the rebirth of World Woods as Cabot Citrus Farms north of Tampa, Fla.; the ongoing construction of Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia and building a Tom Doak course at Cabot Highlands to pair with the celebrated Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands.
Cowan-Dewar estimates he's looked at hundreds of opportunities to build more golf around the world. He's focused on two things: places in Canada, America and Europe he can get to from his office in Toronto; and compelling landforms for golf.
“We’re continually looking. Part of that is, you really need to be looking to uncover any of the opportunities," he said. "It really is sort of (like) you end up putting a lot of energy to look at a lot of different opportunities to get the shots we’ve gotten. It has been a good hit rate for us, but it is interesting how many we looked at and passed on. That keeps you constantly on the lookout. Is it a great opportunity or just a good opportunity?"
What separates good from great is subjective, but each Cabot property sports unique features that set it apart from regional - or even national - competition. Consider the elements of each:
* Coastal views. Cabot St. Lucia boasts nine holes designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw right on the cliffs, overlooking the water. If it's not the most beautiful course in the world, it's in the top five.
* Carolina terrain with a Florida climate. Cabot Citrus Farms features sandy soil and rolling terrain that's uncommon in Florida. The sheer size of the 1,200-acre property made it ideal for redesigning the two existing courses into the dynamic Karoo and Roost layouts, while adding a fun nine-holer, The Squeeze; a night-lit, 11-hole short course, The Wedge; a lighted putting course, Trackman Range and villas to house golfers for longer stays.
* A historic castle. Cabot Highlands, which sits five minutes from the local airport in Inverness, Scotland, could serve as a home base to play one of golf's most revered bucket-list courses, Royal Dornoch. The property's historic castle will be a focal point of Doak's new course. Castle Stuart, a four-time host of the Scottish Open, is my favorite course in all of Scotland. It's so fun and scenic, mesmerizing anybody who visits.
* Mountain scenery. Cabot Revelstoke lives in the shadow of the Monasheee and Selkirk ranges. Its Cabot Pacific course is being designed by the the firm of Whitman, Axland and Cutten near the Columbia River. While the golf season will be short, the mountain views will be epic.
Building something special is the best way to convince travelers to make the effort. Hiring the best modern golf architects - Doak, Kyle Franz, Coore & Crenshaw, etc. - certainly adds to the hype. All four Cabot sites are tricky to get to for traveling golfers.
"We sort of have an underlying belief: if it is truly great, people will travel (to visit)," Cowan-Dewar said. "We are not purposely looking to make it hard on ourselves to get to (our Cabot properties). Cape Breton is as hard as you can imagine to get there and it still sells out, year after year. If we could build close (to a city or airport), we would."
Why Cabot is successful
Cabot's done a great job of catering to the tastes of modern golfers. Every property has been primed for the perfect buddies trip.
Cabot Citrus Farms feels like the ultimate golf hang where players can play as much golf as they want (56 holes) or chill out at The Porch, an open lawn with a food truck, to play cornhole, enjoy drinks by the fire pits or battle in a putting match on the giant, humpy practice green. Cabot has embraced hot trends such as music (piping on The Porch), night golf (at The Nest and The Wedge) and range technology (Trackman). New accommodations coming soon to Cabot Highlands, Cabot Revelstoke and Cabot Citrus Farms will comfortably host foursomes.
All the new logos and course names are creatively selected to sell merch and stand out on social media. I love the logos created for Cabot Citrus Farms, especially The Squeeze. Doak's new Scottish course has been named "Old Petty", a nod to Old Petty Church, built in 1839, which borders the course. The logo honors the highland cow (affectionately called the “Hairy Coo” by locals).
Selling real estate is a big part of the economic puzzle, whether it's a villa, cottage or chalet at Cabot Highlands, Cabot Citrus Farms and Cabot Revelstoke that can be rented or a second home in a private residential development like Cabot St. Lucia. True to Cowan-Dewar's vision, though, the homes never detract from the golf.
"We want to build a course that stands a test of time," Cowan-Dewar said. "If we can focus on building great things, that feels like our best business model."
What do you love about playing golf at a Cabot property? Let us know in the comments below.
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