A new year means new places to play. In 2026, those places range from towering cliffs overseas to reimagined mines and ambitious tourist buildings closer to home. The following 9 courses vary greatly in style, scale and setting, but they share one defining feature: they will all be open to the public. Happy 2026.
Commons in Valley of sandNekoosa, Wis.
Architect: Jim Craig
Opens: Summer 2026
Inspired by the outlines of the UK’s “common ground”, Sand Valley’s new 12-hole short course is equally egalitarian in spirit. Wide, inviting fairways allow for play along the ground, while thoughtfully contoured greens create compelling targets for golfers of all stripes, from skilled players to beginners just learning to raise them.
Old Petty, Inverness, Scotland
Architect: Tom Doak
Opens: Summer 2026
Like its sister course, Castle StuartDoak’s design occupies attractive ground near the Moray Firth, but works further inland along the high ground. Although the sea appears on several occasions, it is the course itself that draws attention, with its emphasis on corners and nuanced requirements around the green. Its arrival further elevates Cabot Highlands and cements the resort as a must-stop on any tour of the Scottish Highlands.
;)
Jacob Seaman
Ponta do Pargo, Madeira, Portugal
Architect: Nick Faldo
Opens: end of 2026
More than two decades in the making, Faldo’s design takes a place that has to be seen to be believed, wrapped in arresting bluffs in Portuguese the island of Madeira. In its heady drama, the property recalls Ireland’s Old Head, transplanted to a milder climate. But it has a character all its own—treeless and windswept, with eight holes set against cliffs plunging some 300 meters into the Atlantic.
Wave, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Architect: Ernie Els (with Greg Letsche)
Opens: Fall/Winter 2026
Els’ first design project in Mexico is located where the high desert flows into the Sea of ​​Cortez. The trail underscores this contrast, beginning on cactus-dotted land before disintegrating largely along the coast. In deference to the winds, Els and design partner Greg Letsche provide ample width off the tee while placing a premium on positioning, bringing a links-like challenge to a layout that isn’t technically a links.
Patch at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, Augusta, Ga.
Architects: Tom Fazio, Beau Welling; TGR design
Opens: Spring 2026
When the people behind the Masters lend their influence to a muni project, the square fills with notable names. By the time the next green jacket is handed out, Tom Fazio and Beau Welling will have completed their remake of Patch, giving a fresh face to Augusta’s beloved, if untroubled, 18-year-old. Tiger Woods is also included, with TGR Design adding a short 9-hole course called the Loop. It is scheduled to open later in the year.
Rodeo Dunes, Roggen, Colo.
Architect: Coore & Crenshaw
Opens: Spring 2026
The 18th hole at Rodeo Dunes marks the opening chapter of a premier golf development less than an hour from downtown Denver. Next year, tee times will go primarily to founding members and their guests, with a grand opening to the public in 2027. A second course is already underway, making Rodeo Dunes the furthest of three major projects from Sand Valley co-developer Michael Keiser, who is also pushing ahead with destinations in Texas and Florida.
;)
Kindly
Streamsong (New Course), Bowling Green, Fla.
Architect: David McLay Kidd
Opens: Winter 2026
Streamsong’s 18-hole fourth course doesn’t yet have a name, but its features are already clear. McLay Kidd’s layout will stand alongside the Black Course, dividing his club as it carves a distinct identity through the sculpted landforms of a former mining site. With an attractive mix of drivable par-4s and accessible par-5s, the course will strike a fun balance of risk and reward, with relatively small and delicate greens that invite creative recovery.
Wildcreek, First Tee of Northern Nevada, Reno, Nev.
Architect: Brian Curley (Curley Wagner)
Opens: Summer 2026
In an era dominated by high-end private development, Wildcreek offers a populist counterpoint. Once a county-owned 18-hole course, the property joined the First Tee network in 2021. Curley has reimagined it as a flexible, community-first course with a new 9-hole course, a 9-hole par-3 layout and a three-level shipping facility built from repurposed shipping containers.
Wild Spring Dunes, Texas
Architect: Tom Doak
Opens: Fall 2026
Set on 2,400 acres of dunes, meadows and spring-fed streams in East Texas, Wild Spring Dunes is developer Michael Keiser’s next big swing — and Tom Doak’s latest minimalist canvas. About equidistant from Dallas and Houston, and even closer to Shreveport, La., the course will be joined by a second 18 holes, a Coore-Crenshaw design, as part of a resort and real estate development where golf remains the focal point.
