Wisconsin’s Sand Valley Golf Resort has a sixth golf course deep into development.
Called The Commons, the 12-hole layout is architect Jim Craig’s first solo design, though he has vast experience at the property. He worked on behalf of Coore & Crenshaw at Sand Valley’s first course that opened in 2017, then served as lead associate for Coore & Crenshaw’s short course, the Sandbox, which debuted in 2018. It was the latter course that gave rise to the idea for The Commons, according to Sand Valley developers Michael Keiser Jr. and his brother Chris Keiser, sons of Bandon Dunes co-founder Mike Keiser.
“Chris and I started with an observation on the popularity of the Sandbox,” Michael Keiser Jr. said to his parent company’s in-house publication, Dream Golf. “We wanted to add another ‘afternoon’ course. In fact, that was the original idea for Sedge Valley [another course at Sand Valley Golf Resort], until Tom Doak came back with such a wonderful routing that we built a full 18-hole course. So the idea for The Commons basically grew out of that desire to add alternative golf in addition to the Sandbox.”
Craig’s layout will occupy an open space that links the resort’s main hub to the new Sedge Valley neighborhood and will function almost as a park, with residents and guests going to and fro. The park concept truly resonated with Michael Keiser Jr.
“I’ve always loved the idea of a golf park,” Keiser said. “I spent two months in Scotland with my family, and we fell in love with the village greens in places like North Berwick, with the West Links and its Children’s Course, and Meadows Park in Edinburgh, which has Bruntsfield Links. The most famous of all golf parks, of course, is the Old Course at St. Andrews, which serves as a family park on Sundays. At all these places, you can find families picnicking, dogs running around, just people enjoying being together and being close to golf.”
The dozen golf holes at The Commons are draped atop undulating ground, with the sandy subsoil yielding links-like ripples in the terrain. A par-5 will open the round, with seven par-4s and four par-3s interspersed among the remaining holes. The par-4s are intended to be on the short side and are loaded with strategic options. A highlight will be several holes that unfold on a peninsula that juts into Luna Lake.
“My fear was that the water holes would feel disjointed or out of place with the rest of the course,” Michael Keiser Jr. said. “That’s when it pays off to have Jim Craig — he came through with links holes that have water on them. The continuity is never broken, and after two risk-reward par-4s playing around the lake, Jim crafted one of the most engaging Redan holes in the world.”
The Commons is expected to open for play in spring 2026.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
Changes coming to Dell Urich Golf Course in Tucson. Can’t wait to break ground.@ASGCA @DuininckGolf @catusandpine #golfcourserenovation pic.twitter.com/aY16Eog32M
— Kevin Norby, ASGCA (@golfnorby) April 16, 2025
PAUL MCGINLEY BEGINS MULTI-PHASE RENO OF DONEGAL
Paul McGinley Golf Course Design has completed seven holes in its multi-phase renovation of Ireland’s Donegal Golf Club.
Located in the northwest of Ireland on the scenic Murvagh Peninsula, Donegal — commonly called "Murvagh” — is a muscular, seaside layout designed by Eddie Hackett in 1973. Pat Ruddy remodeled the course in 1992. McGinley concluded work on holes 16, 17 and 18 in 2024, and most recently finished the current phase by his adjustments at holes two through five. “Valley of Tears” is Murvagh’s signature hole, a long, strong par 3 with an elevated green tucked in the dunes.
Hackett crafted Donegal in the style of Scotland’s Muirfield, with a counterclockwise outer loop front nine, combined with a clockwise inner loop back nine. Set into sand dunes and that overlook Donegal Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the front nine is more influenced by the wind. The second nine is more protected and features vistas of the Bluestack Mountains.
McGinley’s team has focused on greens, bunkers and fairway and tee realignment, all with an eye toward improving views and playability.
"Golf courses get a little bit outdated," said McGinley, the former European Tour player and European Ryder Cup captain, who is now a popular television broadcaster. "Things move over time. They have to be brought to a new level. So this is an evolution, not a revolution, of all that Eddie Hackett and Pat Ruddy did here. It’s not a case of going in and blowing stuff up. But I do want to make a hole really playable and fair for all standards, not just the standard that I play at, but for handicap golfers."
Greens will be redesigned and expanded and bunkers will take on a revetted style, accompanied by a reduction in their number by 25% to enhance playability and reduce maintenance.
"The top lip of the bunkers will not be particularly high, and the golfers will be able to walk in without the sense of entering holes in the ground," McGinley told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. The remaining 11 holes will be renovated over the next three years.
"In the next phases, the sixth green will be moved to a location, originally recommended by Eddie Hackett, which is now possible with modern machinery," said McGinley, who will also relocate the eighth and 15th greens into more visually advantageous sites in the dunes.
NICK FALDO BACK AT IT AGAIN
Another former European Ryder Cup captain, Nick Faldo, is also making news for his course design work. Faldo Design, already the author of the highly ranked Laguna Lang course in Vietnam, has opened a new course in that country, Silk Path Dong Trieu Golf and Country Club. Located in Quang Ninh province, approximately 95 miles east of Hanoi, the course had to overcome a difficult site, but one replete with natural attributes.
"We have many great holes with interesting features including rock, elevation changes, pine trees, streams, lakes and mountain views," Faldo said.
Ultimately, Faldo Design lead architect Andy Haggar and Silk Path CEO Kenny Nguyen chose to emphasize balance in the final design so that inexperienced golfers would be able to enjoy the experience in tandem with seasoned tournament players.
"Our main clientele is currently local golfers and golf enthusiasts — we have received a lot of positive feedback since opening the course in January," Nguyen told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. “We are planning to expand our reach to tourists and organize junior and professional tournaments. If played from the wrong tees, the golf course can be extremely difficult, given the elevation changes … but those same elevation changes definitely make the layout a lot of fun."
Haggar acknowledged the site’s difficulties, but believes they solved the design puzzles.
"The challenge was to lay out eighteen playable holes using the site’s features to our advantage and at the same time balance the cut and fill in order to make everything work," he said. "We also wanted to give both front and back nine a flavor of everything the site had to offer and so the routing meanders nicely around the property to achieve that, while ensuring both nines return to the clubhouse. The opportunity to work with the ever-changing nature of the terrain helped us design a wonderful variety of golf holes, and by overcoming the topographical challenges presented to us, we’ve ended up with a truly spectacular golf course."
Silk Path Dong Trieu has teamed with the PGA of America to create a learning academy, which will cater primarily to juniors and beginners. Also on the way are 75 villas and a 120-room hotel.
