South Street Partners, a private equity real estate firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, announced on June 18 that they have engaged Beau Welling to lead a renovation of The King and Prince Golf Club’s golf course on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Work is scheduled to commence mid-year of 2026.
Located a few miles north of The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, The King and Prince Golf Club is also planning a clubhouse reimagining, alongside the upgrades to its 18-hole golf course, as it shifts to a fully private model in the next year.
Beau Welling Design (BWD) has become known as a leading innovator in the golf industry after serving as the principal planner of the award-winning PGA Frisco and the designer of its Field Ranch West Course. Also, this isn’t the first time BWD has collaborated with South Street Partners on projects — such as the new Orange Hill course and club community at Kiawah Island Club on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Originally known as the Hampton Club, King and Prince was designed by Joe Lee in 1989. Located on marshland and carved out of grand oak trees, the course favors precision over power throughout a secluded journey that features several greens and tees accessible only via long wooden bridges that traverse the dense marshland. Numerous water features and doglegs keep wayward hitters on their toes.
The planned enhancements at The King and Prince Golf Club will showcase the course’s distinctive setting while elevating every aspect of play. With dynamic design updates to fairways and greens, reimagined practice areas, and inspiring new view lines from opening tree canopies, these improvements are designed to bring fresh energy to the course.
In addition to the course renovations, early stages of planning have begun on a clubhouse transformation designed to complement and elevate the overall member experience.
“We identified The King and Prince for acquisition as both the resort and golf club complemented our existing portfolio of exceptional assets, including Kiawah Island Club and Palmetto Bluff, located in high-growth, Southeastern markets,” said Chris Randolph, managing partner of South Street. “We are really excited to bring our expertise in the development and operations of luxury residential and resort communities to The King and Prince Golf Club and introduce best-in-class experiences, premier golf offerings and thoughtful design to this iconic property.”
Welling is equally enthusiastic about the prospects.
“The King and Prince Golf Club sits on an incredibly unique piece of land, and there’s a real opportunity here to highlight that natural beauty in a more intentional way,” he said. “Our approach is to stay true to the original character of the course, while introducing design elements that improve playability, strategy and visual interest. It’s about refining what’s already here and creating a more engaging experience for members.”
The 188-key resort spans nearly six acres with direct beach access and amenities that include bars and restaurants, resort-style swimming pools — as well as the 18-hole golf course at The King and Prince Golf Club. The property also includes developable land and beachfront condos for purchase.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
Excited to say we've started the renovation of the late Arthur Hills-designed Cedar Creek in golf's newest hotspot: Aiken, SC. The new owners are investing in the 34-yr old course to better fit the natural setting with updated bunkers, natural/waste areas, and more. pic.twitter.com/4yBQAhvdiC
— Nathan Crace, ASGCA, PLA (@lipouts) June 20, 2025
JOHN FOUGHT HEADS BACK TO PLAYERS COURSE
Work began in March on a redesign of the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort in the Palm Springs-area city of Indian Wells, California. John Fought, the architect who completely redesigned Ted Robinson’s original creation in 2007, is handling the remodeling effort. Primarily, Fought is creating two new holes, the 17th and the 18th, on the north side of the Whitewater Channel that bisects the property, where the other 16 holes are located. This will provide the course with returning 9s, make it more walkable, and provide better flow and improved pace of play. When the two holes open, the back nine’s final three holes will provide striking vistas of the San Jacinto Mountains.
Soon to be a par 71, the 7000-yard layout is owned by the City of Indian Wells and managed by Troon. Another plus is the move of the par-5 ninth hole closer to the clubhouse to improve access to food and beverage amenities at the turn.
“We’re very excited about this project,” said Robin Graf, general manager, Indian Wells Golf Resort. “The course was due for a renovation since John last did the work 18 years ago, so in addition to moving the two holes, we’ll also improve the irrigation, and John will redo some greens, bunkers and tee boxes.”
Graf said the course will re-open in November, timed with the start of the region’s busy season. The project, he added, will cost between $4 million to $5 million.
“When we are completed, this will be a superior layout,” said Fought of the Players Course, which has been ranked among the “Top 25 Best Municipal Courses in the U.S.” multiple times by Golfweek. “It’s a very open course with beautiful views and this renovation will make it so much easier to walk, making it perfectly suited for tournaments.”
NEW OWNERS TO RENOVATE CARLISLE
Carlisle Country Club, one of central Pennsylvania’s most historic golf clubs, announced in late May the commencement of a multi-million-dollar renovation project under its new ownership group. This transformation will include comprehensive upgrades to its clubhouse and golf course, enhancing the overall member experience, and positioning the club for the next generation of membership.
Founded in 1924 and celebrating its 100th anniversary, Carlisle Country Club sits on land that once belonged to the Susquehanna Indians. The club was recently acquired by a group of local businessmen led by entrepreneur Mark Toigo. “We were members—as well as a local business, and we joined socially,” said Toigu. “Then we took a corporate membership. Eventually, I got asked to be on the board. The club was having some struggles and would not be able to sustain itself much longer. Ultimately, our driving factor was to save it and bring in a quality management team to operate it. Like farmland and golf courses, you just can’t lose legacies like this 100-year-old club. It’s a real piece of the community, and I was blessed enough to be brought into it.”
The 6,400-yard, par-71 golf course will be undergoing immediate renovations, as well as a long-range plan with ongoing changes. “First and foremost, the somewhat antiquated and fractured irrigation system will require a full retrofit to restore the course conditions to the club’s high standards,” said Toigo. “Adding course enhancements will be fun for members and create a new challenge. It’s a beautiful, walkable course with stunning views.”
Carlisle Country Club has retained Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design to consult on ongoing renovations, which aim to enhance the overall playability and member experience while preserving the club’s legacy.
“We are very excited to be back in central PA and working with Carlisle Country Club to help them navigate these course enhancements over time,” said Jason Straka, Partner at Fry Straka Global Golf Course Design. “The Golf Course is a wonderful parkland design with many golden age architectural features that we hope to enhance over time.”
Carlisle Country Club officials are excited about the facility’s direction and the management team they’ve put together with Commonwealth Golf Partners Management, which was selected to lead the course through this transition.
“We’re thrilled that the Carlisle Golf Group and the stellar management group it put together stepped up and committed to our goal to keep Carlisle a private country club,” said Board President Denise Zimmerman. “The new team’s presence on the property since mid-February has already begun to show noticeable improvements to all aspects of our member experience, and everyone is very excited about the club’s future.”
