Course architect Richard Mandell has completed phase two of his firm’s renovation at South Carolina’s Darlington Country Club.
Located in the eastern part of the Palmetto State, 4 miles east of NASCAR’s legendary Darlington Raceway, the original design dates to 1926. Ahead of the club’s centenary next year, the club enlisted Mandell to transform the existing parkland layout to one that reflects its sand-based origins.
“We’re working on transforming a small southern town country club into something pretty off the charts,” Mandell told The First Call. “I don’t want to call it minimalism because it’s not, but it’s that same kind of look, of trying to bring sand in. The course is set on sandy soils. It’s more of retrofitting features on a smaller footprint, versus having a giant piece of property, but it’s fun.”
Mandell completed the three-hole stretch of 15 through 17 in August 2024.
“We tried to tie the bunkers in with the sandy waste areas around greens,” Mandell told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. “The 16th is a great example of how we have made the hole more challenging than it was before. Across these three holes, we have introduced low, rolling ridges that challenge the golfer from a ground game perspective.
“On 17, we brought the water more into play than it was previously. We are eventually going to clear the trees between the final two holes to make the pond feature more prominent.”
Midway through 2025, Mandell has now touched holes one, three, 10, 13 and 15 through 18. On all holes, he is shining a spotlight on the green complexes.
“For the greens, we are trying to minimize turf and create sandy areas that sort of cascade and roll around the putting surfaces,” he said. “The greens are becoming more prominent, and people are seeing how small and challenging they are, whereas before they just got lost in the monoculture of green grass.”
Most recently, Mandell reimagined the par-5 18th hole and reconstructed the practice green. “The 18th hole [which stretches to 572 yards] was too far away from the clubhouse, so one of the goals was to create something that was better connected,” he said. “They had these two little mediocre chipping greens that weren’t very pretty. So, they really wanted to make the presentation better, and they also wanted to bring the 18th green closer to the clubhouse.”
Mandell etched a bunker alongside the first tee, which serves as a buffer between the first and 18th holes. He also added a 35,000-square-foot practice green near the clubhouse that is conjoined with the 18th green.
“The practice putting surface is about eight feet higher than the final green,” he said. “When no one is playing the 18th, you can putt down there and putt back up, which makes it pretty cool because you get blind putts. This has really transformed the club.”
Mandell’s intent was to infuse sand features into the course, reflective of its location. He added a low sand dune at the par-5 10th hole that bisects the fairway roughly 80 yards from the green, creating both a distinctive visual feature and a compelling strategic one.
“[Owners Tim and Nancy Huntley] have been breathing new life into the facility, and so a theme that we have tried to do, and will continue doing, is bringing the sandy soils to the surface,” Mandell said. “Previously, the club had no identity — It didn’t matter what soils it was on, or if it was located in South Carolina or New York. Now, we’re creating an identity, largely through eliminating rough and replacing it with sandy soils, although it is actually more like peeling the grass away and exposing those soils that are already there.”
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
Had a nice site visit to Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club with @KeithRhebb this spring as we finalize the club’s masterplan design work. A special gem in New Brunswick, certainly well worth the trip for the intrepid golfer. @RhebbAndJohns pic.twitter.com/ukszptBEOS
— Riley Johns (@RileyJohnsGolf) June 21, 2025
HUNTERS RUN NOT SLOWING DOWN
The 54-hole Hunters Run Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida, is on a course improvement kick that shows no signs of slowing down.
Fresh off a Kipp Schulties renovation of its East course earlier in 2025, the club announced in late June that its South course will go under knife for a renovation in late January 2026. Hunters Run has enlisted Beau Welling Design to perform the refresh of a Robert Von Hagge/Bruce Devlin 1979 original. The course also witnessed a 2001 re-do from Mark McCumber.
"The renovation will enrich every aspect of our golfers’ experiences while ensuring the course’s playability and aesthetics," said COO and general manager Larry Savvides. "Establishing a reputation as having 54 of the best private golf holes in Florida is important to our Board and membership."
The renovation will include: Improved course conditioning and consistency; more flexible and strategically designed teeing areas; improved hole designs that encourage strategic play; greater playability and forgiveness for a broader range of golfers; modernized features that correct outdated or overly penal course elements; and maintaining an established challenge for low-handicap players.
“Our mission statement drives our motives where we strive to be a country club community dedicated to providing exceptional facilities and memorable experiences,” Savvides said. “And that is exactly what we are doing.”
“Take the toll of time and year-round play and combine it with the dramatic rise in golf rounds, and our South course has served our golf community well over the last 24 years,” club president Richard Kapner said. "But the time has come to breathe new life into our signature course. We’re excited about our second course revitalization and being able to provide our members with another renewed playing experience.”
The Beau Welling renovation of Hunters Run’s South course is expected to reopen in January 2027.
TEPETONKA CLUB'S NEW 18 TAKING ROOT
Grassing has begun at Tepetonka Club in New London, Minnesota, courtesy of Duininck Golf, which is constructing the new 18-hole private course to the specifications of a design by Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead, who together form the course architecture firm OCM.
Situated approximately 90 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Tepetonka unfolds atop a 228-acre site of natural glacial moraines with 100-foot climbs and drops, cedar-lined corridors and the twisting Shakopee Creek, which will influence play on six holes.
"The site we’re working with at Tepetonka is extraordinary,” said 2006 U.S. Open champion Ogilvy, whose firm recently completed an acclaimed renovation of Chicago’s Medinah No. 3. "The first time we were on the property we knew Tepetonka was going to be special. It’s rare to find property so naturally suited for golf that 16 of the 18 holes required minimal to no earthmoving. The course begins in the cedars, leads players out onto prairie for a dozen holes, weaves through wetlands and then returns to the cedars. The variety of landscapes and the natural contours have allowed us to create something truly distinctive in the heart of Minnesota."
Judd Duininck, owner of Minnesota-based Duininck Golf, one of the industry’s leading golf course builders, is similarly enthusiastic about the prospects for Tepetonka.
"Adding a private club of this stature to the Midwest collection of epic destinations like Sand Hills, Ballyneal, Caprock Ranch and Sutton Bay is what Minnesota needs," Duininck said. "To build a world-class golf course in our own backyard makes it even more special. The land at Tepetonka has a natural character that architects dream about, moraines with golf holes fitting perfectly between them. When [founder] Mark [Haugejorde] called and shared his vision of this property, I knew exactly where it was, and knew it was going to be spectacular."
Fourteen holes and the driving range have been shaped so far — as well as The Prox short course — designed with input from CBS Sports commentator Jim Nantz. Managed by Illinois-based Kemper Sports, Tepetonka is gearing up for a summer 2026 opening.
