Design Notes

Tamarack debuts Mark Mungeam’s West Course refresh

Mackenzie and Ebert craft the firm’s first Caribbean course, Puerto Rico’s Moncayo; Harradine Golf progresses on Pakistan’s Capital Hills

Tamarack Golf Course, set in East Brunswick, New Jersey, reopened its West Course in June, following an extensive 18-month, multimillion dollar golf course renovation project. 

Owned by Middlesex County and managed by Indigo Sports, a Troon Company, Tamarack features two 18-hole championship golf courses — East and West — both originally designed by Hal Purdy. Mark Mungeam, of Mungeam Golf Design, served as the golf course architect for the renovation project, while Turco Golf was the contractor.

Tamarack West Course - 2025 12.jpg
Tamarack Golf Course, West Course, East Brunswick, New Jersey.

Tamarack’s West Course renovation project began in fall 2023 and focused on enhancing every aspect of the 50-plus-year-old course. Among the enhancements are a new state-of-the-art irrigation system intended to improve turf health and promote water conservation; new drainage lines to help provide optimal playing conditions; and reshaped and regrassed fairways carpeted in creeping bentgrass.

Additionally, all 18 greens were rebuilt to USGA specifications and seeded with bentgrass, known for its smooth and consistent playability; tee boxes were laser leveled and regrassed with low-mow Kentucky Bluegrass; and approximately 75 new tee boxes were added, allowing the course to stretch to more than 7,000 yards.

“Our goal with the West renovation was to elevate the playing experience while maintaining the integrity of the course’s original design,” said Dave Mummey, Tamarack’s general manager. “Mark Mungeam and Turco Golf have done an amazing job with the renovation. We’re excited to welcome golfers back to enjoy these improvements and experience a course that is both visually stunning and exceptionally playable.”

Also under Mungeam and Turco’s purview, every bunker was completely renovated, incorporating a technically advanced drainage and liner system featuring Capillary Concrete. This new generation lining method increases the speed at which water flows through the bunker, minimizing washouts, reducing maintenance and producing superior playability. Lastly, the golf course now features new and upgraded cart paths.

“I am very excited about the upgrades made to Tamarack West,” Mungeam said. “The renovated course will be fun for all golfers, with enough strategic options and challenges to captivate the best players and beginners. Tee expansions allow the course to be played at any length from 4,900 to 7,000 yards. Though the corridors are the same as the original course, each hole has been completely rebuilt and the nines have been reversed. The gently rolling land through woods and streams provides a delightful setting. I firmly believe that Middlesex County residents will enjoy and embrace the ‘new’ West Course.”

A CARRIBEAN FIRST FOR MACKENZIE & EBERT
Work is underway at the Golf Club at Moncayo, the first Caribbean design project from U.K.-based Mackenzie & Ebert. Located on Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, Moncayo is the centerpiece of a new 1,100-acre luxury development that will feature a hotel, nature preserve, an organic farm and a residential component.

Renowned for their renovation and restoration work on Open Championship venues such as Royal Troon, Carnoustie and Royal Portrush, Mackenzie & Ebert has also created more than 60 original courses, some while in the employ of mentor Donald Steel. The 7,200-yard layout will enjoy panoramas of the El Yunque Mountains, on-site beaches and the Caribbean Sea.

"Designing our first course in the Caribbean has been an exciting challenge, one that allows us to blend renowned design with the natural beauty of Puerto Rico and the wonderful land at Moncayo as we grow our international footprint," Martin Ebert said. "Our design seeks to respect and enhance the island’s natural landscape with a layout that challenges golfers while offering truly breathtaking 360-degree views of the ocean and mountains for a unique sense of its location. The test with golf is always whether people will remember each individual hole at the end of the round, and I think there will be no problem at all at Moncayo. Every hole will be memorable."

Among the other offerings, Moncayo will serve up El Yunquito, a 1-acre putting course and a reversible nine-hole short course. Construction of the golf course has already begun. The first four holes were shaped earlier in 2025.

"Partnering with Mackenzie & Ebert to introduce this breathtaking golf course to the island was an easy decision, given their track record for crafting some of the most well-known golf clubs around the world," said Carter Redd, president of Moncayo.

THE SOCIAL ASPECT

FIRST NINE PROGRESS AT PAKISTAN COURSE
Harradine Golf, led by architect Peter Harradine, is progressing with the first nine holes at Capital Hills Golf and Country Club near Islamabad, Pakistan. The future 18-hole course is located near the M2 Lahore-Islamabad motorway, not far from New Islamabad Airport, along the eastern route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Future Development Holdings is developing the club as a component of the Capital Smart City development.

"My feelings when I first saw the site were those of astonishment, awe and sheer amazement," Harradine told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. “It is truly a site that is perfect for an incredible golf course. Our forefathers were lucky to have great sites to work on, while we are lucky if we are allowed to work on completely arid desert, rubbish dumps or flat agricultural land! These days in most of Europe, if and when we are allowed to build, we are laden with boring pieces of land that need a lot of creativity and earthmoving to produce a half decent course. Anyway, what a site!"

Capital Hills unfolds atop rigorous, craggy terrain, replete with crests and valleys and up to 100 feet of elevation change.

"There are incredible lines of natural rock running parallel that resemble manmade walls, with those natural slopes naturally preserved and integrated into the golf course routing," Harradine said. "We are creating a unique course that will remind this new city, which will house 150,000 inhabitants, what their site used to look like. In fact, the course will become an environmental treasure with birds and fauna expected to make the multiple lakes their home. Many species of wild animals have already been attracted to those lakes."

While the site’s many attributes were positives in many ways, they also posed their share of challenges when it came to the ultimate design.

"The final decisions on the levels of the surrounding real estate, clubhouse and landforms within the golf course required some clever calculations," Harradine said. "Locating the clubhouse was a big decision. We finally placed it at the end of a deep valley, which was left as it is and gives golfers and guests a good idea of the original site."

Fairways will consist of Pure Dynasty paspalum, and the greens will feature Platinum TE paspalum. The first nine holes are scheduled to open in April 2026 and the full eighteen by April 2028.  

"The city and course will cater to the ‘well-to-do’ Pakistani diaspora although the many golfers playing and living in Pakistan will definitely want to try this incredible track," Harradine said. "Thanks to the British Army and civil service, golf is actually quite popular in Pakistan, and our layout will only enhance this incredible sport. I’m not being facetious when I declare that this course, when complete, should be classified within the top 100 in the world."


Share