Escalante Golf — a Fort Worth, Texas-based owner and operator of luxury golf properties across 17 states — has begun a multi-phase expansion at Kingsley Club, featuring a new course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and a new clubhouse.
The $40 million project reinforces Escalante’s commitment to preserving the club’s minimalist spirit while enhancing the member experience. Kingsley Club is in Kingsley, Michigan, about 15 minutes south of Traverse City.
Centered on a newly acquired 520-acre parcel southeast of the existing property, the club’s second 18-hole course will feature fescue surfaces, native grasses and minimal earth-moving, aligning with Coore & Crenshaw’s design ethos. The walkable routing includes a 19th “bye hole” returning to the clubhouse after the first six holes.
Tree clearing began in early 2026, with limited preview play scheduled for late 2028 and full opening set for 2029.
“This is a rare opportunity to create a very special course in a region renowned for superb golf,” said David McDonald, president of Escalante Golf. “With this land and Bill and Ben’s expertise, we believe Kingsley Club will soon offer one of the game’s most fun and architecturally compelling 36-hole golf experiences.”
Expected to play as a par 72 at roughly 7,200 yards, the layout will complement the existing Mike DeVries-designed course, ranked among Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.,” Golf Digest’s “Best in State” and Golfweek’s “Top 200 Modern Courses.”
“The Escalante team has again given us an opportunity to work with a wonderfully intriguing, gifted site for golf, this time in the state of Michigan, home to some of America’s most acclaimed golf courses,” said Bill Coore, who previously partnered with Escalante on The Pines Course at The International near Boston. “We are excited about the potential of this highly individualistic site, the Kingsley Club in general and being able to create a course in a state with such a rich golfing history.”
Escalante has also broken ground on a new clubhouse to replace the retrofitted construction trailer used for more than two decades. Designed by Mark P. Finlay Architects behind the ninth green, the Cotswolds-inspired facility features 4,000 square feet of indoor space, an 850-square-foot covered patio and understated architecture tailored to the natural landscape.
Opening in spring 2027, the clubhouse will feature indoor and outdoor dining, a full-service bar, an outdoor fire pit, an expanded pro shop, upgraded locker rooms with private wet rooms and an expanded practice green.
Kingsley Club opened in 2001. Since buying it from co-founders Ed Walker and Art Preston in 2022, Escalante has worked to enhance the property while preserving its foundational “Spirit of the Game” ethos.
“This project is about evolution, not change,” said Justin Mack, general manager of Kingsley Club. “We’re committed to honoring what has always made Kingsley unique while thoughtfully investing in its future.”
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
1st hole of the new Pines Course at Woodmont Country Club. On track October reopening! https://t.co/XYDfKQb9gB
— Joe Jemsek (@jemsekgolf) September 22, 2026
FLC GOLF CLUB PLEIKU :: BRIAN CURLEY
Construction is underway on the first 18 holes at FLC Golf Club Pleiku in Dak Doa commune, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. Designed by Brian Curley, the course is part of a planned 36-hole complex within the FLC Pleiku Golf Club & Luxury City Resort.
Set in a vast pine forest near Pleiku, the layout reflects Curley’s signature approach: strategic routing with minimal land disturbance. Corridors wind through dense pine stands, creating a shot-making test Curley compares to Harbour Town Golf Links in precision and style.
“This is core golf,” Curley said. “The scale of the property and the density of the forest create a feeling of immersion in nature. You won’t feel hemmed in by out-of-bounds stakes or real estate. The emphasis is on golf, and in a design era of tree removal and wide expanses, this design is the antithesis, relying instead on management of tight corridors as the main design element, yet allowing for recovery from most any predicament.”
Land clearing is underway for the first 18 holes; timeline for the second course will be set later.
Rather than altering the terrain heavily, Curley is preserving existing trees, routing holes through natural forest openings and relying on green contours, strategic angles and tree-lined corridors rather than extensive bunkering.
Three lakes enter play, but open-front greens (excluding select par 3s) allow run-up approaches and recovery options from the pine needle floor to keep play accessible.
“My hope is to create one of the best inland golf courses in Vietnam,” Curley said. “A course that is demanding but fair, where players can recover, improvise and manage their way around with one golf ball.”
Greens will feature distinct sizes and contours, surfaced with Lynkz zoysia for density and speed. Zeon zoysia will cover fairways, tees and rough.
A minimalist turf plan preserves much of the natural pine understory to cut water use, maintain site character and permit recovery play.
Minimal formal bunkering will feature flashed sand faces inspired by Augusta National, offering visual contrast against red clay while reducing maintenance and soil contamination.
The broader resort development will eventually surround the 36-hole layout with perimeter hospitality and residential features.
Curley brings nearly 30 years of Asia-Pacific design experience, including Mission Hills in China and developments across Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. His Vietnam portfolio includes FLC Golf Club Ha Long, FLC Golf Links Quy Nhon and FLC Golf Links Quang Tri.
Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management is overseeing construction.
WOODBRIDGE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Woodbridge Golf & Country Club in Woodbridge, California, began renovations on its River Nine course in mid-August. Work includes a complete bunker overhaul, green surround enhancements, restroom upgrades and cart path repairs. The River Nine will close for six weeks and reopen in early October, while the Vineyard and Lake Nines remain open.
“This refresh project underscores the club’s commitment to providing an exceptional golf experience for our members and guests,” said Ryan Bill, general manager of Woodbridge Golf & Country Club. “These enhancements are designed to elevate playing conditions while supporting sustainable, year-round playability of the golf course.”
The bunker project will improve drainage, sand quality and shaping. Targeted work around green surrounds will improve turf health, drainage and access.
Founded in 1924, the private 27-hole facility near Sacramento added its final nine in the 1970s, designed by Bert Stamps.
