Meriwether Companies, a private resort developer, announced the groundbreaking of Coral Mountain Desert Club,a 400-acre private facility in La Quinta, California. The project features golf, racquet sports and access to the largest pneumatic, man-made wave basin in the United States.
“Coral Mountain Desert Club represents something entirely new for the region and a bold evolution of desert living,” said Noah Hahn, managing partner at Meriwether Companies. “We are excited to offer a modern club where active families can connect through fitness, wellness and adventure, with direct access to one of the most inspiring landscapes in the West.”
The club is the area’s first large-scale private development in more than 20 years, located on an undeveloped parcel in Greater Palm Springs. The property preserves views of Coral Mountain, and a trail network connects amenities across five core areas: golf, fitness, racquet sports, social programming and surfing.
Architect David McLay Kidd designed the 18-hole course, his first desert layout in the Coachella Valley. The design focuses on strategic playability for all skill levels. Phase 1 includes a driving range and two comfort stations.
“My passion for golf is about creating special experiences in compelling landscapes,” Kidd said. “I’ve spent a lifetime doing just that at Bandon Dunes in Oregon and the Castle Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, where I was born and raised. At Coral Mountain Desert Club, I have the opportunity to create my first original work in Southern California. On my very first visit, I reveled in the light cast across the valley, shadows in the mountains and the colors in the rocks. I knew I had found another compelling landscape to do my best work, and where my team and I could craft a course unlike anything nearby. A course that enthralls with intrigue, adventure, whimsy and playfulness, while exciting and perplexing golfers over and over again. We can’t wait to start creating something fresh and new, yet so steeped in the roots of the Scottish game I grew up around.”
A partnership with Thermal Beach Club will provide a 48-chamber surf lagoon, making it the largest pneumatic wave basin in the country. Located 10 minutes from the club, the wave pool features adjustable settings for different skill levels.
Phase 1 construction is underway, with completion expected in 2028.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
Visited my renovation Friday at @olympiahills18 near San Antonio. Despite a LOT of rain, @verdesportsco is making good progress. Nine holes of irrigation installed, tree work complete, tees underway & new @Billy_Bunker bunkers w/ @turfmaterials Premier Play sand looking good! pic.twitter.com/CekI5Ios87
— Nathan Crace, ASGCA, PLA (@lipouts) June 1, 2026
FRENCHMAN’S CREEK BEACH & COUNTRY CLUB IN PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA | FRY/STRAKA DESIGN
Frenchman’s Creek Beach & Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has broken ground on a $10.48 million renovation of its golf and practice facilities. Work began in May 2025 and is scheduled for completion this fall. The project focuses on the South Course's ninth hole, the driving range and short-game facilities.
The driving range renovation replaces the north-south configuration with a traditional tee line and a dedicated iron practice area. The project also adds a berm along the main roadway to expand the range's footprint.
The short-game practice area is moving from the driving range to a site adjacent to the first tees to create a larger practice environment.
The club is also renovating the ninth hole on the South Course to improve playability and safety near the outdoor dining area.
“This project marks an exciting new chapter for the club and demonstrates our members’ commitment to continually enhancing the Frenchman’s Creek experience,” said Club President Alan Gurock. “From the signature No. 9 South hole to our practice facilities, these improvements will meaningfully benefit golfers of all skill levels for years to come.”
Design firm Fry/Straka is handling the renovation. “Our goal is to create practice and playing environments that are both visually striking and highly functional,” said general manager and COO Rob Oosterhuis. “These enhancements will further solidify Frenchman’s Creek’s reputation as one of South Florida’s premier private club golf experiences.”
GOSWICK LINKS | MACKENZIE & EBERT
Goswick Links, in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, opened a new par-3 seventh hole on its 1890 layout. Part of a renovation plan by Mackenzie & Ebert approved in 2022, the hole replaces the former ninth hole to reduce congestion on the front nine.
The course originally opened as a nine-hole Tom Dunn design, expanded to 18 holes by James Braid in the 1930s. Before 2026, the last new holes were added by Frank Pennink in 1964.
Tom Mackenzie designed the 155-yard seventh hole, which features out-of-bounds stakes along the right side. “It’s just amazingly rewarding to see everything coming together,” Mackenzie told golfcoursearchitecture.net. “I hope we have delivered what we promised we were going to deliver in terms of the improvement to the front nine and creating a really good new hole.”
Recent updates include new tees on holes five, six and eight, and modified greens on holes two, three and four. Work to reroute the first hole begins in November 2026, with a new ninth hole planned for the future.
