Branding has been synonymous with residential golf development for decades. The marketing practice was prominent at private club communities in the 1990s, when courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer attracted baby boomer golfers and homebuyers willing to pay a premium to live and play at "signature" developments.
Palmer and sports marketing pioneer Mark McCormack started the sports endorsement business with a handshake deal in 1960, turning athletic success into commercial marketability.
Kuo Diedrich Chi Architects is applying the same branding strategy to its clubhouse designs, moving the concept from the course to the 19th hole.
The firm's clubhouse design niche follows decades of international partnerships. Over the past 20 years, KDC's global projects have included Yanqi Lake near Beijing; Ecopark near Hanoi, Vietnam; and clubs in Durrat Al Bahrain, The Wave Muscat in Oman and the Els Club in Dubai. These projects involved collaborations with golfers Ernie Els, Gary Player and Greg Norman.
KDC principal Howard Kuo recently traveled to five countries, including Portugal, for clubhouse work with Arrow Global Group. In August 2025, KDC designed a clubhouse for Arrow Global at The Els Club at Vilamoura, which hosts a PGA Tour Champions event later this year.
Kuo also collaborated with the Palmer family at The Landings near Savannah, Georgia. The $26 million renovation of multiple clubhouses and amenities included the family’s first branded hospitality venues: Palmer’s Steakhouse and Arnie’s Tavern at the Marshwood Clubhouse.
KDC recently designed the rebranded Nelson Golf & Sports Club in Las Colinas, Texas. Formerly TPC Las Colinas, the community was the home club for Byron Nelson and hosted the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Classic for 35 years.
In late 2022, Century Golf Partners acquired the 36-hole Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club assets, and another private equity group purchased the resort, rebranding it as the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas.
Century Golf renamed the club in honor of Nelson, who died in 2006, and hired KDC to design a new clubhouse. The facility features a rear patio with outdoor terraces and fire pits, a pro shop, and a bar and dining area called Byron’s. Kuo said Nelson’s widow remains a club member, and the club plans a Nelson-themed menu. Perhaps one item bound to be served will be the former Four Seasons' famous bread pudding, a dish Nelson always enjoyed after one of his signature Las Colinas lunches.
TRAVIS CLUB BEGINS RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IN TEXAS
The Travis Club is developing a private golf and lakefront community in the Texas Hill Country near Lake Austin.
The 1,500-acre community, 15 miles from downtown Austin, broke ground on its first homesites in November 2025. The golf course, designed by Beau Welling, is scheduled to open for member play by Labor Day weekend.
Developed by Menlo Park, California-based Haas & Haynie and Austin-based Castle Hill Partners, the club expects to complete the Gatehouse by mid-2026 to coincide with the opening of the 18-hole course and practice facilities.
Construction on the Golf House is scheduled to begin by the end of the year. The facility will anchor the club campus and include a golf shop, a restaurant and bar, an outdoor terrace, locker rooms and simulator bays.
"Breaking ground on our first homes marks the beginning of Travis Club coming to life," said Chris Wells, Travis Club director of sales. His team reported more than $145 million in sales from 140 lots in November 2025.
The gated community will include approximately 700 homesites, with prices ranging from $700,000 to more than $3.5 million. Non-golf amenities will include a boat club, a marina, racquet sports, 30 miles of trails and fitness facilities.
Haas & Haynie, founded in 1898, previously developed Estancia in Scottsdale, Arizona; 3 Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Cordevalle in San Martin, California; and Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii.
Castle Hill Partners, a Texas-based real estate developer and investment firm, developed Clear Creek Tahoe, a 1,578-acre community in Nevada.
REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT REPORTS STRONG REAL ESTATE SALES
Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia reported June 2 that it surpassed $50 million in real estate pre-sales less than a year after returning to the residential market.
The resort is expanding with condominiums, townhomes and estate lots. It plans to welcome its first homeowners this fall, alongside the opening of the Revelstoke Mountain Club and the Cabot Revelstoke golf facility, which will open for preview play later this year.
Considered North America's longest vertical ski destination, RMR is evolving into a true four-season community alongside the arrival of the Cabot Revelstoke Mountain Lodge and Cabot Revelstoke, which is being designed by Canadian course architect Rod Whitman.
For Cabot founder Ben Cowan-Dewar, Revelstoke represents Cabot’s highly anticipated debut mountain-golf destination. Cowan-Dewar said the Cabot Pacific property features views of the mountains and the Columbia River. He compared the course to Canada’s Stanley Thompson-designed courses at Jasper Park Lodge and Banff Springs.
"Welcoming our first homeowners since re-entering the real estate market last year is a major milestone," said resort president Jason Kelder, whose group plans to develop residences near the course. "The strong response to our real estate offerings reinforces what we've believed for years: people want to be part of Revelstoke not just during ski season, but throughout the year. As new residential neighborhoods, world-class golf and member amenities come together, we're creating a true four-season mountain community."
Membership in the Revelstoke Mountain Club is limited to property owners. Benefits include priority gondola access, lakefront access, tennis, pickleball and padel courts, concierge service and discounted tee times at Cabot Revelstoke.
The club plans to add a clubhouse at the resort base featuring dining venues, lockers, a pool and a hot tub, along with a member lounge at the Sutton Place Hotel at the Kelowna airport. Members can also purchase helicopter excursions for skiing, fishing, hiking and paddling.