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Castle Stuart Golf Links, in Scotland, one of GOLF’s World Top 100 Courses, has a new owner, a new name and big plans in the works.

On Monday, Cabot, the company co-founded by Canadian businessman Ben Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser, announced its acquisition of the Scottish property, which it has renamed Cabot Highlands. Operations at the course will continue uninterrupted, but upgrades to the destination are in store, as Cabot plans to add accommodations, for-sale real estate and, most notably for golfers, a second 18-hole course, designed by the acclaimed architect Tom Doak.

“Our goal has always been to create unforgettable memories in magical places, and this certainly fits the bill,” Cowan-Dewar said. “It’s such a marvelous destination in such a wonderful part of the world, the opportunity was almost too good to be true.”

Five minutes from the Inverness airport and within striking distance of such marquee Highlands courses as Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Brora, Castle Stuart has been a design-world darling since its opening in 2009. It was the brainchild of Mark Parsinen, who also built Kingbarns, in St. Andrews. At Castle Stuart, Parsinen collaborated with Gil Hanse on a links that rollicks over bluffs and along the Moray Firth, with infinity-edged greens, backed by the water, and long views of the Highlands. The course ranks 77th on GOLF’s current World Top 100 roster and four times has played host to the Scottish Open.

The purchase of Castle Stuart is the latest headline-making move by the Cabot team, whose growing portfolio of destination includes Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia (home of two of GOLF’s World Top 100 Courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs) and a pair of highly anticipated projects: Cabot Saint Lucia, set for late 2022 on the island of the same name; and Cabot Revelstoke, now in progress in British Columbia. Earlier this year, Cabot also acquired its first U.S. property, 45-hole World Woods, in Florida, which is now undergoing renovations and has been renamed Cabot Citrus Farms.

At their Highlands destination, Cowan-Dewar said that he and the Cabot team were proud to carry on the legacy of Parsinen, who died in 2019, at age 70. Along with the original course at Castle Stuart, Parsinen had long envisioned a par-3 course and a second 18-hole course. That short course was recently completed will have its grand opening next year (it is currently open to limited preview play). Construction on the new Doak-designed 18, which will be routed around a 400-year-old castle, will begin next year with an opening scheduled for 2024.

Real estate sales will begin at Cabot Highlands in 2023.

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The Florida destination formerly known as World Woods Golf Club, a longtime presence on best-in-state lists, is on the verge of a major makeover.

We learned as much earlier this year, when Cabot — the company co-founded by Canadian businessman Ben Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser — announced its acquisition of the 45-hole property, which has been renamed Citrus Farms.

Now, we also know the architects who will do the work.

Abiding by a template that has served them well at other multi-course properties (including Bandon and Cabot Cape Breton), Cowan-Dewar and Keiser have opted to spread the love, assigning different architects to each of Citrus Farms’ three courses: Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks, both Tom Fazio originals, and a new 9-hole par-3 course.

For Pine Barrens, a rustic layout laden with sandy wastes that has appeared on some World Top 100 rankings, the Cabot team has turned to Kyle Franz. Since launching his career in 2000, Franz has worked with the likes of Tom Doak, Gil Hanse and Bill Coore on some of their best-known projects, including Pacific Dunes, in Oregon; Barnbougle Dunes, in Australia; and the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2. More recently, Franz has burnished his reputation with highly regarded restorations of Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines, all Donald Ross classics in the Carolina Sandhills.

For Rolling Oaks, the job will go to Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, respected industry veterans who recently formed a partnership. Their combined resumes include such notable projects as Winter Park Golf Course, in Florida, and Point Grey Golf Club, in Vancouver. Both also helped shape Cabot Cliffs, at Cabot Cape Breton.

As for the new par-3 course, its design will fall to Mike Nuzzo, a former aerospace engineer who has devoted the past 20 years to golf design. His most heralded work is Wolf Point Ranch, a richly imaginative course in Texas. In addition to the new short course, Nuzzo will also create new practice facilities and handle the redo of an existing short course and putting course.

Compared to Cabot’s other projects, Citrus Farms is a quicker trip to major urban centers (it’s about 50 minutes from Tampa and 80 minutes from Orlando). But the site does not have accommodations. The Cabot team plans to add those, along with a new clubhouse and an array of other amenities.

But first, the golf. Work on the courses is slated to begin this spring and is expected to be completed in 2023.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

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From Canada to the Caribbean and now to a prized property in central-west Florida, one of the marquee names in golf development continues to expand its reach.

On Monday, Cabot — the company co-founded by Canadian businessman Ben Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser — announced its acquisition of World Woods Golf Club, a 45-hole public operation, roughly midway between Tampa and Orlando, that has long ranked among the finest public golf facilities in the Sunshine State.

Under the new ownership, World Woods will be renamed Cabot Citrus Farms and the property reimagined, with a refresh of its two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole par-3 course, all originally designed by Tom Fazio.

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Best golf courses in Florida, according to GOLF Magazine's expert course raters

By: GOLF’s Course Ratings Panel

The purchase marks the latest headline move by Cabot, whose growing stable of destinations includes Cape Breton in Nova Scotia (home to two of GOLF’s World Top 100 Courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs) and a pair of hotly anticipated projects: Cabot Saint Lucia, set for late 2022 on the island of the same name, and Cabot Revelstoke, now in progress in British Columbia.

“I couldn’t wish for a better location for our first our first U.S. development,” Cowan-Dewar told GOLF.com. “The property is a nature-lover’s paradise.”

Since its 1993 opening, World Woods has been widely praised as a welcome departure for Florida golf, a break from the flat, manufactured design aesthetic that pervades the state. Its landscape makes you feel as if you’re somewhere else — sandy and rumpled, with palmettos and moss-draped oaks that invite comparisons to the Carolina Lowcountry. Its two 18-hole courses, Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks, are an aptly named study in contrasts: the latter more treelined, the former more rustic, with wide fairways framed by expansive sandy wastes. While Pine Barrens has consistently been the higher-rated of the two, even creeping onto some World Top 100 rankings in the past, Rolling Oaks has been a fixture on best-in-state lists.

Minimalist in its architecture, World Woods has also long been modest in its amenities. It has no accommodations. Cabot plans to build those, along with a new clubhouse, retail, restaurants, a spa, a fitness center and a farmer’s market, among other appointments in a project that will feature a real estate component, designed to blend with the surrounds.

But first things first, Cowan-Dewar says: The initial focus is on spiffing up the golf, including the par-3 course, the putting green and the practice facilities. An architect has not been chosen yet, but that should happen within the next 60 days for work that the Cabot team regards as more of a refresher than a major overhaul.

“This is really the embodiment of the fact that great land allows for great golf,” Cowan-Dewar says. “Our job is really just to let the land shine through.”

Compared to Cabot’s other projects, Citrus Farms will be a quicker trip from major urban centers: about 50 minutes from Tampa and 80 minutes from Orlando. It’s also the first project for the Cowan-Dewar-Keiser tandem that does not revolve around new-course construction, though that, too, is in the blueprint. In the deal, Cabot also acquired an adjacent 600-acre parcel, with plenty of room for more golf in the future.

The more immediate work begins this spring. Until then, both 18-hole courses, as well as the par-3 course and a 3-hole practice loop, will remain open.

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It’s getting hard to keep up with the folks at Cabot, the golf and real-estate developer.

Not content to stand pat with a vaunted resort in Nova Scotia and another in the works in the Caribbean, the company is now set to stretch its reach across the Great White North to the mountains of British Columbia, in western Canada.

On Monday, the Cabot team unveiled its plans for Cabot Revelstoke, an alpine resort in the folds of the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges, in an area famed for its heli-skiing.

Scheduled to open in 2023, Cabot Revelstoke will expand upon the offerings of an existing property, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, with real estate, accommodations and an 18-hole course, called Cabot Pacific, by the architect Rod Whitman and his new design firm, Whitman, Axland & Cutten. The Lodge at Cabot Revelstoke, a 150-room hotel, is slated to open in 2024.

“Great golf sites in the mountains aren’t easy to come by,” said Cabot CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar, who co-founded the company with Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser. “You want land with movement, but that movement can’t be too severe. This site is ideal in that respect, in surroundings that are just jaw-droppingly beautiful.”

When it opens, Cabot’s latest project will add to a portfolio of golf destinations that includes Cabot Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia, and Cabot Saint Lucia, on the Caribbean island of the same name. The former is home to two GOLF Magazine World Top 100 Courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, and a 10-hole par-3 course, The Nest. Cabot Saint Lucia, slated to open in 2022, will be anchored by a seaside course by the celebrated design duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

The first mountain project for the Cabot team, Cabot Revelstoke also reunites Cowan-Dewar and Keiser with Whitman, the Cabot Links designer. A native of Alberta, the province just east of British Columbia, Whitman came of age admiring the work of Stanley Thompson, the great Canadian architect of the Golden Age. At Revelstoke, Whitman now has a chance to work on a site that marries elements of two famous Thompson designs, in Banff and Jasper, that rank among the finest mountain courses in the world.

Ringed by snow-capped peaks, amid glaciers and old-growth forests, Whitman’s routing at Revelstoke will run along a ridge overlooking the Columbia River, winding around creeks and cliffs and rock outcroppings, with holes that give way to long views of the mountains.

Photos of the landscape make it easy to see how the region emerged as an alpine mecca and a primo destination for heli-skiing. But check out the renderings of the course at Revelstoke. Looks hella good for golf, too. For more information, visit cabotrevelstoke.com.

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With detailed input from GOLF’s 88-member Top 100 Courses ranking panel, its editors, architects from around the world and select other short-course aficionados, we’ve compiled GOLF’s first long look at “short courses,” including our inaugural ranking of the world’s 50 greatest 9-hole tracks, plus the 25 best sub-6,000-yard courses and 25 best par-3 courses. Because good things really do come in small packages.

For the par-3 tracks, we’ve arranged 25 of the world’s best from oldest to youngest. (GOLF plans to do a proper ranking in the near future.) Doing so underscores just how popular par-3 courses have become recently. More than a third of our list opened in the past five years, including two this year, making par-3 courses maybe the hottest trend in architecture. Just look at the design names attached to these tracks: Nicklaus, Fazio, Dye, Doak, Hanse, Coore, Crenshaw.

Many of North America’s high-end resorts have cottoned to the fact that not every golfer needs or wants to play a full-length course twice in a day. From Bandon Dunes to Sand Valley and Cabot Links to Pinehurst Resort, par-3 tracks now thrive.

“The growing popularity of par-3 courses is a wonderful anomaly in a game often obsessed with distance,” says Adam Messix, a head PGA professional in Cashiers, N.C. “From one perspective, par-3 courses are a test of precision. More important, I think, they’re a joy to play for golfers of every caliber. Par-3 courses lack the formality you see at quote-unquote real courses, where you have to follow golf’s various conventions, like four players maximum to a group. They’re all about fun, families, friends and inclusiveness. Their ability to include all players make them the ideal place to enjoy the game no matter one’s age or ability.”

Tackling one of them is also a fantastic way to hone your short-game skills, where the game is generally won and lost.

The 25 best par-3 courses (listed from oldest to youngest)

* Course descriptions compiled by GOLF’s Top 100 Course Panelists and GOLF staffers.

Augusta National, Augusta, Ga., (Cobb & Roberts/1958)

Expert’s take: Perhaps the most famous par-3 course in the world ever since the annual Masters Par-3 Contest was broadcast on TV, this charming layout wraps around two ponds (DeSoto Springs and Ike’s) and employs tiny yet speedy greens.

Grand National/Magnolia Grove at RTJ Trail, Opelika/Mobile, Ala. (Robert Trent Jones Sr./1992)

Expert’s take: More than half of the 18-hole short course at Grand National runs along Lake Saugahatchee and has a nice mix of difficult tee shots and tricky pins. The short course at Magnolia Grove got even better after a renovation years ago that gave a makeover to a number of greens.

Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, N.J. (Tom Fazio/1992)

Expert’s take: In my opinion it’s the best thought-out par-3 attached to a big course. The idea to create templates for some of the big course’s approach shots was brilliantly conceived and superbly executed.

The Olympic Club (Cliffs), San Francisco, Calif. (Tom Weiskopf/1994)

Expert’s take: Many consider the Cliffs course to be the most fun layout at The Olympic Club, and the Morrish-Weiskopf team did a fantastic job routing these holes along the Pacific cliffs back in the 90s. The conditioning is always near perfect and the bunkering really replicates the Lake Course challenges. The views, however, are what makes this course so special. Play it!

Headwaters, Cashiers, N.C. (Tom Fazio/1999)

Expert’s take: Tom Fazio created a nine-hole gem with tremendous variety in its subtle greens. Combine this with a stunning mountain setting with idyllic flora to make repeat rounds in one day.

Hamilton Farm (Hickory), Far Hills, N.J. (Hurdzan & Fry/2001)

Expert’s take: One of the most fun two hours you can spend on a golf course. This is no pitch and putt. Eighteen beautifully maintained green complexes ranging in length from 104 to 229 yards.

Kanawha Club, Manakin-Sabot, Va. (Lester George/2003)

Expert’s take: This private 9-hole par-3 course has undulating greens and superb conditioning. It calls for shots ranging from 108 yards to 225 yards (from the back tees), but don’t dismiss the middle or forward tees, either. They call for just as many exciting shots from different numbers, some as short as 62 yards.

Quarry at La Quinta, La Quinta, Calif. (Tom Fazio/2003)

Expert’s take: A very sporty short course and always in unbelievable condition. The landscaping, running water, rock work and incredible turf grass make this an unforgettable experience, and the golf holes themselves are loads of fun to play.

Palm Beach Par-3, Palm Beach, Fla. (Dick Wilson/1961; Updated by Raymond Floyd/2009)

Expert’s take: Stunning views of the ocean and intercoastal waterway. A great place for family fun. My son and I played there many times when he was a junior. An added benefit is the outstanding restaurant overlooking the dunes and ocean for lunch or post-round drinks.

Origins GC, Watersound, Fla. (Davis Love III/2006)

Expert’s take: There’s more than one way to tackle this gem. The Origins Course has six regulation holes yet also plays as a 10-hole par-3 short course that’s not only a blast but extremely walkable. Played at about 1,800 yards, the course is forgiving enough for beginners yet still calls for strategic shots for experienced players.

Mission Hills Haikou (Stepping Stone), Hainan, China (Brian Curley/2010)

Expert’s take: As the architect here (Brian Curley), I wanted to create an experience where only a few clubs were needed (holes range from about 100-150 yards) and something that was more target-style as opposed to the typical par-3 built upon a connected swath of turf. Key to its presentation is that while there are paths for maintenance (and the few golfers who do have a cart), golfers walk a straight line through the lava rock on unique trails that weave through vegetated lava rock walls. Wild variety of green designs and any hole can be inserted into any of the full-scale courses.

The Prairie Club (Horse), Valentine, Neb. (Hanse & Shackelford/2010)

Expert’s take: No tee boxes? Yes, please. This 10-hole short course lets you call the shots, and it’s a blast. It can play anywhere from 485 to 1,125 yards and is the perfect way to start or end your day at The Prairie Club. Better yet, it’s complimentary with any visit, with a suggested donation to The Prairie Club Foundation.

The Olde Farm, Bristol, Va. (Bobby Weed/2011)

Expert’s take: The Orchard Course has holes ranging from 50 to 130 yards, yet you can always pick your own route and swing away. There are a ton of different shots to pull off to increase the fun factor.

Bandon Dunes (Bandon Preserve), Bandon, Ore. (Coore & Crenshaw/2012)

Expert’s take: The best-kept secret at Bandon Dunes. The trip will not be complete if you did not play the Bandon Preserve. It’s 13 holes of pure golf joy — and make sure to use your putter when teeing off on the last hole.

St. Andrews Club, Delray Beach, Fla. (Pete & Alice Dye/2013)

Expert’s take: An 18-hole par-3 course designed by the Dyes is exactly how you would imagine it — challenging. Yet it’s a gorgeous walk with few trees, water views and blooming flowers. A blast for any age.

Big Cedar Lodge (Top of the Rock), Ridgedale, Mo. (Jack Nicklaus/2014)

Expert’s take: The Top of the Rock Golf Course is the first-ever par-3 course to be included in a pro golf tournament (Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf) and looks even better in person than it did on TV. Dramatic tee shots, waterfalls, lakes and gorgeous golf holes make this place a must-play for any trip to Big Cedar Lodge.

Scottsdale National (Bad Little 9), Scottsdale, Ariz. (J. Kahn Golf Course Design/2016)

Expert’s take: Perhaps the most diabolical nine holes in all of golf. Impossible for ANYONE to play in par or better. Purportedly modeled after a video game. Who says life can’t imitate art? A mix between devil and delight, no player can help but smile when a well-struck wedge is but the mere start of an adventure.

Pinehurst (The Cradle), Pinehurst, N.C. (Gil Hanse/2017)

Expert’s take: Brilliant design and fun experience for all levels of golfers. The sandscapes incorporated as part of the design provide stunning views. The adjacent Thistle Dhu putting course makes this a can’t-miss experience for those coming to the area.

Ballyneal (The Mulligan), Holyoke, Colo. (Tom Doak/2017)

Expert’s take: There are 12 greens here but no right way to play The Mulligan Course. It’s creativity at its finest — both in how you play your round and the shots you need to pull off. Less than five years old, this place is still somewhat unknown but definitely a gem.

Big Cedar Lodge (Mountain Top), Ridgedale, Mo. (Gary Player/2018)

Expert’s take: Thirteen holes that are more like an adventure with golf clubs. It has dramatic views and some really fun but fair golf holes. My personal favorite among all of the courses there.

Sand Valley (The Sandbox), Nekoosa, Wis. (Coore & Crenshaw/2018)

Expert’s take: When they designed The Sandbox, Coore and Crenshaw wanted to break the typical golf mold. So they designed 17 holes and ended it at that. Seventeen! How great is that? And the 17th ends with an 83-yarder that mimics Pine Valley’s famous par-3 10th (with the Devil’s Asshole bunker). On most days the entire course can be played with exactly three clubs: a lob wedge, one slightly longer club, and the flatstick. We love that.

The Concession GC (The Gimme), Bradenton, Fla. (Chris Cochran/Nicklaus Design/2019)

Expert’s take: This is barely a year old and fun for a number of reasons, but the best part is in the name: it’s called The Gimme as a hat tip to Jack Nicklaus’ conceded putt to Tony Jacklin in the 1969 Ryder Cup. So, what’s that mean for you? Everything inside two feet, as marked on the flagstick, is good!

The Hills (The Farm), Arrowtown, New Zealand (Darius Oliver/2019)

Expert’s take: Brilliantly routed to follow the water race, the Farm is a leisurely walk across dramatic land overlooking postcard views of Queenstown. The nine par-3s are eminently playable with huge teeing areas providing extensive options and alternative routes which provides challenge and fun for all abilities. From the back plates it’s a helluva test whilst from the front you can play each hole with a putter. An epic set of greens are punctuated by a dell, halfpipe and a wild double green which may well be the biggest putting surface Down Under.

Les Bordes Golf International (Wild Piglet), Saint-Laurent-Nouan, France (Gil Hanse/2020)

Expert’s take: A 10-hole par-3 that opened this year. Yardages are from 131 yards to 198. Gil Hanse has been on a roll with his short courses. Just wish this one was closer!

Cabot Links (The Nest), Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada (Whitman & Axland/2020)

Expert’s take: It’s hard to imagine Cabot getting better since it already had the Links and Cliffs courses, but the 1,300-yard Nest was a fantastic changeup. You can hit wedges and woods and, despite being a par-3 course, that’s angles aplenty.

Editor’s Picks

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Published in 1976, The World Atlas of Golf should be a cornerstone of any golf architecture library, and maybe its finest feature is contributing editor Pat Ward-Thomas’s article, “Elements of Greatness: A Classic Course.”

Remaining true to each actual hole number (a No. 1 had to stay a No. 1, a No. 2 a No. 2 and so on), Ward-Thomas created an ideal 18, picking one hole from famous courses worldwide.

“Many may disagree with the composition of the course,” he wrote, “but nobody could fairly dispute that it would call upon a golfer to demonstrate skill in every part of the game; that it embraces the quality of exceptional design, and much of the beauty with which golf is blessed; that it would command respect from the mighty and be a great deal of fun for anyone to play.”

Mission accomplished, and brilliantly so: Ward-Thomas rightly focused on the quality of each hole as well as how those holes would relate to one another. It was an eye-opening read the first time and remains just as entertaining the hundredth time. Still, the book was published back in 1976—what about all the brilliant layouts built since?

Many people, myself included, believe that we’re living in a second Golden Age of course design, so it seemed only fitting that my homage to “Elements of Greatness” stick to places built post-World Atlas of Golf. As it’s meant to be a celebration of modern design, this list is restricted to one entry per architect, to acknowledge as many leaders in the field as possible. Also worth noting: 14 of these 18 holes are accessible to the paying public, a telling sign of progress.

Hole No. 1: Wolf Point

Port Lavaca, Texas — Par 4, 320 Yards

Architects: Mike Nuzzo with Don Mahaffey

Why it’s great: A wide but strategic fairway provides the perfect getaway for an opening hole.

Overview: Ask four golfers why they like a hole and you’ll often get four different answers, but every (sane) golfer agrees that a wide fairway is the ideal way to start a round. Old Tom Morris taught us this lesson at St. Andrews; at Royal Melbourne, Alister MacKenzie perfected the notion of gaining advantage from a particular spot in a sea of short grass.

America’s widest first fairway, and one of its smartest, resides at Wolf Point, a course originally built for one man on his East Texas ranch that has developed a cult following among design aficionados since its 2007 opening.

A lake sits off to the left, the rest of Texas is to the right and the golfer finds himself staring at a fairway 240 yards wide. To miss it would bring shame, and yet, sure enough, the more you position the drive toward the trouble left, the better the angle of approach to most hole locations given the green’s predominant right-to-left cant.

Hole No. 2: Kingsley Club

Kingsley, Mich. — Par 3, 150 Yards

Architect: Mike DeVries

Why it’s great: An ultra-precise par-3 shot is the perfect follow-up to a wide-open starter.

Overview: People who study golf’s pace of play—yes, there are such people—pooh-pooh the idea of a reachable par-5 or a par-3 early on either side, holding forth that such holes cause play to back up. My experience says that the opposite holds true, that both hole types invariably spread out play.

Regardless, Mike DeVries routed this one-shotter along the top of a ridge, with the narrow green naturally falling off on both sides toward either deep bunkers or, worse still, thick fescue grass. The green, at 38 yards, is much deeper than it is wide (just nine yards at the front).

Yard for yard, this may well be the hardest hole on this entire Dream Course. More important, the juxtaposition of its intense call for precision against the freewheeling, spacious opening hole is simply too delicious to pass up.  

Hole No. 3: Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island, S.C. — Par 4, 365 Yards

Architect: Pete Dye

Why it’s great: Green complexes this good don’t need bunkering.

Overview: Pete Dye did the game a huge favor when he reestablished the popularity of the short par-4. A 1963 trip to Scotland cemented his fondness for such holes, and this one might well be his finest. The fairway offers plenty of width; when the pin is front-left, the golfer aims right off the tee and vice versa. The merciless, bunkerless green is nothing more than a knuckle perched some five to seven feet above its surroundings, and its relative flatness provides no help in stopping approach shots.

Notably, when the breeze is off the Atlantic and into the player, the 3rd plays easier than when the wind blows offshore and the hole is downwind, as the already small, 3,920-square-foot green becomes even more elusive. Golf is more interesting to more people when accuracy and finesse trump brute strength, and it’s fascinating how a short hole with a tame putting surface can do just that.

Hole No. 4: Tobacco Road

Sanford, N.C. — Par 5, 535 Yards

Architect: Mike Strantz

Why it’s great: A great hazard you can challenge but recover from if you miss.

Overview: The dearly, too-early departed Mike Strantz left behind a small portfolio of nine original works that range from intimate to muscular. His designs resisted stereotyping except for one feature: He adored the button-hook par 5, meaning a hole that swings around a great hazard. Tobacco Road in fact features two such holes, this one and No. 11.

The latter plays around the deepest hazard in North Carolina, but the 4th was chosen for the grace with which the fairway tumbles and connects to the green. Also, the great hazard being more human in scale, at six feet deep, tempts golfers into greedier tactics than the hazard at 11, which is three times deeper. Hazards from which you can recover are more enticing, and therefore interesting, to challenge than water features like lakes and ponds, which are overly penal with no hope of recovery.

Hole No. 5: The Cove Club at Cabo Del Sol

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — Par 4, 470 Yards

Architect: Jack Nicklaus

Why it’s great: A study in keeping the foreground “quiet” so the background can sing.

Overview: Standing on this elevated tee, with the distant flag flapping against the Sea of Cortez, it’s easy to understand why Jack Nicklaus maintains that golf is best appreciated played downhill. A lateral hazard runs the length of the hole along the right, while a shoulder from the hill protrudes in from the left. The closer the golfer hugs the lateral hazard, the better the optics for the approach shot to a green intensely connected to the sea. The putting surface starts off glued to the ground front left but gradually rises as it angles away to the right. Brave is the player who chases after back-right flags, as the short grass surrounding the green is only too happy to whisk balls away. No bunkers required, and at high tide the water can get as close as 15 yards from the green—the light touch of salt spray can make even the most concentrated golfer back away from a putt.

No. 6: South Cape Owners Club

Namhae Island, South Korea — Par 3, 235 Yards

Architect: Kyle Phillips

Why it’s great: Every course needs a “heroic” moment.

Overview: One sacrosanct rule in architecture: There are no rules. It’s easy to wax poetic about the ground game, as witness our prior hole; sometimes, though, it’s mighty rewarding when the architect demands that the player simply hit the damn shot needed. Such exemplars—think, No. 12 at Augusta National or No. 16 at Cypress Point—create the sport’s most thrilling, indelible memories.

This South Korean beauty replicates the latter’s heart-pounding excitement of launching a long iron off a cliff and over the pounding surf. The jagged cliff-line proved ideal for Kyle Phillips, who routed three of the course’s one-shot holes along it. He artfully arranged the tees here to make the shot palatable for as many skill sets as possible, but most players can’t help but have a crack from the tips, so compelling is the heroic carry. Though the setting steals the show, the rolling green itself is also full of character.

Hole No. 7: Ardfin

Isle of Jura, Scotland — Par 4, 460 Yards

Architect: Bob Harrison

Why it’s great: There’s an obvious shortcut off the tee—but is it the right answer?

Overview: Should there be a set way to master a hole or many? The 7th at Ardfin, opened in 2016 and criminally under the radar, is an example of posing a conundrum not easily solved. The straight line from tee to green traverses broken ground; the crescent-shaped fairway is an inverted C to the right. Logic suggests hugging the inside of the curve to reduce the distance for the approach…yet that route often yields a blind shot. From the outside of the fairway, more is revealed but the shot is longer.

One rub for the downhill approach: The green follows the slope of the surrounding land, i.e., the putting surface cascades from front to back. Trying to get the ball to behave and stop on the correct part of the green—even on a rare calm day in the Inner Hebrides—is among the more exasperating yet thrilling tests this Dream Course poses.

Hole No. 8: Congaree

Ridgeland, S.C. — Par 5, 545 Yards

Architect: Tom Fazio

Why it’s great: An old-school nod to “using the ground.”

Overview: For golf architects as for rock bands, the early work often remains the most original. To Tom Fazio’s credit, three decades after his designs at Wild Dunes and Wade Hampton reestablished that the sport should be about fun, he was producing top-notch courses like Congaree and Gozzer Ranch.

Much of Congaree’s playing season occurs when its Bermuda fairways are dormant—and blazingly quick. This golf-for-golfers club doesn’t color or overseed the fairways: Ownership appreciates the ground game and understands that the new Bermuda grasses aid this approach. Fazio imbued this design with numerous cases whereby you hit to X to end up at Y, none so dramatic as here, where the thrilling challenge is to hit left of the green, avoiding all the trouble on the right and allow the 30-yard-long kicker slope to feed the ball down and onto the open green—a shot to savor for the thinking golfer. 

Hole No. 9: Askernish

Askernish, Scotland — Par 4, 340 Yards

Architect: Martin Ebert

Why it’s great: It proves that super greens don’t have to be superfast.

Overview: Situated in the Outer Hebrides, Askernish has the distinction of being built this century over ground once occupied by a 19th-century course designed by titans Old Tom Morris and Horace Hutchinson. Course owner Ralph Thompson got the idea in 2005 to maximize the wondrous dunescape here on the Isle of South Uist and called in architect Martin Ebert and greenkeeper Gordon Irvine to carry out his vision.

The course has only four formalized bunkers, and that’s plenty given the rollicking land. Just four people maintain the course, and the greens don’t play as intended if they Stimp much above 8. Never mind: As a set, the green complexes represent one of the game’s finest collections, headlined by the 9th, where the putting surface is set at a 45-degree angle to play. A deep depression in front and a deeper one in back confound the golfer, making this wee two-shotter a position hole with teeth.
Old Tom and Horace would be proud.

Hole No. 10: Gamble Sands

Brewster, Wash. — Par 3, 140 Yards

Architect: David McLay Kidd

Why it’s great: Challenges the notion that the target must fit the shot.

Overview: You hear it all the time: The target should fit the shot. A short hole? The green should be small. While that can be true, a small target has the sometimes unwanted effect of focusing a golfer’s concentration. As Nos. 9 and 10 at The Old Course have demonstrated forever, large greens at short holes make getting a pitch close bizarrely vexing.

Leave it to the Scotsman David McLay Kidd to pick up on such a design cue. Though the green measures a whopping 13,119 square feet, its interior contours are superb and the desired birdie often proves elusive. Even more maddening is when a bogey surfaces because the golfer got out of position on this position hole. For such a short hole, the massive green provides an uncommon amount of hole locations, be it back left atop a plateau or to the right in a bowl guarded by a bunker. That’s called flexibility, people.

Hole No. 11: Cabot Links

Inverness, Nova Scotia — Par 5, 540 Yards

Architect: Rod Whitman

Why it’s great: A par-5 that keeps its foot on the pedal.

Overview: Too many par-5s lack merit by tolerating loose play. Either the drive or layup is a nonevent, or the pitch to the green uninteresting. Here, each shot builds off the prior’s success. Finding the sloping fairway off the tee is paramount as Rod Whitman routed the hole such that the second shot must scale a 30-foot bank or else you’re likely headed for a regrettable sequence of events.

The 72-yard-wide, thought-provoking landing area for the second is actually wider than the driving zone, debunking the myth that a classic three-shotter must progressively narrow. As the hole is uphill and generally into the wind, Whitman extends an olive branch with the high left side of the green complex maintained as tight fescue, so that players can deaden their approach and watch the ball trickle off the slope and drift toward the hole. Both Mike Keiser and Ben Crenshaw consider this among the best par 5s they’ve seen. Enough said.

Hole No. 12: Erin Hills

Erin, Wis. — Par 4, 435 Yards

Architects: Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan and Ron Whitten

Why it’s great: The glories of natural topography.

Overview: Recent restoration work at several Golden Age designs, including Eastward Ho!, Moraine and West Bend, has highlighted how thrilling golf over glacial landforms can be. Same here with the 12th at Erin Hills, which captures the sensation of playing across tumbling landforms even when more than 1,000 miles from the nearest coastline. Its fairway heaves and plunges, and architects Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan and Ron Whitten did well to leave the landforms alone and keep the machinery away. The world’s most distinctive holes are the ones that follow nature’s lead, as unlike man, nature doesn’t repeat herself.

I once wrote of No. 12, “This is a prime example of what people mean when they write about a well-routed hole over great land. Courses over more mundane land can’t compete with drama so deeply rooted in nature.”

Dare I say, those words still hold true.

Hole No. 13: Pacific Dunes

Bandon, Ore. — Par 4, 444 Yards

Architect: Tom Doak

Why it’s great: Aesthetic pleasure is a key part of golf’s appeal.

Overview: This hole was a no-brainer selection: Just look at the thing! With the coastline left, a stunning blowout dune right and skyline green ahead, it epitomizes the allure of golf at Bandon Dunes Resort. Really, what more do you want? What most players don’t realize, though, is that this picture-perfect hole was a late addition to Tom Doak’s routing. As he explains in his new book on routing courses, Getting to 18, Doak originally had several holes routed on land that ultimately was used by David McLay Kidd for the Bandon Dunes layout. Thankfully, owner Mike Keiser kept gobbling up land to the north and presented Doak with the opportunity to include the parcel that houses the 13th into the final Pacific Dunes routing. 

Unlucky 13

Built in 1988 in Northern Michigan, Tom Doak’s first design, High Pointe, now lies fallow, but those lucky enough to play it won’t forget the experience. The 430-yard, par-4 13th was as good as it gets: a downhill two-shotter to a green that fell away to the back left. Capping off a grand hole with a bland green in the name of “fairness” proved flawed thinking whose time would soon pass, thanks in part to Doak, who went on to earn fabulous sites and build even better courses but arguably has yet to build a hole that clearly surpasses this marvel.

Hole No. 14: Chambers Bay

University Place, Wash. — Par 4, 495 Yards

Architects: Robert Trent Jones Jr. with Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi

Why it’s great: A dogleg that tempts — as it should.

Overview: At the heart of great architecture lies the temptation to attempt something to gain an advantage for the next shot. The dogleg is among the most time-honored of the myriad ways to present such a puzzle, and this one is among the best.

From an elevated tee, the golfer can readily grasp the risks and rewards of hugging or even cutting off the dogleg by carrying as much of the sandy waste as possible. A small central hazard of the sort far too infrequently found in modern architecture must be avoided as the hole elbows from right to left. The golfer then faces a hugely appealing approach thanks to the fescue fairways, whereby a low bullet draw can run forever toward a bank along the green’s right that helps feed the ball toward the hole. A sprawling bunker complex runs tee to green along the left and exemplifies Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s artistry—no surprise from a man who takes pride in composing poetry.

Hole No. 15: Bandon Trails

Bandon, Ore. — Par 4, 405 yards

Architects: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw

Why it’s great: A truly sublime and thoughtful green complex.

Overview: Every course has a shortfall, and so does every Dream Course. Yes, it’s criminal that no hole from Sand Hills nor Friar’s Head appears in this compilation. Blame Coore & Crenshaw, not me: They’ve provided too many dazzlers from which to choose!

A diagonal cross bunker 130 yards from the green makes this a nervy drive; getting your drive close to, but not in, is a simple objective—except for the uncertainty of stopping a ball on these fescue fairways. What truly makes the hole is its fabulous found green site. Nestled in an amphitheater of dunes, the green appears as an extension of the fairway, climbing a false front and then rising to the rear: a postcard-perfect green complex with handsome bunkers carefully teased from the surrounding dunescape. Many people judge a course by the strength of its two-shotters, and one thing is without question—you have just played four straight sterling ones.  

Hole No. 16: Ballybunion Cashen

Ballybunion, Ireland — Par 3, 160 yards

Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Why it’s great: A short par-3 with never-ending shot demands.

Overview: The Jones family patriarch, Robert Trent Jones Sr., acted as a bridge between the Golden Age and modern architecture. His reach of more than 500 courses is staggering considering his career mostly unfolded before air travel became routine. Many of his works were built on heavier-soil sites, so what a thrill it must have been to receive this commission in the early 1980s.

Not reliant on length, the 16th is prickly. Depending on the wind’s strength and direction, the tee shot may well have to be shaped and the trajectory definitely controlled. That’s what great golf is about, prompting better players to display the full arsenal of their shot repertoire. In this case, that takes place in one of the game’s most magical settings, with southwest Ireland’s fabulously massive sand dunes stretching up the coast and the sight and roar of the Atlantic just left adding to the drama.

Hole No. 17: Carnegie Links at Skibo Castle

Dornoch, Scotland — Par 4, 305 yards

Architects: Donald Steel with Tom Mackenzie

Why it’s great: An impactful, drivable par-4.

Overview: In the first Masters, the nines were reversed, so the current Nos. 12, 13 and 15 lived on the first nine. Unimaginable! Where a hole falls in a round impacts its influence. Many thrilling short two-shotters come so early (including No. 3 at Augusta) as to limit their sway, but such is lay-of-the-land design.

Drivable short par 4s are the darling of modern architecture, and among the best late-round versions lives at Skibo. Situated at the end of a peninsula that juts into the Dornoch Firth, the 17th’s setting is impossibly gorgeous. Four deep pot bunkers litter the fairway; an angled green best accepts shots from the left, meaning that a tee shot needs to be aimed toward the firth and danger in order to open up the spine of the green for one’s approach. This teaser sealed the fate of the 1996 Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf match between Fred Couples (birdie) and Greg Norman (bogey).

Hole No. 18: Castle Stuart

Inverness, Scotland — Par 5, 595 Yards

Architects: Gil Hanse and Mike Parsinen

Why it’s great: An exciting closer that makes you want to return to No. 1.

Overview: A home hole has two prerequisite duties: pose interesting questions to suitably conclude a match, and make you itch to play again. Plenty of long par-4s do that (Harbour Town, Winged Foot’s West), but a half-par hole to the easier side (Pebble Beach, St. Andrews) does a better job drawing a player back.

Few perform their functions as well as the closer at Castle Stuart. Watching Scottish Opens here have been fascinating. One day, this hole is driver, wood, mid-iron; the next day, driver, mid-iron! Such elasticity doesn’t come by chance. The fairway cascades downhill, and its artful contours make a huge difference in where a tee ball finally ends. Under favorable conditions, golfers relish a crack at the green in two over broken ground and past bunkers. Otherwise, the fairway left of such trouble provides the safe passage—and lends the hole the coveted virtue of playing well for all players in all conditions.

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The post Inside the Nest: Check out Cabot Cape Breton’s rollicking new par-3 course appeared first on Golf.

Size does matter.

In golf, especially, short is in.

By which we mean short courses, modest in scale but ample in artistry and entertainment value.

Bandon Dunes has one. So do Pinehurst, Streamsong and Sand Valley. Big Cedar Lodge has a pair of shorties. And this just in: Cabot Cape Breton now has a short course, too.

Already home to two Golf Magazine World Top 100 Courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, the acclaimed resort in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is set to welcome preview play this month on the Nest, a 10-hole, par-3 layout. Designed by Rod Whitman, Dave Axland and Keith Cutten, who worked together on Cabot Links, the Nest spills across rollicking terrain, on bluffs overlooking Cabot Cliffs and the ocean. 

At just over 1,300 yards, with holes that range in length from 95 to 232 yards, the Nest is punctuated by creative dips and ridges and compelling angles that offer all the challenge of a traditional round, on a course that can be played with just a handful of clubs in a fraction of the usual time.

Travel

A trip to stunning Cabot Links is the perfect reminder of the ties that bind us

By: Christian Hafer

“The idea is to create fun and variety on a course that’s enjoyable for everyone,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and co-founder of Cabot. “We think it’s a great complement to what we have.”

Short courses aren’t new to golf; they’ve long been stitched into the fabric of such vaunted private properties as Augusta National and Pine Valley. But in recent years, top resorts have increasingly embraced them for their Goldilocks appeal: Bite-sized enough for juniors and beginners of all ages, but with plenty of intrigue for seasoned players, short courses also offer a just-right option when 18 holes don’t quite sate your craving, but a 36-hole day is a bit too much.

At the Nest, groups of up to eight will be permitted, pending updates from the Canadian Public Health authorities.

“Accessibility and versatility, that’s what it’s all about,” Cowan-Dewar said. “This is the kind of course where I can settle friendly wagers with my buddies, but it’s also a joy to play with my kids.”

Preview play on the Nest begins on July 24, with a grand opening planned for 2021.

For more information, visit www.cabotlinks.com. 

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I’m used to finishing rounds in all sorts of weather. This one was different. Barreling down the fairway ahead of me was my nine-year-old stepson, Austin, my oversize jacket draped over him like a cape to help shield him from the stinging rain. On my left was Lindsay, my wife, her head buried into my shoulder, her accelerated gait in lockstep with mine. We are all smiling and laughing—almost home. Near the green we spot our two-year-old, June, in Grammy’s lap on the porch of one of the villas lining the grounds. We’re a thousand miles from home, on the rugged coastline of Nova Scotia, home of the world-class Cabot Links Golf Resort and its pair of Top-100-rated courses.

And we’re very happy.

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This wasn’t my first trip to Cabot Links. I’ve shot photographs here. I’ve boondoggled here. Even Lindsay is familiar with the place, my having proposed to her on the spot during the soft opening of the Cliffs course a few years back. Ever since, I’d been itching to get back, the entire Hafer clan in tow. Most people don’t normally view golf resorts as ideal family vacation spots, and maybe I didn’t either during earlier stages of my golfing life. But things change. My family is obsessed with the game. Austin is an avid player who often can be found glued to the TV on Sunday afternoons, rooting on his heroes as they head down the home stretch. We regularly cut away to our local muni on school nights for six holes, or until darkness runs us off the course. (Lindsay joins when she can; June taking top priority, of course.) Together, we decided to raise our family in a golf environment, our approach to the game being to bond through its varied experiences, the trip to Cabot being just one of them.

On the course, we compete, laugh and—hopefully—teach each other a few lessons about ourselves. It’s never about making Austin, or one day June, into the next elite junior or Tour player. We simply encourage the desire to play.

I do it from the road, too, sharing snaps of the players I’m covering or the courses I’m visiting. Bonus points for when he catches a glimpse of me in the background during a Tour telecast. There are many ways to turn a passion into inspiration.

Our trip to Cabot won’t be our last. I can still picture Austin eagerly hitting every shot without a moment’s hesitation, running from lie to lie, ultimately finishing his first official 18 holes of golf. I see Lindsay and me, walking slowly, soaking up every fairway and nuance, basking in our good fortune to forge new family stories while chasing a little white ball around. Trust me: Taking your family on a golf trip will pay for itself in smiles and memories in spades. The sense of adventure and joy you’ll receive from journeying to some far-off place is only part of the trek. Selfishly, you’re creating time with your loved ones in the bubble that golf gives you, which couldn’t be more needed in our current world situation. It’s the reason why golf resorts and courses are perfect for families, whether they’re elite or comfy.

It’s the reason why golf is the perfect sport.

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It’s hard to find a true links golf experience in North America — unless you head to a small seaside town in Nova Scotia, where Cabot Links has established itself as one of the continent’s premier golf destinations.

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The post Travel mailbag: Is the trek to remote Cabot Links Resort worth it? appeared first on Golf.

The post Travel mailbag: Is the trek to remote Cabot Links Resort worth it? appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to GOLF’s Travel Mailbag, a weekly, interactive GOLF.com series in which members of our staff field your course- and travel-related queries. This week, Ashley Mayo breaks down a trip to Cabot Links Resort in Canada.

Is Cabot Links Golf Resort worth the trip?

The short answer is, yes. Just a quick, resounding yes.

But of course, this question is complex and it deserves a longer answer.

Before we dive in, I’ll go ahead and address how much Cabot Links costs. During peak season (July 3 to September 13), the first round of the day costs $210. The second round of the day costs $105. And the third round of the day is free. There’s also a $145 twilight rate and a $105 9-hole rate. Before and after the peak season (May 8 to July 3, and September 14 to October 25), the first round of the day can cost as little as $90 (!), with a replay rate of just $45 (!!!).

Cabot is open to all golfers, not just resort guests. But let’s be realistic and assume you’re going to stay on site when you play. The least-expensive room on property is the Cabot Double, which costs $300 per night during peak season and as little as $175 during the offseason.

A view of the memorable par-3 16th hole at Cabot Cliffs.

Ashley Mayo

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