Imagine building 26 golf courses at the height of the golf development bubble, with nine figures in public pension money — in an effort that now loses money year after year. Welcome to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
In theory, 12-hole designs should be cheaper to play, build, and maintain. But in the staid industry of golf course development, there’s been no rush to test the theory. The minds behind Sweetens Cove are ready to change that.
Tobacco Road Golf Club, near Pinehurst, N.C., is a paradox: a wild adventure among manmade features, through rugged conditions laced with sand and brush.
“People think that print media is declining, but we can tell you from this side that people do still pay attention; we’ve got the physical results of that here.”
Climate change isn’t merely coming for southern golf courses, it’s already here. But as with the rest of America, preparation lags far behind the problem.