Five Exciting U.S. Golf Course Openings in 2026

The American golf landscape is about to get even more interesting. In 2026, five highly anticipated projects from some of golf’s most celebrated architects will debut across the country, from the piney woods of East Texas to the reclaimed phosphate mines of central Florida.

What makes this crop of openings worth watching is the pedigree behind them. Tom Doak, Tiger Woods, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, David McLay Kidd: these represent the architects who have defined 21st-century golf design. In 2026, they’re all bringing something new to the table.

Set on 2,400 secluded acres in Mt. Enterprise, Texas (roughly two hours from both Dallas and Houston), Wild Spring Dunes represents Tom Doak’s latest collaboration with the Keiser family, the driving force behind Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley. The site features dramatic elevation changes across four distinct ecosystems: majestic pines, hardwood forests, open meadows, and steep ravines carved by spring-fed creeks.

“The site in east Texas is not the sort of windblown dunes land we’ve worked on in Bandon and at Sand Valley,” Doak explains. “Instead, it’s more like Pine Valley, rolling land that falls off on three sides into deep barrancas, reminiscent of Pasatiempo or L.A. Country Club.”

Preview play on an eight-hole loop began in November 2025. The full course should open in fall 2026. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have already completed routing a second course on the property, which suggests Wild Spring Dunes could become a multi-course destination rivaling its Keiser siblings on the coasts.

When Streamsong Resort opened in 2012 with simultaneous debuts of Tom Doak’s Blue course and Coore & Crenshaw’s Red course, it announced itself as something entirely different in Florida golf. The resort’s dramatic landscape (towering dunes and wild terrain created by former phosphate mining) stood in sharp contrast to the state’s typically flat courses.

Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner added the Black course in 2017. Then came The Chain, an innovative 19-hole short course designed by Coore & Crenshaw. Now, David McLay Kidd gets his turn. Set to open in November 2026, the yet-to-be-named fifth course will stretch over 7,300 yards and occupy the “Roundabout” site between the Red and Black courses. The addition will make Streamsong the only resort in the world with courses by all four of golf’s most prominent modern architecture firms.

Kidd, who designed the original course at Bandon Dunes, promises “playable and strategically interesting holes” that emphasize ground game techniques while incorporating the resort’s signature rugged aesthetic. The debate over which Streamsong course reigns supreme (currently dominated by the Red course, ranked 20th among America’s public courses) is about to get even more heated.

Ballyneal in Holyoke and Sand Hills in Nebraska have long required pilgrimages to experience true prairie links golf. Rodeo Dunes aims to bring that experience within 45 minutes of downtown Denver. The first course at this new Keiser family development, designed by Coore & Crenshaw, sits on a former ranch in Roggen. It features wide-open sandy terrain with massive dunes and sweeping views of the Front Range.

The course held preview play for select groups in late 2025, with founding members getting access throughout 2026. Full public play begins in 2027, though some public tee times will be available through drawings in 2026. The walking-only layout currently measures 6,948 yards but could stretch to over 7,200 from the tips.

A second course by Jim Craig (who recently made his solo design debut with the 12-hole Commons at Sand Valley) is already in the works, with construction potentially beginning in 2027.

When MLB superstar Mike Trout decided to build a golf course in his hometown of Millville, New Jersey, he didn’t think small. Partnering with Tiger Woods’ TGR Design firm, Trout National will open in April 2026 as a private, invitation-only club built on a reclaimed silica sand mine.

The championship 18-hole course will be complemented by “The Bullpen,” a reversible par-3 short course, and “The Dugout,” a concrete bunker styled like a baseball dugout tucked behind the 14th tee. The clubhouse features exposed steel and polished concrete, paying tribute to the region’s industrial roots. Luxury accommodations include cottages, lodges, and clubhouse suites.

With a massive 30,000-square-foot putting course and a state-of-the-art performance center, Trout National aims to be more than just another celebrity vanity project. It’s a statement course designed to rank among the world’s finest.

No 2026 opening carries more significant meaning than The Patch in Augusta, Georgia. The complete renovation of Augusta Municipal Golf Course represents Augusta National’s pledge to growing the game at the grassroots level. It’s transforming a long-neglected municipal track into what should be a best-in-class public facility.

Tom Fazio and Beau Welling redesigned the 18-hole course, while Tiger Woods’ TGR Design created “The Loop,” a nine-hole par-3 course aimed at introducing new players to the game. The project, supported by Masters Tournament charities, Augusta National, and the City of Augusta, will also include a TGR Learning Lab focused on STEM education and workforce development programs through Augusta Technical College and The First Tee.

Construction was delayed by Hurricane Helene in late 2025, but the project is on schedule for a spring 2026 opening, potentially coinciding with Masters week. The goal: preserve affordability for Augusta locals while providing a world-class public golf experience.

These five openings represent more than just new places to play golf. They reflect the current golden age of golf course architecture, where name-brand designers are producing some of the most interesting courses seen in a century. From Doak’s naturalistic routing through East Texas wilderness to Woods’ community-focused design in Augusta, 2026’s new courses showcase the breadth and ambition of modern golf design.

Whether you’re a destination golfer planning your next trip or a local player excited about new options closer to home, 2026 promises to be a landmark year for American golf.