Candyroot Lodge, a new public golf facility in the sand hills outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, marked the end of its first week of construction with an Instagram post. Mike Koprowski, who collaborated with Kyle Franz at Broomsedge Golf Club and joined Andy Johnson on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast last year, is designing Candyroot's first course.
Initially, Koprowski was engaged by Candyroot's owners to build a single course, tentatively named Downbonnie. Since announcing that venture in May, however, the owners have brought on additional investors and developed bigger ambitions. Koprowski now tells me that Candyroot will feature multiple regulation layouts (three or four), plus a short course. An architect has not yet been selected for the second course, but interviews are ongoing.
If Candyroot Lodge follows through on its plans, it would be one of the largest and most exciting public-golf projects of the 2020s undertaken by developers not named Keiser.
Candyroot Lodge, a new public golf facility in the sand hills outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, marked the end of its first week of construction with an Instagram post. Mike Koprowski, who collaborated with Kyle Franz at Broomsedge Golf Club and joined Andy Johnson on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast last year, is designing Candyroot's first course.
Initially, Koprowski was engaged by Candyroot's owners to build a single course, tentatively named Downbonnie. Since announcing that venture in May, however, the owners have brought on additional investors and developed bigger ambitions. Koprowski now tells me that Candyroot will feature multiple regulation layouts (three or four), plus a short course. An architect has not yet been selected for the second course, but interviews are ongoing.
If Candyroot Lodge follows through on its plans, it would be one of the largest and most exciting public-golf projects of the 2020s undertaken by developers not named Keiser.
Here are three recently announced renovation projects that caught my eye:
Todd Eckenrodeis restoringWilliam P. Bell's mid-1920s design at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. Annandale has good potential (the historical aerials are tantalizing, but sadly not much can be done to bring back the property's former vistas and openness), and Eckenrode knows Bell and California Golden Age architecture as well as anyone in the industry. This is a project to track.
Trey Kemp, a very capable Dallas-based golf architect, has started the first phase of his master plan for Hogan Park Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in Midland, Texas. Hogan Park is an important hub of the game in the growing but somewhat golf-poor Midland-Odessa region. Over the past decade, Kemp has developed a specialty in reviving municipal courses in Texas. His work at Stevens Park and Rockwood Park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has been especially well received.
Architect Nick Campanelli and influential golf writer Bradley Klein have been engaged to renovate Willie Park Jr.'s design at Shuttle Meadow Country Club outside of Hartford, Connecticut. Campanelli and Klein plan to adapt some ideas from Huntercombe Golf Club, Park's strange masterwork in the English heathlands. Golf Course Architecture has a thorough writeup on the project.
Here are three recently announced renovation projects that caught my eye:
Todd Eckenrodeis restoringWilliam P. Bell's mid-1920s design at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. Annandale has good potential (the historical aerials are tantalizing, but sadly not much can be done to bring back the property's former vistas and openness), and Eckenrode knows Bell and California Golden Age architecture as well as anyone in the industry. This is a project to track.
Trey Kemp, a very capable Dallas-based golf architect, has started the first phase of his master plan for Hogan Park Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in Midland, Texas. Hogan Park is an important hub of the game in the growing but somewhat golf-poor Midland-Odessa region. Over the past decade, Kemp has developed a specialty in reviving municipal courses in Texas. His work at Stevens Park and Rockwood Park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has been especially well received.
Architect Nick Campanelli and influential golf writer Bradley Klein have been engaged to renovate Willie Park Jr.'s design at Shuttle Meadow Country Club outside of Hartford, Connecticut. Campanelli and Klein plan to adapt some ideas from Huntercombe Golf Club, Park's strange masterwork in the English heathlands. Golf Course Architecture has a thorough writeup on the project.
Every once in a while when i run out of pods to listen to i throw on an SGS episode from a handful of years back. Commentary is hilarious and it’s interesting hearing the state of golf then and seeing how much it’s changed. I noticed on Apple Podcasts that there are no episodes pre June of 2019, are those available anywhere or are they the lost pods?
Every once in a while when i run out of pods to listen to i throw on an SGS episode from a handful of years back. Commentary is hilarious and it’s interesting hearing the state of golf then and seeing how much it’s changed. I noticed on Apple Podcasts that there are no episodes pre June of 2019, are those available anywhere or are they the lost pods?
Jeeno's pile of cash got a whole lot bigger this weekend. She's never finished outside the top 10 at Tiburon, so there's a good chance she just keeps on cashing big checks there for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure what I find harder to believe....Nelly going winless this year or Jeeno still not having a major. Plenty of great moments from this year, but overall, what a strange season. What stands out to everyone as the moment of the year?
Jeeno's pile of cash got a whole lot bigger this weekend. She's never finished outside the top 10 at Tiburon, so there's a good chance she just keeps on cashing big checks there for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure what I find harder to believe....Nelly going winless this year or Jeeno still not having a major. Plenty of great moments from this year, but overall, what a strange season. What stands out to everyone as the moment of the year?
I recently noticed on a local course that they're maintaining rough around the bunkers (both fairway and green side) at a higher height than their regular rough. I left my rough ruler at home, but my guess is rough is maintained at 2.5" throughout the course and 3.5" around the bunkers at width of 1 to 2 feet. I'm not sure I've noticed this at other clubs and I am struggling to figure out why they're doing this (course in question has no shortage of financial resources)
I recently noticed on a local course that they're maintaining rough around the bunkers (both fairway and green side) at a higher height than their regular rough. I left my rough ruler at home, but my guess is rough is maintained at 2.5" throughout the course and 3.5" around the bunkers at width of 1 to 2 feet. I'm not sure I've noticed this at other clubs and I am struggling to figure out why they're doing this (course in question has no shortage of financial resources)
We're excited to announce that we're hosting an FEGC meetup with the team over at Poppy Ridge on Sunday, December 28 at 11:00 a.m. Jay Blasi, architect of the new course, is going to be on site with us to talk through the project and then we'll head out and play the new layout.
We have space for 20 people so if you'd like to attend, please reply here or shoot me an email at will@thefriedegg.com. This will be a walking only event.
We're excited to announce that we're hosting an FEGC meetup with the team over at Poppy Ridge on Sunday, December 28 at 11:00 a.m. Jay Blasi, architect of the new course, is going to be on site with us to talk through the project and then we'll head out and play the new layout.
We have space for 20 people so if you'd like to attend, please reply here or shoot me an email at will@thefriedegg.com. This will be a walking only event.
I've enjoyed listening to your reflections on your trip to Surrey/Berkshire and Kent. I was wondering if you could say a bit more about what fascinated you so much about RSG and Deal and why you had them seemingly higher than Sunningdale or St George's Hill. I play most of my golf on the west links of North Berwick, so maybe I'm spoiled by links and heathland feels like a change of pace, but I'm much more enamoured by the heathland than the links of southern England. That isn't to say that Kent courses aren't fantastic, but the routing, greens, and turf around Surrey only compete with the Sandbelt in my opinion. Is it a case of preferring links? Or is it something about the greens at RSG that put it over the top for you?
I've enjoyed listening to your reflections on your trip to Surrey/Berkshire and Kent. I was wondering if you could say a bit more about what fascinated you so much about RSG and Deal and why you had them seemingly higher than Sunningdale or St George's Hill. I play most of my golf on the west links of North Berwick, so maybe I'm spoiled by links and heathland feels like a change of pace, but I'm much more enamoured by the heathland than the links of southern England. That isn't to say that Kent courses aren't fantastic, but the routing, greens, and turf around Surrey only compete with the Sandbelt in my opinion. Is it a case of preferring links? Or is it something about the greens at RSG that put it over the top for you?
Kansas City Country Club posted some drone footage of its A.W. Tillinghast-designed course, which recently underwent a historical renovation by Andrew Green. Lots of cool-looking holes out there. I'm not a fan of the all-green-everywhere turf presentation, but just about every club does it these days, so I can't fault KCCC specifically.
Kansas City Country Club posted some drone footage of its A.W. Tillinghast-designed course, which recently underwent a historical renovation by Andrew Green. Lots of cool-looking holes out there. I'm not a fan of the all-green-everywhere turf presentation, but just about every club does it these days, so I can't fault KCCC specifically.
Seriously, what's the point of going through this exercise every two years? The list has barely changed.
Oh, right. Golf media outlets need to sell magazines and drive website traffic in November.
Also: I need something to talk about, and here I am. I'm part of the problem.
Anyway, I spent about 10 minutes comparing the 2023 and 2025 lists, and here are the main differences I spotted (I may have missed a few):
New-course debuts:
Childress Hall (Upper) at 73
CapRock Ranch at 84
Te Arai (North) at 98
Some of my colleagues have been to Tom Doak's Upper Course at Childress Hall, which opened last December, and they tell me that the hype is real. Amazing golf course. But I remain opposed to the idea of ranking a course ahead of Old Town Club and Machrihanish before it's even a year old. At least give the place time to grow in fully.
Double-digit risers:
New South Wales from 64 to 26
Royal Troon from 66 to 53
The Lido from 68 to 48
St. George's Hill from 71 to 57
Lofoten Links from 88 to 66
Bandon Trails from 90 to 76
Royal Melbourne (East) from 92 to 82
Shanqin Bay from 95 to 64
The Lido appears to be holding strong after a big debut on the 2023 list. It now out-ranks every Dream Golf course except for Pacific Dunes.
New South Wales recently underwent a renovation by Mackenzie & Ebert and seems to be reaping the benefits.
Double-digit droppers:
Ballyneal from 51 to 63
Cabot Cliffs from 52 to 78
Cape Kidnappers from 55 to 65
Woodhall Spa from 58 to 74
Rye from 72 to 90
Rock Creek Cattle Co. from 73 to 88
Cabot Links from 79 to 96
Winged Foot (East) from 80 to 91
Ohoopee Match Club from 81 to 99
Les Bordes (New) from 83 to off the list
I wouldn't read much into any of these declines (or into the rises I mentioned earlier, for that matter). A lot of the reshuffling from year to year is basically random. But I do think the new-car smell is starting to wear off of some of the modern courses listed above. The really good ones will bounce back in the panel's esteem.
Since I find this ranking somewhat boring, I'll try to spice things up: what do you think is the most overrated course on the list?
I'll stake my flag on No. 60, the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club.
Seriously, what's the point of going through this exercise every two years? The list has barely changed.
Oh, right. Golf media outlets need to sell magazines and drive website traffic in November.
Also: I need something to talk about, and here I am. I'm part of the problem.
Anyway, I spent about 10 minutes comparing the 2023 and 2025 lists, and here are the main differences I spotted (I may have missed a few):
New-course debuts:
Childress Hall (Upper) at 73
CapRock Ranch at 84
Te Arai (North) at 98
Some of my colleagues have been to Tom Doak's Upper Course at Childress Hall, which opened last December, and they tell me that the hype is real. Amazing golf course. But I remain opposed to the idea of ranking a course ahead of Old Town Club and Machrihanish before it's even a year old. At least give the place time to grow in fully.
Double-digit risers:
New South Wales from 64 to 26
Royal Troon from 66 to 53
The Lido from 68 to 48
St. George's Hill from 71 to 57
Lofoten Links from 88 to 66
Bandon Trails from 90 to 76
Royal Melbourne (East) from 92 to 82
Shanqin Bay from 95 to 64
The Lido appears to be holding strong after a big debut on the 2023 list. It now out-ranks every Dream Golf course except for Pacific Dunes.
New South Wales recently underwent a renovation by Mackenzie & Ebert and seems to be reaping the benefits.
Double-digit droppers:
Ballyneal from 51 to 63
Cabot Cliffs from 52 to 78
Cape Kidnappers from 55 to 65
Woodhall Spa from 58 to 74
Rye from 72 to 90
Rock Creek Cattle Co. from 73 to 88
Cabot Links from 79 to 96
Winged Foot (East) from 80 to 91
Ohoopee Match Club from 81 to 99
Les Bordes (New) from 83 to off the list
I wouldn't read much into any of these declines (or into the rises I mentioned earlier, for that matter). A lot of the reshuffling from year to year is basically random. But I do think the new-car smell is starting to wear off of some of the modern courses listed above. The really good ones will bounce back in the panel's esteem.
Since I find this ranking somewhat boring, I'll try to spice things up: what do you think is the most overrated course on the list?
I'll stake my flag on No. 60, the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club.
I have two tee times booked at Poppy Ridge in mid December. I got the earliest times I could get, and the Sunday time is definitely a twilight time with some finishing risk. My son will join on Sunday.
Sunday, Dec 14, 1:10pm, $100 per player (Chris Brooks, Jacob Brooks, two openings), pay at course
Monday, Dec 15, 12:20pm - pre-paid $486.00, $121.50 per player (Chris Brooks, three openings)
I will also book the 9 holer for Monday morning (lots of times available) once we have an idea of our numbers. I'm going to be staying somewhere in Livermore on Sunday night.
I have two tee times booked at Poppy Ridge in mid December. I got the earliest times I could get, and the Sunday time is definitely a twilight time with some finishing risk. My son will join on Sunday.
Sunday, Dec 14, 1:10pm, $100 per player (Chris Brooks, Jacob Brooks, two openings), pay at course
Monday, Dec 15, 12:20pm - pre-paid $486.00, $121.50 per player (Chris Brooks, three openings)
I will also book the 9 holer for Monday morning (lots of times available) once we have an idea of our numbers. I'm going to be staying somewhere in Livermore on Sunday night.
Just dropped a new blog going over a little BTS for an LPGA/Epson PT this past year! A short read for those who would be interested in hearing a little more about the physical therapists role with the players on a given week!
Can't get the link to work but if you copy and paste this URL it will take you straight there!
Just dropped a new blog going over a little BTS for an LPGA/Epson PT this past year! A short read for those who would be interested in hearing a little more about the physical therapists role with the players on a given week!
Can't get the link to work but if you copy and paste this URL it will take you straight there!
I had the great pleasure of meeting up with four FEGC members yesterday at Golden Gate Park GC. Myself along with Chris Brooks, Ray Gobberg, Brett Hochstein, and Jamie Hiteshew had a great round. We snuck out at 3:00 and played as a group of five. Rounds like this are truly what fill my tank.
There were plenty of good shots to recount, but my favorite moment of the day was when Brett, who is a wonderful guy and who also happened to do a lot of work on Golden Gate Park during the renovation, recommended we all hit low runners into the seventh green, which he shaped, to try to catch the contours in the ground and sling balls into the back right pin. For those of you who haven't played GGPGC, the seventh has an awesome green with three distinct quadrants. Each quadrant is relatively small, but there is a lot of mounding to work the ball into tight spaces. It's phenomenal work that Brett did and provides an equal amount of fun and challenge. I've added a couple of photos below.
The pin shown above is in the back left quadrant, whereas we were playing to the back right (just over the bunker in this picture).
Here's a more aerial view of the entire green. If you choose, you can run shots into the green using the ground and mounding on the left to feed balls hard to the right.
My highlight from the day, though, was when Jamie tried to snipe a 4i into the green and got a wee bit aggressive with his swing and sent the ball sailing onto the next tee box, coming to rest at the feet of the group of golfers in front of us. At that very moment, I remembered reading a lot of member intros where most identify as "not interested in fighting." Thankfully for us, Ray's immediate comment was something to the effect that there are five of us and only four of them AND they look old, so we can totally take them.
So I guess the TL;DR here is that Ray Gobberg is interested in fighting!
I had the great pleasure of meeting up with four FEGC members yesterday at Golden Gate Park GC. Myself along with Chris Brooks, Ray Gobberg, Brett Hochstein, and Jamie Hiteshew had a great round. We snuck out at 3:00 and played as a group of five. Rounds like this are truly what fill my tank.
There were plenty of good shots to recount, but my favorite moment of the day was when Brett, who is a wonderful guy and who also happened to do a lot of work on Golden Gate Park during the renovation, recommended we all hit low runners into the seventh green, which he shaped, to try to catch the contours in the ground and sling balls into the back right pin. For those of you who haven't played GGPGC, the seventh has an awesome green with three distinct quadrants. Each quadrant is relatively small, but there is a lot of mounding to work the ball into tight spaces. It's phenomenal work that Brett did and provides an equal amount of fun and challenge. I've added a couple of photos below.
The pin shown above is in the back left quadrant, whereas we were playing to the back right (just over the bunker in this picture).
Here's a more aerial view of the entire green. If you choose, you can run shots into the green using the ground and mounding on the left to feed balls hard to the right.
My highlight from the day, though, was when Jamie tried to snipe a 4i into the green and got a wee bit aggressive with his swing and sent the ball sailing onto the next tee box, coming to rest at the feet of the group of golfers in front of us. At that very moment, I remembered reading a lot of member intros where most identify as "not interested in fighting." Thankfully for us, Ray's immediate comment was something to the effect that there are five of us and only four of them AND they look old, so we can totally take them.
So I guess the TL;DR here is that Ray Gobberg is interested in fighting!
Garrett’s Bob Parsons impression on the architecture pod today was all time. Laughed so loud in my office, le wife had to come make sure I wasn’t choking on my bagel.
Also got me thinking, what are some other great impersonations we’ve heard over the years, golf-wise?…KVV’s Gary Player comes to mind immediately, as well as Porath’s ability to spit Paul McGinley bars at the drop of a hat.
Maybe PJ could put together an all-time FE impersonations power ranking…
Garrett’s Bob Parsons impression on the architecture pod today was all time. Laughed so loud in my office, le wife had to come make sure I wasn’t choking on my bagel.
Also got me thinking, what are some other great impersonations we’ve heard over the years, golf-wise?…KVV’s Gary Player comes to mind immediately, as well as Porath’s ability to spit Paul McGinley bars at the drop of a hat.
Maybe PJ could put together an all-time FE impersonations power ranking…
With the holiday next week, I will be doing a general mailbag with PJ, I will pull some questions from last week's architecture focused ones into the podcast but just wanted to put a call out for any questions. Thanks!
With the holiday next week, I will be doing a general mailbag with PJ, I will pull some questions from last week's architecture focused ones into the podcast but just wanted to put a call out for any questions. Thanks!
Chocolate Drop Dream Golf S Old Shores Ramps Up In The Florida Panhandle
Jan 16
Problem with this part of the country is that it is extremely wet in the winter time. Temps may be in the 50s, but the ground is constantly soaked. Fall is good is you can avoid hurricans, the Summers will be hot and wet, and who knows about the spring. Very curious to see how the conditions are down there.
I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a golf fan can feel, a Spieth tee shot at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across Rae's Creek. I hope to see Mr. Ridley and shake his hand. I hope the jacket is as green as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
That creeping thought is what gets me. Part of the magic of sport is thinking "anything can happen" whether that's a particular game, season, tournament, etc. Every time a bit of trust underpinning the game is chipped away, the magic fades just a little bit.
Yeah I saw that. I doubt that sports viewing as a hobby will lose cultural relevance in the foreseeable future but it’s a slippery slope.
I went to the University of Oklahoma and have always been a big college football fan. There were a couple games this year when our QB made a play that was so boneheaded that I jokingly wondered if he was throwing the game. I do not think he was but that I thought that is not good. Sports holistically have gotten way too close to gambling and then this news is just a line too far.
And the long term implications of this aside from sports are also scary.
This is really good. We are going down such a dark path with AI, prediction markets*, big surveillance, lack of regulation.
Has me really close to his unplugging as much as possible from “tech”
Chocolate Drop Dream Golf S Old Shores Ramps Up In The Florida Panhandle
Jan 16
Here in Vermont in November and April you often get unofficial (or official in a few cases) ski/golf days. Gotta figure how to create a similar combo day in Colorado winter!
Chocolate Drop Dream Golf S Old Shores Ramps Up In The Florida Panhandle
Jan 16
It's been an unusual winter but its typically a lot milder here than most people think. Chicago's winter is 10x worse. Since the sun always shines, it could be 30 and sunny and any recent snow will melt away. You can basically golf every month of the year as there's bound to be a 50+ degree day at any time.
I haven't heard anything outside of golf and rodeos on site so far but I'd assume there's more activities in the plans. I'd think cross country skiiing, hiking, and biking are obvious activities but outside of that its a pretty barren environment. They could manufacture some lakes like Sand Valley I suppose.
Chocolate Drop Dream Golf S Old Shores Ramps Up In The Florida Panhandle
Jan 15
I wonder if it will feel like Pinehurst. Thistle Dhu, the Cradle, 1, 2, 4, and the practice facility are all in a very walkable space. This is a departure from the "microclimates" at Bandon.
Uff... yes "prediction markets" are going to be all fun and games until we remember that prediction markets allow you to place a bet on "whether or not your neighbors house will burn down" while you're on your way home from the gas station, with a new gas can, filled to the top. There is a deep problem here that is called "market reflexivity" where there is a feedback between information and action in the market and information and action in the real world. When an individual action can move any market, this will be magnified, and it's genuinely bad for society. This means even if we don't participate in these markets, we will likely be affected by them, and that's a big problem.
I do think there is a bit more here that I would push back on, even if I think we agree. Here, I'm very much an outsider to much of the Fried Egg audience, as I'm not much of a professional sports fan. A big part of that is that, well, as long as profession sports' purpose is "entertainment" and the purpose of gambling is "entertainment" then basically anything is permissible. That, I see, is the underlying issue we're dealing with. There is a cohort that thinks sport is "worth doing the right way" and another group that sort of doesn't care as long as their team wins. This can be seen by an increase in flopping in the NBA along with cheating scandals in the NFL and MLB that go relatively unpunished.
Thankfully, golf has amateur championships. If we care about the love of the game more than we care about the spectacle of it, we can follow those events. It may not be broadcast on television for us to casually consume, but they exist, and are trivially easy to go to when they're in your are. It's not much of a silver lining, but it's there.
Uff... yes "prediction markets" are going to be all fun and games until we remember that prediction markets allow you to place a bet on "whether or not your neighbors house will burn down" while you're on your way home from the gas station, with a new gas can, filled to the top. There is deeply problem here that is called "market reflexivity" where there is a feedback between information and action in the market and information and action in the real world. When an individual action can move any market, this will be magnified, and it's genuinely bad for society. This means even if we don't participate in these markets, we will likely be affected by them, and that's a big problem.
I do think there is a bit more here that I would push back on, even if I think we agree. Here, I'm very much an outsider to much of the Fried Egg audience, as I'm not much of a professional sports fan. A big part of that is that, well, as long as profession sports' purpose is "entertainment" and the purpose of gambling is "entertainment" then basically anything is permissible. That, I see, is the underlying issue we're dealing with. There is a cohort that thinks sport is "worth doing the right way" and another group that sort of doesn't care as long as their team wins. This can be seen by an increase in flopping in the NBA along with cheating scandals in the NFL and MLB that go relatively unpunished.
Thankfully, golf has amateur championships. If we care about the love of the game more than we care about the spectacle of it, we can follow those events. It may not be broadcast on television for us to casually consume, but they exist, and are trivially easy to go to when they're in your are. It's not much of a silver lining, but it's there.
Design Notebook State Of Public Golf Architecture 2026
Jan 15
Garrett, I appreciate you giving some light to National Links Trust's national mission. The impact of this current situation (and their existence moving forward) is far greater than what type of renovation project happens at East Potomac.
There's the model to be set by them with their work in DC--something that other municipalities could see and copy--but there's also the direct work with golf courses that you cited, work they want to expand. For example, I've formally spoken myself to Mike McCartin and members of the NLT team on how they could help us with the public courses in Sacramento. They genuinely want to be involved nationally and boost the health of public golf in whatever ways they can. Losing them would be a devastating setback.
That’s awesome Wesley. What are you favorites of those?
Also, I can’t recommend Brambles enough. It is very easy to get on in non peak season. You just email the head pro. The experience is one of a kind. You can fly into Sacramento or Sonoma. It’s all you can golf, eat and drink for like $450 but you need a caddie. The course has very few other people playing so you can really have the place to yourself. It’s quirky in a good way and plays hard and fast. The only thing is that the native area is struggling to grow in a little bit right now.
