Latest news with #NicklausDesign
Forbes
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mzansi Welcomes The World: LIV Golf Set To Make African Debut In South Africa In 2026
LIV Golf is expanding its global footprint once again, this time with a historic first. In March 2026, the LIV Golf League will make its debut on African soil, with Johannesburg's Steyn City set to host the event from 20 to 22 March. This marks a significant moment not only for South Africa but for the entire African continent, as LIV continues to grow its international presence. Known for blending professional golf with entertainment, music, and lifestyle experiences, LIV Golf's arrival signals another bold step for the league's evolving identity and ambition. A Festival of Golf and Culture As with other LIV events, this tournament will be about more than just competition. Organisers have promised a high-energy experience that fuses sport and culture, what they call a 'festival of golf and life.' Fans can expect live music performances, immersive fan zones, and family-friendly access, including free entry for children under 12. Enthusiasm is already high: the first 10,000 tickets sold out within 24 hours, setting a LIV Golf record, and more than 25,000 tickets have already been claimed in advance of the event. The South Africa tournament will form part of LIV's broader 2026 calendar, which includes events in Australia, Singapore, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. A Venue Built for the Moment The 2026 edition will take place at The Club at Steyn City, a championship course designed by Nicklaus Design. Situated in Midrand between Johannesburg and Pretoria, the venue offers a scenic but demanding 7,700-yard, par-72 layout, surrounded by indigenous bushland and home to wildlife including impalas and porcupines. For LIV, the location offers a striking blend of modern luxury and natural African beauty, an ideal setting for a global tournament seeking to deliver both sporting drama and visual spectacle. LIV Golf has signed a multi-year agreement to stage events in South Africa, while Steyn City's deal is for one year, with options to extend. Spotlight on Home Talent South Africa's Stinger GC is expected to be a major drawcard for local fans. The team is captained by 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, joined by fellow countrymen Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, and Dean Burmester, all of whom have had success on both traditional and LIV circuits. For Stinger GC, the chance to perform on familiar turf could provide a competitive edge and an emotional boost as they compete against LIV's international field. Global Stars on Display The South Africa tournament will feature a lineup of 54 top players from around the world, including major champions such as Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Cameron Smith. The presence of these names reinforces LIV's goal to deliver a premium golf product while appealing to a new, broader generation of fans. Economic and Tourism Upside LIV Golf events have consistently demonstrated their ability to generate substantial economic impact in host cities. In 2025, LIV Golf Adelaide produced a total economic impact of $78.5 million USD, according to an independent study by Vision Insights. Key stats from that event included: South African tourism and hospitality sectors will be watching closely, with expectations that the 2026 event could deliver similar, if not greater, returns, particularly given Johannesburg's position as a regional hub for business and travel. Community-Focused Legacy Beyond entertainment and economic growth, the 2026 LIV Golf event also aims to leave a social legacy. The tournament will support the Steyn City Foundation's feeding schemes, providing resources for community programs long after the final putt drops. This aligns with LIV's growing emphasis on social investment, sustainability, and charitable partnerships as it continues to scale its global presence. A Strategic Step for the Continent South Africa has long been a destination for major international sporting events, from football and rugby to cricket and athletics. The inclusion of LIV Golf on this list marks a milestone not only for the sport in the region but for Africa's place on the global golf map. As the first African stop on the LIV calendar, the 2026 tournament could serve as a springboard for future events across the continent. For LIV Golf, it represents an important test case, one that may influence its future expansion strategy in emerging markets. As March 2026 approaches, the spotlight will turn to Johannesburg, Steyn City, and the players ready to make history. Whether for fans, athletes, or the host nation, LIV Golf South Africa promises to be a landmark moment in a sport that's redefining its global reach.
Calgary Herald
26-06-2025
- Calgary Herald
The best golf resorts in Canada for your next club-swinging vacation
A great golf resort requires a sense of place. A sublime setting. Terrific topography. Natural attributes that 'wow.' And throughout Canada — from rocky coastlines to our rolling plains — you'll find wonderful courses that showcase the grandeur of our geography. Seaside links golf. Majestic mountain golf. Pretty parkland golf. It's all there. Article content The question then? Where do you play? Where do you stay? After all, club-swinging vacation time is precious. Obviously, we want to choose wisely. If you ask the game's most knowledgeable connoisseurs (and we did), they'd point you in certain directions. They'd point you towards the best golf resorts in Canada. So, let's follow them, from west to east: Article content Article content Article content Thanks to its chill West Coast vibe and wild beauty — and, of course, its stunning set of courses! — Vancouver Island is one of Canada's best golf destinations. And Bear Mountain, situated on a rocky and rugged mountainside site 15 minutes from downtown Victoria, is the poster child for golf on the island. The luxurious Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa is perfectly situated right along the 18th hole of the original Mountain Course, which has hosted the PGA Tour Champions many times. But the newer Valley Course, which plays a couple of shots easier, is typically the favourite. This is the only 36-hole facility in the country that boasts two courses by Nicklaus Design. Article content The Thompson Okanagan is a golfer's dream. An amazing climate, stunning lakes and beaches, wonderful wine, dozens of dynamite courses. What's not to love about that? Leading the pack is the Predator Ridge Golf Resort in Vernon, B.C. Both courses at Predator Ridge (The Ridge and The Predator) are routed through dramatic terrain that showcases the beauty of the region. However, the Doug Carrick-designed Ridge course, which incorporates cool rock outcroppings, cliffs and eye-popping elevation changes, is the showstopper. A variety of luxurious lodging options, including cottages, executive homes, and lodge rooms, are available. Article content Article content Article content True, 288-kilometres separate Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta. However, the drive along the famous Icefields Parkway is arguably the most scenic spin in Canada. The legendary courses in Banff and Jasper, both designed by Stanley Thompson, have stood the test of time. The ultimate Canadian Rockies road trip (for a golfer, of course) would include a couple of rounds at both, the spectacular drive between (with plenty of scenic stops along the way), and memorable stays at Fairmont resorts that anchor the two properties. Article content Article content Located just south of Saskatoon on historical Whitecap Dakota National lands in Saskatchewan, the Dakota Dunes Golf Resort is a posh prairie outpost that features a daring and difficult Graham Cooke-designed course. The layout, which swerves through grass-capped dunes and wildly undulating terrain, is an 'inland links' of the finest order. Indeed, you don't need a sea to play Scottish-like golf! The 155-room lodge features beautifully-appointed contemporary rooms and suites, excellent dining, corporate meeting spaces, and grand prairie views in every direction.
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
The best golf resorts in Canada for your next club-swinging vacation
A great golf resort requires a sense of place. A sublime setting. Terrific topography. Natural attributes that 'wow.' And throughout Canada — from rocky coastlines to our rolling plains — you'll find wonderful courses that showcase the grandeur of our geography. Seaside links golf. Majestic mountain golf. Pretty parkland golf. It's all there. The question then? Where do you play? Where do you stay? After all, club-swinging vacation time is precious. Obviously, we want to choose wisely. If you ask the game's most knowledgeable connoisseurs (and we did), they'd point you in certain directions. They'd point you towards the best golf resorts in Canada. So, let's follow them, from west to east: Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Thanks to its chill West Coast vibe and wild beauty — and, of course, its stunning set of courses! — Vancouver Island is one of Canada's best golf destinations. And Bear Mountain, situated on a rocky and rugged mountainside site 15 minutes from downtown Victoria, is the poster child for golf on the island. The luxurious Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa is perfectly situated right along the 18th hole of the original Mountain Course, which has hosted the PGA Tour Champions many times. But the newer Valley Course, which plays a couple of shots easier, is typically the favourite. This is the only 36-hole facility in the country that boasts two courses by Nicklaus Design. The Thompson Okanagan is a golfer's dream . An amazing climate, stunning lakes and beaches, wonderful wine, dozens of dynamite courses. What's not to love about that? Leading the pack is the Predator Ridge Golf Resort in Vernon, B.C. Both courses at Predator Ridge (The Ridge and The Predator) are routed through dramatic terrain that showcases the beauty of the region. However, the Doug Carrick-designed Ridge course, which incorporates cool rock outcroppings, cliffs and eye-popping elevation changes, is the showstopper. A variety of luxurious lodging options, including cottages, executive homes, and lodge rooms, are available. True, 288-kilometres separate Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta. However, the drive along the famous Icefields Parkway is arguably the most scenic spin in Canada. The legendary courses in Banff and Jasper, both designed by Stanley Thompson, have stood the test of time. The ultimate Canadian Rockies road trip (for a golfer, of course) would include a couple of rounds at both, the spectacular drive between (with plenty of scenic stops along the way), and memorable stays at Fairmont resorts that anchor the two properties. Located just south of Saskatoon on historical Whitecap Dakota National lands in Saskatchewan, the Dakota Dunes Golf Resort is a posh prairie outpost that features a daring and difficult Graham Cooke-designed course. The layout, which swerves through grass-capped dunes and wildly undulating terrain, is an 'inland links' of the finest order. Indeed, you don't need a sea to play Scottish-like golf! The 155-room lodge features beautifully-appointed contemporary rooms and suites, excellent dining, corporate meeting spaces , and grand prairie views in every direction. The lake-peppered landscape of Muskoka, Ont. (think cottage-country north of Toronto), is the ideal canvas to paint a perfect course. And there are dozens of them. Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville is a sprawling lakeside retreat with a long-standing pedigree as one of the best in the region. Two courses, including a sporty nine-holer, ramble through the woods and serve up a sweet ( and quintessential) Muskoka experience. The resort features more than 20 types of accommodation, numerous restaurants , and, basically, every activity your golf-happy mind can think of. Quebec's lovely landscapes — pastoral rural areas, verdant valleys and mighty mountains — are ideal for golf. While golfing in the Laurentians at Mont Tremblant is exceptional, the dazzling Charlevoix region is tough to top. And the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu , which features 27 great golf holes and a historic hotel that sits snug on the shore of the St. Lawrence River, is resort golf at its finest. The start of the St. Lawrence Course, a riveting run of holes that plunge down the mountainside, is thrilling. And, for that matter, the 1.5-km cart ride up to the top of the mountain where the clubhouse sits is also one for the ages. St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B. is idyllic. The setting here, high atop Passamaquoddy Bay in one of the oldest and most charming seaside resort towns in North America, is incredible. While The Algonquin Resort is elegant and iconic, every golfer who tees it up on this seaside course will be treated to one of the best resort-golf experiences in the country. The recent renovation by Canadian architect, Rod Whitman, has rightfully positioned The Algonquin as not just the best golf course in New Brunswick, but one of the top tracks in the Maritimes. In 1994 the talented Canadian architect, Thomas McBroom, burst onto the scene with his jaw-dropping links golf creation at Crowbush Cove on Prince Edward Island's wave-battered north shore. The course at Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort , which incorporates ragged dunes, forced carries, deep bunkers and plenty of seaside drama, isn't for the faint of heart. However, the tidy fairway-side resort in Morell, which has dozens of deluxe rooms and 32 cosy cottages, is a place where you can soothe your double-bogey blues. Tip: combine a play-and-stay package with Rodd Brudnell River Resort to play two more excellent courses on the island, Dundarave and Brudenell River. Thanks to the opening of Cabot Cape Breton , a world-renowned, three-course links golf stronghold in Inverness, Cape Breton is on the global golf map for greatness . The original Rod Whitman-designed Links Course is an old-world golf experience that's unlike anything else in the country. And the second course, Cabot Cliffs , opened in 2016 and was designed by the architectural duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. It catapulted this incredible resort into another realm altogether. (They have since added a super-fun 11-hole short course called The Nest.) Not surprisingly, people are coming from all over the world to play the many majestic holes that tumble along the cliffs and roll through the wind-sculpted dunes in Nova Scotia. Book now! This place sells out fast. In case you're wondering, there were many other resorts across the country that were mentioned by our panel of experts (mainly golf writers, golf professionals , and travel and tourism experts) for this story. Sadly, not all of them made this final list. But a few others that were mentioned multiple times were Humber Valley Resort in Cornerbrook, N.L., Muskoka Bay Resort in Gravenhurst, Ont. (new hotel is opening in late 2025), Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Whistler, B.C., and the Keltic Lodge at the Highlands in Ingonish Beach, N.S. Our final tip? Buy a couple of made-in-Canada red golf shirts, a toque (it gets cool in fall), and hit the golf-rich road to knock a few of these off your bucket list.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Highly ranked private course in Arizona begins $10 million restoration
Desert Highlands in Scottsdale has undertaken a $10 million restoration of its Nicklaus Design golf course, with the layout having closed April 28 and slated to reopen in November. Desert Highlands is ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 8 private course in Arizona, and it ties for No. 143 on the ranking of top modern courses in the United States. It was home of the first two made-for-TV Skins Games in 1983-84. Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Arizona A large portion of the work, to be done by Nicklaus Design, includes rebuilding each green. The elevations of the putting surfaces will be adjusted to better fit with surrounding moguls and bowls and allow for more hole locations. The greens will be planted with 007XL Creeping Bentgrass. Advertisement The work also will include tee reconstruction, a bunker renovation including lining by Flexxscape, vegetation work and turf restoration. Several holes will receive design modifications or new tees. Desert Highland's putting course also will be enhanced and re-grassed. 'This restoration is about more than golf. It's about preserving our legacy while building an even brighter future,' Desert Highlands general manager Desi Speh said in a media release announcing the work. 'With the world-renowned Nicklaus Design team, our builder Heritage Links and the support of our members, we are committed to preserving the timeless character of our course while introducing thoughtful enhancements that will elevate the golf experience for years to come.' This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Desert Highlands in Arizona embarks on $10 million restoration
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Highly ranked private course in Arizona begins $10 million restoration
Highly ranked private course in Arizona begins $10 million restoration Desert Highlands in Scottsdale has undertaken a $10 million restoration of its Nicklaus Design golf course, with the layout having closed April 28 and slated to reopen in November. Desert Highlands is ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 8 private course in Arizona, and it ties for No. 143 on the ranking of top modern courses in the United States. It was home of the first two made-for-TV Skins Games in 1983-84. A large portion of the work, to be done by Nicklaus Design, includes rebuilding each green. The elevations of the putting surfaces will be adjusted to better fit with surrounding moguls and bowls and allow for more hole locations. The greens will be planted with 007XL Creeping Bentgrass. The work also will include tee reconstruction, a bunker renovation including lining by Flexxscape, vegetation work and turf restoration. Several holes will receive design modifications or new tees. Desert Highland's putting course also will be enhanced and re-grassed. 'This restoration is about more than golf. It's about preserving our legacy while building an even brighter future,' Desert Highlands general manager Desi Speh said in a media release announcing the work. 'With the world-renowned Nicklaus Design team, our builder Heritage Links and the support of our members, we are committed to preserving the timeless character of our course while introducing thoughtful enhancements that will elevate the golf experience for years to come.'
