The Augusta Municipal Golf Course, established in 1928 and commonly known as The Patch, will open fully for public play on April 15, ushering in a new era of public golf in Augusta, Georgia.
A soft opening is beginning this month with limited play for local community groups, including regular players at The Patch and high school teams. Play will continue for private hospitality opportunities during the week of the Masters Tournament before the full reopening in mid-April.
This follows the completion of a 16-month renovation of the 18-hole golf course, led by Tom Fazio and Beau Welling, along with the newly designed, nine-hole short course, The Loop at The Patch, which was designed by Tiger Woods and his firm, TGR Design.
On The Patch, the new design pays homage to 11 holes from the previous layout. Playing areas have been expanded by approximately 20% from the old course and will feature new irrigation and drainage systems. The Loop at The Patch is a walking-only experience that can be played quickly and will feature artificial turf tees.
Augusta Municipal Golf Course, otherwise known as The Patch, will reopen in April.
(Photo: Augusta Municipal Golf Course)
Fundamental to The Patch Project was delivering an accessible and affordable public golf experience for the Augusta community. The 18-hole walking rate for local residents, as defined on GolfThePatch.com, will be $25 Monday through Thursday and $35 Friday through Sunday, while The Loop at The Patch will cost $15 for local residents.
The Patch practice facilities encompass 17 acres and feature Trackman Range, including an area with 20 covered bays. Additionally, the Putting Course is available complimentary to the general public and includes a 12-hole routing. Other highlights include a 380-yard driving range with multiple teeing areas; a 500% increase to the tee deck, which will include an artificial turf line; and an event lawn space.
Originally announced in April 2023 by Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, The Patch Project is a partnership between Augusta Technical College, The First Tee of Augusta and Masters Tournament Charities.
THE FINAL STAGES
The 27-hole Hills course at The Clubs of Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney, Texas, has entered the closing stretch of a complete renovation by architect Kurt Bowman and World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins.
Located in a northern Dallas suburb, the Hills course was designed by Arthur Hills in 1988 and is a sister course to an 18-hole Pete Dye design. Those original Hills nines were called Chisholm and Cimarron. In 1999, Arthur Hills added the Saddleback nine, with the help of associate Drew Rogers. Invited Clubs, owner and operator of The Clubs at Stonebridge Ranch, had earlier invested in renovations of the other two nines before proceeding with the Chisholm nine, a course now called No. 1.
“Two-thirds of the Hills’ courses have undergone extensive changes, and thanks to the hard work by Lanny Wadkins and Kurt Bowman, these beautiful courses now enjoy a new level of playability and prestige that will both test and entertain our members and their guests,” Invited CEO David Pillsbury said. “We are excited to see how Lanny and Kurt continue to elevate the experience at one of the best golf venues in Texas.”
The comprehensive renovation reworks greens, tees, fairways, bunkers and irrigation systems. Phase One — Course No. 3 (Holes 19-27) is complete and revolved around a complete replacement of the greens complex turf with G12 Championship Bermuda. Phase Two — Course No. 2 (Holes 10-18) is also complete. This phase introduced redesigned greens complexes featuring G12 Championship Bermuda, recontoured bunkers, upgraded irrigation, laser-leveled tees resurfaced with premium turf, and improved fairways for superior playability.
The final phase that Bowman and Wadkins are progressing with now will replicate the efforts made on holes 10-18. The third hole, for instance, will see the deep hollows in the fairway and around the green softened and raised to make it more playable for all skill levels. The green will be moved back and rotated, with new bunkers on the left and right. On the fourth hole, bunkers will be added on the right side of the fairway to provide more strategy. The green complex will be redesigned to allow for better playability. All work is expected to be completed later in 2026.
MONTE REI CLOSING FOR RENOVATIONS
Monte Rei, a Jack Nicklaus design in the Algarve region of southern Portugal, will close for five months beginning in April for a renovation.
Opened in 2007 and long ranked among the top three courses in Portugal, Monte Rei is poised to rebuild its greens, enhance its bunkers and improve its cart paths, as well as adding landscaping.
Additional items on the renovation docket are an upgrade to its irrigation system and pump station, and a refurbishment of its teeing ground on the driving range. The investment represents the financial commitment being made by Arrow Global, the asset management concern that purchased Monte Rei in January 2025 in order to keep the club on the top rung.
“Monte Rei is already one of the finest golf courses in Portugal and Europe and that is something we deeply respect,” said Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO of Details, the Portuguese company that manages Monte Rei. “This project is about taking a long-term view — protecting the character and playing qualities that members and guests value, while making thoughtful improvements that will allow the course to thrive for decades to come.
“When Monte Rei reopens, it will be stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for the future, while remaining unmistakably Monte Rei.”
Monte Rei’s Jack Nicklaus Signature layout is formally known as the North course. In 2019, plans were announced for Nicklaus Design to create a second course, to be known as the South, but as yet, it remains in the planning stages.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
A big day for Royal Perth today with the opening of 6 new greens (18,13,14,19,7&8) plus a big Himalayan style Putting Green. An extremely positive impact for the club @krusegolf with @cdpgolf1 @royalperthgolfclub pic.twitter.com/9cgs2eyt0g
— Harley Kruse (@KruseHarley) January 30, 2026
SHURA LINKS LOOKS TO BE A SURE THING
Shura Links, the first island golf course in Saudi Arabia and the centerpiece of an unparalleled luxury resort development on the Red Sea opened last autumn.
Developed by Red Sea Global, designed by architect Brian Curley of Curley-Wagner and managed by Golf Saudi, the pioneering project reflects the Kingdom’s robust investment in golf and its growing reputation as a global destination for the game.
“Shura Links offers 18 unique and visually stunning holes in a beautiful island environment that will redefine golf in the region,” Curley said. “Our goal was to create a course that is both strategic and forgiving, where golfers can enjoy the ground game, and be inspired by the seaside setting.”
Situated through native mangroves and bright-white dunes, with long stretches that hug the Red Sea shoreline, Shura Links was conceived to blend seamlessly into its unique surrounds with a layout that welcomes all levels of play. Playing to par 72, the course measures 7,400 yards from its championship tees, with the option to extend beyond 7,700 yards for professional and top-flight amateur competitions. But the flexibility of its design — replete with wide playing corridors, fast, rolling conditions, and open approaches that invite varied angles of attack and ground-game options in windy conditions — makes for a fair and compelling test.
Greens are large and richly contoured, and with backstops, bowls, feeder slopes and run-offs that are meant to strike a balance between shot-making challenge and user-friendly playability. While the gentle terrain allows for easy walking, the firm surfaces are also well-suited for carts.
Bold bunkering is another of the layout’s defining features, at once strategic and visually striking. Many of the sandy areas are hard-packed expanses that allow for relatively easy recovery, while the formal bunkering has transitional outer edges with irregular lines, in keeping with the naturalistic design theme. Irregular turf lines mimic that aesthetic, too.
Signature holes include dune-framed par-3s (Nos. 6 and 15) that play directly toward the Red Sea and a dramatic, driveable par-4 (No. 16) for late-round risk-reward.
Other highlights include a two-acre, family-friendly putting course; an expansive grass practice range, putting green and short-game area with premium Callaway balls; two returning nines, plus tailed green-fee options for nine or 18 holes; professional golf instruction for individuals, families and groups, led by onsite PGA-qualified teachers; and a stunning modernist clubhouse, designed by Foster + Partners, with curated golf retail and dining options both casual and refined on an indoor terrace or by the pool.
The design philosophy emphasizes playability without extreme punishment, creating a visually alluring, accessible course.
“Too many desert courses penalize golfers with lost balls in thick vegetation of non-turf areas,” Curley said. “Here the course is framed by brilliant white sand and open expanses punctuated with bursts of natural dunes vegetation that inspire creativity while keeping the game moving.”
Located just 30 minutes from Red Sea International Airport via a 2.2-mile causeway, Shura Links anchors a destination that will feature 11 luxury hotels, including Four Seasons, Raffles, Rosewood and Jumeirah. Villas and resort architecture have been woven into the dune landscape, creating a luxurious island-beach environment in a climate where year-round temperatures average 90 degrees.
“Having designed 20 courses for the massive Mission Hills Golf Club in China, I am certainly no stranger to bold and imaginative projects,” Curley said.