On the Water

La Hacienda Links, near Sotogrande, Spain, has a new lease on life. The 36-hole resort opened in 1992 as Alcaidesa Golf, but under the ownership of Millennium Hospitality it enlisted American architect Kurtis Bowman to redesign the Links Course for a 2022 reopening. A new clubhouse, driving range and practice area followed. Once an intern at Augusta National, Bowman worked for Jack Nicklaus before going solo. With Mediterranean views, La Hacienda, he says, is “the Pebble Beach of Spain.”

Famed for properties in Saint Lucia, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Cabot’s first U.S. opening will be Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida later this year. Less than 50 minutes from Tampa and neighboring the Withlacoochee State Forest, Cabot Citrus Farms originally opened as World Woods GC in 1993. The property lies across 1,200 acres of linksy, rolling, sandy land that is decorated by mature sand pines, palmetto trees and moss-covered oaks dating back to the 19th century. The two existing 18-hole layouts are both being renovated, while a new par-3 course, clubhouse and extensive practice facilities are on the way.

The 105th PGA Championship is heading to one of the grandees of American championship golf: Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. Oak Hill is the only club to have hosted each of the PGA Championship (1980, 2003, 2013), U.S. Open (1956, 1968, 1989), U.S. Amateur (1949, 1998) and Ryder Cup (1995). The Donald Ross–designed East Course has been extensively restored for this year’s PGA, with holes shifted, trees removed and greens rebuilt. With its new look— and unimpeachable pedigree—this venerable venue should prove a classic challenge for the sport’s very best.

Read more in our Majors Preview beginning on page 64