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Robert Trent Jones II firm to build new course at Buenaventura in Panama

New course at Buenaventura Resort will focus on fun and playability.

The firm of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects has signed on to build a second course at Buenaventura Resort in Panama 90 miles southwest of Panama City.

The new course will top out at 6,810 yards with a par of 72, and it will feature long ribbon tees that allow players to choose their best distances. Instead of heavy earth-moving to build the course, the designers plan to rely on the varied natural topography to create interest and provide long sightlines and ocean views. Fairways will feature generous width, allowing players to choose strategic lines into the greens with an emphasis on fun and playability.

Buenaventura Panama — The routing plan for the second course, to be named No. 2, at Buenaventura Resort in Panama (Courtesy of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects)

“As they play, golfers will journey through a variety of distinct environments,” Bruce Charlton, president of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, said in a media release announcing the plans.

Golfweek’s Best 2024: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America

“The jungle holes will be surrounded by dense foliage and towering Guanacaste trees, punctuated by a series of running streams and offering an adventurous experience of navigating winding fairways. The meadow holes, with their wide-open spaces, provide expansive scale and invite bold, strategic play. Players will encounter the challenge a breathtaking beach and ocean-view hole, a one-of-a-kind challenge comprised of ocean breezes and sandy shores.”

Buenaventura is an 800-acre Central American beach resort and residential community, and its first course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2012.

Some big-name Florida courses open, others wait for water to recede in wake of Hurricane Milton

Which top courses are open, which are still closed after Hurricane Milton?

Hurricane Milton had different impacts on various golf courses along its path across the Florida Peninsula last Wednesday and Thursday, and some courses have reopened fully while others are waiting for water to drain before welcoming players.

Many people are still suffering mightily after the storm, with more than 400,000 Florida residents still without power. Food and water are in short supply in the worst-hit areas, lines are out of hand at some gas stations and federal agencies are trying to help as thousands of electric crews race to turn back on the lights, refrigerators and air conditioners.

It can seem like a weird time to think about a game, but golf is big business in Florida, and many people’s livelihoods depend on golf as the state begins its recovery. The National Golf Foundation reports there are more than 1,200 courses in Florida that serve nearly 1.6 million players, with an economic impact of $8.2 billion in 2022. More than 132,000 people work in Florida’s golf industry.

The biggest problem for most golf courses wasn’t Milton’s winds so much as its water. Some places in Florida received nearly two feet of rainfall overnight, and several courses are still under water in places. It can take weeks for that much water to recede from a low-lying course. It was especially damaging as Milton struck just two weeks in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which inundated Florida’s western coast with storm surge and dumped huge volumes of rain across the peninsula before hammering into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Forest Lake Ocoee flood — Flooding waters from Hurricane Milton surround the par-3 16th green at Forest Lake in Ocoee, Florida, near Orlando. (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)

As an example of water damage, this author received a close-up look at storm water Sunday on a round at the daily-fee Forest Lake Golf Club in Ocoee near Orlando. The course had standing water on many holes, deep enough to resemble ponds more than puddling. Course operators had cobbled together a new layout, playing one par 4 and one par 5 as par 3s to avoid saturated areas in fairways while they clean up after the storm and await water to recede. One par 3 across a pond was closed entirely as water had risen to surround the green like a moat and covered two-thirds of the putting surface. Players should expect to find such conditions at many courses across Florida as grounds crews work to restore normal playing conditions.

Hundreds of courses stretch along the path of Hurricane Milton. For a sampling of how those courses are doing after the storm, we checked on the layouts that appear in Golfweek’s Best rankings of public-access courses. These vary from daily-fee operations to huge resorts. Some have reopened with negligible effects from the storm, while others remain closed. At the bottom of this story is an update on several highly ranked private clubs, too.

Streamsong

Home to three highly ranked courses – the Red by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the Blue by Tom Doak, and the Black by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner – Streamsong received no major damage in the storm. The resort will reopen Tuesday after having been closed for several days as power was restored. The three courses on a former mining site feature very few trees to have blown down, and they were built atop huge piles of sand that expedited drainage. The Red is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 2 public-access course in Florida and ties for No. 37 among all modern courses in the U.S. The Blue is No. 3 in Florida and ties for No. 53 among modern courses, and the Black is No. 4 in Florida and ties for No. 67 among modern courses.

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Longtime home to the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Bay Hill in Orlando is still closed as it deals with flooding after Hurricane Milton. The club is waiting for water to recede – notably on the around-the-pond par-5 sixth hole and the downhill over-the-pond 17th – before announcing a reopening plan. The facility also suffered tree damage. Bay Hill ranks No. 6 among public-access courses in Florida. Bay Hill hopes to have its 9-hole course, The Challenger, opened in the next several days.

Innisbrook

The home of the Copperhead Course – longtime site of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship – is in Palm Harbor, just west of Tampa and closer to the Gulf of Mexico. The resort has posted on its website that limited dining options have reopened. The resort features four golf courses: Copperhead, Island, North and South. Of those four, nine holes reopened Monday. Those nine are a compilation of holes on the North and South courses. The Copperhead – ranked No. 9 among all public-access courses in Florida – has not reopened, and a timeframe is not mentioned on the resort’s website.

Southern Dunes

The Steve Smyers layout southwest of Orlando in Haines City lost a few trees, but the course reopened Saturday with minimal damage. Southern Dunes sits on rolling sand dunes, which helps tremendously with drainage. Southern Dunes ranks No. 14 among all public-access courses in Florida.

PGA Golf Club

PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s eastern coast – home to three courses ranked among the top 30 public-access layouts in the state – has reopened two of those courses, Dye (ranked No. 17) and Ryder (No. 30). The resort’s Wannamaker course (ranked No. 18) was closed well before the storm for a renovation, and it is scheduled to reopen in November as planned. A handful of holes on the two open courses are cart-path-only as the facility continues to dry out.

Orange County National

Home to two courses among the top 30 in the state, Panther Lake (No. 23) and Crooked Cat (tied for No. 27), this Winter Garden facility just west of Orlando reopened Friday after the storm. The property’s massive circular driving range was humming with business Saturday, as usual.

Celebration

Ranked No. 29 among public-access courses in Florida, this course southwest of Orlando is still closed after Milton. The club has posted on social media that it hopes to reopen Wednesday, as water continues to drain. Golfers can check the club’s Facebook page for more information and updates.

Grand Cypress

A longtime Central Florida golf icon, Grand Cypress is home to two courses – the Cypress and the Links – at the new Evermore resort southwest of Orlando next to Disney World. The Cypress is open for play now, while the Links is slated to reopen Tuesday as stormwater recedes. Formerly known as the New Course, the renamed Links ties for No. 30 among all public-access courses in Florida.

Private clubs

Belleair near Tampa shortly after a restoration of the Donald Ross-designed course by Jason Straka (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)

Calls to several top-rated private courses in especially hard-hit areas, such as Mountain Lake in Lake Wales and The Concession in Bradenton, went unanswered. Belleair, just west of Tampa along the Intracoastal Waterway, lost dozens of trees on its two courses, and its recently restored West Course reopened Monday while its East Course will take a few more days. Nearby, Pelican Golf Club – home to the LPGA’s The Annika Driven by Gainbridge scheduled for Nov. 14-17 – plans to reopen Wednesday.

Traveling in or Out of the U.S? Here’s How to Always Stay Connected

With the world today becoming increasingly connected than before, staying in touch with your loved ones, or simply getting work done requires you to have internet access at all times. Especially when you are travelling, you need to check flights, …

Traditionally, getting internet on your phone out of the country can be expensive, which is why we have compiled this list of methods you can use to get an internet connection for cheap during your travel. You can also use these for travelling inside the country. So, without further ado, here are ways to stay connected while traveling in or out of the U.S.:

Get a Temporary Local SIM

Instantly Get a Global Roaming eSIM

Utilize Internet Cafes

Share Hotspot Internet With Others

Use a Public WiFi

Book Accommodation That Has WiFi

Sign up for WiFi Hotspots

A lot of internet providers offer WiFi hotspots you can use alongside your internet connection whenever you’re traveling. ISPs like Spectrum offer Out-of-Home WiFi with large coverage all over the U.S. They also offer support for their Spanish-speaking customers at Spectrum en español.

If you’re going to be staying in the U.S. for a longer period, getting internet that comes with WiFi hotspots can be a great two-in-one deal. These networks are also very reliable and fast, allowing you to work remotely, something which some other providers can’t offer.

Get a Temporary Local SIM

If you’re traveling to another country for a shorter period, you might be thinking that your country’s internet provider’s international plan might be a good idea. However, these can get extremely expensive because of roaming charges, which is why it might be a better idea to get a local sim when you arrive at your destination country.

Before your travel, make sure that your phone isn’t locked to a carrier, which might prevent you from using a local sim. Try going for a prepaid local provider. This means that you can buy a plan or credits in advance, which you can use throughout the trip.

Instantly Get a Global Roaming eSIM

While you can always get a local physical SIM from your destination country, a small, physical card can easily be misplaced or corrupted when changing SIMs.

Most modern smartphones have the functionality of using eSIM technology. Using an eSIM can have a lot of benefits. You can activate the eSIM instantly, and store multiple of them in the same smartphone. You also get increased security, since the SIMs can’t be intercepted.

When you get an eSIM, it’s usually emailed to you so you don’t have to worry about waiting for the SIM card or going out to buy one. You can also deactivate your eSIM, but keep it stored in your phone for future use.

Utilize Internet Cafes

Internet cafes are something you might not expect to see due to the wide coverage of modern Internet infrastructure. However, these are still very common, especially in countries where the internet is expensive or in remote areas.

Here, you can get access to high-speed internet for an hourly or daily rate. Internet cafes are also usually very quiet and provide a safe space where you can get online. If you’re looking for a few hours of fast and stable internet connection, then opting for an internet café instead of public WiFi can be a better option for you.

Share Hotspot Internet With Others

If you’re traveling with other people, getting a shared hotspot WiFi device can be a more budget-friendly option for you, especially if you’re going to be using less bandwidth and there are a lot of users. Even if you’re traveling alone, using a hotspot can still be a better option if you’re using multiple devices such as your laptop and phone.

A hotspot is a small phone-sized device that connects to an internet service provider through a wireless local area network that can be connected to your devices using a wired or wireless connection.

Use a Public WiFi

We don’t generally recommend using public WiFi, since there are a lot of security risks associated with public networks. However, when push comes to shove, public WiFi can also be a good option, especially if you practice smart security practices.

We recommend turning off auto-connect in your WiFi settings and turning off file-sharing. Make sure you always use a VPN to access public networks and ensure that the websites you visit are encrypted with HTTPS.

Lastly, try not to access any apps or services with your sensitive information such as bank accounts or social media platforms.

Book Accommodation That Has WiFi

One of the best ways you can get WiFi access is to book accommodation that gives you access to WiFi. While hotel WiFi can also have security risks, it’s still a lot better than using a public WiFi network.

Typically, when you check in, you can get access to the hotel’s WiFi during your stay. If the WiFi in the hotel is password protected, it should be relatively secure to use. We still recommend using a VPN to get a secure connection.

Before you choose a hotel for your stay, make sure to check if the hotel offers WiFi for free or at an added cost.

Having internet when traveling can be a lifesaver, especially when you wish to contact your family back home or get work done while traveling. Make sure to use these methods in conjunction with each other to alwa

ys stay connected while traveling.

OCM design team to renovate The Hills as New Zealand heavyweights form new partnership

The founders of Te Arai Links, Tara Iti join forces with business magnate on The Hills.

The developers of highly ranked Te Arai Links and Tara Iti golf clubs in New Zealand announced this week that they will partner with the owners of The Hills course near Arrowtown to redevelop the property.

The design team of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead – OCM – will rebuild the course. Plans also include the introduction of a golf training facility, fitness center, on-site accommodations, luxurious real estate and a remodel of the clubhouse.

The Hills was opened in 2007 by Sir Michael Hill, one of the most successful businessmen in New Zealand. The course was designed by Darby Partners and included a nine-hole par-3 course designed by Darius Oliver in 2019. The main course is notable for its inclusion of sculptures around the course, which will remain throughout the renovation.

Jim Rohrstaff and Ric Kayne, the developers of Tara Iti and Te Arai, will partner with Hill and his daughter, Emma Hill, on the work at The Hills.

The Hills New Zealand — Ric Kayne, Jim Rohrstaff, Emma Hill and Sir Michael Hill at The Hills (Courtesy of The Hills)

The private Tara Iti in Mangawhai was designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2015, and it ties for No. 9 on Golfweek’s Best list of top courses outside the U.S. The South Course at the resort-based Te Arai Links just down the beach from Tara Iti was designed by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2022, and it ties for No. 23 on the list of best international courses. Doak also designed a course at Te Arai, the North, which should appear on the list of top international courses as soon as it receives enough votes.

As with Tara Iti, The Hills will be redeveloped as a high-end equity club with limited membership. The renovations, including a new routing, will take place over to the winters of 2026 and 2027, and the project should be completed in 2028.

OCM has been busy of late with a rapidly expanding portfolio of international work, having recently completed a redesign of Medinah No. 3 in Illinois. Based near Melbourne, Australia, the firm has done renovation work to such Sandbelt stalwarts as Kingston Heath, Peninsula Kingswood and Victoria. The team also renovated Shady Oaks in Texas, longtime home of Ben Hogan, and it also has a new course named Tepetonka Club under construction in Minnesota in partnership with broadcaster Jim Nantz.

Check out a selection of photos of The Hills as it currently sits, including two architectural sketches that show what the OCM design team have in mind.

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort completes renovation of Ocean Point course in South Carolina

Major bunker upgrade completed at Ocean Point Golf Links on barrier island in South Carolina.

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort in South Carolina announced this week the completion of a renovation to one of its two courses, Ocean Point Golf Links, which has reopened for play.

The layout – built on a barrier island near Beaufort – originally was designed by George Cobb and opened in 1964 with five holes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The mother-son architect team of Cynthia Dye McGarey and Matt McGarey of Dye Designs Group completed the renovation that touched every hole. More than 50 bunkers were reshaped, and 11 greenside bunkers were added in addition to multiple new fairway traps and 5.5 acres of sandy waste area. Extensive work on the tees also was included, and more than 13,000 native plants will be planted. Golf Course Services Inc. was the construction partner.

“Ocean Point epitomizes the best of the Lowcountry golf, something my family knows well,” Matt McGarey said in a media release announcing completion of the project. “We enjoyed partnering with the Fripp Island Resort to bring about a more modern playing experience that capitalizes on the unique Lowcountry elements – all with an eye toward the intent of Mr. Cobb’s original design.”

The resort is also home to the Davis Love III-designed Ocean Creek course. The resort was named by USA TODAY in 2023 as one of the top island vacation destinations in the U.S.

Harbour Town in South Carolina to close for major restoration in 2025

David Love III will serve as a consultant to the Harbour Town restoration.

Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, announced it will close for six months in 2025 for a restoration of the Pete Dye-designed layout that opened in 1969.

Part of Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 2 public-access layout in South Carolina. It also is the No. 21 resort course in the U.S. and the No. 59 modern course built in the U.S. since 1960. Much of the layout plays tight through trees until reaching Calibogue Sound for its final holes, with the 18^th playing along the water toward the famed lighthouse beyond.

The course will close May 5, 2025, and is scheduled to reopen in November.

The work is being done to restore championship-level conditions. The course has been home to the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing (and all the tournament’s previous names) since the year it opened.

All the greens, bunkers and bulkheads will be rebuilt alongside improvements to agronomy and maintenance. The turf will remain as TifEagle Bermuda grass on the greens with Celebration Bermuda on the fairways, tees and rough.

“Everyone at The Sea Pines Resort is committed to honoring the legacy of Pete Dye’s design,” John Farrell, director of sports operations at Harbour Town, said in a media release announcing the restoration. “We will protect the shot values, both long and short, that have come to define Harbour Town Golf Links for nearly six decades.”

Davis Love III and his design company will serve as consultants to the restoration. Love won the RBC Heritage five times, and he designed the Atlantic Dunes course at the resort.

“I’m both honored and excited to be working with The Sea Pines Resort’s Harbour Town Golf Links team on the restoration of Harbour Town,” Love, who spent much of his youth on the island, said in the media release. “Given my success on the course over the years, it is a layout I know and love. We’ve already begun a thoughtful process for protecting the integrity of this Pete Dye masterpiece.”

The Club at Eaglebrooke in Florida to renovate all 18 greens next year

The Club at Eaglebrooke will resurface its greens with Tifeagle Bermuda.

The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, Florida – a Ron Garl design that opened in 1996 – will close for a six-month renovation in 2025 focused on rebuilding all 18 greens.

The semi-private facility has never had a large-scale renovation. Mondragon Golf, a Florida-based course construction company, will do the work that is scheduled to begin in April and wrap up in October.

The greens will be resurfaced with Tifeagle Bermuda grass. Other work will include rebuilding bridges and a large bulkhead. The agronomy team also plans to work on select drainage, irrigation, tee boxes and bunker improvements.

“The upcoming renovation will boost our goal of becoming the best semi-private facility in the Lakeland area,” Ryan Roberts, Eaglebrooke’s general manager, said in a media release announcing the renovation. “When the course reopens next fall, non-member/public play will be more restricted. Therefore, if you are interested in joining the Club at Eaglebrooke, now is the best time – before initiation fees increase.”

Eaglebrooke is managed by Indigo Sports, a Troon Company. The Arizona-based Troon is the largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company with more than 900 locations around the world, including responsibility for 575-plus 18-hole-equivalent courses.

Royal County Down, Golfweek’s No. 1 international course, a welcome site for Amgen Irish Open

Professional golf and top-ranked courses don’t always coincide as well as this week at Royal County Down.

Truly great courses and professional golf rarely collide, but this week is a welcome exception.

Royal County Down’s Championship Links, site of the Amgen Irish Open beginning Thursday on the DP World Tour, has a rare distinction: it’s one of only two courses to be ranked No. 1 on one of Golfweek’s Best premium rankings of courses to have hosted an upper-level men’s tour event in decades. The layout in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, ranks No. 1 on Golfweek’s Best list of courses outside the U.S.

Royal County Down originally was designed as a nine-hole layout by George L. Baillie in 1889. Nine more holes were laid down among the sandy dunes as designed by none other than Old Tom Morris over the following years. The course has evolved over the decades with contributions by George Combe, Harry Colt and Donald Steel, among others making suggestions.

The ninth green at Royal County Down in the lead-up to Amgen Irish Open 2024 in Newcastle, Northern Ireland (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Royal County Down has hosted a slew of top-level events including three previous Irish Opens, most recently in 2015. It also has been the site of various British Amateur Championships, Senior British Opens, a Curtis Cup, a Walker Cup, the British Ladies Amateur six times, and the European Ladies’ Team Championship.

How we rank courses

Not counting our wide-ranging state-by-state rankings of public and private courses, the only other No. 1 on one of our premium lists to host a top-tier event has been Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, site of six U.S. Opens, one PGA Championship, one U.S. Women’s Open and multiple U.S. Amateurs and U.S. Women’s Amateurs. Also the annual host of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the famed layout is No. 1 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of resort courses in the U.S.

By comparison, the private Cypress Point in California took over the No. 1 spot this year on Golfweek’s Best ranking of classic courses built before 1960 in the U.S., but the PGA Tour hasn’t been back since 1990. Before Cypress Point took over the top spot this year, Pine Valley in New Jersey had enjoyed a long run in the No. 1 spot, but that private stalwart never has hosted a PGA Tour event. That leaves Augusta National, ranked No. 3 among American classics and home to the Masters, as the highest-ranked classic course in the U.S. to have hosted a top-level men’s event in recent memory.

Among modern courses built since 1960 in the U.S., none of the top seven layouts have hosted a PGA Tour event. The Straits Course at Kohler’s Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, tied for No. 8 on that list, is the highest-ranked modern course to have welcomed top-level men’s events, including three PGA Championships, a U.S. Senior Open and a Ryder Cup.

New invitation-only trade event launched to bring more high-value North American golf tourists to Ireland, Scotland, England

“The UK and Ireland have what money can’t buy: venues and courses steeped in heritage and history.”

Elevate Golf is being put together by industry veteran Tom Lovering, a former director of Bunkered magazine owner PSP Media Group. Glasgow-based PSP, which was sold to DC Thomson in 2019, also organised the annual Scottish Golf Show.

Lovering said up to 50 high-quality international tour operators will be available for bespoke appointments with more than 100 suppliers. Open Championship rota venues such as Royal Birkdale, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Portrush are among the invited suppliers that have already signed up for the four-day event at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews in October.

Several of the world’s biggest tour operators have also confirmed their attendance, including Perry Golf, Premier Golf, Haversham and Baker, Links Golf St. Andrews, Hidden Links, Pioneer Golf and Carr Golf.

“What people don’t generally appreciate is that those tour operators and their North American clients have probably £500 million (about $654 million) of economic impact to the UK and Ireland on an annual basis,” Mr Lovering said. “The high-end clients spend something like three times more than a domestic traveller, maybe even four times more.

“Someone from England coming to Scotland or someone from Scotland going to England won’t stay for eight or nine or 10 days. They’ll do a long weekend, or two or three days, whereas the people making the trip from America or Canada will stay for eight to 10 days and they will stay in nice hotels, they’ll eat in nice restaurants, they’ll drink good wine, they will go and use the hotels and they will have caddies and pay the green fees and so on, so it’s a very lucrative market for the economy and tourism.”

A view from behind the green on the par-4 first hole on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. (David Cannon/R&A via Getty Images)

Sky Sports television presenter Di Stewart will play host at the event which will culminate in a gala dinner where renowned hotelier Sir Rocco Forte will be the guest of honour.

A keen golfer who is said to have a passion for the sport, Sir Rocco and his sister Olga Polizzi set up their hotel business in 1996. It currently includes a collection of 14 individual hotels, resorts, residences and villas around the world including The Balmoral in Edinburgh, which will be among the suppliers taking part at Elevate Golf.

“I’m privileged to be asked to take part in the first ever Elevate Golf event at the Old Course Hotel,” Sir Rocco said. “Being able to share my story with all those present and talk about hospitality gives me great joy, and I cannot wait to meet so many driven and likeminded individuals this autumn.”

Stewart added: “The UK and Ireland have what money can’t buy: venues and courses steeped in heritage and history. Couple that with quality and worldwide acclaim, they are quintessential golf destinations.

“Elevate Golf aims to solidify that status through showcasing to the industry the world-class products on offer.

“The event will be attended by only the finest suppliers and international tour operators in the industry. Working with a small pool of high-quality tour operators guarantees bespoke, value-added face-to-face meetings for all accommodation providers and golf courses.

“We are looking forward to visiting the Old Course Hotel for this inaugural event – four days that will kickstart this exciting new project that will drive more international visitors to the breathtaking courses and hotels in the UK and Ireland.”

Associate director of sales Sarah Linton said the Old Course Hotel is looking forward to hosting the event.

“The team is ready to create an energetic atmosphere where industry professionals can network, exchange ideas, and collectively contribute to the advancement of golf tourism across the UK and Ireland,” she added.

Cabot invests in ‘otherworldly’ Lofoten Links far north of the Arctic Circle in Norway

Golf 24 hours a day? It’s possible at Lofoten Links, but that’s only a part of the attraction.

As Cabot has expanded in the past several years from its roots with two courses in Nova Scotia into a global operator with resorts stretching from Europe to western Canada, there have been long summer nights when the sun never sets on the Canadian-based company.

That’s now more true than ever.

Cabot will announce this week that it is investing in Lofoten Links in Gimsøysand, Norway, one of those mind-bending locations for golf with a rugged seaside layout that has earned a spot on plenty of traveling golfers’ bucket lists. The course ties for No. 72 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of international courses.

During the summer, the sun never drops below the horizon at Lofoten Links, which is nearly 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle and flush against the Norwegian Sea. Twilight simply rebounds into morning for golfers with the stamina to keep swinging, and the course is open 24 hours a day in June and July.

“Having played golf there a couple of times, teeing off just before midnight, it’s just one of those experiences that I think every golfer should aspire to have in their lifetime,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, co-founder and CEO of Cabot. “If you’ve had a taste of it, you’re keen to go back.”

But don’t confuse Lofoten Links as some sunshine gimmick. Originally opened in 1998 as a six-hole layout, the course has been expanded by architect Jeremy Turner, reaching a full 18 in 2015. Built on an old Viking site with two Viking graves on the course, it’s as mind-bending and extreme a golf environment as might be imagined. The coastal holes in particular are lined with rocky outcroppings, the links having been carved into stone.

“I was there five years ago and sort of fell in love with the property and the destination,” Cowan-Dewar said. “I mean, it’s just such a beautiful sight. … It’s a course that has gained a lot of recognition globally and for great reason. I think the chance to be a part of it just felt too good to be true.”

Lofoten Links Cabot — The northern lights shine above Lofoten Links in Norway. (Courtesy of Cabot and Lofoten Links/Jacob Sjoman)

Cowan-Dewar has overseen Cabot’s rapid expansion from its Cape Breton foundations in Nova Scotia to include ownership of courses at several far-flung points. The company’s properties now include Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, Cabot Citrus Farms (formerly World Woods) in Florida, Cabot Bordeaux (formerly Golf Du Médoc Resort) in France, Cabot Highlands (formerly Castle Stuart) in Scotland and the in-development Cabot Revelstoke in western Canada.

Cowan-Dewar said Cabot will work with Lofoten Links’ current ownership group, led by founder Frode Hov, whose family has owned the land for more than 400 years. Cowan-Dewar and Hov discussed a possible partnership several years ago, but talks ceased during Covid. With global golf travel buzzing these days, Cowan-Dewar said now is the right time to invest in such an off-the-beaten-path location – similar in that regard to Cabot’s courses in Nova Scotia.

“For us now, it’s really about making the investment work with their team and just trying to help them realize the full potential of their amazing asset,” Cowan-Dewar said. “Frode will still be very much involved and will oversee things on a day-to-day basis.”

Lofoten Links will retain its name without Cabot branding at least for the foreseeable future, different than the company’s other owned and operated properties that carry the company’s name. The property currently has several nearby lodges for guests, and Cabot is likely to help expand on accommodations.

Lofoten’s golf season runs from May until the middle of October, and with plenty of hiking and kayaking available plus the frequently brilliant displays of the northern lights a powerful attraction, it won’t be just golf filling the rooms. Golfers who want to see the northern lights must plan accordingly, with the nightly shows beginning in mid-August after the sun begins again to dip below the horizon toward the end of summer.

Could there be more golf in the works at Lofoten? Mike Keiser, the founder of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and an early investor in Cabot, has said many times about the number of courses available that one plus one equals three when it comes to developing a far-off golf destination.

“To get to that formula, first you need one course, and Lofoten has a great one,” Cowan-Dewar said. “That’s always the hardest part. I think there is a potential for more golf, and I think that’s one of the things we’ll certainly look at. I think there is an opportunity. We really just want to see the first course reach its whole potential and then be able to go from there.

“I think the setting is truly otherworldly. … It’s just about building on top of what is just an extraordinary foundation.”

Check out a selection of images by international golf photographer Jacob Sjoman below: