Cabot unveils new 21-hole course concept
A new 21-hole course designed to make golf fast, fun and accessible will open at Cabot Citrus Farms, Florida, in December 2023.
The new concept course is named 21 and comprises two loops, Ten and Aces, measures 4,160 yards and will be laid out across 100 acres of rolling Floridian countryside.
Designer Mike Nuzzo has routed 21 so it can be played as two separate short courses or as a 21-hole experience, with a variety of styles, strategies and holes ranging from 85 to 560 yards in length.
It’s part of a new 57-hole redevelopment of the former World Woods Golf Club by Cabot Collection, a developer and operator of golf resort communities in Canada, Scotland and the Caribbean.
"We always want to keep the game fresh and exciting," said Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and co-founder of The Cabot Collection.
"While Mike Keiser and I were looking at the terrain and courses we have in play, the idea was born to shape our 10-hole course and the 11-hole-course into a new 21-hole concept. The 21's layout beckons golf aficionados who just can't get enough of the rolling terrain in the Floridian countryside.”
Ten measures 2,995 yards and is a mixture of par-three, non-traditional ‘half-par’ holes between 285 and 310 yards, and a long par-five.
Aces, the 11-hole loop, is just 1,195 yards long and a par-33. Cabot says the nine par-three holes can be enjoyed with just a wedge, putter and a golf ball and will be flood-lit, enabling it to be played after dark.
The innovative project has been unveiled as total golf participation in the United States topped 40 million last year, for the first time ever, according to research by the National Golf Foundation.*
The NGF credits much of this growth in popularity to shorter courses and new golf-centred entertainment experiences, such as Topgolf.
Syngenta Golf has previously reported on the rise in popularity of short courses, including at exclusive US resorts such as Pinehurst and Pebble Beach.
Respected designer Gil Hanse is a keen supporter of short courses, calling them “a fantastic idea”. “Everybody is having fun out there, whether you are a good golfer or a beginner," he says in this interview. “You can putt from tee to green, but there is also enough challenge for a good player.”
Citrus Farms is Cabot Collection’s debut U.S resort and is situated about 50 minutes from Tampa and 80 minutes from Orlando.
