Andrew Green has rapidly become one of golf architecture’s premier course designers, having gained a reputation for his restorations or renovations of iconic championship venues.
To date, Green has performed work on Inverness Club (Toledo, Ohio), Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course (Rochester, New York), Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course (Potomac, Maryland), Interlachen Country Club (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Scioto Country Club (Columbus, Ohio), and East Lake Golf Club (Atlanta, Georgia). And he’s preparing to redo Atlantic Athletic Club’s Highlands Course — but more on that later.
In December, ground broke on Firefly, a 700-plus luxury golf and residential community in Spring Hill, Tennessee — about 30 miles south of Nashville. Now, construction is underway on an 18-hole championship golf course and a nine-hole short course. Both courses are to be designed by Green and they will be his first original layouts.
“Designing Firefly has been an extraordinary opportunity to create something truly unique, inspired by the natural beauty and dynamic topography of Middle Tennessee,” Green said. “This land offers a remarkable canvas, with its rolling hills, diverse terrain and sweeping vistas, allowing us to craft a course that is both visually stunning and strategically engaging.”
The courses are slated for completion at the end of 2025, and member play is anticipated to begin in spring 2026.
Initial real estate offerings are expected to begin this spring. Homesites will range from $500,000 to $1.5 million, and homes are anticipated to start at $2.5 million, with construction commencing in mid-2026.
In 2030, the fabled Atlanta Athletic Club will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bobby Jones’ winning of the Grand Slam — which at the time consisted of winning the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open and British Amateur — by hosting its second U.S. Amateur Championship.
Jones was a former president and an active member of AAC until his death in 1971.
To prepare for that championship, the John’s Creek, Georgia, club has turned to Green, whose planning for the renovation will start over the next several months. Construction is expected to start early in 2028.
“There are few organizations in the United States that mean this much to the game of golf,” Green said. “Atlanta Athletic Club has produced so many great players and has contributed immensely to growing the game. … The Highlands Course occupies some intriguing ground. We look forward to maximizing the opportunity for unique golf that can test the world’s best while providing a canvas to enjoy the game every day at the highest level, no matter your skill level.”
In addition to hosting the 2014 U.S. Amateur, the Highlands has also hosted the 1976 U.S. Open, 1981, 2001 and 2011 PGA Championships, 1990 U.S. Women’s Open and 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
OF NOTE
Charlottesville, Virginia, may not be a hotbed destination spot, but springtime in central Virginia is an ideal time for golf. And Keswick Hall, the luxury resort located in the region’s wine country, is making it all the more enticing. Through April 30, the resort is offering a spring golf package (Sunday through Wednesday nights, starting at $599 per person, per night, based on double occupancy). The package includes accommodations, daily breakfast and one round on the Pete Dye-designed Full Cry golf course. … The Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, destination Mandarina opens its 9-hole short course that was designed by Greg Norman. The course is set within The Flatlands, a lush expanse nestled between the Sierra De Vallejo Mountain peaks and Pacific beach, which is to say it offers plenty of scenic viewing. The course, which includes an additional “challenge” hole, interestingly incorporates links, parkland and sandbelt design features.