Golf Tutorials

What Golf Course Did Tiger Woods Design?

By Spencer Lanoue
July 24, 2025

Curious about the golf courses Tiger Woods has designed? His mark on golf extends far beyond his major championships, as his design firm, TGR Design, is building a portfolio of courses that reflect his own playing philosophy. This article breaks down every course Tiger has designed, from his stunning public-access layouts to his ultra-exclusive private creations, so you can see where to play his designs and understand what makes them so special.

The Mind of the Architect: Understanding TGR Design

Before we list the courses, it's helpful to understand the principles that guide Tiger's work. He didn't just lend his name to a design company, he is intimately involved in the process, drawing on a lifetime of playing the world’s greatest courses. His firm, TGR Design, was founded on a distinct philosophy that sets its projects apart.

Unlike some modern architects who create punishingly difficult courses, Tiger's primary goal is playability and strategy. He wants his courses to be enjoyable and memorable for golfers of all skill levels, from a 25-handicapper to a tour professional. This is achieved through:

  • Strategic Options: TGR designs are rarely about forced carries or hitting one specific shot. Instead, they present you with options. Fairways are often generous, but to get the best angle into the green for a birdie putt, you’ll need to place your tee shot on a specific side. It rewards thoughtful golf over-simply bashing the ball.
  • Walker-Friendly Layouts: Tiger loves to walk the course, and he brings that sensibility to his designs. His layouts often feature short walks from green to the next tee, making for a traditional, rhythmic experience.
  • Challenging Green Complexes: The real teeth of a Tiger Woods design are often found around the greens. The putting surfaces and their surrounding chipping areas demand creativity and a sharp short game. He forces you to think about different types of shots - a high soft lob, a running bump-and-run, or a putt from off the green. This is where he tests your imagination, much like his own legendary short game.

These principles create a unique experience where you have room to swing, but you have to think your way around the course to score well. It's a fun and engaging style of golf that reflects the master strategist himself.

Play a Tiger Design: Public & Resort Courses

The best news is that you don't need to be a member of an exclusive club to experience Tiger's architectural vision. He has purposefully created several incredible courses that are open to the public.

Payne's Valley at Big Cedar Lodge

Location: Hollister, Missouri

Payne's Valley is Tiger's first public-access design in the United States, and it’s a showstopper. Created in partnership with Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, the course is a tribute to the late Payne Stewart, a fellow golf legend from Missouri. The course is routed through a breathtaking landscape of rolling hills and ancient rock outcroppings in the Ozarks.

From a player's perspective, it’s immensely fun. The fairways are wide and inviting, encouraging you to swing freely with the driver. Water comes into play on several holes, but there are always safe routes around it. The real highlight, and what everyone talks about, is the spectacular finish. After the 18th hole, you play a bonus 19th hole called "The Big Rock," an island-green par-3 nestled at the base of a massive limestone wall. Driving your cart through a cave system to get back to the clubhouse is an unforgettable closing experience.

The Hay at Pebble Beach

Location: Pebble Beach, California

Tiger's connection to Pebble Beach is legendary, from his dominant 2000 U.S. Open victory to his incredible comeback win at the AT&T Pro-Am. In 2021, he completely reimagined "The Hay," the resort's short course. He transformed it into a masterpiece of fun, designed for players of every age and ability.

This isn't your average par-3 course. Each hole presents a unique challenge, with greens that are heavily contoured. The highlight is the second hole, an exact replica of the famed 7th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, playing to the same yardage and with the same iconic shape. It’s a wonderful place to sharpen your wedge game, introduce a newcomer to golf, or just have a blast with friends. Plus, it includes a 20,000-square-foot putting course for settling bets.

El Cardonal at Diamante

Location: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

While situated within a private resort community, guests staying at Diamante can often book tee times at El Cardonal. This design was one of Tiger’s first, and he took inspiration from the classic courses he grew up playing in Southern California. It’s distinctly different from Diamante’s other famous course, the Dunes. El Cardonal asks you to think about proper angles and shot-making.

The design features wide corridors, but old-school bunkering and subtle green contours require you to be on the right side of the fairway to attack the pins. It offers a great test of a player’s entire game, blending the challenge with the beautiful, arid landscape of Cabo. Don’t miss Tiger’s par-3 course here as well, called The Oasis - a short, fun loop that's perfect for a relaxed afternoon round.

PopStroke

Location: Multiple locations across the U.S.

This is a an entirely different kind of golf experience. Tiger partnered with PopStroke to create a modern, family-friendly, and upscale take on the putting course. He personally designs the two 18-hole putting courses found at each venue, featuring synthetic turf that rolls true but is full of humps, bumps, and ridges. It’s about merging a great putting experience with food, drinks, and a high-energy atmosphere. While not a "golf course" in the traditional sense, it's a huge part of TGR Design's mission to make golf more accessible and fun for everyone.

The Exclusive Enclaves: Private Tiger Woods Designs

Alongside his public offerings, Tiger has created several world-class private courses that are paragons of his design philosophy.

Bluejack National

Location: Montgomery, Texas

Bluejack National was Tiger’s first design to open in the United States, and it received immediate acclaim. Many compare its gentle contours, towering pine trees, and immaculately manicured fairways to the aesthetics of Augusta National. True to his vision, Bluejack is extremely playable. There are no punishing long grass roughs, instead, fairways are lined with pine straw and short grass, so you can always find your ball and have a chance to play a recovery shot.

The club is also famous for “The Playgrounds,” a 10-hole Par 3 course that's lit for night play, reinforcing the club's emphasis on fun and family. Bluejack set the template for what a private TGR Design experience feels like: challenging but fair, beautiful, and supremely enjoyable.

The Park West Palm

Location: West Palm Beach, Florida

The Park is a unique project - it's a public course, but designed and operated at a private-club standard. TGR Design, in collaboration with Gil Hanse, reimagined the former West Palm Beach Golf Club, a once-popular municipal course that had fallen into disrepair. The goal was to revitalize community golf and create a world-class facility accessible to everyone.

The layout is routed on a beautiful, sand-based property with dramatic elevation changes. The design is a pure test of strategic golf, with intricate green complexes and varied hole designs that make you think on every shot. It also includes a state-of-the-art practice facility and a 9-hole short course, making it a new hub for golf in South Florida.

Marcella Club (Opening 2025)

Location: Park City, Utah

Set to be one of the most stunning new courses in the American West, the Marcella Club course will be Tiger’s first mountain design. Paired with a second course designed by Jack Nicklaus's firm, this private community course promises amazing views and a design that works with the rugged terrain to create a memorable experience. Given the dramatic natural elevation changes, expect this design to showcase an exciting and visually spectacular side of TGR Design’s work, while still adhering to the core tenets of playability and strategic fun.

Final Thoughts

From the Ozarks of Missouri to the coast of California and the deserts of Mexico, Tiger Woods' design portfolio is growing more impressive each year. His courses are a direct reflection of his on-course brilliance: smart, strategic, and always making you think, but ultimately accessible and fun for golfers who love the game.

Developing that on-course smarts is what we're all about. If you admire the strategic thinking embedded in Tiger's designs, you'll love how our app, Caddie AI, helps you think like a pro. From giving you a smart game plan on a tricky tee shot to analyzing a tough lie and suggesting the best play, my goal is to remove the guesswork so you can play with more confidence and make better decisions, whether you're tackling Payne's Valley or your home course.

Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. His mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.

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