Golf architect Kyle Phillips has broken ground on the course at the private Pandion Club in Estero, Florida. The new layout, intended to invoke the heathland courses of England with Lowcountry influences, is being built on the site of the former Old Corkscrew Golf Club that was closed earlier this year.
Phillips plans a par-71 course for Pandion Club, stretching to 7,220 with firm and fast playing conditions and a premium on strategic shotmaking. The new layout is scheduled to open in 2027 with membership capped at 280. The golf-only club will include a Lowcountry-inspired clubhouse and expansive practice facilities. The name Pandion is inspired by Pandion haliaetus, aka osprey.
The layout features sandy terrain that should promote Phillips' goals.
Having built the top-ranked Kingsbarns Golf Links and Dundonald Links in Scotland and having studied courses around the world, Phillips said that heathland courses are situated on inland dunes, “like the ones we have in Florida.”
Old Corkscrew and additional surrounding land was purchased in 2022 by The Hoffmann Family of Companies for $14.5 million, according to property records reported by the Naples Daily News. The Hoffmans purchased the Cottages at Old Corkscrew Golf Club for $4.5 million in a separate transaction. The Hoffmanns also own Old Collier Golf Club in Naples, as well as the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Everblades.
“Everything we do at Hoffmann Family of Companies, we want to provide a unique, best-in-class experience for our guests, and Pandion is going to be no exception” Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of HF Companies’ private equity arm, said in a media release announcing the start of construction. “From the moment that you drive through our gates, you will know that you have arrived somewhere special. You are going to feel like you are in nature, and this is an escape. We knew that his experience presented an opportunity to preserve the natural landscape that was embedded on the site, and that’s something we are going to build around.”
Pandion Club also announced the hiring of Bob Wren, who is moving over from Old Collier, as director of agronomy. Glase Golf will handle construction.
Jason Lusk is Golfweek's travel and golf course architecture editor, as well as the print magazine's creative director. He has written for and designed Golfweek for more than two decades.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: New private club in Florida breaks ground on site of former course
