The Kingsley Club, an invitation-only golf retreat tucked a few miles south of Traverse City, is not content with being a one-course wonder. The private club has quietly kicked off a major expansion, clearing land to make room for a second 18-hole championship course and a new clubhouse that leaders say will sharpen its reputation for rugged, fescue-framed golf.
Club officials outlined the plan Wednesday. The new 18-hole layout will be designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is planned as a par 72 that may stretch to about 7,200 yards, and carries an estimated build cost of roughly $40 million. The project also calls for a roughly 4,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse with an 850-square-foot covered patio. It follows the purchase of additional acreage, about 520 acres, for the expansion, with tree clearing beginning earlier this year, according to The Detroit News.
"This project is about evolution, not change," Kingsley executive Justin Mack told The Detroit News. Escalante Golf's David McDonald added that "with this land and Bill and Ben's expertise, we believe Kingsley Club will soon offer one of the game's most fun and architecturally compelling 36-hole golf experiences," the report says.
What the second course will mean
The new layout is designed to give members a fresh 18 that complements the existing Mike DeVries course, which opened in 2001 and is known for its firm fescue surfaces and rolling glacial terrain, according to the Kingsley Club. The property is already a cult favorite among golf architecture fans. Golfweek ranks Kingsley among Michigan's top private courses, and Golf Digest has featured the course in its architecture coverage.
The club describes itself as invitation-only and member-focused, and those behind the expansion say that ethos is staying put even as the footprint grows and a second championship track comes online.
Ownership and local footprint
The expansion is being driven by Escalante Golf, which industry reporting shows added Kingsley to its portfolio in 2022, according to Golf Inc.. Neighbors and course-watchers had already taken note of early tree clearing and rumors of a second course in recent months, a development flagged by architecture outlets ahead of the official announcement on The Fried Egg.
Timeline and takeaways
The new clubhouse is slated to open in spring 2027, with the second 18 expected to follow in late 2028 or early 2029. For now, the club is keeping membership and access details under wraps, but the scope and names involved signal a continued wave of high-profile architects and well-funded operators investing in destination private golf experiences across the country.
