Jeff Mingay's New Projects

Canadian golf course designer Jeff Mingay is having himself a busy winter. First, he and lead architect Rod Whitman are designing the new Cabot Links in Nova Scotia. Heralded by writer Rob Thompson of the Canadian national Post as the next great canadian Links, the first tee looks reminiscent of the first at Scotlands popular Machrihanish. Rob's article and more info are at Jeff's website, here.

Jeff is also designing/building a course for former PGA Tour player Richard Zokol, at Merritt, BC. It's going to be an ultra-exclusive club called Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club.

Jeff and team have another new 18-hole course on Vancouver Island that'll likely start clearing this spring, too. It's at the town of Comox, about 2.5 hours drive north from Victoria, and is tentatively called Raven Ridge.

Just as an aside, here's hoping they avoid the "animal name curse" that tends to follow American courses from time to time - see "Possum Trot," "Bayonet at Puppy Creek," all the "Big Cats" and the biggest head scratcher of all "Raccoon International." ("RACCOON INTERNATIONAL?!?!")...although admittedly Wolf Creek is pretty good and both the Canadian Red Tail and the American Red Tail have done exceptionally well...although technically thay dont actually have the animal name in the name itself. For more on bad names, see Geoff Shackelford's "what's in a name?" piece in his book "Grounds for Golf."

Last, Jeff and Rod have another new 18 hole course laid out for the same developers for whom they designed Blackhawk in Edmonton. The new course is just
outside the gates of Jasper National Park near Hinton, Alberta. All of these courses are under the Whitman design group banner.