Pioneering Sustainability: Plover Cove Unveils Innovative Turf Selections
Exciting progress is underway at Hong Kong’s highly anticipated Plover Cove Golf Club ahead of its 2027 opening. As highlighted in a recent article by the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF), the project has announced a pioneering agronomy partnership focused on sustainability and climate resilience on the restored landfill site.
Plover Cove will be the first project in Asia to adopt Evolution (Low Rider) Zoysia turf, a new variety developed by BladeRunner Farms, alongside Stadium and Lynkz Zoysia varieties. Supplying these premium grasses is Sustainable Turf Farm, while Turfgrass will oversee the agronomic planning, implementing the design of advanced drainage and sand-capped fairways to handle Hong Kong's demanding weather.
As the course architects for this landmark development, we at Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design are thrilled to collaborate with these world-class partners and Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management. Together, we are setting a new benchmark for sustainable golf and delivering a resilient, elite playing experience.
Plover Cove Blends the Art and Science of Golf Course Design
One of our current projects at Plover Cove Golf Club in Hong Kong represents one of our firm's greatest and most rewarding design challenges. As highlighted in a recent feature by Golf Course Industry ("The world's most unique project?"), building an 18-hole championship course on the 130-acre former Shuen Wan landfill required an extraordinary blend of technical precision, environmental stewardship, and creative routing.
Working within strict restrictions—including a protected soil cap limiting earthwork cuts, and miles of methane piping—our team engineered a strategic layout. The sustainable design features an advanced stormwater system that captures and cleans runoff for irrigation, safeguarding the adjacent Tolo Harbour. Complemented by thousands of indigenous plantings, Plover Cove transforms industrial wasteland into a premier, strategic, sustainable golf destination with breathtaking mountain and coastal vistas.
The Process Episode 4: From the Dunes of Ireland to the Earth-Moving Marvel of Miakka
In an interview published in a recent podcast episode of The Process, Dana Fry details his journey from playing collegiate golf to becoming a leading architect. He credits mentors Andy Banfield and Mike Stranz for teaching him the art of large-scale earth-moving and meticulous shaping.
The conversation dives deep into the engineering marvel of Miakka Golf Club in Florida. To transform flat terrain into a dramatic landscape, the team moved millions of cubic yards of dirt and implemented innovative features like a 500-foot cart tunnel and Zoysia tees, fairways, and greens. Fry also highlights Curracloe Links in Ireland, emphasizing a naturalistic approach that routes through coastal dunes.
Whether discussing sand-capping for firm-and-fast play or the necessity of sustainable design, the episode explores Fry’s obsession with creating world-class courses that balance bold aesthetics with environmental stewardship.
From Landfill to Landmark: The Sustainable Transformation of Plover Cove
In this detailed report, Golf Course Architecture explores the remarkable evolution of Plover Cove, where Fry/Straka is transforming 50 hectares of the former Shuen Wan landfill into a premier golf destination. This project represents one of Hong Kong’s most ambitious environmental and engineering feats, reclaiming a site once used for industrial waste and reimagining it as a sustainable green space.
The article emphasizes the delicate balance required to build atop a restored landfill, blending technical precision with artistic routing. Featured renderings, such as the par-three twelfth hole playing toward Tolo Harbour, showcase how the design maximizes stunning coastal views and integrates the nearby Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. By prioritizing environmental stewardship and innovative land use, Fry/Straka is not just building a golf course, but creating a vital ecological haven that breathes new life into the Hong Kong landscape.
The Art of Engineering: Sculpting a Golfing Masterpiece at Plover Cove
In the latest issue of Golf Course Architecture, the spotlight turns to the extraordinary engineering feat currently underway at Plover Cove in Hong Kong. Tasked with transforming a site defined by steep slopes and numerous constraints, the Fry/Straka team is proving that no landscape is too challenging for world-class golf.
The article, titled ‘Doing it Tough,’ highlights the sheer scale of the project, which requires moving massive amounts of earth to forge a playable, strategic layout on the site of a former landfill. Jason Straka notes that while the site presents immense technical hurdles—from drainage to stabilization—it also offers a rare canvas for dramatic shot-making and breathtaking vistas.
By balancing meticulous engineering and visionary golf with environmental sensitivity, Fry/Straka is turning one of the world’s most difficult sites into a landmark destination. Plover Cove stands as a testament to our firm’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of modern golf course design.
Miakka Golf Club: A New Standard for Environmental Stewardship
In a feature by Your Observer, the Miakka Golf Club is lauded for its uncompromising commitment to nature. Owner Steve Herrig and the Fry/Straka design team have gone far beyond regulatory requirements to ensure the 1,100-acre site in Myakka City is left in better condition than they found it.
Key to this transformation is a sophisticated stormwater management system engineered by the Fry/Straka led design team. By utilizing dry retention basins and filtration, the course captures and cleans over 90% of surface water, preventing untreated runoff from entering the Myakka River. The project also features the extensive use of varieties of Zoysiagrass, which use less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than other popular species, coupled with the planting of thousands of indigenous trees and shrubs.
More than just a golf course, Miakka Golf Club is part of Mr. Herrig’s massive conservation effort along the Myakka River, proving that high-end golf and ecological restoration can work hand-in-hand.
Exploring Miakka Golf Club with Dana Fry and USGA President Kevin Hammer
In this insightful film from Sticks Golf Research, host Trey Wren takes us on an exclusive journey to Myakka City, Florida, for a deep dive into one of the most anticipated new projects in the world of golf: Miakka Golf Club.
The video features our very own Dana Fry, who provides a behind-the-scenes property tour of the course currently under construction, sharing his vision for the ambitious project, portions of which mimic the great courses of the Australian Sandbelt.
New Podcast: Exploring the "Irish Rarity" of Curracloe Links
In a recent episode of Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori, Edward Doyle, Director of Golf at Druids Glen and the highly anticipated Curracloe Links, joins the show to discuss the birth of Ireland’s newest seaside masterpiece.
The episode, titled "An Irish Rarity Awaits," delves into the 26-year journey to bring golf to this specific site in County Wexford—a project that marks the first-ever Irish design for award-winning architects Dana Fry and Jason Straka.
Curracloe Links Has a “Sense of Place”
"Curracloe" translates from Gaelic to mean marsh—a fitting name for a site where a natural wetland separates the lush golf corridors from the towering seaside dunes. Curracloe Links recently caught up with golf course architect Jason Straka to discuss the unique "sandscape" that defines the course. From the strategic "ground game" built into the layout to the massive rolling hills of sand, the course is designed to play fast and firm. Check out the video in the link to hear Jason explain why this project is more than just a course—it’s a celebration of its environment.
You can now book tee times at soon to be opened golf course in Ireland
The stunning Curracloe Links at Ravenport Resort doesn't open for play until the spring of 2027, but golfers can already check for availability and tee times for the opportunity to play Ireland's newest spectacular links.
With play set to begin on the April 1 2027, Curracloe Links is poised to spearhead what will become one of Ireland’s leading golf destinations - the sunny south east. Located adjacent to the iconic Curracloe Beach, the 18-hole links course has been masterfully brought to life by the award-winning architecture team of Jason Straka and Dana Fry, renowned for their environmentally sensitive and strategic approach to golf course architecture.
Ten golf course designs to look out for in 2026
As the golf calendar turns to 2026, there’s no shortage of projects capturing the imagination. From new layouts built on dramatic landscapes to restorations of historic venues, this year promises to be an interesting year in golf course design.
Fry/Straka landed one of the ten anticipated golf courses with its design for Plover Cove in Hong Kong.
From Equestrian Excellence to Championship Golf: A Day at TerraNova
And then we had the privilege of visiting The Miakka Golf Club, directly adjacent to the equestrian center. This is where the story takes another turn, because what they’re building is exceptional. The course is being designed by Fry/Straka Global Golf Design, in partnership with golf champion Paul Azinger — a name synonymous with strategic, championship-level thinking. Even with nine holes complete and the remaining nine underway, the vision is unmistakable: this is going to be a world-class course.
Plover Cove takes shape in Hong Kong
The development of Plover Cove Golf Club in Hong Kong – which is due to open in 2027 – took a major step forward this month with the completion of a 1.5km retaining wall around the 53-hectare site in Shuen Wan.
The Plover Cove project is being developed in collaboration with Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design, agronomy and sustainability consultants Turfgrass, and Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management.
The landmark development will transform a restored landfill site into a 6,600-yard, par-71 championship course, complete with luxury clubhouse and other leisure facilities, at a projected cost of $4.5 billion HKD ($600m US).
The Golfer’s Journal Episode 190: Paul Azinger: Building Miakka, The State of Golf and Ryder Cup Captaincy
Paul Azinger (co-designer with Fry/Straka) has never been afraid to speak his mind or take a big swing. So when a friend asked him to consult in building a golf course on 1,100 acres of Florida ranchland, Zinger saddled up. The result? Miakka Golf Club: a bold take on the modern game shaped by three million cubic yards of sand and the same bravado that won Azinger a Ryder Cup. In this episode, he joins host Casey Bannon to unpack Miakka’s Australian-style bunkers and why it's using trees as the last line of defense against today’s 340-yard carry. He also opens up about Ryder Cup regrets, the Keegan Bradley captaincy conundrum, the state of the broadcast booth and why we need less coaching in golf. Expect big opinions and unfiltered Zinger charm. Buckle up.
Tartan Talks No. 107
Being selected to design a new course represents a joyous occasion for a golf course architect. Once the euphoria subsides, an arduous process commences. Jason Straka offers insight into everything involved with designing a new course.
Hype heightening around Curracloe Links
Curracloe Links, designed by the American architectural team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka (Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design), will debut with preview play in fall 2026. The layout is expected to fit in quite nicely with the more than 50 links courses scattered across the self-proclaimed “Land of Links.”
A Florida First
Fry and his partner Jason Straka are in the middle of what is one of the more remarkable golf developments ever flaunted in the state, and that’s saying something.
The Miakka Golf Club 25 miles east of Sarasota will have just one 18-hole layout set across the site’s 1,100 acres with national golf memberships starting at $175,000. “We could have easily fit five or six courses on this land,” Fry said.
“It is by far the biggest project of my more than 30-year career,” he added. “Florida has never seen anything quite like this.”
Plover Cove Golf Club: Transforming Hong Kong’s Landscape
Plover Cove Golf Club (PCGC) is set to redefine the Shuen Wan landfill in Hong Kong’s New Territories. As the first full golf course on privately owned reclaimed land in the city, this visionary project will transform up to 53 hectares of restored landfill into a stunning Par 71 championship golf course. Spanning over 6,600 yards and featuring 18 holes, this ambitious development comes with a total investment of up to HK$4.5 billion (USD $578 million).
Video: Golf Destination Previews Curracloe Links in Ireland
Opening in 2026, it will be the newest course in Ireland. Designed by Fry/Straka this seaside gem is one of the most anticipated openings in Europe. Go onto this page's Ireland section and get a more in depth interview with the design team.
Golf Destination is the longest running golf travel show in the United States. The show takes an in-depth look at some of the world's greatest golfing destinations. Also featuring previews of tournaments and competitions.
Miakka Golf Club built to be secret garden, 'environmental win'
"This is one of the highlights of my life," said Dana Fry, half the Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design team which is designing Miakka Golf Club for Herrig with help from Bradenton's Paul Azinger, a Major champion on the PGA Tour and former Ryder Cup captain. "This will be the place where all other courses will be judged. I assure you this will look completely natural. It will look like it has been here for eternity."