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.
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.
Host of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open | Erin Hills | The Land as It Lies Ep.7
Erin Hills proves that, with the right piece of land, there is no need to move millions of cubic yards of dirt, sometimes the site is already there. Memories of Brooks Koepka's U.S. Open win, Justin Thomas' 3 wood for a course and U.S. Open scoring record, and Scottie Scheffler's Low Am Performance hang in the air. Now, the stage is set for the 2025 U.S. Women's Open here at Erin Hills. Once again the best players in the world, Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and more look to pass this test of slopes, bunkers and wind.
Leadership on the Links: Jason Straka on Golf Course Architecture, Sustainability & Industry Trends
On this episode of Leadership on the Links, we sit down with Jason Straka, a seasoned golf course architect with over 30 years of experience designing and renovating courses worldwide. Jason’s background in agronomy, environmental design, and construction gives him a unique perspective on the evolution of golf course architecture.
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).
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."