Biography
In keeping with his low-key personality, Davis Love III has built a quietly solid golf course design portfolio on top of a long and fruitful playing career. Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/Getty Images
The latter decades of the 20th century gave rise to a lucrative side-hustle for many prominent professional golfers: that of “signature” architect attached to a course. The trend wasn’t limited just to the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, either. Not all “signature” architects have been equally engaged with their projects. One of the most hands-on is 1997 PGA Champion Davis Love III, whose name has been attached to more than two dozen golf courses, including a healthy mix of new builds and renovations, since his 1990 collaboration with Steve Melnyk at Oak Hills Golf Club in Columbia, S.C. From then through the 2000s, Love found steady work, mostly in the southeastern United States.
Davis Love III: Selected golf course designs
Diamante Cabo San Lucas - The Dunes Course
Cabo San Lucas , Los Cabos
Private/Resort
4.4286
7
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Barefoot Resort & Golf - Love Course
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Resort
3.2647058824
30
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The Club at Irish Creek
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Private
5.0
2
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Kinderlou Forest Golf Club
Clyattville, Georgia
Private
4.875
8
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The Patriot Golf Club at Grand Harbor
Ninety Six, South Carolina
Private
3.6667
3
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Plantation at Sea Island Golf Club
St Simons Island, Georgia
Resort
4.0740666667
10
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Atlantic Dunes at Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Resort
4.2278
56
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River Hall Country Club
Alva, Florida
Semi-Private
2.9841882353
419
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Davis Love III on Sea Island's new Plantation Course
A student of classic golf architecture, Love has often eschewed the flashy looks of his contemporaries’ courses, relying instead on sound strategic bones and thoughtful green contouring to create compelling golf. A notable exception is the Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas, perhaps Mexico’s greatest course and a consistent member of “World Top 100” lists since it opened in 2009. The heaving sand dunes and ocean views make it one of the more photogenic courses in the world, and its design backs up the visuals. But by and large, Love’s work is reflective of his unassuming, mild-mannered personality. He has wisely surrounded himself with talented associates throughout his design career, including Paul Cowley and Scot Sherman, his current capo. And brother Mark has been part of the mix since the beginning as well.