Bringing something new to Texas

Areté Collective announced a partnership with David McLay-Kidd to build the architect’s first course in the southern United States. The course will be part of Loraloma, a private Hill Country community within the 2,200-acre Thomas Ranch master plan debuting outside of Austin, Texas.

Loraloma – whose name translates as “lore of the hills” – is pioneering a lifestyle focused on respecting the land's natural beauty, which aligns with McLay-Kidd’s sustainable approach to golf course design. The McLay-Kidd course will break ground later this month and is scheduled to be completed in late 2024 for select play, with a full opening by spring 2025.

Known for his courses at Bandon Dunes and the Castle Course at St. Andrews, the Scottish architect’s approach at Loraloma is to work with the land’s natural terrain. The course will take advantage of the Hill Country's setting and embrace the landscape's natural contours without signs of contrived solutions.

“The Loraloma landscape is vastly more visually inspiring than most of what exists in the Austin area today,” McLay-Kidd said. “Our goal is to open up this compelling landscape to golfers for a world-class experience, and I will tread very lightly to preserve and protect this land so that it can be enjoyed and embraced for generations to come.”

Anchored by this new course, Loraloma combines residences with premium amenities, including fitness, wellness, culinary arts, equestrian and nature-based experiences.

“Loraloma’s environmentally conscious approach is something that really drew us to the partnership with Areté Collective, and an ideology we plan to replicate on the course we are creating for residents,” McLay-Kidd said. “Our company was built on the idea of incorporating active and passive recreation into our course designs. The principles that Loraloma and Areté Collective have harnessed, such as having a minimal number of homes on the course itself, will only enhance the type of game and social interaction we aim to offer.”

The 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course will play 7,060 yards from the back tees, covering 120 acres and fitting seamlessly into the community. Holes range from shot-making par 4s to risk-reward par 3s. The closing hole on the course is a par 5 that will play 570 from the tips. The greens will be grassed with creeping bentgrass and fairways will be zoysiagrass framed by Texas bluebonnets and other wildflowers and native plants. Striking visuals support each hole, with nearly half of the holes playing along the cliffside of the Pedernales River, and others sitting atop peaks delivering elevation changes with unobstructed vantage points overlooking the Hill Country and Balcones Escarpment.

“Areté Collective is thrilled to partner with such an accomplished architect to bring this course to life, and we hope that every member and resident who plays golf at Loraloma feels McLay-Kidd’s sense of exploration and adventure while exploring this vibrant landscape,” said Tom Hogan, co-founder and CFO of Areté Collective and former CFO of Augusta National. “The rules of golf require the player to play the ball as it lies, and the beauty of the Loraloma course is the fact that he has designed a sustainable course around the existing lay of the land.”

The course at Loraloma will feature a golf house with a dedicated pro shop, player’s lounge and restaurant and bar. The course will also house two comfort stations with informal seating, restrooms, “grab & go” dining options and one featuring a full restaurant.