Fred Couples

Maricopa, AZ

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, opened in 2002 and was designed by Schmidt-Curley Design, the team of Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley, with Fred Couples as a design consultant. It sits on 320 acres owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community, land that was part of the community's original 1912 reservation. The course was built in the Australian sand belt style rather than the usual Arizona desert form, with more than 100 bunkers cut hard against the edges of greens and fairways and mounded native grasses framing the holes. It plays to a par 72 at roughly 7,550 yards from the back tees, and the ground is open enough that wind matters. It operates as a true daily-fee course open to everyone, about 35 minutes south of Phoenix, and has served as a qualifying site for professional and USGA events.

Bolivia, NC

Carolina National Golf Club in Bolivia is a 27-hole public facility designed by Fred Couples with Gene Bates, opened in 1998. The three par 36 nines are the Egret, the Heron and the Ibis, played in any pairing. Egret/Heron is the longest combination at 7,017 yards from the back tees (74.2 rating, 140 slope). The course sits in an Audubon certified sanctuary along the wetlands and marsh of the Lockwood Folly River, and several of the best holes run beside the river. The Heron is more open with firm fairways, while the Ibis has narrower fairways and smaller greens. It is about 45 minutes from Wilmington and 20 minutes from Oak Island.

Last verified 2026-09-29

Pittsboro, NC

The Golf Club at Chapel Ridge sits on about 790 acres of rolling countryside in Pittsboro, North Carolina, within a golf course community near Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle. Bob Moore of JMP Golf Design worked with Fred Couples on the course layout, which opened as Pittsboro's first golf course. The 18-hole course plays to a par of 72 and stretches to roughly 7,116 yards from the back tees, laid across rolling hills reminiscent of older traditional American courses. Chapel Ridge is open to the public, with a clubhouse grille, practice range and short-game area, and it offers memberships along with outing and event hosting.

Clifton, VA

Westfields Golf Club is located in Clifton, Virginia, in the Northern Virginia countryside outside Washington, D.C. The course occupies its own dedicated acreage without residential lots lining the fairways, and it is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Fred Couples designed the course with Gene Bates, and it opened in 1998. Dense tree-lined fairways, undulating greens and well-placed bunkers with fingerlike sand projections define the layout, which plays more open than it initially appears from the tees. Five sets of tees allow the course to range from about 4,600 to over 6,900 yards, and a Civil War-era burial site sits near the 13th fairway. Westfields operates as a semi-private club offering memberships alongside public tee times, along with practice facilities, instruction and event space for weddings and outings.

San Clemente, CA

Talega Golf Club is located in the hills above San Clemente, California, overlooking the city sometimes called the Spanish Village by the Sea. It opened in 2001 after a construction delay caused by environmental issues affecting the final six holes. The course was designed by Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt with input from Fred Couples, featuring around 92 bunkers, water in play on four holes, and several forced carries over canyons. It plays to a par of 72 at up to 6,951 yards from the back tees. Talega is open to public daily fee play, with a discounted players club program also available, along with a Spanish colonial style clubhouse and driving range.

Virginia Beach, VA

Heron Ridge Golf Club is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on a site with tall oaks, beech and elm trees, wetlands, and natural depressions that create uncommon elevation changes for the area. The course opened in the spring of 1999. It was designed by architect Gene Bates working with 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples. Fourteen of the eighteen holes have lakes, water hazards, or natural wetlands in play, and the layout can stretch to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees at a par of 72. Heron Ridge operates as a semi-private club, with public tee times available alongside memberships, a pro shop, and a grass driving range.

Destin, FL

Fred Couples designed this course along Choctawhatchee Bay. It is consistently rated the best non-resort course in the Destin area. The course features waterfront holes.