Michelle Wie West to Design Her First Course—a Par-3 Course at Candyroot Lodge
Alex Elias
Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge & Hart Howerton
Located roughly an hour from both Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, Candyroot Lodge is an elevated public golf retreat set across 1,210 acres of rolling, sandy terrain in the heart of the Carolina Sandhills, offering a “thoughtful and welcoming” experience that embraces walking, wellness, and modern minimalist golf architecture.
Amid South Carolina’s wave of highly regarded openings — including The Tree Farm, Old Barnwell, Broomsedge (soon operating with a limited public-access model), Old Sawmill, 21 Club, and Anson Point — Ethan Oberman, who is teaming with his brother Aaron on the development, said, “There’s a lot of great private golf being built, but there’s not a lot of great public golf. Making this public was always the intention.”
“I like to use the word ‘access’ as my all-encompassing word. Being accessible from a major airport is important. Being accessible from a major city center is important. But being public is a big part of that. We want to share what we’re building with as many people as we can.”
Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge & Ryan Barnett
With the first of the four courses — designed by Mike Koprowski, co-architect of Broomsedge — opening for preview play in November ahead of a full public opening in Spring 2027, Michelle Wie West — U.S. Women’s Open champion and five-time LPGA Tour winner — will, in collaboration with Koprowski, design her first golf course: Sweet Tooth, a challenging yet playable par-3.
“I grew up playing on a public course, and that shaped my love for the game. With Sweet Tooth, I want to create that same kind of environment, where families can connect, kids can discover golf for the first time, and players of all levels feel welcome and excited to play,” said Wie West.
Set across approximately 25 acres, Shark Tooth will feature elastic tee boxes and irregularly shaped greens with multiple pin positions, allowing holes to play at dramatically different yardages and angles depending on the daily setup. Two distinct scorecards will offer varied course experiences — one preserving a traditional Par-3 format for more advanced players, and another reimagining select holes as Par-4s and Par-5s to better suit beginners and juniors.
