Featured Project
A Premium Putting Experience for a Modern Countryside Hangout
Golf clubs have spent decades trying to hold onto the guests they already have. Mad Swans asked a different question: how do you create a destination that appeals to both golfers and non-golfers alike?
Their answer was a modern countryside hangout with golf at the center of the leisure destination, along with food, accommodation, and a mix of sports and activities. The concept was first proven at their site in the Mendip Hills.
When the time came to bring that vision to the South Downs, Mad Swans came back to Greenspan.
Design and Delivery
Greenspan designed and built a 12-hole premium putting course, using the same design approach you’d see on a full golf course, but condensed into a format every guest can enjoy. The South Downs site had a tighter footprint than Mendips, around 30 percent smaller, but the playability, challenge, and quality of every hole stayed true to the original standard.
- 12 holes, each with its own layouts, gradients, and levels of challenge.
- Raised bunds frame the course, giving a links-inspired feel.
- Engineered for year-round play on a site that previously closed for extended periods each winter.
Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie and Ebert, one of Europe’s foremost golf course architects and the designer of Mad Swans’ 12 Hole Executive golf course that can also be found on-site, reviewed the plans before construction and had very little to change. As Rory Farr, head of planning and development at Mad Swans, put it: “When Tom Mackenzie is telling you that Greenspan is awesome, it is easy to trust and believe in the process.”
A Putting Course that Works for Every Guest
What sets this apart from just another activity at Mad Swans is the range of guests it attracts and how easily it can bring people together. Players can order food and drinks right on the course, enjoying everything without pausing the game. Friends and family can gather on the bunds to watch, cheer, and share the moment.
Groundwork for the putting course began in December 2025, and nineteen weeks later, it was complete. Mad Swans South Downs is set to open in June 2026.
If you are a golf club looking to add a revenue stream alongside existing membership, or a leisure destination wanting to offer something for every kind of guest, talk to Greenspan about what the right attraction could look like for your site.
