The Rose, a new invitation-only private golf club near Athens, Georgia, has hired Tripp Davis to design the course.

Located 10 minutes from downtown Athens, The Rose will be built on a 588-acre property that has natural rolling topography.

The founders of The Rose are Nick Cassini, a two-time All-American golfer and member of the 2001 Walker Cup team, and his brother Dimitri. The Cassinis have been joined by three professional golfers as founding members, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and multiple-time PGA Tour winners Brendon Todd and Chris Kirk.

“The vision is to create a strategically interesting and varied golf course over firm and fast conditions, while taking advantage of the amazing long views,” said Davis. “Beautiful native grasses and great bunkering will frame shots over the rolling landscape, creating a visually stunning golf course. We wanted a site to give us unique landforms to work with and be able to support having those elements. The first time Nick and Dimitri brought me on this site, I was in awe of the beauty of the long views and rolling hillsides. And the soils and topography will promote the firm and fast playing conditions. It’s perfect.”

Watson, Todd and Kirk, all former University of Georgia golfers, will provide input in helping shape the course. “Having these three professional players, who are among the club’s founding members, will bring an unparalleled wealth of experience to the design table,” said Nick Cassini.

“With this group of founding members, The Rose is set to elevate Georgia’s golf legacy and establish itself as one of the prominent clubs in the southeast,” said Dimitri Cassini.

Watson added: “I’m excited that Tripp Davis has been picked to design The Rose. I met Tripp on a recent visit to The Rose property and he shared a vision for blending tradition and modern design using the natural landscape that sounded incredible. I believe Tripp is the right person to help us build a course that is special and unique.”

Course construction is set to start in summer 2024.