Cotton Bay is a historic golf property on the southern coast of Eleuthera in the Bahamas undergoing reconstruction as part of a new Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort and residential development. The original Cotton Bay Club was developed in 1959 by Pan American World Airways founder Juan Trippe who hired Robert Trent Jones Sr. to design the original golf course. The golf course hosted Shell's Wonderful World of Golf with Arnold Palmer and Julius Boros. The resort and golf course closed following hurricane damage in 2005.
Robert Trent Jones II was commissioned in 2024 to re-design the golf course continuing the Jones family's involvement with Cotton Bay. Senior Design Associate Mike Gorman is leading the design effort. Rather than simply restoring the original Jones Sr. routing, the new course is conceived as a flexible, sand-based layout inspired by classic Australian sandbelt architecture and links golf.
The new routing is designed around wide interconnected fairways with multiple playing loops intended to encourage match play and alternative rounds less than 18 holes. The sandy terrain provides opportunities for firm, fast conditions and creative ground-game approaches. Plans also include a large Himalayas-style social putting green adjoining the clubhouse, a flexible family course, and extensive practice facilities. RTJ II describes the design as an unusual match-play-oriented golf experience for the Caribbean.
Cotton Bay Holdings Limited is developing the property in partnership with Marriott International. The proposed Ritz-Carlton Reserve destination includes a luxury hotel with approximately 111 rooms, 100 branded private residences. The project broke ground in April 2025 with total estimates at more than $300 million with completion of the resort development in 2028.
Mike Gorman (@mgormanlinks) June 21, 2024
Golf construction commenced in November 2025 under CJW Golf International, led by Conor Walsh. The contractor is responsible for site clearance, earthworks, rough and detailed shaping, and irrigation installation. CJW reports that 15 holes have been shaped and are ready for irrigation, with work advancing on the water storage reservoir. The golf contractor is targeting completion of its work in early 2027.
The golf course occupies a natural pocket of sand close to the Atlantic Ocean, offering an uncommon opportunity to construct a links-style layout in the Bahamas. CJW's construction photographs highlight the fifth green positioned just metres from the Atlantic Ocean. The sandy base and exposed coastal setting are intended to mimic linksland playing characteristics.
Turfgrass is providing agronomic consulting and specifications, including sand selection, drainage, turfgrass selection, construction inspections and grow-in support. The project aims to achieve firm, fast-playing conditions while preserving significant areas of native vegetation. Scott Clem and Adam Moeller have also been associated with the golf course development in Fescue's construction tracking.
Beyond Cotton Bay, Robert Trent Jones II has an active international portfolio of golf construction and renovation projects. In Utah, Three Bridges is a new golf resort designed with RTJ II associate Mark Voss and constructed by Landscapes Unlimited. In Saudi Arabia, Sindalah Island features an innovative nine-hole course with alternative tees overlooking the Red Sea, with Mike Gorman serving as senior project architect. Additional projects tracked by Fescue include Lake Okhissa in Mississippi, Serena del Mar in Colombia, Green Paradise East Sunset in Vietnam, and the Four Seasons development at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.
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