Palmilla Beach Resort & Golf Community is taking their community to the next level with a new golf course, slated to open Saturday, June 1st in Port Aransas, Texas.

Red McCombs, the developer of the Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Community, says “the damage to our golf course caused by Hurricane Harvey gave us a great opportunity — not just to rebuild the golf course, but to reinvent it to be much better, especially for vacationing families.”

Palmilla Beach appeals to families looking for a luxurious community or vacation stay and has made changes to the golf course to include all types of golfers, including children, beginners and more.

“The improvements to Palmilla Beach Golf were influenced by changing consumer and golf trends,” commented Joe Shields, McComb’s grandson. “Play at traditional courses is down and Port A visitors want more variety, entertainment, and fun from their vacations.” The new course is a terrific activity for friends, families and novice golfers, yet still challenging from the tips for serious golfers, according to Shields. “It’s designed to be fun for everyone. And we are excited to bring these positive changes to the great game of golf.”

Additions to the course:

• 9 holes of true links-style golf (still the only of its kind in Texas)
• The LOOP, a 3-hole short course
• Class A driving range  
• Electric golf boards (plus traditional golf carts) 

In addition to booking a 9-hole round of golf, Palmilla Beach Golf is introducing the 12PACK and 21PACK. The 12PACK combines the 9-hole course plus The LOOP, a 3-hole, 85-100 yard pitch and putt. For avid golfers, the 21PACK allows players to play the 9 holes twice, followed by The LOOP.  The course also includes a full-size Class A driving range with five target greens, plus a short game practice green.

Photos courtesy of Palmilla Beach Resort & Beach Community

Southworth Development, based in Newtown, Massachusetts, specializes in residential resort and hospitality-branded real estate development. The company, which holds value in its ability to “identify extraordinary sites and then create unique, high end and personally nourishing communities,” is led by CEO David Southworth. We spoke with Southworth, who provided further insight on his company, projects, inspiration and more.

UH: What inspired you to get into development?
DS: Getting into resort-type real estate development was my opportunity to combine two things I really loved – hospitality and real estate. I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and was used to seeing resorts and real estate development and it struck me as a much better way of life than constantly being office-bound. It wasn’t until a few years into this type of development that I realized how much I also enjoyed the community building and what that meant to people.
 
UH: How was Southworth Development founded?
DS: In 1991, Paul Fireman of Reebok International fame, and I met and he hired me to help him develop a residential resort-type community in Cape Cod called Willowbend. Two years later, we formed a partnership and the developing continued to this day. In 2005, Paul wanted to slow his life down so we split up the company and I renamed it Southworth Development. Two years later, a dear friend of mine, Joe Deitch, bought half the company and we’ve remained partners since.
 
UH: What makes your company stand out amongst others?
DS: I truly believe it’s that we care so much. We care about how our employees feel and how they are treated, we care about our reputation and our work product, we care about our residents, members and guests and to a fault, we worry more about tomorrow than we do today.
 
UH: What has been your favorite project of your career thus far?
DS: There really is no one project that sticks out. They’ve all been and are special in certain ways. Some made more money than others, some I live at and call home, and of course Willowbend is special because it was the first – but they are all beautiful destinations and communities and I have formed so many friendships amongst the residents, members and staff that I truly love them all.
 
UH: Who or what inspires your designs?
DS: It’s a combination of things but in the end, you get a vision in your head and the process begins. I’ve always been a student of design, architecture, landscaping and master planning and as we combine those elements, we look to create communities that appeal to people’s fantasies and inner senses. It’s the creative side of the business that I really enjoy and because I have that mental outlet and stimulation, I’ve never needed a therapist.
 
UH: Can you tell me a bit about your most recent projects?
DS: Our most recent project is The Abaco Club, located on the island of Abaco in The Bahamas. It’s an amazing setting that features one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen! In addition, the community has The Bahamas #1 ranked golf course, a spectacular bay, ocean front property, amenities galore and soon… a marina. I’ve described the community as having “everything money can’t buy”.

Photos courtesy Southworth Development
Pictured above, the Abaco Club is an international sporting club and a beachfront, private escape for club members and homeowners.