Michelle Wie To Design New Par 3 Golf Course At Candyroot Lodge

BusinessSportsMoneyMichelle Wie To Design New Par 3 Golf Course At Candyroot LodgeByErik Matuszewski,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Erik Matuszewski's coverage spans golf businesses, news & destinationsFollow AuthorMay 19, 2026, 09:00am EDTMichelle Wie is teaming with architect Mike Koprowski to design the new short course at Candyroot Lodge in South Carolina.Candyroot LodgeMichelle Wie got her start playing golf on a public par 3 course in Hawaii and fondly recalls the days of being rewarded with a sugary treat after the round. So, it’s fitting that Wie’s start in the world of design is not only a par 3 course, but one at a “sweet” new resort in South Carolina sandhills.Wie is teaming with golf course architect Mike Koprowski on ‘Sweet Tooth,’ the forthcoming lighted short course at Candyroot Lodge, a 1,200-acre destination property about an hour from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina. The property is set to open the first of its four planned 18-hole courses in spring of 2027, with Sweet Tooth to debut at some point afterward. “Golf course design has always been something that I've been interested in, particularly Par 3 and public golf course design,” said the 36-year-old Wie, a five-time LPGA winner who at the age of 10 became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship.Wie on site with Mike Koprowski, the architect of the original 18-hole course at Candyroot Lodge. Candyroot LodgeThe project is still in the early stages, but Wie has been out to meet with Koprowski, the architect of nearby Broomsedge, and see the land and layout for his initial course at Candyroot. The two have talked about the themes of Sweet Tooth, which Wie says will primarily be flexibility and inclusivity. MORE FOR YOUSet across 25 acres, the terrain-driven course will have a routing with holes that crisscross and converge, elastic tee boxes, and irregularly shaped greens that have multip...