Mike Trout is shifting his attention to a different kind of playing field, as the three-time American League Most Valuable Player teamed with Tiger Woods’ design firm to build a private golf club not far from his hometown in southern New Jersey.
The property, called Trout National — The Reserve is highlighted by an 18-hole course that winds across two distinct areas: a former silica sand mine and farmland with gently rolling hills. The presence of the former quarry will be evident with ample sandy waste areas throughout the routing crafted by TGR Design.
We promised you all a big announcement and here it is! We are so excited to be able to make a longtime dream of mine a reality, with none other than @tigerwoods and @tgrdesignbytw. We can't wait to share more updates with you as we create Trout National – The Reserve. pic.twitter.com/V8eMGEUYdS
— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) March 27, 2023
The course is expected to debut in 2025.
Also on the property in Vineland, New Jersey — about 30 miles south of storied Pine Valley Golf Club and 40 miles south of Philadelphia — will be a flexible short course, an expansive putting course and high-end practice facilities as well as a performance center. The club will also have a modern, state-of-the-art clubhouse, lodging, a wedding chapel, and other member amenities.
“We’re going to be doing some really cool things from a service and offering standpoint,” Trout said. “Although plans aren’t finalized quite yet, I’ll put it to you this way — this will not be your grandparents’ country club.”
Trout, who was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Vineland and grew up in nearby Millville where he met his wife, Jessica, is a 10-time Major League Baseball All-Star with 350 home runs over his 12-year career with the Los Angeles Angels. Trout, whose $427 million contract is the richest in baseball history, still returns to the South Jersey area during the offseason, hunting, playing golf and attending Philadelphia Eagles games while visiting friends and family, including his parents, siblings and in-laws.
Trout’s golf course promises to be “highly strategic in nature,” according to TGR Design, with sprawling fairways that offer multiple routes from tee to green and undulating green complexes with low-cut surrounds.
Risk-reward opportunities will be plentiful, creating an ideal match play environment. A variety of options and creative shot-making will be promoted, underscored by a par 3 hole inspired by Trout that features multiple tee and green options. It’s not clear if that includes the island green seen in a teaser video for the property, but that hole will be a challenge somewhere in the layout.
A Google Earth image of the property that’s home to Trout National, the new golf facility being … [+]
GOOGLE EARTH
Nicklaus Design had been involved in a previous routing on the site, which was envisioned as a destination golf property originally called Silica Sands.
