U.S. Women’s Open Champion (2014) and five-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie West will design her first golf course at Candyroot Lodge, a highly-anticipated public golf destination in the Carolina Sandhills. Named Sweet Tooth, the course will be a challenging, yet playable par-3 layout designed in collaboration with architect Mike Koprowski, marking a significant milestone in her career beyond professional play.
Set across approximately 25 acres within the broader 1,210-acre property in Jefferon, S.C., hour from Charlotte and Columbia, Sweet Tooth will blend traditional Sandhills design with modern playability. Night play, along with a routing where holes crisscross and converge, will foster a social, communal atmosphere.
“My golf journey began on par-3 courses, so this project feels incredibly personal to me,” West said. said “I grew up playing on a public course, and that shaped my love for the game. With Sweet Tooth, I want to create that same kind of environment, where families can connect, kids can discover golf for the first time, and players of all levels feel welcome and excited to play.”
Sweet Tooth will feature elastic tee boxes and irregularly shaped greens with multiple pin positions, allowing holes to play at dramatically different yardages and angles depending on the daily setup. Two distinct scorecards will offer varied course experiences – one preserving a traditional par-3 format for more advanced players and another that reimagines select holes as par-4 and par-5s to better suit beginners and juniors.
Designed to emphasize a firm-and-fast ground game, Sweet Tooth will encourage creative shot-making.The course also reflects West’s deep familiarity and appreciation of the Sandhills landscape from a player’s perspective, shaped in part by her U.S. Women’s Open victory at Pinehurst Resort. Designed for players of all ages and skill levels, Sweet Tooth aligns with Candyroot’s vision for a modern, walkable public golf destination centered on accessibility, community and memorable experiences.
Phoro: Michelle Wie West (left) and Mike Koprowski at Candyroot Lodge
Photos/Rendering Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge