Old Shores Breaks Ground On Tom Doak-Designed Golf Course And Introduces New Real Estate Offerings In Florida Panhandle

Michael Keiser, developer and owner of two of this year’s most anticipated course openings, today announced that construction is officially underway at Old Shores in Northwest Florida. The milestone marks the fourth course that Michael Keiser has commissioned with renowned golf architect Tom Doak. The course is part of a larger community with a hotel, restaurants and cottage and estate homesites.   

Located in Florida’s Panhandle, just inland from the Gulf’s sugar-white sands and iconic 30A corridor, Old Shores reflects Michael Keiser’s commitment to meaningful community, rooted in golf. World-class golf and a walking village are oriented to embrace the site’s natural beauty. The property lies on a completely sand-based site, with its namesake drawn from old-world maps that document the Gulf’s former reach to the property.   

“This site is unlike anything I’ve seen. The contours are incredible, and there is a deep beauty in the forests and the flowing water,” notes Keiser. “The Old Shores vision includes outdoor recreation, food, art and land restoration, inspired by the towns I’ve fallen in love with in Scotland.”  

The Doak course traverses the site’s sandy soil and remarkably diverse terrain, featuring longleaf pines, open savannas, clear spring-fed rivers, rolling hills and unique “sinks” – wide, inverted dunes that allow for dramatic shots and angles. Doak’s routing highlights this natural topography.  

“The site for Old Shores is not at all what people expect when they think of golf in Florida. There is about forty feet of elevation change from high to low on our site, and even more on the site for the second course, with big sweeping hills providing a variety of stances,” says Doak. “Then there are the sinkholes, which are unlike anything I’ve seen on a golf course; in some cases there are abrupt banks 30-50 feet deep, and the largest of them, Long Lake, is something like 50 acres in size.” 

Shaping of the Doak course is currently underway, with lead associate Angela Moser on the ground. Preview play on select holes is expected to begin as soon as fourth quarter 2026, with a grand opening planned for fall 2027. Old Shores is currently accepting Founding Memberships, which offer preferred tee access, Founder-only events, early homesite selection and the opportunity to contribute to a legacy of world-class golf in the Panhandle.  

A second 18-hole course is in design, and a short course is also planned.   

Old Shores represents the latest addition to Michael Keiser’s rapidly growing portfolio of destination golf developments. Other projects include Rodeo Dunes in Colorado, currently open for Founder preview play ahead of a 2027 grand opening, and Wild Spring Dunes in Texas, recently opened for an 8-hole preview play loop on its Doak-designed course ahead of its fall 2026 grand opening. Keiser is also the co-owner of Sand Valley in the Central Sands of Wisconsin, which will celebrate the opening of the Commons, its sixth course, this year.  

Across all projects, Keiser’s work is guided by a deep commitment to land stewardship, ecological restoration, community engagement and an authentic sense of place. 

For more information on Old Shores, Foundership and real estate, visit www.oldshores.com.