Michelle Wie West is moving from becoming an expert in hitting fairways to designing them. The major champion is set to embark on a design adventure, inspired by the golfing memories from her childhood. The five-time winner of the LPGA Tour has confirmed that she is going to co-design her first golf course.

She will create a very unique 25-acre par-3 course called 'Sweet Tooth' at the upcoming Candyroot Lodge in Jefferson, South Carolina. Wie West expressed a deep personal connection to the idea, per a Golf Week article from May 19, 2026.

“My golf journey began on par-3 courses, so this project feels incredibly personal to me," she commented, highlighting her desire to create inclusive places for families.

The idea was inspired by her childhood days at the Hawaii Kai Executive course, where skillful performance brought her a reward of a Snickers bar. The notion is consistent with the Candyroot owners, Aaron and Ethan Oberman, who dream of building a fun, comfortable, and welcoming atmosphere.

In cooperation with architect Mike Koprowski, the 2014 U.S. Women's Open Champion is working on a design featuring hard and fast turf conditions, encouraging creativity on the ground.

The versatile property will have tadium lights, which will allow guests to play late-evening rounds.

The design uses movable tee boxes to change the distance of each hole easily. In total, there will be two scorecards available with totally different experiences, which will allow some holes to act as traditional par-3s as well as challenging par-4s and par-5s.

Michelle Wie West Designed Sweet Tooth for Next-Generation Inclusivity 

This flexible architecture directly tackles the high barriers and deep intimidation often associated with traditional club layouts. Wie West made note of this as one of her motivations.

"The barriers of entry into golf are very high. Intimidation is very high," Wie West noted regarding her motivation.

She is dedicated to introducing families to the game through accessible public facilities.

Resort co-founder Aaron Oberman is in complete support of Wei West's vision.

"We think Michelle is great because she embodies what we want Candyroot to be—fun, laidback, and focused on accessibility."

The 1,210 acres of the Sandhills resort property are located an hour away from both Charlotte and Columbia, thus providing easy access to the destination for the region’s golfers seeking a community-based short-course experience.

While Sweet Tooth plans to open in 2027, the 18-hole championship course developed by Koprowski will be open for a soft launch in November 2026.

What do you think of Michelle Wie West's move from putting holes to designing them? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Surjo Ray