"Still, developers don’t want to stray too far from rolling fairways and challenging courses designed by golf legends."

John Paul Newport devotes his WSJ weekly column (thanks reader John) to the state of real estate developments, and while the talk is that developers are reinventing the model, they really are not and the entire thing is pretty depressing. Name brands will continue to drive the thinking instead of more creative course and community designs.

Not surprised. But still depressing.

As part of the evolution, the golf courses themselves are changing. Bluejack National, the community under construction in Texas’ Montgomery Country, Mr. Woods is also designing a short course for players who don’t have time for a championship-length game or want an easier option when playing with family. For course-side snacking, there will be a fruit stand and a jerky shack with dried meats. A golf-performance center will offer instruction programs, performance testing, personal training and club fitting.

At Tiburón, Mr. Norman now works to include amenities that will encourage kids to play golf.

“If you look at residential communities, what are we doing to promote the game of golf on a grassroots level?” asks Mr. Norman. “You need little areas for kids to play golf, and not have to play a monster course. It can be a little play area, where kids can spend time and have fun together.”

Still, developers don’t want to stray too far from rolling fairways and challenging courses designed by golf legends.