The Evolution of Golf Course Architecture
Quite literally, the landscape of golf course architecture has evolved since LINKS began publishing 20 years ago. Since 1988, more than 3,500 courses have been built in the United States. Some, like Sand Hills, are among the greatest ever built. Others, like Shadow Creek, were unlike anything that golf had seen before. While overall quality of courses built […]
TPC Stadium Golf Courses
In the quarter-century since former commissioner Deane Beman unveiled his concept of a PGA Tour-operated network of fan-friendly golf venues, the Tournament Players Club (TPC) “brand” has quietly morphed into a machine for selling homesites and golf memberships. While certain facilities in the TPC portfolio—including the very first, the TPC at Sawgrass—are praised for their architectural brilliance and tournament-hosting capacity, the […]
A Golf Trip to Palm Springs, California
Set against the striking San Jacinto Mountain range, this desert oasis with year-round blue skies is a mecca for first-class golf, shopping and dining. And with more than 100 courses in the area, the problem isn’t getting tee times; it’s deciding which courses to play. Golf The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic utilizes four courses. Of […]
Fairmont Grand Del Mar Golf Resort
With its shops, restaurants and galleries, the tony oceanfront burg of Del Mar, just north of Torrey Pines, more resembles a European village than a California town. So the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a cozy 249-room Mediterranean-style resort, is of a piece with its setting. The resort was inspired by the work of early […]
Memorable Courses and Spectacular Pacific Vistas in Maui
When you come to Maui on your next golf vacation, go ahead and leave your golf clubs at home, but don’t forget your camera. Because while the golf on Hawaii’s second largest island is spectacular, the dramatic setting is even more so. While you can rent golf clubs, and even golf shoes, at almost all the […]
Portmarnock Golf Club, Ireland
Apparently they couldn’t wait for Christmas. But who could blame them, given the sporting potential of the grounds that beckoned W.C. Pickeman and George Ross to the peninsula of Portmarnock, northeast of Dublin? On Christmas Eve 1893, Pickeman and Ross left the tiny village of Sutton, manned a rowboat and skulled across Howth Bay […]
Ballybunion Golf Club, Ireland
The speech and rhythms of the west country of Ireland are far different from the majestic lilt of Dublin, where English is spoken perhaps more beautifully than anywhere on earth. But the speech of western Ireland reflects the nature of the harsh and terrible land, which that gives off a beauty more memorable than […]
Cork Golf Club, Ireland
In the spring of 1897, Maudsley and Sharmon Crawford were sailing the Lee Estuary on their way to the Cork City Regatta. At the time (and to this day), men of means in Cork were yachtsmen. Ireland’s second-largest city is a seafaring town, and the Cork Yacht Club, founded in 1720, is the world’s […]
The European Club, Ireland
If playing a links is an experience to be cherished, what must it be like to actually develop, own and operate such a course? Pat Ruddy’s demeanor indicates it is a pleasant experience indeed. A bear of a man who always has a warm smile, a welcoming hand and a flash of wit, Ruddy […]
The Omni Homestead, Virginia
For more than two centuries, The Omni Homestead has provided a haven for sports enthusiasts, the perfect relaxation of the most renowned mineral springs and Spa, and the finest Southern hospitality. Today, The Homestead invites guests into a timeless world of exceptional golf on three top-ranked courses, the best of Spa hydrotherapy and massage […]