Is Royal Troon the Weakest of the Open Rota Courses?

Let’s make one thing clear from the start: the Old Course at Royal Troon Golf Club is one of western Scotland’s premier links. It wasn’t chosen to host the Open Championship 10 times for nothing. Its seaside location in Ayrshire, its long and proud history, the warmth of the club’s welcome, and the number of […]

A Golf Trip to Switzerland

Lake Geneva Switzerland

It’s a small country, about the size of Maryland. How do you know when golf season starts in Switzerland? Just follow the cows.

10 Top Golf and Beach Options for Summer

beach golf

I’m often told that man does not live by golf alone (usually by non-golfers). And in the summertime, one of the chief non-golf activities that I and other golfers enjoy is spending time swimming and lounging by the sea. Lakes and ponds can have beaches—and some rivers do, too. But they can’t compare to going […]

Classic Courses: Essex County Club

Essex Country Club (Back Nine)

For well more than a century, this Donald Ross gem has required having the full repertoire of shotmaking skills When Essex County Club hosted the 1938 Curtis Cup match, it represented a homecoming of sorts. Harriot and Margaret Curtis began their golfing lives at Essex, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., about 30 miles north of Boston. The […]

What to Know About USGA’s Golf House Pinehurst

usga golf house

Since its inception, the USGA has amassed the most extensive collection of golf artifacts and memorabilia in the world. The USGA Museum was originally located in New York City, but the organization eventually chose a location in Liberty Corner, N.J., where the museum opened to visitors in 1972 in a location adjacent to USGA headquarters. […]

A 2024 Father’s Day Golf Gift Guide

2024 golf gift

In many families, the love of golf gets passed down from parents to their progeny as a matter of course, no differently than other generations-long traditions do. Just as Old Tom Morris instilled a passion for golf in his son, Young Tom, and as Tiger Woods has done with his son, Charlie, many dads are […]

A Golf Trip to Poland

poland

At the crossroads of Europe, a golf destination is coming into its own Few people have fought harder for the freedom to spend summer afternoons on a golf course than the citizens of Polska. Poland’s strategic location in central Europe has attracted hosts of invaders stretching as far back as the Vikings. But today, the […]

18 of America’s Best Short Par Threes

short par threes

The 9-hole course I played as a kid, Canton Public Golf Course in Connecticut, culminated with a short, downhill par three that would make or break every round I played there, sending me home on my bike either smiling or steaming. Sadly, that terrific family-owned course no longer exists, but my memories of that 9th […]

12 Questions About 2024 PGA Championship Host Valhalla with Jack Nicklaus

valhalla

Jack Nicklaus knows a thing or two about major championship golf. No one has won more majors than the Golden Bear (18). And during his storied career, he played every major championship course you can name. He’s also designed more courses than you can shake a mashie niblick at, including many that have hosted PGA […]

Top 10 Places You Can’t Hit It at Augusta National

augusta places

Augusta National has always been get-able for any player who’s dialed in during Masters week. Ben Hogan scorched the course with an unprecedented winning score of 14-under-par way back in 1953. Jack Nicklaus established a new tournament record of 17-under in 1965 (equaled by Raymond Floyd in 1976). And Tiger Woods bettered that score by […]