7 of Golf’s Most Unusual On-Course Animal Encounters
There’s been a new hazard for golfers to look out for at North Palm Beach Country Club in South Florida: an American crocodile. While alligators are a fairly common sight at Florida golf courses, crossing paths with the reclusive crocodile is far more of a rarity. There are an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 in the […]
6 of Golf’s Best Practice Putting Mats
We’ve all heard the old golf axiom about “putting for dough.” And there’s undeniable truth in the importance of putting, especially given that putts comprise about 40 percent of all shots taken in a round of golf. But most golfers spend far less time practicing with the flat stick than they do taking full swings. […]
Play Fishers Island, Winged Foot, and More as a Member for a Day
What started as a charity fundraiser for frontline hospital workers in New York City affected by Covid-19 in 2020 has grown into a virtual community that’s raised around $2 million for charities and non-profit organizations while providing once-in-a-lifetime golf experiences. Member for a Day has auctioned off golf getaways at celebrated private clubs like Merion, […]
Backyard Golf Courses: A Budding Golf Trend
When tragedy struck Phil Turturro and his closely knit family, he left a successful career in mobile home sales in Texas and was at a loss as to what to do next. He channeled his emotion and energy into clearing trees off the two-acre property behind the home he’d built just outside San Antonio in […]
10 of the Top Redan Holes in the U.S.
Golf architect Tom Doak has suggested the most-imitated hole in the world is the par-three 15th hole at North Berwick in Scotland, a hole known as “Redan”—a French word for a projecting feature in a fortification. The Redan is a popular template typically featuring a plateau green that’s higher on the front right, slopes away […]
Murder, Treasure, & More: Great Stories Behind Golf Club Names
Did you know that one of golf’s most preeminent U.S. clubs—the site of seven U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships—traces its name to a Dutch farmer who was brutally murdered at his farmhouse in the 1800s? Baltusrol Golf Club in northern New Jersey is best known for its two championship courses built by golf architect […]
8 Courses with an Unconventional Number of Holes
Little doubt that you haven’t heard the old golfer’s tale that a standard golf course is 18 holes because that’s how many shots it takes to polish off a bottle of Scotch. It makes for a good story, but alas, it’s a myth. The roots actually extend to St. Andrews, where the links layout now […]
7 of the Strangest Bunkers in Golf
For almost 50 years, golfers have encountered (or avoided) a greenside bunker at the par-three 6th hole at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course that’s shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. It is, quite literally, “Mickey Mouse golf.” The iconic and ironic bunker was completely rebuilt in 2017 and shortly thereafter two more Mickey-shaped bunkers were added at […]
10 Top Volcano Holes in the U.S.
The most fearsome tee shots in golf are those where the golfer has nowhere to miss. The Volcano green certainly qualifies. A bit of a rarity in the golf design world, Volcano holes have a green that is built up on at least three sides, often appears to be raised above the tee box, and […]
What Courses Offer All-Day Play Passes?
Surely no golfer is going to play more holes in a day at Sweetens Cove than Matthew Adamski did last year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t try. The popular Tennessee 9-hole course has embraced a unique operational approach as its avid following has grown: all-day play passes. The concept—not unlike a daily lift ticket […]