10 of the Top Punchbowl Holes in the U.S.
There’s something to be said for the anticipation created by an approach shot into a Punchbowl green—some golfers love it… others, not so much. The Punchbowl is one of golf’s best known template holes: A green surrounded by mounding that gives it a bowl shape and funnels balls toward the center of the putting surface, […]
Inness: The King-Collins 9-Hole Sequel to Sweetens Cove
Inness, the newest 9-hole course from the creative minds of Rob Collins and Tad King, is a wild ride in upstate New York—a dramatic deviation from the traditional Westchester County golf clubs just under two hours south. But for many golfers, the inevitable comparison will be to Sweetens Cove in Tennessee, the new age 9-hole […]
7 of Golf’s Best Secondary Logos at U.S. Clubs
Every so often, a video of a black bear cub playing with a golf flag makes its rounds on social media. The curious cub rubs its back against the flag stick at Fairmont Hot Springs Mountainside Course in British Columbia, then grabs it and runs around on his hind legs, bending the flag as it’s […]
12 of the Best Biarritz Holes in the U.S.
The Biarritz is perhaps the most memorable example of a template hole in golf: A par three that stretches between 210 and 240 yards to a very long green with a prominent swale three to five feet deep cutting across it. The original design was found at The Biarritz Course in France, with brothers Willie […]
Top Golf Courses in National Parks: From Washington, D.C., to Yosemite
“I think all our parks should be opened for golf unless there is some specific objection in public needs.” -President William H. Taft During the Golden Age of Golf in the early 20th century, eight public golf courses were built within the nation’s capital. Three of those historic facilities remain today, among them East Potomac […]
6 of Golf’s Top Youth Programs
If it seems like there have been more kids on the golf course recently, well, you’re right. The number of junior golfers (ages 6–17) rose by 24 percent in 2020 as fairways and greens became safe refuge amid the pandemic. It was the industry’s biggest junior jump since 1997, the year a 21-year-old wunderkind named […]
America’s First Muni: Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx
Municipal golf in America got its start in and around big cities. So, it’s only fitting that the oldest muni in the game—Van Cortlandt Park in New York—today has not one, but two highways cutting through an everyman course that has holes named after Babe Ruth and each of the Three Stooges. “Vanny,” as it’s […]
Why the Time is Now for Golfers to Visit Hawaii
As U.S. golf travel picks up steam again, no destination is in greater need of a shot in the arm than the Hawaiian Islands. Given its dependence on tourism, Hawaii saw its 2020 play plummet by 33 percent, missing out on the nationwide golf boom. It wasn’t until last October that the State of Hawaii […]
The Best Golf Rain Gear on the Market
I thought I was fully prepped for my first trip to Pinehurst. I’d packed several pairs of comfortable shoes, loaded up with plenty of golf balls and prepared an apparel “scripting” fit for a major championship. But when the skies opened on Day Three, during a bucket list round at No. 2, we realized the […]
5 Key Questions in Planning a Home Golf Simulator Set-Up
We know golf has become a popular pastime during the coronavirus era, but did you realize the net increase in off-course golf participants was twice that seen at courses themselves in 2020? And while the golf entertainment space and Topgolf continues to be a driver, the biggest rise is in the use of golf simulators, […]