10 of Golf’s Polarizing Par Fours
When my parents lived in the golf mecca that is California’s Monterey Peninsula, they were never further than a flip wedge off some fairway, even while moving several times. One of their stops was the secluded Quail Lodge in the Carmel Valley, where I always seemed to head to the back nine with conflicting feelings. […]
10 of Golf’s Polarizing Par Threes
Whether because of design, difficulty, setting, or situation, sometimes a golf hole just doesn’t fit our eye or sensibilities. A hole that is loved by some (or many) may be loathed by others. Of course, that just speaks to one of the unique beauties of golf: the playing field is always different. What follows is […]
How Golf Clubs Are Helping Health Workers During the Crisis
Under normal circumstances, David Bachman would be telling stories about The Gauntlet, the unique three-hole stretch of consecutive par threes at the Walter Travis-designed Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, N.J. But these days are far from normal. Bachman, Spring Brook’s general manager, instead shared details about ClubsHELP, the now-national 501(c)7 foundation that started at […]
First Peek: Tiger Woods’ Payne’s Valley
By Erik Matuszewski Big Cedar Lodge’s Mountain Top clubhouse first comes into view on the winding drive up to the resort’s newest golf course, Payne’s Valley. At a distance, it looks small atop a massive ridge and limestone wall almost 200 feet high—the highest point on the property in southwest Missouri. It’s just […]
The “Wall of Death” and 5 Other Must-See Features on Courses Outside the U.S.
When golf architect Brian Curley was pitching ownership about his vision for the fourth course at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand, he stressed the need for something unique and exciting to stand out. The result: The Wall of Death. To the right of the green at the par-five 15th hole at Siam’s Rolling Hills […]
Alternatives to the Two-Person Golf Cart
When the coronavirus hit in the U.S., GolfBoard President Jeff Dowell’s first thought was, “Uh oh, this could be ugly,” as he watched existing orders for his company’s single-rider boards cancelled or put on hold. A month later, many others in the industry had what he calls an “A-ha moment.” When one-rider-per-cart mandates […]
Amid Coronavirus Chaos, How Are Golf Travel Operators Coping?
Every other month, international golf tour provider PerryGolf conducts a 30-minute webinar for potential customers on a different destination or topic, from Scotland and South Africa to cruises or escorted trips. It’s more of an educational opportunity than a sales pitch, explaining their planning and process. Their webinar topic for this month—before a national emergency […]
Which Rangefinder Is Right For You?
As traditional a game as golf is, technology continues to shape its evolution. Traditionalist or technophile, a commonality among golfers is wanting to know how far they are from the pin, whether walking off a distance from a sprinkler head, using a GPS device, or buzzing the flagstick with a laser rangefinder. Like the major […]
How to Create Your “Golf Life List”
Approximately 60 percent of U.S. golfers live north of the Sun Belt. That means that the majority of us aren’t lucky enough (or perhaps smart enough) to live in a region with year-round golf. Based in the Northeast, I’ve grown accustomed to putting the clubs away for extended stretches, outside of occasional golf trips to […]
Cavendish: Hawaii’s Free-to-Play Golf Course
By Erik Matuszewski At the end of a non-descript road in Lanai City, there’s a golf course unlike any other in the heaven-on-earth that is the Hawaiian Islands. The tee boxes and fairways are a bit shaggy. Drainage can be a problem. Worm casings cover many of the greens, and deer hoofprints crisscross […]
