9 Unique Par-Three Opening Holes
The back nine at Pacific Grove Golf Links has gotten a lot of recognition over the years as a municipal course located along the same dramatic Monterey Peninsula coastline as Pebble Beach. But the front nine is special in its own right, particularly the start. One of the game’s great munis, Pacific Grove opens with […]
Most Expensive Green Fees in Golf
In the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs, Calif., is a desert oasis that used to be one of billionaire Larry Ellison’s private estates. After two decades as a mystery-shrouded enclave with one of the most exclusive golf courses in the country, the property—Sensei Porcupine Creek—has been turned into a super-high-end, luxury […]
10 of the Best U.S. Courses with No Water
Ask most golfers about the type of hazard that beckons most ominously during a round and there’s a good chance they’ll go with “water;” from oceans, bays, and Great Lakes to rushing rivers, tranquil streams and man-made ponds that can swallow golf balls by the thousands. At the same time, water can bring an undeniably […]
18 of the Best 27-Hole Golf Courses in the U.S.
When you think of a golf course, it’s natural that 9- or 18-hole layouts spring to mind. But what about 27 holes? More specifically, those facilities that have three 9-hole courses of fairly equal quality, to the point where if you’re only playing 18 holes, you wouldn’t really care which of the loops you were […]
8 Public Facilities with Premier Golf and Sporting Clubs
During a recent stay at a luxury Rhode Island resort community known as The Preserve, I followed up 18 fun-filled par-three holes by taking aim at a different kind of target at the facility’s 19-station sporting clays course. The Preserve’s owner, Paul Milhailides, told me he intentionally built the clays course like a golf course, […]
6 Things to Know: The Lido at Sand Valley
The Lido at Sand Valley Golf Resort is a faithful recreation of a long-gone layout once celebrated as the best in the world. The original version was built on New York’s Long Island in the early 1900s by renowned architects C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor but demolished by the U.S. Navy during World War II […]
10 of Golf’s Most Dramatic Cliffside Courses
When you think of the elements that create drama on a golf course routing, two of the first that jump to mind are probably “on the water” and “significant elevation change.” So, it’s small surprise that cliffside golf holes elicit such interest and fascination. Some courses fully embrace their cliffside location, putting the perched prominence […]
Golf’s Most Unusual Tee Box Names
Tiger Woods has changed the game of golf in many ways over the years. One of the least impactful, at least for us regular folk, is the lengthening of golf courses. But who among us isn’t familiar with the term “Tiger” tees even if we haven’t played from these way-back teeing areas? That said, as […]
Great Public Golf Spots in Northern Florida
As his follow-up to building Michael Jordan’s exclusive Grove XXIII course, architect Bobby Weed designed an innovative and environmentally sensitive course called Stillwater outside Jacksonville that opened in 2022. The 18-hole layout features a unique and versatile routing that can also be played in loops of 3, 6, 9, and 12 holes. There’s no rough, […]
10 of Golf’s Top Single-Course Destinations
Mike Keiser is famous for saying one course is a curiosity, but two makes a destination. It’s hard to argue that assertion, as typically the most-celebrated golf destinations have multiple courses—from Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Kohler, Kiawah, and Streamsong to the super-successful golf getaways Keiser himself has built, like Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley. That said, […]
