Top Open Championship Meltdowns
Wind, rain, heather and gorse, insidious pot bunkers, and funky bounces are all part of the Open Championship experience. When you combine those elements with the pressure of competing in and contending for the oldest major championship in golf, well, occasionally things go terribly wrong. Here are the seven most epic fails in Open Championship […]
The Five Greatest Open Championship Moments
Many Yanks still call it “the British Open.” The rest of the world properly refers to golf’s oldest major as “The Open Championship.” Whatever your preference, this storied tournament will contest its 150th edition this July, when St. Andrews plays host for the 30th time. Firm, fast-running seaside links courses pair with wind, rain, insidious […]
Scotland’s Quirkiest Golf Courses
Scotland’s Prestwick is the quirkiest championship course in golf Former USGA Executive Director Frank Hannigan called it “kinky.” Dan Jenkins noted it was replete with “charming atrocities.” Bernard Darwin was so smitten with its peculiar enticements that in 1913 he wrote, “A man is less likely to be contradicted in lauding Prestwick than in singing […]
Top U.S. Open Meltdowns
The crucible that is the U.S. Open invariably produces drama of the highest order, owing to the most challenging course setup in golf and to the emotion of competing for such a coveted title. As two-time U.S. Open winner Cary Middlecoff said after his second triumph in 1956, “You don’t win the Open. The Open […]
Composite Golf Courses: A Long, Odd History
Ben Crenshaw has consistently ranked Royal Melbourne’s Composite course among the top two in the world. He’s not alone. Greg Norman and Nick Faldo have expressed similar sentiments. Unquestionably, the Composite is Australia’s best golf course. What can be questioned is whether Royal Melbourne’s Composite course is an actual golf course. Or should it be […]
The 10 Most Historic Clubs in the U.S.
As with few other sports, golf treasures tradition. Atop the history heap sit the greatest players, the most memorable championships, and the premier playing fields. In the United States, it was the golf and country clubs that fostered the growth of the game, beginning in the 1880s. Which are the most historic American clubs of […]
The Five Greatest PGA Championship Moments
Golf’s oldest professional major, the PGA Championship, dates to 1916. Compelling storylines and dramatic finishes define the PGA, both during the match-play years (1916–1957) and since. With the strongest field of any of the four major championships, it’s no wonder that so many exciting moments have involved the game’s greatest players. As always, to narrow […]
The 10 Best “Hills” Courses in American Golf
In Alister MacKenzie’s Golf Architecture, published in 1920, he espoused 13 General Principles of Architecture. Number four stated: “The greens and fairways should be sufficiently undulating, but there should be no hill climbing.” Yet, he also preached about the necessity of variety and placed great emphasis on utilizing natural features. In diametric opposition to what […]
The Five Greatest U.S. Open Moments
The U.S. Open—the national championship of the United States—has witnessed more than 100 years of pulse-quickening drama. Combine the most challenging course setup conditions in golf, with the emotion of competing for such a prized title and it’s easy to see why lasting memories, both good and bad, resonate with such intensity. As always, to […]
8 Prominent Courses That Once Went by a Different Name
Marketing pros explain that there are various reasons a business should change its name. Among them are to freshen the brand, to attract next-generation customers, to avoid brand confusion, or even to escape PR disasters. Golf courses are no different. A surprising number of today’s heralded layouts once went by a different name. Here are […]
