Golf’s Most Intimate Layouts
Small wonder: Merion (East) is golf’s most intimate championship layout Unquestionably, the freedom to smash drives all over the yard is liberating. On occasion, however, it’s cathartic not to have to swing out of your shoes. Sometimes it’s fun to play small ball, to place thoughtful shots in the proper spots aboard a course with […]
Underrated Sibling Courses at Pebble Beach Resorts
The ultimate American public-access tee time for history, drama, and scenery, Pebble Beach Golf Links never fails to enchant our senses. Every red-blooded golfer alive yearns to play Pebble—but high demand and a special occasion green fee mean that not everybody can. Fortunately, Pebble Beach Resorts serves up a collection of sibling courses that are […]
Short Courses at Golf Communities Are on the Rise
What’s green, fun as well as challenging, and fits in just a couple of acres? The new breed of short courses, which are popping up in top golf communities nationwide. Nearly six years ago, Desert Mountain faced a dilemma. It revolved around a thumbprint of land with no obvious purpose. “The club owned a small, […]
The 8 Greatest Risk/Reward Holes on the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing
For nearly a century, the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing has reliably delivered drama in massive doses, thanks in part to venues that brim with exciting risk/reward holes. From history-soaked layouts such as Riviera and Pebble Beach to modern-day TPC spreads, what each has in common is at least one superb example of a risk-laden […]
Top 10 Widest American Courses You Can Play
For the big bashers out there, and the wannabes, too, here are the top 10 widest American courses you can play.
The 10 Most Influential American Golf Courses You Can Play
If you’re seeking the best of the best and don’t have private club access, here are the top 10 influential American golf courses you can play.
Top Courses You Can Play Near Major College Football Bowl Game Venues
For hoopla, pageantry, tradition, and partisan fanaticism, few sporting events anywhere stack up with college football’s major bowl games. Sure, critics chirp that there are too many bowl games these days, and that an expanded College Football Playoff system threatens to diminish the stature of these games even further. For now, however, the prospect of […]
Great Public Golf in Greater Chicago
For public golf prominence, the Windy City soars high In a city famous for the Bulls, da Bears, the Blackhawks, and the Cubbies (apologies to the White Sox faithful), it’s understandable how golf could take a backseat for rabid sporting interest in Chicago. Don’t be misled, however. The Second City boasts a rich golf tradition: […]
Gone Fishing: The 10 Best Fish-Themed Golf Courses
A reporter once asked Julius Boros when he planned to retire. “Retire?” said Boros, twice a U.S. Open winner who captured the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48. “All I do now is play golf and fish. What would I do if I retired?” Indeed, as leisurely paced, scenic activities, golf and fishing share a […]
Characters: Bob Ford
Low-key club pro Bob Ford, of Oakmont and Seminole renown, provides a comforting presence to nervous U.S. Open contestants Please welcome, from Oakmont, Pa., Bob Ford. The vaguely familiar, calmly reassuring voice that greets competitors on the first tee at the U.S. Open belongs to respected club professional Bob Ford. In 2017, late in his […]