Golf’s Most Prolific Architects
Specifying exactly how many courses certain architects designed is pretty tricky. A number of layouts credited to them might have been redesigns or renovations of existing courses. Or, they might simply have “worked on” the course, whatever that means. For the purposes of this article, an original course earned the designer a full point, but […]
Jay Blasi Puts Me Right on Chambers Bay
Oh, Chambers Bay, how I love thee, let me count the ways… For starters, after several decades of use as a rock quarry, lumber yard, railroad depot, bus barn, paper mill, wastewater treatment plant, and sand/gravel mine, the site was eventually developed for what would become a top 100 golf course (golfers can get behind […]
6 Mostly Undiscovered U.S. Golf Destinations
You might picture long-established centers like Scottsdale, Myrtle Beach, and Palm Springs when asked to think of a golf destination. They could obviously get by without it but, for most people—certainly LINKS subscribers, anyway—the golf is really what you go for. Or you might be imagining Bandon Dunes, Streamsong, and Sand Valley, built for no […]
Golf in Myrtle Beach for the First-Timer
What does a golfer make of Myrtle Beach, S.C., calling itself the “Golf Capital of the World?” What exactly constitutes a “capital” and does Myrtle Beach satisfy the criteria? And what might St. Andrews, whose own tagline “The Home of Golf” seems a little more credible, think about it all? Whether you agree with the […]
10 Best Golf Books Written in 2022
Many of the golf courses built in the last 15 years have been so good, a lot of commentators regard this current period of creativity as golf course architecture’s second Golden Age. I can’t be the only one that has noticed that as the courses have gotten better so, apparently, has the writing. History gave […]
10 Great 18-hole Courses on Fewer Than 100 Acres
In January 1930, just 14 weeks after the Wall Street crash and the catastrophic collapse of the U.S. stock market, course architect Alister MacKenzie set sail from Hoboken, N.J., bound for Buenos Aires. During a roughly eight-week stay in South America, the Scotsman designed, or suggested improvements to, at least six courses in Argentina (including […]
The Conundrum of Centerline Bunkers
Redundant and poorly managed trees cop most of the criticism aimed at golf courses these days, but another feature many don’t care for is the bunker located in the middle of the fairway, known nowadays as “centerline” bunkers. Professionals regard them with total disdain because they swallow apparently good shots. Architect Bill Coore remembers the […]
6 Great Tom Weiskopf Courses You Can Play
Different generations will remember the great Tom Weiskopf for an impressive range of skills. Baby Boomers will likely recall his playing days best and forever savor the powerful, graceful swing the native Buckeye used to win 28 professional tournaments around the world, including 16 PGA Tour titles and the 1973 Open Championship at Royal Troon. […]
Great Public Golf in Alabama
The best known, or most visited, public golf courses in Alabama reside on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It’s been 30 years since the first four sites, and 216 holes, opened for play; the final 18 was added in 2005 when Ross Bridge, all 8,191 yards of it, made it 11 sites—26 courses spanning […]
Great Mid-Atlantic Golf Resorts
Cozy, chill, and intimate. Huge, hectic, and bustling. Whether they’re historic and full of character, or modern and full of activity, the amazing range of golf resorts in the Mid-Atlantic will fit whatever experience you’re after and however large your group is. Here’s half a dozen of the best, with some very honorable mentions. […]
