10 Hidden Gems in England
England is a long way for American readers to go—and when they do, they’re likely to head to Open Championship venues and/or Surrey and Berkshire’s world-renowned heathland layouts. But we know there’s a small percentage of readers who go often and for whom the historic courses are old hat. Those are probably familiar with a […]
How Bunkers Show the Evolution of Golf Course Architecture
To understand how golf course architecture has evolved, just look at bunkers Don’t plan on a discussion about Donald Ross’s bunkers being a quick one, especially if you’re talking with architect Ron Forse. After two hours on the phone with the Ross-renovation specialist (well over 50 courses, plus others by Seth Raynor, A.W. Tillinghast, William […]
9 Fascinating Lesser-Known Stories from the Masters
With 2012’s Making of the Masters, in which he describes how Bobby Jones steered his dream golf club and tournament through tough economic times, and 2021’s The Story of the Masters, where he details the 84 contests that had taken place prior to publishing, it’s likely author David Barrett knows as much about Augusta’s April […]
6 Lesser-Known Pete Dye Courses
Pete Dye’s magnificent creation at TPC Sawgrass, born of a swamp half an hour east of Jacksonville, Fla., first hosted the Tournament Players Championship in 1982. Since then competitors have adapted to its quirks and learned not to be too dismayed when their ball behaves unexpectedly. Though the event’s May date (2007–2018) certainly produced some […]
The Best Public Golf in Idaho
The Gem State features majestic mountains, national forests, rushing streams, and surprisingly affordable green fees—making Idaho a diamond in the rough for public golf Greg Bullock makes the 350-mile, seven-hour drive from his home in Nampa, Idaho, to Circling Raven at least twice a year. “It’s totally worth it,” he says. “It’s like nowhere else […]
The Best Public Golf in California
Ranking the states for the quality of their golf is a subjective business, though it’s clear some are better than others. Florida, Michigan, New York, Hawaii, Arizona, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and even Ohio all get high marks, and another ever-present in the conversation is California whose course count almost reaches 1,000, and which boasts an impressive number of layouts […]
Forrest Richardson: The Innovative ASGCA President
He’d never say it, never hint at, or even joke about it. He’d reject the idea absolutely, in fact, and ask that you never repeat it. But technically, in a manner of speaking, it could be argued—quite convincingly actually—that Forrest Richardson is currently the highest-ranking golf course architect in America. No, he’s not the best-known […]
American Dream Courses: Best of the Rest
Regular readers will know the emphasis of the “American Dream” series—highlighting really good golf where everyone is welcome and everyone can afford to play—has not been on identifying notable, affordable golf in every state, but rather in each of nine regions around the country: Southeast, Deep South, Southwest, Northwest, Mountain West, Midwest (West), Midwest (East), […]
In Review: Stephen Proctor’s Monarch of the Green
It was Christmas 2008, and Stephen Proctor was heading home to Florida. In order to make the flight from San Francisco more tolerable, he entered a bookshop, hoping to find something that would make those tedious five hours fly by. He did a double-take as he scanned the shelves and caught sight of Kevin Cook’s […]
American Dream Courses: Deep South
This is our version of the American Dream—really good golf where everyone is welcome and everyone can afford to play. I’ve had the good fortune to play quite a bit in the Deep South and don’t remember a course I haven’t liked (granted I don’t go looking for bad golf courses). Here’s a dozen great […]
