The U.S. Open Returns to Torrey Pines South
It’s Torrey time again for the U.S. Open. Torrey Pines’s South course, the most celebrated municipal layout west of the Mississippi, takes center stage in mid-June for the second time. Thirteen years ago, Tiger Woods cemented forever Torrey’s reputation for tournament drama. His clutch 12-foot birdie putt at the par-five 72nd hole and subsequent 18- […]
12 Questions with “The Open Doctor” Rees Jones
The U.S. Open has returned to the South Course at Torrey Pines; however, the 7,802-yard coastal layout that will challenge the world’s best players bears little resemblance to the course that first opened for play in 1957. Twenty years ago, Rees Jones—affectionately known as “The Open Doctor” for his restorative and redesign efforts that transform […]
Q&A: Geoff Shackelford Reflects on “The Future of Golf”
Seventeen years ago, Geoff Shackelford was somewhat disillusioned with the direction golf was headed. The acclaimed golf commentator and author, and future Golf Channel analyst, had serious issues with the way the USGA was operating and had become indifferent toward professional tour golf which, he felt, was now a dreary procession of long drives and […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 85: LINKS Summer Issue Preview with Editor George Peper
The hosts review the across-the-pond features in the Summer 2021 issue on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast, presented by Ashcroft Capital, including George’s “exclusive” interview with the Claret Jug. They also discuss 18 great courses in the shadow of the nine Open Championship venues, Old Tom Morris’s 200th birthday, and the best courses […]
A Golf Trip Around Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital has enacted some capital golf, from center city to the lush surrounding hinterlands Golf has long been popular in and around Washington, D.C., for locals and lawmakers alike. A hundred years ago, it was mostly private clubs and there are still plenty left, including several presidential playgrounds. (If you think Donald Trump […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 84: Vital Tips to Master Your Mental Game
As Jack Nicklaus has described, “Golf is 80 percent mental, 10 percent ability, 10 percent luck.” To help unlock the keys to mastering the mental side of golf, Digital Editor Al Lunsford talked to golf’s most accomplished sports psychologist, Dr. Gio Valiante, in this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast, presented by Ashcroft Capital. You […]
First Peek: American Dunes
Jack Nicklaus’s sandy new design in Michigan is a celebration of the red, white, and blue In 2018, Air Force fighter pilot Lt. Col. Dan Rooney approached his boyhood hero, Jack Nicklaus, with a dream: to revamp Grand Haven Golf Club into golf’s most patriotic experience, with all profits going to his Folds of Honor […]
10 Hidden Gems in Scotland
Recently, we gave you 10 English courses that probably wouldn’t feature on any itinerary of first-time visitors, but which anyone who had been several times and was looking for something outside the country’s Open Championship venues and heathland classics might try. They were/are exceptional courses, each possessing a proud history, a distinct English flavor, and […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 83: Inside the Life of a Golf Hobo
Media personality Matt Cardis, better known as the man behind the “Golf in Your State” brand, lives out of his van and is changing the perception of golf in his own unique way. Digital Editor Al Lunsford caught up with the self-described golf hobo as he journeys across the country in this insider interview. This […]
Why the Time is Now for Golfers to Visit Hawaii
As U.S. golf travel picks up steam again, no destination is in greater need of a shot in the arm than the Hawaiian Islands. Given its dependence on tourism, Hawaii saw its 2020 play plummet by 33 percent, missing out on the nationwide golf boom. It wasn’t until last October that the State of Hawaii […]
