Links Living: Hapuna Beach Estates at Mauna Kea Resort
On the Big Island’s most spectacular oceanside property, new residences are rising on one of Hawaii’s last remaining beachfront opportunities Imagine having your pick of oceanfront property on the Big Island of Hawaii. And imagine having this opportunity before the island was developed. That’s exactly what Laurance Rockefeller had in the 1960s when much of […]
Ben Wright: Burning Desire
When the Walker Cup Match takes place at Royal County Down on September 8–9, Great Britain and Ireland will try to win the biennial competition for the fourth time in the last five attempts, which is truly unimaginable, given that our record for so long was one of utter futility, save for one glorious moment […]
Ben Wright: Cliffs Valley Days
Jim Anthony, the owner and developer of the Cliffs Communities, came into my life almost by accident. After completing a voice-over extolling the virtues of Jim’s first course, the Cliffs at Glassy, I was dragged off to lunch in the temporary clubhouse on the mountain top by the Collins brothers, Dan and Mike, who were […]
Ben Wright: Uneasy Rider
A lot of golfers probably imagine that poor behavior at the Ryder Cup originated at The Country Club in 1999, when the infamous rush of Americans onto the 17th green followed Justin Leonard’s miraculous birdie putt against Jose Maria Olazabal. Or perhaps they point to the 1991 Ryder Cup, when gamesmanship, flag-waving and camouflage hats […]
Ben Wright: Oddly Matched
“British Captain Summoned before PGA Executive Committee, Fired for Lack of Effort in First-year Ryder Cup Debacle.” So screamed the fictitious tabloid headline I concocted at the conclusion of the 1976 “Real Ryder Cup Matches.” Let me explain. While covering golf for CBS that year, Jack Whitaker and I conceived the idea of an annual […]
Ben Wright: Slithery Slope
Of all my memories from broadcasting the Masters at the 15th hole of Augusta National, some of the fondest originated, oddly enough, during bathroom breaks. Invariably, whenever I shimmied down the ladder of the TV tower, I would run into old friends and take a few moments to chat, catching up on their lives and […]
Ben Wright: Frankly Speaking
My debut with the CBS golf team came at the 1972 U.S. Professional Match Play Championship. Despite the torrid August conditions at the Country Club of North Carolina that year, my reception was a frosty one. Producer-director Frank Chirkinian uttered not a word to me, except when it was my turn to speak, throughout the […]
My Round at Harbour Town Golf Links
The intimidation started early. At first it was a sense of anticipation—I was about to play one of the top public courses in the entire country just a few weeks after the PGA Tour pros had done so during the RBC Heritage. The drive over the bridge onto Hilton Head Island and through The Sea […]
Course-Crafted Drinks Increasing in Popularity
A post-round drink where stories are swapped and bets are settled is one of golf’s finest traditions. Some golf courses across North America are taking it one step further than just having some favorites on tap or behind the bar—they’re growing ingredients or making their own drinks right on site, which makes a golfer’s day […]
Ben Wright: Feeling Chipper
Christmas came early for me this year—on August 27, to be exact. Who would have thought an aging hacker, ailing with pneumonia and consigned to playing “game improvement” clubs, was capable of championship golf and highlight-reel theatrics? But I’m getting ahead of myself. It all started when I ventured to Northern Michigan for Crystal Mountain […]
