Are 9-Hole Rounds Seeing a Comeback?
I’ll admit, there was a time I was always an 18-or-nothing guy when it came to golf. Not anymore. I’ve discovered, or maybe rediscovered, the joy of 9-hole rounds—and I’m not alone. The National Golf Foundation recently shared data that showed the percentage of 9-hole rounds is up 15 percent over last year. The pandemic […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 64: Ranking the World’s Golf Countries with Darius Oliver
Planet Golf’s Darius Oliver joins the LINKS Golf Podcast from Australia to detail his LINKS Magazine series “Ranking the World”—where he ranked the nations of the world (outside of the U.S.) according to the quality of their golf. Darius, who has played more than 2,000 golf courses worldwide, shares some of his favorite U.S. states for […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 63: A Golf Trip to Provence
On this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast, LINKS contributor David DeSmith talks to Digital Editor Al Lunsford about the golf, gastronomy, and much more from his trip to France’s famed southeastern corner of Provence—the subject of David’s feature piece in the Fall issue of LINKS Magazine. You can subscribe to the LINKS Golf Podcast […]
10 Courses That Should Host the Ryder Cup
In theory, you could play the Ryder Cup at your local muni and it’d still be exciting. But the venues do contribute to the magic. The “War by the Shore” wouldn’t have been the same if it hadn’t taken place at Kiawah. Nor would the “Battle of Brookline” have been as dramatic if it had […]
5 Unique Elements at Payne’s Valley
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tiger Woods and Big Cedar Lodge took the phrase “grand opening” to a whole new level in unveiling Payne’s Valley—the Missouri resort’s newest course and Woods’s first public design in the U.S. named in honor of legendary golfer and Ozarks native Payne Stewart. The grandiose resort’s newest course joins its four existing layouts designed by […]
5 Myths About Tour Pros
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ahh yes, the lavish life of a tour professional. How many times have you watched a golf tournament on television and thought, “These guys get paid to play golf for a living…How cool is that?” Yes, being a tour pro certainly has its perks. Playing a game you love in vacation-like settings for large sums […]
American Dream Courses: Midwest (East)
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The eastern half of the Midwest is our sixth region having navigated about two-thirds of the country in our “American Dream Courses” series. We’ve identified dozens of interesting, affordable, welcoming golf courses, but may have hit peak “Dream Golf” here in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan…especially Michigan. Because there are so many excellent courses […]
Winged Foot’s Championship Pedigree
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This year’s U.S. Open marks the sixth time the championship has been contested on the West Course at Winged Foot. As players continue to tee off on this A. W. Tillinghast brute (updated in 2017 by Gil Hanse), viewers should expect to see Winged Foot be every bit as difficult as in past championships there. […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 62: A Member’s Guide to Winged Foot
LINKS President and Publisher Jack Purcell joins Digital Editor Al Lunsford on the show to provide an insider’s perspective on Winged Foot, where Jack has been a member for more than 30 years. Jack gives the scoop on the preparation of the West course for this year’s U.S. Open, the things players need to do […]
Winged Foot’s Challenging U.S. Open Setup
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Winged Foot. The name conjures images of sidewalk-thin fairways, ball-devouring rough, and concrete-hard greens that repel approach shots—and make three-putting from five feet all too possible. In other words, it’s the perfect U.S. Open venue. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Open is returning to Winged Foot’s renowned West Course a few months later than […]