5 Myths About Club Pros
Golf’s front-line ambassadors wear many hats, explains Bob Denney, Historian Emeritus for the PGA of America 1. PGA Pros have to be good players Aspiring PGA Professionals must pass a 36-hole Playing Ability Test (PAT), scoring within 15 shots of the course rating over 36 holes, usually played in one day. Fewer than 20 percent pass […]
The Grove XXIII: Michael Jordan’s New Course
If there’s one thing that’s evident in The Last Dance, the documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, it’s that Jordan loves golf. Like, really loves golf. Golf architect Bobby Weed had the opportunity to work with Jordan on his latest project, The Grove XXIII—the roman numerals representing “23,” Jordan’s iconic jersey number while […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 50: Gary Player
LINKS Digital Editor Al Lunsford caught up with legendary World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. The Black Knight fills us in on what he’s been up to during quarantine, the importance of fitness, and his thoughts on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Later, Player goes […]
10 Ways to Make Walking the Course More Fun
Golf doesn’t have to be a good walk spoiled (if it ever was). It can just be a good walk—punctuated by moments both thrilling and aggravating. Here are a few ideas for turning your next on-course stroll into a grand tour. 1. Tune into Some Tunes Listening to music on the golf course has its […]
Modern Classics: Great Waters
Jack Nicklaus returned to Reynolds Lake Oconee to modernize and renovate his three-decade-old gem Jack Nicklaus has done some great things in the state of Georgia. There are those six green jackets, of course. But Jack also did some pretty fancy tailoring about 100 miles west of Augusta, where he built—and recently renovated—Great Waters at […]
Northwest Ireland: The Emerald Isle’s Wild Card
Want an adventure in links golf at its full-blown, brawny best? Make your way to the Northwest Corner of the Emerald Isle. If you were to jump into a dinghy—with your clubs, of course—and row across the sea to Ireland, your nearest place to set ashore would be the wild and windswept Mullet Peninsula in […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 49: What are “Template Holes?”
Class is in session on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. LINKS Senior Editor Jim Frank rejoins Digital Editor Al Lunsford on the show to discuss his “Template Holes” piece from the Spring 2020 issue of LINKS Magazine. Jim breaks down the details of the most iconic hole designs, like the Redan, the Biarritz, […]
Ranking the World – Continental Europe
In the second installment of our four-part series ranking the world’s golf countries (outside of the U.S.), we turn to the increasingly attractive offerings among the 20-plus nations of Europe. Unlike golf in the British Isles, which we covered in the previous issue of LINKS, quality and quantity in Europe varies dramatically. There is less […]
American Dream Courses: Southwest
After exploring the southeast, we stay at a similar latitude but move across the country to the southwest for the second installment of our “American Dream” series—specifically California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and southern Utah. The southwest isn’t blessed with quite as much golf as the southeast perhaps, and there are comparatively few old-school golf […]
Dream Nine: Par Fives
The par five. The one hole in golf where almost anything is possible. The longest holes on a course give golfers a chance to imagine the possibilities. A legitimate chance at birdie…or even that rare shot at an elusive eagle. But as many of us know, par fives can often show their teeth, generating double […]