Ranking the World – United Kingdom and Ireland
LINKS presents the start of a four-part series in which we’ll be ranking the nations of the world (outside of the U.S.) according to the quality of their golf. First up: the nations of the UK and Ireland. By Darius Oliver In the first of our four-part LINKS Magazine series, Scotland has emerged as the leading country in […]
Characters: Justin Ray – The Answer Man
As Adam Hadwin picked apart Colonial Country Club—hitting its first 13 fairways in regulation during the second round of the 2015 Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas—Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee wondered when was the last time anyone had hit every fairway and every green on the course known as “Hogan’s Alley.” But Chamblee […]
Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: Green Design
Having navigated one year of writing about the importance of finding, organizing, and identifying the best set of golf holes to comprise a full golf course, it is now time to turn to the components of those holes—which bring holes to life, add flesh to the bones, and ultimately are what the vast majority of golfers […]
How to Create Your “Golf Life List”
Approximately 60 percent of U.S. golfers live north of the Sun Belt. That means that the majority of us aren’t lucky enough (or perhaps smart enough) to live in a region with year-round golf. Based in the Northeast, I’ve grown accustomed to putting the clubs away for extended stretches, outside of occasional golf trips to […]
10 Romantic Destinations for Golfing Couples
Are you blessed with a significant other who’s into golf, or one whom you’d like to introduce to the game? Here are 10 ideal destinations, foreign and domestic, for couples looking to celebrate their true love—of golf. Rose Hall—Montego Bay, Jamaica: Whoever decided that a dozen roses was the go-to gift was just plain unimaginative. […]
The Best Courses of MLB Spring Training
The crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt—ah, the sweet sounds of Spring Training. Major League Baseball teams take to the warm oases of the Sunshine State and the Grand Canyon State each spring in preparation for the upcoming season, giving fans the perfect opportunity to see the multiple teams in action every […]
Classic Course: Renegade at Desert Mountain
By James A. Frank In 1987, when Jack Nicklaus opened the Renegade course at Desert Mountain—the first of six he’d eventually build at the luxury community in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert— it truly broke new ground. For along with typical Nicklaus features like mounding-lined fairways and a high degree of difficulty, every hole at Renegade […]
Great Courses of GB&I: Dunbar Golf Club
Scotland’s self-proclaimed “Golf Coast” offers some illustrious options for traveling golfers. But while Muirfield and North Berwick get most of the headlines, nearby Dunbar Golf Club more than holds its own. First laid out in 1856, and later redesigned by Old Tom Morris, Ben Sayers, and James Braid, this seaside East Lothian links regularly hosts Open Championship […]
Cavendish: Hawaii’s Free-to-Play Golf Course
By Erik Matuszewski At the end of a non-descript road in Lanai City, there’s a golf course unlike any other in the heaven-on-earth that is the Hawaiian Islands. The tee boxes and fairways are a bit shaggy. Drainage can be a problem. Worm casings cover many of the greens, and deer hoofprints crisscross […]
First Peek: Rancho San Lucas
By Brian McCallen Showpiece of an 834-acre resort community that bellies up to the Pacific 15 minutes from Cabo San Lucas, the newly opened Greg Norman-designed course at Rancho San Lucas is sure to be hailed as Mexico’s next great venue. Norman throttled back the bulldozers to create a low-profile layout with sweeping ocean […]