Letter from St. Andrews: Out of Left Field
Very seldom do I stray from my beloved St. Andrews nest to other parts of Scotland, but when I do, I invariably discover something interesting—or odd. Case in point, a recent lost weekend in the Highlands wherein I took a counterclockwise route that included stops at the Trump property near Aberdeen (a truly spectacular site, […]
Letter from St. Andrews: Head, Heart, Hands, Health
In the mind of any clear-thinking golf aficionado, surely there is no longer a question of whether Tiger Woods is the greatest player of all time. All you Jones Junkies, Hogan Huggers and Nicklaus Nuts can put your placards down, because your boys just aren’t part of the conversation anymore. And please don’t try to […]
The History of Golf and Royalty
No country takes royalty as seriously as the United Kingdom does. Although the British crown is no longer the seat of government, it still holds plenty of historic, symbolic and popular interest. Members of the royal family are celebrities, and titles bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II are coveted rewards of status and accomplishment. It’s an […]
Naples National Golf Club, Florida
Let’s see. Florida. That should mean loads of mounds, plateau greens tipped toward the line of play to ensure visibility, plenty of palm trees, big frothy bunkers, including two at every green to force the approach shots to carry. Sorry, not here. Naples National starts with the forceful personality of Dr. Charles Benton, a successful […]
Old Memorial Golf Club, Florida
In 1994 Outback Steakhouse founders Chris Sullivan, Bob Basham and Bob Merritt decided to move ahead with their dream of building a national golf club in their hometown of Tampa, Florida. After securing a 312-acre sandy site just 15 minutes from the Tampa airport, Steve Smyers built a course on a pure, undisturbed sanctuary where members and guests can […]
An Understated Classic: Timuquana Country Club
Long before David Duval soldiered to victory in 2001 over the hard-and-fast links of Royal Lytham and St. Annes, his father sagely predicted that son David’s first major title would be a British Open. Formidable on any course, Duval’s length, creativity and steely focus seemed particularly suited to the challenges of links golf. Firm, running […]
World Woods Golf Club, Florida
Less than 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, World Woods Golf Club is located in the heart of Florida’s Nature Coast, a bountiful and unique region of Florida that was virtually undiscovered by resort developers and the growing snowbird population. It was a 90-minute drive from the Orlando and Tampa airports, and in […]
Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort
Jack Nicklaus may have hailed from landlocked Columbus, Ohio, but his career has been tied to the ocean from the very earliest days. While practicing for the 1961 U.S. Amateur Championship he would go on to win, where Nicklaus first lost his heart to coastal California and the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Later, he […]
The Ultimate Private Club: Cherokee Plantation
I knew I was in a special place my first morning at Cherokee Plantation when a mule-drawn carriage arrived at the front door to carry me to breakfast. For a moment, I felt as if we had been transported back to Victorian England. Or maybe it was Tara. Cherokee may be the most exclusive club in the world. […]
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club, Myrtle Beach
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, evokes one of those enduring layouts that were created at the heyday of golf course architecture in the 1920s. Why shouldn’t it look and play like a work of creative genius? Its designer, Mike Strantz, after all, is doubly skilled as a craftsman of both turf and fine […]
