How Would You Rank These Golf Destinations: Scotland, Ireland, and England?
Is Royal Troon the Weakest of the Open Rota Courses?
Let’s make one thing clear from the start: the Old Course at Royal Troon Golf Club is one of western Scotland’s premier links. It wasn’t chosen to host the Open Championship 10 times for nothing. Its seaside location in Ayrshire, its long and proud history, the warmth of the club’s welcome, and the number of […]
Top 10 Fun Facts About Royal Troon
Since its earliest days in the 1870s, Royal Troon has epitomized a traditional club environment and proper championship golf. Yet, as this storied venue on the west coast of Scotland prepares to host its 10th Open Championship, the one constant has been change, in a desire for improvement. With an eye on the soon approaching […]
Assigning Personalities to the Open Championship Venues
Examining the courses of the Open Championship, let’s view them not from best to worst but rather as unique examples of different personalities In a recent interview, rock icon Nick Cave revealed an unexpected interest in the Enneagram, a system of inter-connected personality types linked to the early-20th century mystic Gurdjieff. This interest in psychological […]
Golf’s Most Patriotic Courses – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 174
In celebration of Independence Day, the hosts go in-depth on a group of golf courses that are patriotic either in name, purpose, location, or all of the above on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. You can subscribe to the LINKS Golf Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. _______________ What did you […]
Geoff Shackelford: A Plea for the Wee Par Three
No hole in golf offers a richer combination of fun and fright for pros and amateurs alike than the short one-shotter The wee par three is having a moment. Surprising as it is to believe, the little knee-knocking, heart-stopping thrillers had fallen out of favor, one-shotters under 155-or-so yards becoming victims as developers and architects […]
6 Historical Public Golf Courses Across New England
Across much of New England, you’ll find a bevy of golf courses that are steeped in history. Recent U.S. Opens provide proof of that—The Country Club in Brookline enjoyed its latest time in the spotlight a few years ago and, more recently, Newport Country Club took front-and-center as the Tillinghast classic hosted the world’s best […]
Who Is Your Pick to Win the 2024 Open Championship?
My 10 Favorite Par-Three Holes at Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with an event that coincided with the grand opening of the resort’s seventh course, a 19-hole Par-3 course which trundles over a parcel of land that is captivating yet too severe to accommodate a full-length layout. Named in honor of the land’s previous caretaker, this new addition—Shorty’s—is […]
Great Courses of Britain & Ireland: Royal Dornoch Golf Club
History and mystique distinguish the most natural links in the world Dornoch is a supernatural place. It was here in the 18th century that Janet Horne, “the last witch in Scotland,” was summarily executed. Ever since, Royal Dornoch has cast a spell over golfers. Situated in the far north of Scotland, Dornoch is 600 miles […]