5 Exceptional Holes at Replica Courses
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which means several golf courses across the country are doling out copious amounts of adulation. Of the many courses out there that feature a collection of replica holes—in some cases, a full layout of them—I’ve highlighted five that truly stand out. More specifically, I’ve spotlighted […]
Which Chip Shot Do You Prefer—Flop Or Bump-and-Run?
Classic Courses: Winged Foot Golf Club (West)
Even after 100 years, a timeless design only gets better with age Since the first ball was struck there a century ago, Winged Foot Golf Club has seen plenty of magic (like Davis Love III’s 1997 PGA Championship triumph under a rainbow), anguish (the 1974 U.S. Open “Massacre” with only eight rounds below par), and […]
Shangri-La: Can This New Course Help Oklahoma Become a National Golf Destination?
When one thinks of national golf destinations, Oklahoma certainly isn’t one of the first states that comes to mind. But could a waterfront resort named Shangri-La on Monkey Island change that? In northeastern Oklahoma, on the 46,500-acre Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees, Shangri-La’s ownership group has invested more than $100 million into upgrading accommodations and […]
Wisconsin: An American Golf Mecca
The secret to Wisconsin’s future as a golf destination isn’t dairy cows or cheese. It’s sand. When Mike Keiser looks at Sand Valley, the 78-year-old developer doesn’t see a successful venture so much as he sees potential—not just for the resort, but for all of central Wisconsin to develop into a robust and diverse golf destination. […]
The Value of Variety in Golf Course Design
As the spice of both life and golf (many readers will consider them one and the same thing), the importance of variety cannot be overstated. Imagine a course without any; where every nondescript hole looks and plays much the same as the others—how uninspiring and utterly forgettable. Alister MacKenzie spelled out how fundamental variety was to […]
What is the Best Time of Year to Play Golf?
10 Great Risk/Reward Holes
The label “risk/reward” is applied liberally to golf holes these days. Probably too liberally. Look at any course’s hole descriptions and you’re likely to see it appear at least a handful of times. In reality, there’s risk involved in every swing, and reward to be earned anytime a shot is successfully executed. Strategy comes into […]
Modern Classics: SentryWorld
Wisconsin’s U.S. Senior Open venue earned early fame for its flower hole, but it took a renovation to truly make it blossom When Robert Trent Jones Jr. crafted SentryWorld in 1982, he called the design, “very possibly my Mona Lisa.” After Jones performed a significant redesign in 2014 and a nip-and-tuck in 2021, the smile […]
Must-Play Mountain Golf Courses – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 146
With summer in full swing, the hosts provide suggestions for fantastic public mountain golf courses on both sides of the U.S.—and up into Canada—on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. This episode is presented by Tourism Ireland. You can subscribe to the LINKS Golf Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. _______________ What did […]
