Sea Island Ups Its Game Again
Many resorts took advantage of the stillness that the Covid-19 pandemic imposed upon the world to upgrade their offerings to guests. In late summer 2023, Sea Island Resort unveiled a long list of substantial renovations to The Lodge at Sea Island. What was a five-star corner of the resort to begin with has only gotten […]
America’s Most Noteworthy “South” Courses
Some of the country’s best layouts have been branded with a certain directional moniker. Think of the four main points of a compass, and a familiar golf course should come to mind—whether it’s hosted major championships or simply continues to dazzle its guests. After looking at a handful of the country’s well-known “North” courses, we […]
My Favorite Public Golf Holes in America (Back Nine)
After previously naming my favorite front nine public golf holes in America, the back nine reveals some definite biases. There are only three par fours, which might suggest that while most of the world’s holes are par fours (and two of those listed are among my favorite holes anywhere in the world), it’s the threes […]
Tot Hill Farm: A Mike Strantz Gem is Restored in North Carolina
There’s something about playing a Mike Strantz-designed golf course. As an 18-hole exercise, the experience for golfers routinely borders on surreal, with one abstract hole after the next. And there’s a rareness, certainly, given that the artistic “Maverick” gifted the golf world just seven original designs before tragically passing away at the age of 50 […]
Modern Classics: Wild Horse
Another beauty in the Nebraska Sandhills, but this one is open to the public—and very affordable It’s unlikely any public golfer hoping to get the most bang from their buck will ever find a better option than Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg, Neb. Okay, the fact it’s in Gothenburg—not the easiest place to reach, […]
An Early Look at Big Cedar Lodge’s New Cliffhangers Par-3 Course
Big Cedar Lodge’s golf offerings are getting bigger. The resort in southwest Missouri, founded by Bass Pro Shops owner Johnny Morris, has three 18-hole championship courses and is set to become the first golf destination in the U.S. with three different short courses. Big Cedar has a pristinely manicured 9-hole par-3 course called Top of […]
Top 10 Lakeside Courses You Can Play
Many course connoisseurs opine that there’s nothing better than oceanside golf. However, there’s plenty to be said for the glories of golf on a lake. Some lakeside golf experiences deliver so much beauty and challenge that they can vie with any of the top-ranked courses set next to oceans, bays, gulfs, or sounds. Based on […]
8 Noteworthy Municipal Golf Rebirths in 2023
As I walked off the 18th green at twilight at the conclusion of a recent weekday round, the action was just getting started for many other visitors to the new The Park West Palm. The clubhouse’s back patio bar bustled with a young crowd while families mixed with groups of 20- and 30-somethings on the […]
10 of Oregon’s Top Public Golf Courses Beyond Bandon Dunes
For many golfers outside Oregon, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort isn’t just at the top of the list for great golf in the state—it is the list. But as good as Bandon’s golf offerings are, with all five of its 18-hole courses nationally ranked among public courses by every conceivable publication, there is a wealth of […]
The 10 Most Extraordinary Greens in the U.S.
“Putting greens are to golf courses what faces are to portraits,” said pioneering American architect Charles Blair Macdonald. Indeed, it is the infinite variety of golf’s ultimate targets that makes for endless fascination. “Nothing is more enjoyable than to play to a beautifully designed green,” said Robert Trent Jones, who recognized that shaping, contour, and […]
