Golf’s Ultimate Encounters with Nature
Pebble Beach delivers golf’s best encounter with nature The most glorious courses not only challenge and entertain, they also transport us into stirring settings that stimulate our senses. For providing the ultimate encounter with nature, one awash in sensory overload, Pebble Beach Golf Links has no peer. It offers elements you can see, hear, feel, […]
Top 12 Scenic Public Courses in America
Get the camera ready—it’s photo safari time. The following list of courses is ranked according to eye candy and accessibility. This roster is limited to public-access courses in the United States that may or may not have hosted major championships or boast superior design, but which definitely overwhelm the senses with scenic beauty and visual […]
Top 10 Courses: Wisconsin
Here’s our list of the top 10 courses in Wisconsin, also known as the Badger State 1. WHISTLING STRAITS (STRAITS), Sheboygan In 1998, Herb Kohler told Pete Dye, “I want a course that looks like it’s in Ireland,” and that’s what Dye gave him, converting a World War II military base into Ballybunion on Lake […]
Modern Classics: TXO
This Texas terror—formerly known as Wolf Point Ranch—puts a premium on strategy, pinpoint play, and one’s skill at wrangling an invitation When Al Stanger contacted Mike Nuzzo about creating a personal golf course near Carancahua Bay, about two hours southwest of Houston on the Gulf Coast, Nuzzo assumed the Texas rancher was really looking for something […]
The Art of Restraint in Golf Course Architecture
It’s a word that has become increasingly familiar to fans of great golf course architecture. The dictionary says “restraint” involves moderate behavior and self-control, and it’s an important trait for a designer to be able to call upon. Tom Doak says it is “deciding not to do something which is just as active a decision […]
Great Courses of Britain & Ireland: Royal Porthcawl
Yet to host an Open Championship, the brute of Welsh golf boasts many hallmarks of great British courses Only a few die-hard advocates of Royal St. David’s and Aberdovey would dispute Royal Porthcawl’s claim to being the finest golf course in Wales. Moreover, many knowledgeable commentators would go further and argue that it is one […]
America’s Most Noteworthy “East” Courses
The game of golf traveled west to the shores of the United States centuries ago, establishing significant golf clubs and courses up and down the country’s eastern shore. Predictably, some of those courses garnered “East” monikers, but as the game ventured west, other notable East-named courses were also created. Here, we spotlight five bucket-list-worthy layouts […]
10 U.S. Golf Holes with the Most “Water Balls”
Who among us hasn’t stepped up to a take a shot, made a quick hazard assessment after surveying the landscape (or waterscape) in front of them, and then pulled a different ball out of our golf bag to play? And how often did that beat-up ball we resigned to losing end up in a watery […]
6 Notable Golf Destinations with Color-Coded Courses
When it comes to naming golf courses, there’s no shortage of popular categories. While we love a clever or dramatic name as much as the next guy, there’s also a place for simplicity; and when it comes to simple yet effective names, the color spectrum leads the way. With that in mind, we’ve highlighted six […]
The Next A-List Golf Architects
On an undeniably tall, slippery ladder, three acclaimed designers are primed to climb to the top rung. Every generation has its own collection of A-List architects. Naming them isn’t hard. A stiffer challenge is identifying who will comprise the next crop. Being an A-List architect means your name is on the short list every time […]