Want to Play Pine Valley?
Is this a bait-and-switch? Admittedly, yes. Sorry about that. I’m a lifelong New Jersey resident who’s always lived about an hour from the hallowed grounds of Pine Valley Golf Club and the nation’s perennial top-rated course… and has yet to play it. Sure, I still hold out hope. That’s what we do as golfers—hope and […]
Reimagining The International: Coore & Crenshaw’s Plans for Country’s Former Longest Course
When news broke in early 2021 that Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and other key members of the Coore & Crenshaw design team, would be redesigning the Pines Course at The International in Bolton, Mass., it was unclear at that time how much, if any, of the existing course would be repurposed in those efforts. […]
Great Public Golf in Greater Chicago
For public golf prominence, the Windy City soars high In a city famous for the Bulls, da Bears, the Blackhawks, and the Cubbies (apologies to the White Sox faithful), it’s understandable how golf could take a backseat for rabid sporting interest in Chicago. Don’t be misled, however. The Second City boasts a rich golf tradition: […]
U.S. Golf Courses with Private Airstrips
On a family vacation in Bend, Ore., years ago, I vividly recall playing the Meadows course at Sunriver Resort and being captivated by not only the breathtaking surrounds—the snow-capped mountains, towering pines, and winding rivers—but by the occasional Cessna that would land at the airstrip adjacent to the course. The small prop planes would then […]
Great Courses of Britain & Ireland: Pennard
Often called the “links in the sky,” this Welsh rarity is a windy test of quirks and curiosities Located close to Swansea, Wales’s second largest city, and stretching westward from the intriguingly named small resort town of Mumbles, is the Gower Peninsula, a wonderfully scenic corner of Great Britain. It is a land of beautiful […]
Gone Fishing: The 10 Best Fish-Themed Golf Courses
A reporter once asked Julius Boros when he planned to retire. “Retire?” said Boros, twice a U.S. Open winner who captured the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48. “All I do now is play golf and fish. What would I do if I retired?” Indeed, as leisurely paced, scenic activities, golf and fishing share a […]
5 of the Planet’s Most Remote Golf Courses
A friend of mine recently sent me an email asking if I knew what the world’s most isolated golf course is. He’s an Australian scientist working on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, a volcanic outcropping over 1,000 miles from the next closest land—New Zealand or New Caledonia. While jogging around the island one morning, […]
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 […]