8 States Where the Best Golf Might Actually Be Public
Three-quarters of the U.S.’s roughly 16,000 golf courses are open to the public. You’d hope a good number would show up on the country’s most widely read top-100 course ranking, but there’s room for only 17 of them. The second-most searched top-100 list includes a few more courses where “Joe Schmo” can book a tee-time, […]
The Brilliance and Beauty of Bland Golf Holes
Last year, Colton Craig learned an important lesson about golf course architecture in the most unlikely of places. Walking through the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, full of what he calls “wild exhibits that stimulated the artistic side of my brain,” the Oklahoma City-based designer came to an empty room with white walls. “The vacant […]
6 Hidden Gems in Northern Europe
There are “Royal” clubs and European Tour venues on the Belgian, Dutch, German, and Danish coastlines, so calling them “hidden gems” might be a bit of a stretch… but this is northern Europe we’re talking about. Here’s half a dozen beauties in northern Europe which most definitely warrant a visit. Royal Ostend (Belgium) Unlike its […]
Best Public Golf of Las Vegas
Known primarily for its abundance of entertainment after dark, Las Vegas may actually be one of the more underrated golf travel destinations in the country. With more than four dozen golf courses just a short drive from the Las Vegas Strip, travelers can easily tee it up daily before they take in a show and […]
8 Courses with an Unconventional Number of Holes
Little doubt that you haven’t heard the old golfer’s tale that a standard golf course is 18 holes because that’s how many shots it takes to polish off a bottle of Scotch. It makes for a good story, but alas, it’s a myth. The roots actually extend to St. Andrews, where the links layout now […]
8 Ryder Cup Courses You Can Play
The Ryder Cup has produced memorable moments and legendary matches; yet, aside from delivering a trio of thrilling days of intense match-play golf, the team competition is unique among the sport’s most significant events for the accessibility of its venues. Only six U.S. Open courses (out of more than 50) welcome public golfers. Similarly, fewer […]
12 Golf Course Architects Reveal the Holes They Wish They Designed
Ask any golf course architect what course or hole he or she is most proud of having designed, and most will demur. Typically, they don’t want to single out one as being any better than another. But they do have opinions on the work of others. For this story, I asked 12 course architects to […]
7 of the Strangest Bunkers in Golf
For almost 50 years, golfers have encountered (or avoided) a greenside bunker at the par-three 6th hole at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course that’s shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. It is, quite literally, “Mickey Mouse golf.” The iconic and ironic bunker was completely rebuilt in 2017 and shortly thereafter two more Mickey-shaped bunkers were added at […]
7 Hidden Gems in France
When talking about golf courses in the far north of France to a largely American audience, the term “hidden gem” may be a little redundant. We know many readers are keen travelers and like to experience the game away from home, but it’s likely even the most intrepid won’t know the golf on the Brittany, […]
10 Top Volcano Holes in the U.S.
The most fearsome tee shots in golf are those where the golfer has nowhere to miss. The Volcano green certainly qualifies. A bit of a rarity in the golf design world, Volcano holes have a green that is built up on at least three sides, often appears to be raised above the tee box, and […]
