10 Hidden Gems in England
England is a long way for American readers to go—and when they do, they’re likely to head to Open Championship venues and/or Surrey and Berkshire’s world-renowned heathland layouts. But we know there’s a small percentage of readers who go often and for whom the historic courses are old hat. Those are probably familiar with a […]
Gil Hanse’s Architecture 101: Still On the Tee
Still on the Tee: There’s more to the importance of tee design than you—and the author—suspected We have already determined three things relating to the position of tees: 1) The routing of the course will establish the location of the tees; 2) The strategy of the hole will determine the angles of approach that each […]
Golf’s Meanest Greens
Destination Yipsville: The meanest greens in golf belong to Oakmont Country Club Gene Sarazen once described Oakmont as possessing “all the charm of a sock to the head.” The smackdown begins at the first green and never lets up, due mostly to the ferocity of the putting surfaces, a lethal combination of speed, contour, and […]
The Pros Recommend Your Order of Play at the Country’s Premier Golf Resorts (East)
You’ve booked a trip to one of America’s major golf resorts for a marathon golf vacation. You don’t know when (or if) you’ll be back, so you definitely want to play every course on the resort menu. The question is: If you’re tackling all of them in one trip, in what order should you play […]
Classic Courses: Plainfield Country Club
From revolution to evolution, this more than 100-year-old Donald Ross layout has stood the test of time On the spot where the Revolutionary War’s Battle of The Short Hills was fought in 1777, it is fitting that Plainfield Country Club has given golfers all the fight they can handle since it opened in 1921. However, […]
Sand Valley: America’s Next Great Golf Resort
Bountiful Barrens: Less than five years old, Sand Valley is already America’s next great golf resort—and so much more Gazing out on an August evening from the back porch at The Lodge at Sand Valley, I found it difficult to imagine what this land must have looked like just 10 years ago, before more than […]
A Redan You Can Play in Blue Jeans: Charleston Muni
The first municipal golf course in South Carolina has a new look and new life after a $3 million renovation that was a passion project for architect Troy Miller, who got the chance to overhaul the 91-year-old Charleston Muni—a course he grew up playing and now lives next to with his family. The unique public-private […]
Great Courses of Britain & Ireland: Glasgow Gailes
Surrounded by some of the finest links courses in the world, this lesser-known is very much in their august league With the current difficulties surrounding international travel recede, a visit to the west coast of Scotland is likely to be high on a lot of golfers’ lists. In truth, mere mention of the name “Ayrshire” […]
How Bunkers Show the Evolution of Golf Course Architecture
To understand how golf course architecture has evolved, just look at bunkers Don’t plan on a discussion about Donald Ross’s bunkers being a quick one, especially if you’re talking with architect Ron Forse. After two hours on the phone with the Ross-renovation specialist (well over 50 courses, plus others by Seth Raynor, A.W. Tillinghast, William […]
Top 10 Courses: South Carolina
Here’s our list of the top 10 courses in the Palmetto State. 1. THE OCEAN COURSE, Kiawah Island Both the best and hardest course in this state, arguably the Southeast. Pete Dye’s artistry combines with ever-present wind to produce an unrelenting test of shotmaking and resolve. It hosted the PGA Championship for a second time in 2021. 2. YEAMANS HALL, […]
