Pebble Beach vs. Pacific Dunes
By George Peper From the LINKS Magazine archives… They had really started to annoy me. As innocent and well-meaning as they were, they were also relentless—and so emphatic, so damned sure of themselves. For the better part of three years I had suffered their gushing pronouncements and smug sermons, nodding patiently and feigning enthrallment […]
Scotland vs. Ireland: Which is the Best Golf Destination?
Imagine awakening one morning and being told that a Maserati and a Ferrari were parked in your driveway, ready to roll. Or that 10 cases each of Dom Perignon and Roederer Cristal were on ice in your rec room, or that Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox were perched provocatively on the arms of your […]
Boyne Mountain Resort, Michigan
The Kircher family has never been afraid to dream big. The late Everett Kircher, founder of Boyne USA Resorts, brought skiing to Northern Michigan in 1947 and added golf two decades later, sparking a development boom that transformed this region into one of America’s premier outdoor playgrounds. At Boyne Mountain, the first of Boyne […]
The Balsams Grand Resort, New Hampshire
A lot of golf courses lay claim to the name Donald Ross, but in few of these places do you feel Ross’ presence as strongly as at New Hampshire’s Panorama Golf Course, part of an elegant Dixville Notch resort called The Balsams. This palpable sense of Ross’ genius is probably due to three factors: He […]
The Royal Montreal Golf Club, Canada
Founded in 1873, Royal Montreal is the oldest golf club in North America, and many of its regulations are charmingly old fashioned in this 21st-century golf world. For example, golfers can wear shorts, but only in combination with high-top socks. Royal Montreal’s 80,000-square-foot clubhouse, tastefully festooned throughout with first-rate golf memorabilia and illustrations, oozes […]
Memorable Courses and Spectacular Pacific Vistas in Maui
When you come to Maui on your next golf vacation, go ahead and leave your golf clubs at home, but don’t forget your camera. Because while the golf on Hawaii’s second largest island is spectacular, the dramatic setting is even more so. While you can rent golf clubs, and even golf shoes, at almost all the […]
Mount Juliet Estate, Ireland
Measuring no larger than South Carolina in square miles, Ireland certainly seems like a compact golf destination. But its roads are ribbony and its top courses recede to the country’s perimeter like numbers on a clock face. For less-experienced visitors to the Emerald Isle, the question can be daunting: Where to start? For a […]
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
Dating to 1922 and boasting an impressive roster of homegrown winners Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw and Justin Leonard, the Valero Texas Open has a long, distinguished history. This year, the tournament will begin a new chapter when it moves to its new home, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country […]
The European Club, Ireland
If playing a links is an experience to be cherished, what must it be like to actually develop, own and operate such a course? Pat Ruddy’s demeanor indicates it is a pleasant experience indeed. A bear of a man who always has a warm smile, a welcoming hand and a flash of wit, Ruddy […]
Set Sail on a Golf Cruise
When my wife, Ewa, and I were offered the chance to fill in as co-hosts aboard an 11-day Crystal Cruise golf-themed journey around the British Isles (good friend and PGA Tour TV essayist Jim Huber couldn’t make the trip and graciously suggested us), we jumped at the chance. It’s easy to see why. At […]
