Bunkers in Baghdad: Bringing Golf to Our Military
In the mountains of Afghanistan, a U.S. Marine Officer carefully lines up his shot. He stands atop a small platform built from two-by-fours, squeezes his grip a little tighter, and fires at his target about 200 yards away. A puff goes up as his dimpled white Callaway hits the rocky slopes about 20 feet […]
George Peper’s Golf Bucket List, Updated
LINKS Editor George Peper As a reader of LINKS Magazine, you’ve likely played golf for more than a few years—and with better than average skill. You’ve played on numerous courses and under all sorts of circumstances. You’ve made shots—and made friends—that will be with you forever. You’ve repeatedly experienced both the pure joy and utter […]
The Best Courses in College Football
College football celebrated its 150th anniversary this season. While Power Five teams jostle for supremacy on the gridiron, many of football’s top conferences also feature some of the best golf programs and courses in the country. Here’s our list of the best courses in each of college football’s Power Five conferences, and the best from […]
The Caddie School for Soldiers
The residents of Elie, Scotland—a quiet, seaside village 13 miles south of St. Andrews—are well accustomed to seeing golfers descend on their town to play the iconic links course there. But the group of men who clambered off a coach in February 2019 with golf travel bags in tow hadn’t come to Elie on a […]
The Future of Municipal Golf Courses
The future of municipal courses in America is a subject of great concern with course closures on pace to exceed openings for yet another year. Many of the approximately 2,500 municipal golf facilities in the U.S. face an uncertain future despite making positive impacts with an often-conflicting responsibility—providing an affordable community recreation option while still […]
Five Things to Know About Club Fitting
If you’re like me and have gone a while with your trusty troop of irons and woods, some days you may find yourself thinking, “I feel like I used to hit that club a little bit longer.” The truth is, you’re likely not wrong. Over time your clubs are depreciating just like anything else you […]
Weather Man: PGA Tour Meteorologist Stewart Williams
From miles away, Stewart Williams could tell the torrential afternoon thunderstorm would douse Akron, Ohio. Sure enough, it poured buckets on the field at July’s Bridgestone Senior Players Championship for a short time, but long enough to wash out bunkers. Just when the maintenance staff had the course ready to resume play, another storm rolled […]
I Was There – 1998 Presidents Cup
Royal Melbourne Golf Club holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I’ve won tournaments, shot my lowest round, and celebrated the International team’s lone triumph at The Presidents Cup, in 1998. In December, I’ll captain our side as we attempt to regain the golden trophy there. For four years, beginning in 2002, this […]
Six of the Most Interesting Driving Ranges in Golf
I tend not to hit more than a dozen balls warming up before a round of golf. Like many golfers, I might joke with those next to me that my good shots are limited, so why waste them? But during my travels I’ve come across a number of unique or unusual practice ranges where it’s […]
Thousand Greens: Match.com Meets the Top 100
Shinnecock, Winged Foot, Oakmont, Olympic—every serious golfer knows the names, but only a fortunate few have played the courses. In contrast to the UK, where the host sites of the Open Championship extend a warm welcome to visitors, U.S. Open venues and other top American courses are, for the most part, shut tight, exclusive bastions […]