Beyond Bethpage: America’s Biggest Municipal Golf Properties
There are more than 11,000 golf courses in the U.S. open to public play. Approximately one quarter of those are municipal courses—or “munis”—meaning they’re owned or operated by town, county, or state governments in order to provide golf as a recreation for local residents. Among the most well-known munis are Bethpage Black, one of the […]
Golf’s Most Exhaustive Tests
Bethpage Black is golf’s ultimate taxing test Some golf courses challenge with gargantuan length, others with a parade of hazards. Add slick, undulating greens, fairways squeezed by long grass, and targets shrunk by stiff breezes and you have some of earth’s toughest courses. A select few among those brutes will flat out exhaust you by […]
Top 10 Courses: New York
Here’s our list of the top 10 courses in New York, also known as the Empire State 1. SHINNECOCK HILLS, Southampton The site of five U.S. Opens with a sixth on the way in 2026, its 18 stern and captivating holes unfurl dramatically across rolling, golf-perfect terrain, culminating at an iconic hilltop clubhouse. 2. NATIONAL […]
10 of Golf’s Polarizing Par Fours
When my parents lived in the golf mecca that is California’s Monterey Peninsula, they were never further than a flip wedge off some fairway, even while moving several times. One of their stops was the secluded Quail Lodge in the Carmel Valley, where I always seemed to head to the back nine with conflicting feelings. […]
Dream Nine: Par Fives
The par five. The one hole in golf where almost anything is possible. The longest holes on a course give golfers a chance to imagine the possibilities. A legitimate chance at birdie…or even that rare shot at an elusive eagle. But as many of us know, par fives can often show their teeth, generating double […]
Dream Nine: Par Threes
The par three. Whether it’s the shorter distance, the allure of a possible hole-in-one, or a breathtaking scenic backdrop, the par three is often the illustration of the most fond and lasting memories from a particular golf course. With that in mind the premise is simple: If you could create a nine-hole golf course comprised […]
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 […]
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 […]
Top 10 Courses: Long Island
Home to classic major championship venues, breathtaking modern layouts, and everything in between, Long Island has long been a favorite summertime destination for avid golf travelers. Whether you’re spending the night in your car to save your place in line for the “People’s Country Club” or lucky enough to tee it up at one […]
Who Really Designed Bethpage Black?
By Tony Dear A while ago, we asked who deserved the credit for how a golf course turns out—designer, design associate, construction foreman, re-designer, restorer, renovator, shaper, superintendent, some of the above, or all of them. It’s an especially pertinent subject at Bethpage Black as a question mark hangs over the identity of the […]