Q&A: Golf Course Architect David McLay Kidd
It’s almost 25 years since David McLay Kidd burst onto the scene with the design of Bandon Dunes’s original and eponymous course. Since then, the Scot, who now calls Bend, Ore., home, has established himself as one of the leading architects of his generation with a number of top-ranked designs both public and private. At […]
Best Drivable Par Fours
It’s not often on the PGA Tour that you witness crowds roar merely because a caddie has handed his player a wood instead of an iron. Drivable par fours provide that experience. Par fours that are designed to be driven under the right circumstances, based on yardage, weather, or course conditions are among the most […]
10 of the Best U.S. Courses with No Water
Ask most golfers about the type of hazard that beckons most ominously during a round and there’s a good chance they’ll go with “water;” from oceans, bays, and Great Lakes to rushing rivers, tranquil streams and man-made ponds that can swallow golf balls by the thousands. At the same time, water can bring an undeniably […]
Golf’s 18 Most Famous Holes (Front Nine)
Over the years, we’ve all seen a thousand lists ranking golf’s 18 “best” holes. But seldom have we come across any naming the best-known holes in the game. Whether it be by TV exposure, social media fandom, or just plain old reputation, certain holes acquire a measure of fame over time. They may not be […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 82: Must-Visit One-Course Destinations
It can be difficult to stand out as a golf destination with only one 18-hole course, but as Digital Editor Al Lunsford and LINKS contributor Erik Matuszewski have learned, there are a few one-course clubs that golf aficionados need to add to their bucket list. This season of the LINKS Golf Podcast is presented by […]
Our Favorite Putting Courses
The current trend among golf resorts to add expansive putting courses to their offerings has its roots in the Home of Golf, where the St. Andrews Ladies Putting Club was created in the 1860s to give respectable ladies a place of their own to enjoy the game. Better known as “The Himalayas,” the enormous, undulating […]
Top Short Course Openings for 2021
One of the noteworthy shifts the golf industry has experienced in recent years is the increased popularity of shorter courses, frequently as a complement to traditional courses at established facilities or in golf-rich locations. As such, this installment focuses on some of these alternative offerings: par-3 courses, 9-holers, and courses featuring a non-traditional number of […]
5 Public U.S. Courses I HAVE to Play in 2021
I’ve been extremely fortunate to play some of the country’s finest public courses over my 30 years of life. I got my first taste of Pinehurst playing No. 2 shortly after it’s restoration in 2011. In 2012, my dad and I took on Pebble Beach and for the first time I was able to enjoy […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 67: An Extraordinary Golf Trip with David McLay-Kidd
Tony Dear has been friends with Scottish golf course architect David McLay-Kidd for many years, and recently joined the designer of Bandon Dunes and Mammoth Dunes on a trip to preview McLay-Kidd’s new short course at Washington’s Gamble Sands. On his way there, Dear flew with McLay-Kidd—a licensed pilot—but altered course on the journey home […]
QuickSands — How Much Fun Can You Handle?
I’m standing on the tee of the downhill 13th at the new QuickSands Course at Gamble Sands in central Washington, thinking that putter is probably the play. No question, actually. Really, the 13th sums up the tantalizing challenge of QuickSands perfectly. The hole may be playing 92 yards, but the tee sits about 50 feet […]
