5 of Golf’s Underrated Course Architects – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 166

Co-hosts Joe Passov and Al Lunsford look into multiple eras of golf course architecture and choose a few of the designers who deserve greater acclaim in this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. You can subscribe to the LINKS Golf Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. _______________ What did you think of the […]
Golf’s Greatest Reveals

A round of golf usually includes some memorable moments—a birdie at your nemesis hole; a sensational sunset; a good laugh with playing partners. Or, perhaps, an incredible and unexpected view that stops you in your tracks. An article about the best reveals in golf could be a dangerous thing, though. Common to the most exceptional […]
6 Great Double Dogleg Holes

During the first few decades of the 20th century, architects A.W. Tillinghast and C.B. Macdonald often engaged in good-natured debates about course design. While Macdonald favored the strategy of implementing template designs, Tillinghast most often let the natural land dictate a hole’s inherent shape and strategy. That said, Tillinghast—who garnered the nickname “Tillie the Terror” […]
Golf Course Architect Andy Staples – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 159

Golf course architect Andy Staples joins co-hosts Al Lunsford and Joe Passov to begin Season 15 of the LINKS Golf Podcast. Staples discusses his thoughts on the rollback of the golf ball, his well-known work creating two new courses at PGA National Resort in Florida, his current projects, and much more. You can subscribe to […]
The Designs of Tiger Woods – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 158

In the final episode of Season 14, the hosts dive into Tiger Woods’s growing career in golf course architecture, discussing his earliest courses, design philosophy, and projects currently in the works. This episode is presented by Wild Dunes Resort. You can subscribe to the LINKS Golf Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. _______________ What […]
Thad Layton Starts New Design Business as Arnold Palmer Design Folds

Until early September 2023, when it was announced that the Arnold Palmer Design Company would be shutting its doors, Thad Layton, a senior architect for the firm, would go into meetings knowing Arnold Palmer had his back. No, the great man might not have actually been present for the last seven years (can it really […]
No Repeat Par: Examining One of Golf’s Unique Routing Quirks

When “The Other Course” at Scottsdale National Golf Club debuted in 2016, much of the focus was that the dramatic routing had been built from an almost pancake-flat piece of property by moving 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt. But the layout, from the design team of Tim Jackson and David Kahn, is among the […]
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake): Flat Out Great

Despite, or perhaps because of, its lackluster landscape, Royal Liverpool—better known as Hoylake—can still be counted on to provide a bumpy and exciting Open Championship By the time the opening tee shot is struck at the 151st Open Championship, avid golfers who have consumed every preview they can find will have grown weary of reading […]
The Value of Variety in Golf Course Design

As the spice of both life and golf (many readers will consider them one and the same thing), the importance of variety cannot be overstated. Imagine a course without any; where every nondescript hole looks and plays much the same as the others—how uninspiring and utterly forgettable. Alister MacKenzie spelled out how fundamental variety was to […]
Los Angeles Country Club: Ready For Its Close-Up

Los Angeles Country Club’s storied, if mysterious, North Course earns the U.S. Open spotlight It’s time to pull back the curtains. After an absence of 75 years, the U.S. Open is returning to our nation’s second-largest city and to a first-time venue, the Los Angeles Country Club. Course connoisseurs are salivating at the prospect of […]