The Best Courses in the Original 13 Colonies
Because golf first took root in America in the 13 original colonies, there’s a preponderance of truly great courses on the Eastern Seaboard
Omni La Costa Resort
New owners, big investment, and a golf overhaul put this Southern California stalwart back on track to greatness
Which is Better? Golf in North vs. South Carolina
North and South Carolina share a name, a border, even a golf hole (Farmstead Golf Links’s 767-yard, par-six 18th, where you tee off in the South and putt out in the North). Many people lump the two states into one geographic region, as in “the Carolinas.” Even James Taylor didn’t bother to differentiate when he sang “Carolina In My Mind.”
Sure, it’s easy to get the two states confused. Both have gorgeous coastlines, sweet tea, and citizens who say “y’all.” But the states are different in a number of ways: The North has more than double the population (9.8 million to 4.7), all the pro sports teams, and a major technology sector; the South has the most charming and historic city (Charleston), better college football, and alligators.
A Video Tour of St. Andrews
New Golf Mecca: Dominican Republic
Forget the doom and gloom. This gotta-play region hasn’t thrown in the golf towel, choosing instead to invest in the game, add new courses and places to stay, and reach out to traveling golfers. It’s where to go now.
New Golf Mecca: Northern Michigan
Forget the doom and gloom. This region hasn’t thrown in the golf towel, choosing instead to invest in the game, add new courses and places to stay, and reach out to
traveling golfers. It’s where to go now.
Rosapenna Golf Resort is Expanding
Despite a continued sluggish economy, this club in the west of Ireland is taking bold steps forward
Carne Golf Links Revisited
Despite a continued sluggish economy, this club in the west of Ireland is taking bold steps forward
My Design at Doonbeg by Greg Norman
The two-time British Open champ didn’t have to do much to the 567-yard 1st at Doonbeg, which is just how he likes it
The Next Great Irish Links
In the way that legendary breaks like “Jaws,” off the north coast of Maui, or “Mavericks,” near San Francisco, are magnets for big-wave surfers, it’s a certain kind of golfer who is attracted to big-dune links courses. They’re hardy and fun-loving, more accepting of quirky design, and, perhaps, a bit more interested in pulling off heroic shots than strictly adhering to a card-and-pencil mentality.
Scotland has its share of big-dune designs—Donald Trump’s new layout in Aberdeen is just the most recent—but the west coast of Ireland is its equal. There’s Lahinch, of course, and bruising Enniscrone, and Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s intense Cashen Course at Ballybunion. But the Big Daddy of them all is Carne, which this past summer opened a new nine that should quickly gain renown as one of the best big-dune circuits in the country.
