9 Best Par Threes on the Open Championship Rota
Ever since eight competitors first encountered Prestwick’s 167-yard 3rd hole—called Tunnel (Red)—at the inaugural Open Championship in 1860, par threes have played a significant role in the outcome of golf’s oldest major tournament. Only 12 holes then, Prestwick expanded to 18 holes in 1882, then fell off the Open Rota after 1925, but its challenging […]
Assigning Personalities to the Open Championship Venues
Examining the courses of the Open Championship, let’s view them not from best to worst but rather as unique examples of different personalities In a recent interview, rock icon Nick Cave revealed an unexpected interest in the Enneagram, a system of inter-connected personality types linked to the early-20th century mystic Gurdjieff. This interest in psychological […]
How Muirfield Challenges the World’s Best – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 118
With 16-time men’s Open Championship host club Muirfield set to stage its first AIG Women’s Open on August 4–7, the LINKS Golf Podcast team sat down with Grant Moir, Director of Rules at The R&A, to break down the test the course provides, the differences in setup between a men’s and women’s Open, and future […]
18 Exceptional Golf Courses in the Shadow of the Open Championship Venues
“Why then the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.” —The Merry Wives of Windsor Smiling at these words, you put down your book of Shakespeare and fall into a deep sleep. Now begins a remarkably vivid dream that fuses the quote with your other favorite subjects: golf and travel. The dream begins […]
Architecture 101: Routing
I am a dinosaur when it comes to computer-aided design, still clinging to pencils (and usually golf pencils, at that), erasers, and sheets of tracing paper when sketching out a golf course. I wear out erasers, and when working directly on a topographical map I sometimes wear out the map. The first stage of course routing […]
Jack’s Place: Muirfield Village Golf Club
It all began as an idea in 1966 from then 26-year-old Jack Nicklaus while sitting at Augusta National Golf Club. That’s when Nicklaus says he first thought about hosting a golf tournament near his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. “I’ve spent more time and effort on Muirfield Village than any place else,” says Nicklaus, who named […]
My Courses: Gary Player
Very few golfers have played such a global variety of golf courses as Gary Player—the nine-time major champion shares his answers here in “My Courses” MY FAVORITE COURSE: If you were asked to choose your favorite rugby player and your child happened to be a star, you would have to pick him, right? So, I’ll […]
Great Courses of GB&I: Dunbar Golf Club
Scotland’s self-proclaimed “Golf Coast” offers some illustrious options for traveling golfers. But while Muirfield and North Berwick get most of the headlines, nearby Dunbar Golf Club more than holds its own. First laid out in 1856, and later redesigned by Old Tom Morris, Ben Sayers, and James Braid, this seaside East Lothian links regularly hosts Open Championship […]
The Best Course I’ve Never Played
By Adam Schupak As the old American Express tagline suggested, membership has its privileges. For some big-name golfers, celebrities, architects, and administrators, membership in the game’s A List means access to the cathedrals of the game. As Wayne Gretzky put it, “I don’t mean to sound egotistical, but since I’ve retired I’ve played Augusta, […]
From Our Readers: A Love Affair with Scotland’s Muirfield
A subscriber shares his experience at one of Scotland’s most iconic Open Championship venues By Clive Greaves I first fell in love with Muirfield on the occasion of my first visit some 50 years ago. I have been fortunate to return quite a few times in the intervening years and my passion has only increased. […]
