The Top 10 Courses Named for Trees
Trees on golf courses can be loved and admired, but they can also be controversial. Recent trends have focused on serious tree removal. Yet, dozens of clubs owe their very existence to trees, meaning the club’s name incorporates a type of tree. Oaks and pines predominate among this group, so to provide a bit of […]
Characters: Bob Ford
Low-key club pro Bob Ford, of Oakmont and Seminole renown, provides a comforting presence to nervous U.S. Open contestants Please welcome, from Oakmont, Pa., Bob Ford. The vaguely familiar, calmly reassuring voice that greets competitors on the first tee at the U.S. Open belongs to respected club professional Bob Ford. In 2017, late in his […]
Golf’s Boldest Bunkers
Golf’s boldest bunkers belong to Royal Melbourne A bemused smile would crease my face every time PGA-Championship-winner-turned-broadcaster Dave Marr described a par four or par five on TV as “a good driving hole.” What exactly did he mean? The same goes for an expression: “Bold bunkering.” Does that infer the most artistic bunkers? The most […]
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 […]
Top One-Hit Wonder Golf Course Architects – LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 124
On this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast, the hosts discuss the best golf course designers that were “one-hit wonders” in two different tiers: those with one magnificent, standalone design to their name—like the builders of great courses such as Pine Valley and Oakmont—and those who laid out multiple courses yet have one design that […]
The 10 Most Historic Clubs in the U.S.
As with few other sports, golf treasures tradition. Atop the history heap sit the greatest players, the most memorable championships, and the premier playing fields. In the United States, it was the golf and country clubs that fostered the growth of the game, beginning in the 1880s. Which are the most historic American clubs of […]
Golf’s Meanest Greens
Destination Yipsville: The meanest greens in golf belong to Oakmont Country Club Gene Sarazen once described Oakmont as possessing “all the charm of a sock to the head.” The smackdown begins at the first green and never lets up, due mostly to the ferocity of the putting surfaces, a lethal combination of speed, contour, and […]
10 of the Decade’s Toughest Major Championship Holes
In all, 39 championships were played over the last decade and 29 different major champions crowned—equaling a plethora of moments etched in the history of the game. A total of 29 different golf courses played host to majors over the last 10 years—some much more difficult than others. Which were toughest? And more specifically, which […]
10 of Golf’s Scariest Opening Tee Shots
Any first tee can spook you. What happens on the first hole sets the tone for the whole round, so it’s only natural to be nervous when it’s your turn to blast away. That’s why many course designers make their opening holes gentle affairs—to help ease you into your round. But there are some courses […]
