The 21st Century Wave of Breathtaking Golf Courses
If you like courses that are about real beauty rather than real estate (and who doesn’t?), then you have to agree that we are in the midst of a very special period in the history of golf architecture. Gone, hopefully for good, are the days of large-scale developments anchored on courses whose sole purpose was […]
100 Years of Pebble Beach: Building Spyglass Hill
By James A. Frank In 2019, Pebble Beach Golf Links will celebrate its 100th birthday and host its sixth U.S. Open. To commemorate these milestones, each issue of LINKS Magazine and LINKSdigital between now and then will tell the unique story that is Pebble Beach. Those articles will also be shared here on our website. The […]
Los Angeles Country Club (North) After its Makeover
Restored to its original strategic splendor, the tinsel-town treasure is ready for its close-up Los Angeles is a city with little tolerance for yesterday: Venerable buildings are razed to make way for mini-malls and not-so-freeways cut through old neighborhoods without mercy. Thus, it was a blessed anomaly to see the wiser heads at the Los Angeles Country […]
Your Guide to a Scottsdale Golf Trip
By James A. Frank The first day of fall is already in my mind, which means it’s time to start thinking about winter golf vacations. As soon as I see a leaf drifting toward the ground, I’m making plans. And one of my favorite destinations is Scottsdale, Ariz., where I’ve gone for a long […]
Shenendoah Golf Course at Turning Stone
Why don’t more golf instructors design courses? Teachers understand how real golfers play, which should make them good at building to complement our games. But I can name only one prominent teaching pro who is also an architect: Rick Smith. As a teacher, Smith has worked with countless amateurs as well as Tour pros including […]
Graylyn Goes to Pinehurst
I have great memories of visiting the Pinehurst area as a young golfer. Most summers my dad and I made the three-hour drive from our home in Asheville for junior tournaments, and occasionally short father-son trips. The excitement for my Pinehurst trips was, and still is, rooted in the amount of good golf throughout the Sandhills […]
Graylyn Goes To Streamsong Black
By Graylyn Loomis Few architects are hotter at the moment than Gil Hanse, and none of his upcoming designs are more anticipated than the Black Course at Streamsong Golf Resort in central Florida. I was fortunate to visit Streamsong recently to take a tour of the Black Course ahead of its scheduled opening in late September […]
Stay and Play Golf in San Francisco for Less
With apologies to Tony Bennett, it’s not only easy to leave one’s heart in San Francisco, but your bankroll as well. Digital prospectors have gentrified the city but good: The funky headshops and noodle joints have been overrun by yoga fanatics and finicky foodies. Isn’t there an app to help run these cyber-varmints back to […]
Where to Stay and Play Golf in Saratoga Springs
The bustling upstate New York town of Saratoga Springs offers a wide variety of vacation options, with the best usually found in August. That’s when the abundant area golf courses are at their greenest, and the color green—as in cash—is busting out all over at the storied Saratoga Race Course. In “The Season,” July 21 […]
Timbers Kaua’i Ocean Club & Residences at Hōkūala
Many golf communities boast of their “resort-like” atmosphere. Hōkūala actually is a resort, where Timbers Kaua’i owners can enjoy all the amenities—and get a few of their own. First and foremost is the Ocean Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that has been updated since it was the Kiele course at Kauai Lagoons. The front […]
