Writer's Corner

Tony Dear

La Costa - Mediocre Expectations Become a Magnificent Reality
My cards are on the table: Last November I visited La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., for the first time, determined not to be swayed by its somewhat extravagant claims and a reputation I suspected had been largely self-awarded. Words like "iconic," "legendary," and "synonymous with excellence" popped up on promotional material even though the evidence on our TV screens sometimes painted a quite different picture.

Young Designers Q&A
[Editor's Note: This is the second part of Tony Dear's feature on young up-and-coming golf course designers working around the world today. For the Part 1, visit http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/lollygaggers_need_not_apply.]

More from Tony Dear
Lollygaggers Need Not Apply
The Month Ahead - February
Favorite Golf Course Designers: Gene Bates
Favorite Designers: Bill Coore
Countering the Counterfeiters
Favorite Designers: David McLay Kidd
One World Golf Championship Not Like the Others
Favorite Designers: H. Chandler Egan
Math 101: The Tour Championship & FedEx Cup
What Just Happened in the Walker Cup?
Favorite Designers: H.S. Colt
European Chances at the PGA Championship
Favorite Designers: Alister Mackenzie
Shaughnessy & the Canadian Open: What to Make of it All
Shaughnessy - Arthur Vernon Macan's Crowning Achievement
'Deane Beman - Golf's Driving Force' by Adam Schupak
Preview of U.S. Junior Amateur Championship
European Chances in the Open Championship
10 English Courses You Might Not Know
Favorite Designers: Old Tom Morris
High Maintenance
Can a European Repeat in the U.S. Open?
Match-Play Component Evens Playing Field in NCAA Men's Golf Championship
Favorite Designers: Keith Foster
No Rory or Lee, But There's Tiger & Bubba in Players Championship
Favorite Designers: John Fought
Europe's Chances at the Masters
Favorite Designers - Tom Doak
The Cameraman Never Lies
Favorite Designers: Stanley Thompson
Your Guess is as Good as Mine
One of These Shows is not Like the Others
Favorite Golf Course Designers: James Braid
Superpowers Clash in the Middle East
The Changing Game - 2010 in Review
Forging the Latest Driver Revolution
Who's the Favorite in the Ryder Cup?
Overview of Tour Championship
BMW Championship Preview
Bringing Chambers Bay Back to Life
Bringing Chambers Bay Back from the Brink
Ryder Cup Implications at Deutsche Bank Championship
Greasy Grass & Other Slick Stories on Sunday at Chambers Bay
Observations from Friday's U.S. Amateur
More than Appearances at FedEx Cup
All Eyes on Chambers Bay
What Now for Sahalee?
Not the Ending We Hoped For
Thursday at the U.S. Senior Open
U.S. Senior Open - Wednesday - Confusing Course
Couples Right at Home & Looking Good
Preview of 2010 Open Championship
European Chances at the U.S. Open
Seattle Golf's Master Plan: Is it Happening or What?
Is There a Light at the End of the Tunnel for the Golf Industry?
Nicklaus at 70
Excitement Grows Over Old Macdonald
A Popular Putter Gets New Life
Do the Internationals Have a Chance in the Presidents Cup?
A Room with a View
How Arnie Revived the British Open
BMW Championship Preview - Is Stricker in the Driver's Seat?
Room at the Top
Third Time's A Charm for FedEx Cup
Rough Time Ahead for the Wayward at Open Championship
Will a European Finally Win a U.S. Open?
A Fitting Tribute: Payne Stewart GC Honors the Late, Great Open Champion
The Pacific Northwest's Great - but Largely Unknown - Golf Trail
Europeans Well-Represented in 2009 Masters - Part 2
Europeans Well-Represented in 2009 Masters - Part 1
Rory McIlroy - The Irish Phenom Comes to America
The Life & Times of a Golf Club Maker
Boo Gets Fashionable
What Caused the Most Buzz at the PGA Merchandise Show?
It's the Economy, too, at this Year's PGA Merchandise Show
Should Faldo Be European Team's Captain Again?
The Course that Time Forgot
An Ode to Seve
Whither Luke Donald?
A Euro's Take on the Ryder Cup
A Euro's Take on the 2008 Ryder Cup Matches
Upgrades Underway at this Year's Ryder Cup Venue
Good Morning Vietnam
Reflections on the Champions Tour & Seven-Man Playoffs
On The Ball
Food For Thought
The Second Coming
Time for a Change?
Class Act: Byron Nelson Will be Sorely Missed
An Ode to Saddle Creek
Methodical, Clinical, Resolute, Brilliant
The Big Cover-Up
The Home Stretch
A Day in the Dirt with Doak
Caddie and Comedian at Coeur d’Alene
The Rebirth of Kiahuna
Playing in a PGA Tour Pro-Am
Golf’s Last Action Hero
The Future of Golf Equipment is Near
Mississippi Learning & More
Much Moore to Come
A Look at the 2005 Masters
Letter from America
St. Enodoc – A North Cornish Gem
West Country to West Palm Beach
Norfolk’s Coast A Must for Links Devotees
Fade to Green
Have We Seen the Last of David Duval?
Keeping it in the Family
Tiger’s Year in Review
Red Letter Year for the LPGA Tour
Red Letter Year
Another Stellar Year for Sorenstam
Wake Up Little Suzy, Wake Up
Mad Dogs & Englishmen Go Out in the Midday Sun
Daly Headaches Continue
Don’t Dodge Durango
Scotch Missed
Unbe-wie-vable!

Steve Habel

Old Head Golf Links More than a Fabulous Location
Let me admit something before relating my experience at stunning Old Head Golf Links on Ireland's southern coast: Having the chance to play this course was the impetus for me traveling to the Emerald Isle and, for that, I owe Old Head and its marketing team a huge vote of thanks.

Tralee Golf Club Goes Out like a Lamb, Roars in Like a Lion
When many people think of playing golf in Ireland they fashion wrong-minded ideas that the courses are all a hundred or more years old, fashioned a century or more ago by the whims of Mother Nature and maintained by grass-eating goats rather than mowers and trained turf tenders.

More from Steve Habel
Killeen Course at Ireland's Killarney Golf & Fishing Club Deserves Respect
Old Course at Ballybunion Everything It's Cracked up to Be - and More
Kierland Golf Club: Desert Golf Without a Cactus in Sight
Coore & Crenshaw's Talking Stick
Two of the Best Courses in the Valley of the Sun
La Torretta Rocks Lake Conroe Shoreline
Stark Landscapes at Otherworldly Course in Big Bend Region of Texas
Double Trouble - Grayhawk's Talon & Raptor Courses among the Best in 'Valley of the Sun'
Never a Dull Moment at Reynolds Plantation's Golf Courses
Teravista Grows up as Area Around it Grows Out
Lord Byron's Touch on Display at Riverhill Country Club
Two Flavors of Residential Golf in St. George
Courses at Monarch Dunes a Good Start for Grand Plan
Utah's Kokopelli GC is off the Beaten Track, but Not for Long
Outside the Loop: Two Tracks in Houston Suburbs Draw Golfers
Two Daily-Fee Courses Helping Golf Resurgence in New Orleans
With Nine Courses, Hot Springs Village Has Golf Covered
Coral Canyon & Sand Hollow Make for Great Golf in Southwest Utah
Two Audubon Trail Staples Showcase Golf in Eastern Louisiana
3 Minus 1 Equals Great Golf at Cypresswood
There's Golf Gold in the Red Rock of Southwest Utah
Golf at English Turn is the Real Deal
Texas Courses Try to Survive Heat Wave & Drought
Falconhead GC Ranks atop Daily-Fee Offerings in Central Texas
Double the Pleasure at Michiana's Whittaker Woods & Lake Michigan Hills GC
Tillie's Time-tested Designs Shine at Fort Sam Houston Golf Club
Cupp's Work at Reynolds Plantation Set Table for Great Golf Community
Kingsmill Resort Offers Golf in Splendid Isolation
Irish Eyes are Smiling as Four Major Champions Tee it Up at Home
Coming Up for Cool Air at New Mexico's Angel Fire Resort
Wisconsin's Door County is a Golf Destination, Too
Down by the River - Dye's Course at Virginia Tech
Avery Ranch & Star Ranch among Austin's Best Golf Offerings
Ballyhack an Exacting Test
The Name's the Game at The Gallery Golf Club
A Southern Hills Love Affair
Otsego Club's Tribute Boasts Grand Routing
Black Mesa - Wild & Crazy Fun in Santa Fe
America's Top Short Courses
Courses at Treetops Show Rick Smith's Design Prowess
Orlando's Villas of Grand Cypress Resort is Magical
Two Doak Tracks in Michigan Great Intro to His Work
Omaha Scores with Champions Run
Gaylord CC & Black Bear Highlight Golf in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula
Norman's Design Prowess Shines through at ChampionsGate
Nicklaus's Work at Las Campanas Departure from the Norm
Santa Fe's Love of Art & Nature Shown Local Golf Courses
Two Courses South of Austin Make the Grade
Picturesque Roanoke Courses
Nebraska's Woodland Hills and Highlands GC Examples of Fine Design
Subtlety Usurps Length at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Houston's Tour 18 Has Not Lost its Novelty
Expansive Sandia GC is Downright Friendly
Houston's Memorial Park a Tribute to Lone Star State's Seminal Architect
Living the Good Life at Amelia Island Plantation
Rolling Fairways & Surprises Make Diamondback GC a Lone Star State Jewel
Santa Ana Pueblo near Albuquerque Offers 45 Great Holes
2010 in Review: Lots of Good Golf, Great People & Memorable Experiences
Heightened Expectations at Puerto Rico's El Conquistador
StoneRidge is a Rollicking Rollercoaster of a Good Time
Strantz-Designed Caledonia & True Blue Are Must-Plays in Myrtle Beach
'Golf's Sacred Journey: A Week at the Links of Utopia' by Dr. David Cook
Doak's Work at Rawls Course Exceeds Expectations
Trio of Courses Serve as Great Intro to Myrtle Beach
History Part of Appeal at Alabama's Lakewood Golf Club
Briggs Ranch: Fazio Magic in the Alamo City
'True Links' by George Peper & Malcolm Campbell
Pair of Mobile-area Courses Showcases Architect's Gentle Touch
Elder, Brooks, Williams, Mann among Inductees in Revived Texas Golf Hall of Fame
Pound Ridge is Dye-abolical & Fun
Golf Architects See Light at the End of the Tunnel
Memories Built to Last at Puerto Rico's Rio Mar Resort
Two Austin-area Private Clubs Boast Top Layouts
Terrain Sets Stage for Two Tracks in San Antonio Suburbs
Finding Great Golf in New Mexico Easier than Spelling Albuquerque
Tasty Home Cooking in Tulsa by Heckenkemper
Choices make BlackHorse Golf Club one of Houston's Best
Jones Jr. Let Mother Nature do the Work at Bahia Beach
Colorado's Grand County Offers Quartet of Mountain Links
Bali Hai: Polynesia in the Desert
Kite's Courses at Trump International Puerto Rico Offer a Bit of Everything
Visual Feast & Great Design Herald Success at Patriot GC
Royal Links in Vegas Simulates British Open Venues
TPC Scottsdale Much More than Parties & Famous 16th Hole
Accuracy a Must at Traditions Club, Home of the Aggies
The Bridges Combines the New & Old
Boulders Resort & We-Ko-Pa Far from 'B-Sides'
Natural Elements Make TPC Las Vegas Special
Troon North Golf Club Set the Bar High for Arizona Courses
Going to Carolina in the Pines . . . via Las Vegas
Davis Hits the Spot at Old American & Tribute Courses
Stark, Windswept Colorado GC Tests Champions Tour Pros
Twin Rivers GC a 'Bear' of a Course
Spieth Shines in Bryon Nelson after Struggling to Share State Title the Week Before
Billy Bell's Gems at Industry Hills
Crossings at Magnolia Grove will Challenge LPGA Players
TPC San Antonio Will Test Golf's Best
Texas Hill Country Two-Step at Escondido & Boot Ranch
Fazio Track & National GC of LA all the Talk in Southwestern Louisiana
Target Golf on Cape Cod
First Trip to Augusta National was Worth the Wait
Old & New Make Ocean Edge a Great Experience
Double the Fun off the Beaten Path at Squaw Valley Golf Club
Renovated Brackenridge Park is the Bell Cow for Alamo City Golf Trail
Draw of Golf & Natural Wonders Lead to Powder Horn
OKC's Lake Hefner North Golf Course is a Municipal Jewel
Golf in North-Central Wyoming is Sky-High
Life is Good in Southernmost Texas
Three Crowns' Remediation Done Just Right
Great Golf in Port Aransas & Rockport on the Texas Gulf Coast
Escape L.A.'s Rat Race for some Great Golf at Robinson Ranch
Burnt-Orange & 'Horns Aplenty at UT Golf Club
Timberlake's Mirimichi Closes for Renovations
Snowbirds find Great Golf in small Central Texas Towns
'I've Golfed Everywhere' - Well Almost: A Recap of 2009
The Old Still Defines the New at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club
Birthplace of Champions Tour is Still a Great Test
Revived Oak Tree National Demands its Pound of Flesh
Kite's Work at Gaillardia Brings Hazards to Forefront
Review of The Houstonian Golf Club
Straightforward Golf is the Draw at Redstone Members Course
Don't be Intimidated by Redstone's Brawny Tournament Course
Up & Down in the Hills around Lake of the Ozarks
Osage National & Dogwood Hills in Lake of the Ozarks
Golf is Stocked at Lake of the Ozarks
Up & Down the Lost Pines of Central Texas
Hyatt Lost Pines Resort's Wolfdancer Demands Attention
Golf is Twice as Nice in Keystone
Gold or Not, Breckenridge Golf Club is a Real Treasure
An Inside Look at Liberty National
Talking Rock Bucks Trends with Great Course & Community Vibes
Boulder City Offers Top-Notch Golf Away from The Strip's Glitz
Golf in Southern Oklahoma Boosted by Homes & Native American Gaming
Finding Great Golf in San Antonio is Mission Possible
Texas Golf Course News: Two up, One Down & Two More on the Way
Texas Gulf Coast Courses Back in the Swing After Ike
Champions Tour Returns to City of its Birth
Texas Tour Stops Helped Define Professional Golf
A Friend & Colleague Remembers Bud Shrake
Austin's Lakeway Resort Provides Getaway Close to the Action
Go West to Colorado Golfers!
Redstone Setup Mirrored Augusta National - to a Degree
Two Great - and Very Different - Courses in the Valley of the Sun
A Visit to Colorful Texas Hill Country
Alamo City Offers Lots of Public & Resort Golf
Horseshoe Bay Resort's trio of Courses Show Jones Sr. at his Best
Golf Times 3 among the Casinos in Tunica
Golf at Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas Not for the Timid
Miami Golf is Much More than Doral
Dancing Rabbit Worthy of all the Accolades
Texas Golf News
Hitting the Greens in the Home of the Blues
A Buckeye Bonanza
Floods Destroy Famed Ambush Course at Lajitas
Texas Tour Stops & Courses Stay in the News
Two Great New Courses in New Mexico
Barton Creek: Still the Queen of Austin
SouthWood is a Capital Idea - Southern Style
Golf is Hot & Hopping in the Alamo City
Audubon Trail Becomes Economic Engine for Louisiana
Florida's Emerald Coast Provides Unforgettable Vacation
A Shark Sighting in San Antonio
Nicklaus Gets First Look at Summit Rock over Skywater
Taking the Water Route to Work
Cypress Bend: A Little Piece of Heaven on the Texas-Louisiana Border

Joel Zuckerman

TaylorMade Performance Labs - The Wave of the Future
Golf writers get plenty of perks at the annual PGA Show held in Orlando in late January every year. These include media tournaments at various country clubs or resorts, blowout parties hosted by major (and minor) golf companies, private demo days, and other bells and whistles that are designed to keep them reporting about what's new, different and exciting at "The Show."

The Whims & Fancies of the PGA Golf Show
The PGA Show is coming to Orlando late next week and, once again as is the case in late January of every year, many thousands of pros, buyers, media members, manufacturers and the game's dignitaries will converge at Florida's Orange County Convention Center for four days of meetings, seminars, buying, demonstrations and no shortage of schmoozing.

More from Joel Zuckerman
Santee - Off the Beaten Track & Right off the Interstate
2011 Holiday Gift Guide
McConnell Golf Making a Name for Itself in the Carolinas
England's Golf Coast
Gift Ideas for Your Golfing Father
Sandestin - More Accessible than Ever
Bandon Dunes - Worth the Effort of Getting There
Golf in Beautiful New Zealand
Golf Writers' Extravaganza: The Xona Golf Media Classic
Doral: More Relevant that Ever
Hot Stix Continues to Thrive
Tale of the Whale & More at St. Regis Punta Mita
Biloxi, Beau Rivage & Fallen Oak
Golf Gifts for 2010
Branson Performs On-Stage & On the Course
CordeValle: An Oasis near the Bay Area
The Glories of Pinehurst
Father's Day Gift Guide
A Costa Rica Golf Adventure Appeals to All
Hilton Head & Bluffton: Yesterday & Today
Beautiful Savannah & Its Great Courses
TPC Sawgrass Still a Big Attraction in the Sunshine State
PGA Village: Where the Pros & Tourists Play
Cybergolf Christmas Gift Guide
Old Tom's Kin Scolds Tiger
Midwest Golf Fest
'K-Cup' Means Excellent Golf & Food
A Date with the Golden Bear
The King & I
Red Ledges - and the Other Great Courses - in Park City
Former NFL MVP Discusses Favorite Courses in Lake Tahoe Area
Mark Anderson: Remember This Name
Fripp & Dataw Islands - Two Getaways in Carolina Lowcountry
Ginn Hammock Beach Resort Features Courses by Nicklaus & Watson
Cap Cana - Where the Stars Align
Stay & Play in Vegas
Golf in Jackson - Where the Tetons are Quite Grand
The State of Great Golf in Michigan
It's Never too Late to be Who You Might have Been - George Eliot
40 Years of the Heritage

Bob Spiwak

Memory - A Fleeting Thing
A writer's note in the Methow Valley (Wash.) News sparked a gleam of recognition and failure on my part. She wrote a sort of open letter telling the world that she could not remember peoples' names, even if they are her next-door neighbor.

So You Want to Build a Putting Green
Many golfers have thought about how nice it would be to have a practice putting green in the back yard. Or the south 40. Or the basement.

More from Bob Spiwak
Do Clothes Really Make the Man?
Woes of Prose
Building a Golf Club
Travels with Cram
'The Caddie' by Michael Veron
Changes Afoot at Popular North-Central Washington Track
Playing from the Reds
Waking Up the Golf Course
Being Tiger Woods
Where's the Heat?
Happy Anniversary Golf!
Hacker TV
Lincoln Golf
Bear Mountain Hires new Director of Golf
The Scorecard King
Komen Tourney a Success at Whispering Rattlesnakes
This Guy Loves His Life
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Barbells & Snow Mold
Golf on eBay
Best in Show: ‘Birdieball’
What is This Guy, Some Kind of a Nut?
People You Might Not Want to Play With Again
The Growth of the EWGA
D.Q.’d at the Sani-Can
Collision On Number Eight
The Perils of Princeville
Taking On Bear Mountain
Not a Clue
No Airships Overlooking The Masters
Getting Ready for Golf Again
‘GOLF’ & the Art of Sailing
Golf’s Embarrassing Moments
Getting Back to Basic Bogies

Marino Parascenzo

Oh Carol - A Profile of Great Amateur Carol Semple Thompson
Carol Semple Thompson, who produced one of the finest amateur careers of anyone, anytime, anywhere, was chatting about how she got started. Great golfers took up the game for various reasons. Arnie Palmer did it because he was too small to play football, Chi Chi Rodriguez to get out of poverty. For Babe Zaharias, it was just another mountain to climb. For Carol Semple Thompson, of the golfing Semples of Sewickley, outside Pittsburgh, it was as simple as family.


Bart Potter

The Range Game - Winter is No Time to Shut it Down
One lies on the campus of a Big 10 university. One carries the name of a giant in golf equipment. One is affiliated with a cluster of local athletic clubs. And one is a family business in every sense of the word.

Portland Public Golf: Environment by Design
Quality and challenge rare in municipal golf is the standard at the five courses of Portland (Ore.) Public Golf, not least because of the contributions of some of the golf industry's most-admired architects.


Jay Flemma

The Walla to Walla Tour - A Cybergolf Diary (Part 2)
Day 3 - Gold Mountain (Olympic Course)

5:15 a.m. Seattle

No matter how many times I do it, waking up in darkness isn't for me. My body clock is used to the California hours that all entertainment lawyers keep, even in New York City. (If a Cali lawyer calls you at 4:59 his time and you're not there, as Ian Faith said, "They start screaming like a bunch of Poncey hairdressers.")

The Walla to Walla Tour - A Cybergolf Diary (Part 1)
Day 1 - The Road to Chambers Bay

More from Jay Flemma
Some of the Most Accurately Rated Golf Courses in America
Dan Jenkins Double-Eagles the World Golf Hall of Fame
Jim Engh - The Dakota Kid Gun-Slings His Way to the Top
The Other St. George's
Sorenstam & Faxon Put the 'Pro' in 'Pro Golfer
Upper Montclair Country Club 110 Years Young
Traverse Rock City, Exile on Fishers Island
Dorado Beach Diaries Part 2: Go East, Young Man
Dorado Beach Diaries Part 2: Go East, Young Man
Interview with Geoff Ogilvy - Royal Melbourne, the President's Cup & Golf Course Architecture
Dorado Beach Diaries - Chi Chi Talks Golf & Life
The Dorado Beach Diaries - Golf, Sun & Bacardi
Chuck Klosterman - New Book but the Song Remains the Same
The Architect's Progress - Jim Urbina at Paramount (Formerly Dellwood) Part 1: Meet the Golf Course
Course Review: Seawane Country Club in Hewitt Harbor, N.Y.
Keegan the Kid Ambushes the Fat Lady, Steals 2011 PGA Championship
Endgame - Examining the Most Interesting Finishing Stretches in Golf
Is Rees Jones the Politician of Golf Architects?
Hotlanta! Plenty to Do in the Host City of the PGA Championship
American Athletic Club! Yanks Dominate First Day of PGA Championship
Fear & Loathing on the Major Championship Trail - 2011 PGA Championship Edition
Playing Major Championship Venue Ping-Pong with Ron Whitten
Atlanta Athletic Club - Once Again the PGA Championship is 'Glory's Best Shot
Golf State of the Union: A Mid-Season Report
The 2011 Open Championship: By George, This Sandwich Tastes Terrific
'Deane Beman, Golf's Driving Force' by Adam Schupak
Cybergolf Writer Joins Robert Trent Jones, Jr. in Effort to Save Red Course at Dar-Es-Salam
Glory McIlroy! Rory Wins 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional
Rory Story - McIlroy & Company Demolish Congressional at the U.S. Open
What a Hoot! Rice Owl Michael Whitehead is More Than Just Tiger's Replacement
I Haven't Missed Tiger at the U.S. Open, Have You?
Phil's Birthday Present - He Really Likes Congressional
USGA, PGA of America & Golf Stars Unite to Fight Slow Play with 'Tee it Forward' Campaign
Singing the Congressional Blues - U.S. Open Preview
Nick of Time - Late Heroics Propel Gilliam to 101st Travis Championship at Garden City
Top Seeds Power into Semis of 101st Travis Invitational
Oh You Hans - some Devil! Albertsson Leads Trio of 69s Into Match Play Phase of Travis Invitational
Our Green and Gothic Home
The 101st Travis Invitational at Garden City - Christmas Comes for Amateurs
Don't Say 'Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda' - Go Play Woodmere!
We've all Learned to Spell Charl Schwartzel
Rory-ing in the Pines
Back to the Future - Wide Open Masters Greets 25th Anniversary of Nicklaus's Miracle
Palm Beach Golf Diaries Part 3 - The Fox Club
The Yellow Rose of Winter
Palm Beach Golf Diaries Part 2 - Golf Road, Great Friends of Golf
Palm Beach Golf Diaries: Country Club of Florida - Les is More with Lester George
PGA Village Dye Course in Best Shape Ever
Welcome to the Honor Roll, Laurie Hammer
Rays Shine Brightly - Delray Dunes Outlasts Quail Ridge, Defends Golf Road Cup Title
Roaring on the Palms! Head Pro Rescues Quail Ridge's Cup Hopes With 18th Hole Magic
Quail Ridge, Delray Dunes Reprise Annual Battle for Golf Road Cup
The Best Public Golf in Florida
Hammer Time! Alexa Hammer, South Florida's 'Pocket Paula' May be LPGA's next Breakout Star
Hoosier Daddy! Purdue Grad Overcomes Palm Tree, Wins Senior Amateur Tour Championship
Boilermaker, Former Teacher, 'Tiger' Tamer Lead Field into Final Round of SOS Championship
Birdies, Blue Skies, Bright Smiles Open Senior Amateur SOS Championship
Christmas Comes Early for Senior Amateurs Seeking Championship at Quail Ridge
Pasatiempo with Reba - Blue and Gold, Now and Forever
'Titanic Thompson' by Kevin Cook
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Offers Insights into Celtic Manor
Banks Course at Forsgate Polished to a High Shine
Silva's Red Tail Still the Best Public Track in Massachusetts
Simple Twist of Fate Brings Ballyhack Golf Club to Life
Dustin Johnson, Meet Roberto DiVicenzo
Sunset on Watney's Day May be Sunrise on his Career
Fog Delays Make Potpourri out of PGA Championship Leaderboard
Surf Wisconsin - How to Ride the Turbulent Holes at Whistling Straits
A Day in the Life of a Professional Caddie
Dye-abolical but Fair, Players Praise Fearsome Straits Course
Pete Dye on Whistling Straits
Flintstones, Jerky Boyz, and Scooby-Doo - Teams Set for 10th Annual Potomac Cup Golf Battle
Public Golf North of New York City
U.S. Open Retrospective: McDowell Channels Lou Graham
Pebble Beach: Another Moveable Feast
Weather Turns Cold, Mickelson Heats up at Pebble Beach
Day 1 of U.S. Open: 'Getting to Know You'
The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach: A Cybergolf Diary
Beauty & the Beast - A Hole-by-Hole Look at Short yet Tough Pebble Beach
U.S. Open Preview: The Emerald, Sapphire & Gold of Pebble Beach
'Big Ben' Chimes Midnight for Opponents, Wins 100th Travis Invitational
Garden City Member, Best Friends Advance to Semifinals of 100th Travis Invitational
Biggest Guy, Bigger Heart: Bel Air's Reneker Takes Medalist Honors to Open 100th Travis Invitational
The Travis Invitational Turns 100 Years Young
Tiny Tim Comes up Big
Its Friends Just Call it Sawgrass
Final Analysis: Still Phil the Thrill, Mickelson Coasts to Masters Victory
Thrilling Rounds by Westwood, Mickelson bring Masters Conversation back to Golf
Though Golf & Woods are at a Crossroads, the Masters Endures
North Dakota Golf Trail Sets the State Apart
Kyle Phillips's Verdura Resort in Sicily Will Appeal to Golfers, Aristocrats & Beach-loving Girlfriends
Pro Golf Enters the Twilight Zone
Austin Country Club Review
Terrapin Station! - U. Maryland Golf Course Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Renovation, Reunion
Harding Park's 'Half-Par' Holes Should Provide Plenty of President's Cup Drama
Interview with Jeff Brauer
Potomac Cup Rolls Toward Tenth Anniversary Better Than Ever
Killer Bees Swarm: Maryland Clinches Potomac Cup Before Sunday Singles Begins
The Grand Slam of Golf in the Twin Cities
The Viewer's Guide to the Potomac Cup
PGA Championship in Minnesota: Prairie Home Companion for Golfers
Stranger than Fiction: Foreign Players just Don't Play well in the PGA
Glory Days: Past PGA Championship Courses Steeped in History
Shooting Stars: Club Pros Like Kevin Roman Keep PGA Spirit Alive
Hazeltine National: It's Gonna be a Long Week at the PGA Championship
The 2009 PGA Championship: Hazardous Hazeltine won't Dampen Minnesota's Legendary Passion for Golf
Fractured Fairy Tale: Watson Becomes Golf's 'Casey at the Bat' in 2009 British Open
Glass Slipper Fits Like a Glover: Lucas wins 2009 U.S. Open
The Worst Night's Sleep of Ricky Barnes's Life
Weather Report Suite: Rain, Wind & Heat Can't Stop Major Championships
The Bethpage Open: Fireworks in the Rain?
U. S. Open in a New York State of Mind
USGA to U.S. Open Fans at Bethpage: Have Fun but Behave
The U.S. Open at Bethpage: The Song Remains the Same
Lange Outlasts Lulla to Win 99th Travis Invitational
Day 2 at the Travis: Hoit Defeats Two Former Champions in Semifinals
Birdies, Blissful Skies & Buoyant Hearts Open the 99th Travis Invitational
The Travis Invitational: The Grand Old Amateur Returns
'Our Green and Gothic Home'
Perry's Loss a Story Right Out of Dan Jenkins' Novel
Campbell, Perry Defy 'The Buzz' Leaderboard at 2009 Masters
Restoring the Roar: With Minor Changes to Course Set-up, it's Still the Magical Masters
Book Review & Interview: Tom Coyne's 'A Course Called Ireland'
'Finding Your Zone' by Michael Lardon, M.D.
Dallas Public Golf: Sensations at Last
Colonial in Winter: The Yellow Rose of Texas
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Interview
Comebacks, Playoffs & High Seeds Propel Travis Invitational Into Championship Sunday
St. Padraig & The Monster
The Last Sunset at Beechtree
Valhalla: Heavenly Host to 'The Greatest Sporting Event in the World'
Furious Virginia Rally Falls Short, Maryland Wins Potomac Cup 19.5-16.5
Day 2 of the Potomac Cup: Maryland vs. Virginia - The Cup & the Lip
Red Storm: Maryland Seizes First Potomac Cup Lead in Three Years
The Paddy Wagon Rolls On: Harrington Rides Hot Putter, Outduels Garcia, Curtis to win PGA
Monster's Claws Trimmed, Players Making Moves at PGA Championship
Day 2 of PGA Championship: Motown Monster Makes Mincemeat of Pros
Day 1 Results: The 'Monster' Sleeps Late, Then Wakes & Roars
Tuesday at the 2008 PGA Championship: The Monster Slumbers
PGA Championship Preview: Oakland Hills (South Course): Glory's Best Shot?
British Open Preview: 'Hi, My name is Royal Birkdale and I'm in the Rota'
Rock/Hip-hop Drummer uses Beats, Music to Lower Handicap
Fathers and Sons and the U.S. Open
Glory Pines - Elated Mediate Catches Woods, Forces U.S. Open Playoff
Fathers and Sons and the U.S. Open - Part 1
The U.S. Open at Torrey: No Fairways? No Greens? No Problem!
A California U.S. Open: Golfers Knockin' on the Golden Door
Fan Vote Determines Winner of First Annual Pro Sports Team Challenge
U.S. Open at Torrey Pines - Déjà vu all Over Again
Leaderboard Bunched After First Day of Pro Sports Team Challenge
Eagle Falls to Test All-Stars at Team Challenge
'Slim and None' & 'The Franchise Babe - Golf, God, and Country' by Dan Jenkins
Review of 'Poems 2008,' by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
Mario Lemieux & Hockey Players Favorites in Team Challenge
Diminutive Kelley Wins Travis Invitational
Cold Rain, Warm Spirits as 98th Travis Invitational Begins
The Grand Old Man, The Grand Old Club, The Grand Old Amateur
Course Review: The Creek Club at Reynolds Plantation
Team Challenge Celebrity Golf Tourney
The Art of the Bethpage Overnight - Part 1
The Magical Masters
Clemens Gets Icy Reception, All Sports Should be Shivering
Golf, Love and Sponge Cake
When the Hunter Gets Captured by the Game
John Daly, the Devil's Golfer
Could Fazio's Recent Comments be a Little Strong?
Black Mesa Golf Media Week - Part 3
Black Mesa Golf Media Week - Part II
Black Mesa Golf Media Week - Gilligan's Island with Dinosaurs
'Championships and Friendships: The First 100 Years of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association'
Golden Age U.S. Open Courses Improve with Age
A Look at Lederach Golf Club
A Look at The Architects Golf Club
Sunday - Another Coronation for Tiger
Saturday - A Pleasant Diversion
Friday at Southern Hills
Riverdance - A Shift of Power in the Potomac Cup?
Southern Hills in Retrospect, Part 1 - Blistering Heat, Historic Feat
Southern Hills Flashbacks - Annie get Your Guns, Just not at the PGA Championship
Oklahoma Embraces Texas Club Pro Lardon at PGA
A Look Back: Daly's Long, Strange Trip to Crooked Stick in 1991
John Daly, the Devil's Golfer, Again in Hunt at PGA Championship
PGA Championship - Glory's Best Shot
Perry Maxwell, Golf Course Architect at a Glance
'Golf's Golden Age' is Gold Standard for Golf Books
Southern Hills - The Most Unsung Course of the Majors
An Open Letter to Sergio Garcia & His Detractors
Childhood Dreams Come True
The U.S. Open at Oakmont: Golf, Love & Sponge Cake
Dougherty - Feel Like a Stranger
The U.S. Open - When the Hunter Gets Captured by the Game
Harrington Promises to Take Oakmont Head-On
Is Oakmont Really Such a Monster?
Somewhere in Heaven, Mike Strantz is Smiling
Zach Johnson Wins U.S. Open, Oops, I Mean Masters
Pressel Is Good for the Game
Demon Deacons Repeat as Hootie at Bulls Bay Champions
Hootie at Bulls Bay - Day 2
Knights Joust, 'Noles Chop, Bull Romps at Hootie at Bulls Bay
Overview of Bulls Bay Golf Club
Hootie & the Blowfish, Bulls Bay Set to Rock College Golf
Golf Becomes Bad 'Land of the Lost' Episode
Singular Effort: U.S. Wins Inaugural PTGL Match
The Sun Rises on a New Day in North American Team Golf
Can the New Professional Team Golf League Help America’s Ryder Cup Fortunes?
The Legend of Royal New Kent
The ‘Best New Private Course’ Battles: A Study in Golf Dichotomy
Women vs. Men in Golf: Automatic Bids or Special Favors?
The Virtuoso Performance by Darren Clarke
A River Runs Through It: Potomac Cup Matches Fuel Maryland-Virginia Rivalry
The Battle of Merion
Phalling Phlat – Phrom a Phestival to a Phuneral in Phorty Minutes
Phourteen, Phifteen, New Wedge Leave Mickelson Phillin’ Groovy
An Open Letter to David Duval
Furyk Should Make ‘Extreme Gargling’ A Competitive Sport
The Rise and Fall of a First-Day Star at the U.S. Open
More Postcards from Mamaroneck
Hemingway Would Understand the U.S. Open
The 2006 U.S. Open: The Long Hot Grind Begins
Will the Real Winged Foot Please Stand Up?
Playing the Rawls Course at Texas Tech
Phil Mickelson & Family: It's the ‘March of the Penguins’

George Fuller

Happenin' in Hawaii
I was sitting in the rental car bus in Phoenix, heading back to Terminal 3 for my flight to Kona. The fellow next to me looked depressed. "Where are you headed?" he asked.

The Southern Tip of Baja: Golf as Good as it Gets
As we putted out on the first green of the Ocean Course at Palmilla Golf Club and walked back toward our cart, club manager Jason Ballog turned to me and said, "Now the fun begins."

More from George Fuller
A Visit to Pronghorn in Central Oregon
White Tees, Red Wine - California's Central Coast is a Perfect Wine & Golf Getaway
Hereee's Johnny! - A Kindler, Gentler Johnny Miller Makes His Mark at Silverado
The Green Highway - Stories from Golf in America: Waimea Country Club
The Arizona Biltmore: Inspired by Design
Mad About Maui
New Energy & New Pizzazz at Carmel Valley Ranch
Fit for Royalty - St. Regis Monarch Beach
Omni Orlando at Championsgate
The Phoenician - An Arizona Classic on Top of its Game
Elegance & Oddity: Las Vegas through the Eyes of a Golfer
Of Milk Shakes, Pars & Pinot Noirs
Basking in Calaveras County's Golden Glow at Saddle Creek Resort
Golf in the Canadian Rockies: Big, Bold & Beautiful
Mission: Extremely Possible - Santa Barbara Soothes the Heart, Soul & Golf Game
Big Fun on the Big Island
The Perfect Summer to Visit Scotland
High Desert Masterpiece at Dove Mountain
Expect the Unexpected at Resort at Pelican Hill
Water, Water Everywhere
The Sweet Side of Florida
The 'Re-Hipping' of Palm Springs Golf
Travels with Keoki – A Week in the Islands
Sandy Lane – Just Monkeying Around
Golf in Scottsdale – Between The Rocks and a Hard Place
The Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa
Cowboy Golf – The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort
Look Homeward Angel – Lessons Learned in Scotland
California Dreaming – When the PGA Tour Heads to Southern California, So Can You
Here Today, Gone to Maui
Aviara: Where Golf is First & Foremost
Golf Makes a Splash On the Sea of Cortez
Two Newly Opened Courses Enhance Oahu’s Allure
Permanence Prevails at the Home of Snead
All’s Well That Ends Well – Trump National Golf Club at Los Angeles

John Torsiello

Completing the Menu at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
In December I told you about two of the four "other" public golf courses at the Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina, Osprey Point and Cougar Point.

Playing Two of the 'Other' Courses at Kiawah a Real Treat
You are going to hear lots of talk, and rightfully so, about the Ocean Course at Kiawah, S.C., during the next year or so. The Pete Dye layout, which has eight holes nestling up against the beaches and the Atlantic Ocean, is hosting next year's PGA Championship and was the site of the classic "War by the Sea" Ryder Cup back in 1991, as well as the 2007 Senior PGA Championship.


Dave Droschak

Mike Strantz's Utterly Unique Tobacco Road
Playing Tobacco Road Golf Club during its grand-opening round with architect Mike Strantz more than a decade ago now, I hit what I thought was a horrible drive on No. 15, striking it some 50 yards off-line to the right. As I cussed my way off the tee, Strantz interrupted my tirade with a "that's perfect" utterance.

The Outstanding University Courses at Duke, North Carolina & NC State
With nearly one-third of the national basketball championships over the last 30 years shared between three schools in a tiny pocket of central North Carolina dubbed the "Triangle," no concentrated, 30-mile area in the nation can match the prowess and star power of the hoop programs at Duke, North Carolina and NC State.


Rob Duca

Water, Sun, Sand & Tough Golf in Cancun
Mexico is not often on the short list these days for vacation destinations. While the country offers miles of white, sandy beaches along the warm, turquoise Caribbean waters and ample activities such as golf, water sports, snorkeling and a wide variety of nightlife and dining options, safety concerns have caused some people to look elsewhere when planning their winter retreats.

Scotland - A Golf Excursion of a Lifetime
Eleven days, 10 rounds of golf, the ball in my pocket more often than I care to mention, and I returned home with these thoughts driven into my subconscious:


Craig Smith

A Q School Tale - Richard Lee
The saying goes that "Q School is about stories," and one of them in 2011 has to be the pep talk Richard H. Lee received from his wife after a fourth-round 78 during the six-round grind in early December in La Quinta, Calif.


Blaine Newnham

The Turnaround Artists
Sometimes it is as simple as cutting the rough. Usually it isn't.

Designing 'Playable' Golf Courses
Phil Mickelson wasn't whining. He was just stating the obvious. Many of today's golf courses are too difficult for those trying to play them.

More from Blaine Newnham
Be a 'Divine 9' Writer
Barney Adams is on the Right Track
You can Play a U.S. Open Venue Today
To Ireland and Back - Day Seven
To Ireland and Back - Day Six
To Ireland and Back - Day Five
To Ireland and Back - Day Four
To Ireland and Back - Day Three
To Ireland and Back - Day Two
To Ireland & Back - Day One
Memories of Brian Lanker - My Best Friend
Al Capone & More in Palm Springs
The Building of the Par-3 Course at Bandon Dunes
Interviews of a Lifetime
Welsh Golf
Changes Afoot in Tahoe Area
Flexibility of Chambers Bay Alluring to USGA
Longitudes & Latitudes Meshing at Chambers Bay
The Greenswards at this Year's Senior Open
U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Setting New Standards
Fred Couples is Coming Home
Was Pebble Beach Unfair or Did It Reveal the Open Champion?
Prime Time at Pebble
U.S. Open Starter Nears Final Hurrah
Thursday at the U.S. Open: A Blue Bird Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach - Still 'America's' Golf Course
The First Decade of Bandon Dunes
Chambers Bay Getting Prepped for U.S. Amateur
The Golf Course that Tried to Survive - And Did
Alabama's Gulf Shores - A Different Destination
Hybridizing the Golf World
Ryan Moore Does His Own Thing
The Art of Golf Course Design
USGA Continues to Think Outside the Box
Bally Bandon Sheep Ranch: A Throwback to Simpler Times
Old Macdonald Comes to Bandon Dunes
MacKenzie's Pasatiempo Reborn
The Gifted Life of a Young Golf Course Architect
Review of White Clouds Golf Course in Sun Valley
Reflections on the Open Championship
Renoblog6
Renoblog5
Renoblog4
Renoblog3
Renoblog2
Renoblog1
Old Macdonald Has a Course
Golf in Ireland Over the Years
How to Survive Playing Nine Courses in a Day
The Mystique of Hogan & Woods
Are Rangefinders Worth It?
Shooting 74
Golf in Reno-Tahoe
A Glimpse at the Birthplace of Golf

Crai S. Bower

Greens Aplenty on Prince Edward Island
What golfer worth his gap wedge would forego another 18 to ride his bike? But that's just how cool the Cavendish Trails on Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Atlantic Canada are, 60 kilometers of shoreline climbs and dips containing cross-country tracks that wind around inlets and ponds, through balsa forests and over bridges.

Courses You Can't Play - Membership has its Privileges
"…You can play." Those three words at the end of the golf magazines' "Top Courses You Can Play" drive daily-fee golfers nuts. Even if we can tick Monterey Peninsula, Pinehurst and Bandon off our checklist, we secretly crave just one journey 'round a mythical course named Pine Valley, Augusta National or Oak Hill.


Bob Sherwin

Couples Returns Home in Good Health
It was the end of the line for Fred Couples. His fragile back, which had impinged his play throughout his professional career, finally had eaten away at his psyche.


Paul Ramsdell

2011 U.S. Junior Amateur Gives Tindall the Chance to Reminisce
When the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur comes to Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash., this July, it will have been 51 years since Bill Tindall won the championship. This time around, he'll experience the Junior Amateur in a different way . . . through the eyes of his 13-year-old grandson Leo.


Tom Cade

A Round of Golf with Mike Keiser - The Visionary behind Bandon Dunes
In early April, while attending a media day at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in advance of this summer's U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championships, I was asked while standing near the putting green of the resort's Old Macdonald course whether I'd seen the day's pairings for the round of golf. I hadn't, and was told I would be starting on the first tee of the shotgun start, and that I would be playing in a foursome with Mike Keiser.


David Wood

International Invasion at the 2011 Honda Classic at PGA National
Is the international dominance in golf back? Remember when Nick, Seve, Woosie, Bernhard, Sandy and Jose-Maria ruled the roost in the late '80s and early '90s? Well now the top four golfers in the world are all European and if Rory McIlory wins the 2011 Honda Classic at PGA National this week, they'll have the top five. The Europeans are back with a vengeance.

PGA Tour's 2011 'Florida Swing' Hits PGA National & the Mighty Bear Trap
It shapes up to be an exciting week as the PGA Tour rolls into Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for the annual Honda Classic. The $5.6 million event seems to be gaining more panache every year.


Rick Corcoran

Old Head: A New Irish Experience
Despite its name, Old Head, which opened in 1997, is a newborn babe compared to these others, but it's remarkably mature and, like the finest Irish whiskeys, will get better with age. While the big names offer their own brand of links golf, Old Head boasts some of the most spectacular vistas found anywhere in the world.

Built on 220 acres that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean on a thin land mass that connects Kinsale to the course, Old Head is like playing on a little diamond-shaped island within an island. The property is surrounded by water and 300-foot-high cliffs that give the Ireland's Ring of Kerry a run for its money scenery-wise. If you're looking for a true links experience, the above courses offer that. But at Old Head, you're assured of an unforgettable visual experience as well.

A Look at Golf in the Far East – Part 3
Part 3. Bang-Bang, Knock-Knock

Editor’s Note: In this three-part travelogue, Cybergolf’s Rick Corcoran writes about his experiences of a September 2004 golf trip to Thailand. Rick discusses his experiences on and off several golf courses, and lends his personal observations of an exotic country in the Far East. Based on what he chronicles in this Thai adventure, we don’t believe Rick will ever be the same.


Wayne Mills

Penultimate Holes Play Crucial Role in Golf Design & Tournaments
Oftentimes great golf competitions and even club matches come down to the final hole. Most golfers and many architects believe you can't have a great golf course without an outstanding finishing hole. But frequently, crucial events play out on the penultimate hole - the 17th - and many of those events have been burned into the memory of golf fans over the years.

New Portuguese Resort Promises Four New Courses
While new golf course development in the United States is at a virtual standstill these days, other parts of the world are moving ahead with large-scale projects. Asia has gotten most of the attention, but now Europe and particularly eastern Portugal will see an entire new resort town, Parc Alqueva, including four new golf courses, built along the recently created Alqueva Reservoir.


Aidan Bradley

Tales of Wayward Buggies
Recently I got the urge to put pen to paper again and, on reflection, I attempted to discern why I agreed to embark on this path in the first place. To be honest, I have lost too many brain cells in the interim and am at a loss to conjure up a plausible answer. When push comes to shove, it's not that important. I have enjoyed the process and hopefully you have had a few chuckles with me.

The Genesis of a Golf Course Photographer
Editor’s Note: This is the first of what will be several installments in a new forthcoming section of Cybergolf called, Golf Photography. Leading the way is Aidan Bradley, one of the finest photographers in the business. With his inimitable Irish wit, Aidan will discuss his craft and all the exotic places it has taken him. With this first installment, Aidan tells us how he got into his unique profession.


Nick Campbell

What do John Daly, The Blues Brothers, & the Olympic Games Have in Common?
Not a whole lot, except for a small city in Oregon.


Dave Andrews

Prediction: Two American Players Destined for LPGA Tour in 2011
The Futures Tour season doesn't even begin until mid-March, but I will go out on a limb and predict that two players will finish the season in the top five on the money list in 2010 and earn a spot on the LPGA Tour in 2011. The top five finishers on the Futures Tour's money list earn automatic entry into the LPGA and "full" playing status for the following year.

2010: A Pivotal Year for LPGA
LPGA Tour players and executives have probably never anticipated an upcoming season more than the one that will begin in late February. Sizable question marks, monumental challenges, and bigger potential opportunities await the tour as the 2010 season approaches. The short-term and long-range future of the tour will be affected by the performance of players in the upcoming year, and decisions by the tour's new leadership will be crucial.

More from Dave Andrews
What the LPGA Could Use for Christmas
Tired of the Tiger Drama? Try the LPGA in 2010
Another 'Big Break' for Futures Tour Players
Three Futures Tour Players are 'Locks' for LPGA in 2010
Is the LPGA a 'Floundering Tour'?
Consistency: The Elusive Goal for Players on the Futures Tour
Hannah Yun: The Youngest Touring Pro in the U.S.
14-Year-Old Amateur to Play in LPGA's First Major of the Year
Song Yi Choi Has Clubs, Will Travel
Changes Continue on LPGA Tour
2009 Futures Tour Tees Off
Membership without Privileges
Could Wie be 'Tigeresque' for the LPGA?
New Foundation to Help Young Women Pro Golfers
Vega Hoping for a Breakout Year in 2009
Free Admission: Where Are the Fans?
Futures Tour Faces Same Problems as LPGA and PGA in 2009
Young Women Pros Will Miss Their 'Grandfatherly' Mentor
It's Easy to Be a Fan of Women's Professional Golf
Asian Players Outnumber Americans in LPGA's 2009 Rookie Class
An Ivy Leaguer Qualifies for the LPGA along with Lewis & Wie
Past Credentials Mean Nothing at LPGA Q School
With the Help of Strangers, She Could Reach the LPGA Tour
Nerves on Edge, Futures on Line, in Daytona Beach with LPGA Q School
Help Make Their Dreams Come True
A Rising Star Surprises the Women's Golf World
Where Are all the Great Young American Women Golfers?
An Amateur Caddie on a Professional Tour

Byron Kalies

The Story behind Royal Porthcawl
Porthcawl is situated 30 miles west of Cardiff and 22 miles east of Swansea. It is set on the South Wales coast overlooking the Bristol Channel and, with a number of beaches around the town, has evolved into a seaside town since the Victorian era and remains one of Wales' most enduring holiday resorts.

Golf in Wales
Editor's Note: This is a first in a series of articles by Byron Kalies, a Welshman who will be releasing his new book, "From Tenby to Celtic Manor: a Cultural History of Golf in Wales," in spring 2010. With this installment, Byron discusses how the game established its deep roots in his native country.

Golf in Wales will not begin and end with the 2010 Ryder Cup. There are other courses in Wales apart from Celtic Manor. There are also golfers in Wales not called Ian Woosnam. For a country the size of 8,000 square miles (smaller than all American states apart from Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island), and a population of just under 3 million, there are 176 golf courses. This is perfectly adequate for our needs - after all, we're not Scotland are we?

However, the Ryder Cup will come to Wales in October 2010 and, for a week or so, Wales will be the focus of the golfing world. For any golfer that has been trapped in a bunker for the past decade or so, the Ryder Cup is a three-day competition between teams representing Europe and the U.S. It is the world's third-biggest sporting occasion, surpassed only by the Olympic Games and soccer's World Cup and watched by billions around the world. In 2010 the matches will be played on Celtic Manor Resort's new "Twenty Ten" course in Newport, Wales, the first facility specifically designed to host the biennial event.


Allen Schauffler

Writer Ventures Down Under for the World Masters Games
I recently returned from Australia where I played in the World Masters Games golf tournament. The World Masters Games (hereafter referred to as "WMG" so I don't have to keep writing "World Masters Games" over and over) featured nearly 30,000 athletes in 28 sports at venues spread all over Sydney and its suburbs - or its "surrounds" as the Aussies call them.

An Open Letter to the International Olympic Committee
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the I.O.C.,

Wake up and smell the Hybrids, folks, it is time to play golf. Time to put this sport back on the Olympic list, to tee it up with the trumpets blaring and the flags flying and the medals-podium looming and nationalism bleeding and braying all over the course. The Olympic credo, "Citius, Altius, Fortius" should be cheerfully expanded to "Citius, Altius, Fortius, Birdius," or loosely translated: "higher, faster, stronger and who has the balls to go for the 18th green in two with the world watching and a gold medal in the balance?"

More from Allen Schauffler
Golf in Australia's Outback

Simon Spratley

Writer Takes on another Batch of Top 100 Courses
Editor's Note: The author of this piece is on a noble quest to play the top-100 golf courses in the world. He's not looking at just the top 100, but three different lists: public and overall (both public and private) in the U.S., and those ranked highly from around the world. With this installment, Simon discusses a memorable trip he took in fall 2009 to New York and rounds at six of that state's most fabled - and hard-to-get-on - private courses.


Jim Moore

Basking in Golf & Luxury on Mexico's Riviera
Until a month or so ago, the only places I'd been to in Mexico were Tijuana and Juarez. If you've been to either border town, you know what I'm talking about when I say my impression of Mexico was not good.

Links as Labs Program a Success
Students from a Garfield High School environmental science class are all looking up at the big nest in a tall fir tree next to a par-3 at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle. A bald eagle is staring back at them, watching their every move.


JJ Gowland

Putt with a Snooker Player's Confidence
Harrison Frazar shot a 59 during his fourth round at the six-round PGA Q-School. His last putt was a tap-in. Despite his heroics, Frazar didn't automatically assume he'd earn a 2009 PGA Tour card (he did, finishing as the medalist by a margin of eight shots).

Will the Triple Crown of Golf be Awarded this Year?
By winning the U.S. Open, Angel Cabrera took the first step in taking home the "Triple Crown in Golf." Though not as familiar to today's golfers as the Grand Slam - the winning of the current four majors (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship), the Triple Crown was one of the game's early-day achievements. If one believes in celestial links, it appears that Angel may have what it takes.


Bruce Babbitt

Finishing Up in Melbourne & Heading to Sydney
Editor's Note: Bruce, Cybergolf's correspondent in Australia, has sent along his final installment from "Down Under." Here, Bruce wraps up his travelogue about the continent's favorite sports along with a peak at an Alister Mackenzie gem and the city of Sydney.

Melbourne & Victoria
Editor's Note: Cybergolf's correspondent in Australia has sent along his second installment from "Down Under." Here, Bruce discusses two of the continent's premier cities, particularly insofar as they relate to golf.


Chris Kretz

Trying to Become a 'Compelling Average Golfer'
Last January, I entered my essay in the Golf Digest/U.S. Open contest, explaining in 100 words or less why I feel I could break 100 at Torrey Pines this June. My essay simply stated how I grew up on a golf course and have a number of club pros, course owners and instructors in my family tree. With all this golf in my bloodline, I decided to become an artist.

Useful Golf Book: 2nd Edition
by Chris Kretz

Editor's Note: Chris Kretz is at it again with another hilarious edition of his "Useful Golf Book," a necessary component of every golfer's arsenal. Chris delivers 72 more tips, including such winners as: "Why You Take Perfect Practice Swings Before You Chunk Your Shot," "Why Trees Are 90% Air But You Always Hit the 10% That's Not," and the ever-popular, "How To Hit From One Bunker to Another." Enjoy this second batch of golfer guffaws from our correspondent in north-central Wisconsin. (For Kretz's first edition, visit Cybergolf's Book Reviews section.)


Marcus King

Part 4: Victory!
Editor's Note: In his fourth and final installment, Marcus King writes about taking the American Special Olympics golf team to Shanghai last summer and how the trip was a success in more ways than one.

Part IV: Heading to China: Fervor, Flatulence and Red, White & Blue Denial
Editor's Note: In this installment by Marcus King, a PGA professional who's the general manager of Sand Point Country Club in Seattle, he describes mustering up his Special Olympics golf squad in Seattle and flying - via Los Angeles - thousands of miles to Shanghai, China, for the 2007 Special Olympics World Games.


Dave Castleberry

'At what age should I start my child taking golf lessons?'
I've been asked this question a lot, and as a golf professional, its one I'll undoubtedly be asked countless more times. Most often, the inquiry comes from a young mother or father whose toddler recently picked up a 9-iron and showed great joy in thrashing around the backyard chasing a little white ball. When the little Tasmanian devil is asked if he enjoys golf, he'll answer with an enthusiastic "Yes!" and take another wild chop.

Lo, the Practice Green
Lo the practice green: An area of closely mown grass containing six to nine holes and those cute miniature pins sticking out of them. Every course has at least one, as do a lot of driving ranges and practice facilities. If we could all get ourselves to spend more time there we would assuredly become much better golfers. And yet, most of us trudge off to the driving range to work on getting rid of our hooks, slices and dreaded shanks (oops, I didn't mean to write that word out loud).


Billy Bondaruk

The Art of Detachment
I once heard a wonderful story about the famed actor Sir Lawrence Olivier. He had been cast in the part of Hamlet at a famous theater in Oxford, England. Olivier was known for his dedication of studying a character such that he would become the character.


Jay Stuller

Marin CC & Harbottle Collaborate on $5.6 Million Renovation
Marin Country Club, located just north of San Francisco, will begin a $5.6 million golf course renovation in early May under the direction of Tacoma, Wash.-based Architect John Harbottle. The project will include a new irrigation system; drainage upgrades; the reconstruction of all 18 greens, all bunkers and tees, the practice putting green; and a re-grassing of the entire course. From start to finish, the renovation of the 50-year-old course is projected to take nine months.


Duff Rounds

Ready Golf & The Point Man
The sad consequence of our playing partner leaving the group got even sadder when his brute of a brother-in-law took his place. That's when our happy little foursome went into a tailspin. Not to be unkind, but you wouldn't want to be caught in a confined space with this hulking descendant of Man - he could suck the oxygen right out of a clubhouse.


Robert Ronning

The Gallery on Dove Mountain & Those Wicked Snack-Food Greens
It's a Monday in February, the first practice round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at The Gallery Golf Club, South Course, near Tucson. I'm standing by the putting green, watching a few of the world's 64 top-ranked players when, suddenly, Tiger Woods casually strolls across the practice green.

As Good as the Game Gets
Was it Socrates who tells us that the unexamined golf swing is not worth living with . . . or was that Jack Nicklaus? Well, whoever it was, for the average golfer it's a haunting reminder to spend more time on the driving range. Alas, for me there's a bizarre distraction which often prevents me from ever getting to the driving range.


Tim Bibaud

The Blackbush Causeway Coast Amateur – Golf Adventures in Northern Ireland
As the dismal month of May slowly and thankfully comes to a close in New England and Memorial Day weekend approaches, we are reminded that we are programmed to do certain tasks which are associated with this time of year. Those of us fortunate enough to own property at the beach will fight the traffic and make the pilgrimage to Cape Cod or Hampton Beach to open up the cottages and homes for the upcoming summer months.

The Return of a Looper
The adventure began back in December while I was comfortably sipping on a tall Skyy Vodka Seabreeze cocktail with family and friends. You might be wondering why I was drinking a summertime cocktail in the dead of winter. As I’ve aged and, hopefully, matured, I have drifted away from the excessive consumption of Bud Lights in favor of a nice vodka concoction, regardless of the season. At the tender age of 46, I’ve yet to acquire a taste for fine wines, so I stick to my big blue bottle of Skyy regardless of the temperature outside.


Chris Duthie

Images of Scotland
Cybergolf contributor Chris Duthie has kindly permitted us to use photos from his recent trip to Scotland with writer George Fuller. Here’s a glimpse of what Chris and George experienced at the “Birthplace of Golf.”


Bill Amick

Finding Land For A Golf Course
Editor’s Note: The following was written by William W. “Bill” Amick, a past president and fellow of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, who has designed courses in the U.S. and Europe. The article originally appeared in the February 10, 2004, edition of The Wire.



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