Posts on courses, architects, the lefty experience, and the books that change how I think about golf. Specific over general. Honest over polished.
May 16, 2026 · Architecture
Carved from coral by hand. Guarded by the sea. How Pete Dye built his first masterpiece beside the Caribbean — and chose to spend eternity at its 8th green.
May 14, 2026 · Architecture
Cape Arundel and Walter Travis's wildly undulating greens — false fronts, chocolate-drop mounds, and why a 5,900-yard course still beats you up.
May 14, 2026 · Architecture
25 feet of sand, railway sleepers, and a blind second shot — the 16th at Southport & Ainsdale is named after the man who couldn't get out of it.
May 2, 2026 · Travel
Four days on the English coast — Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham, Formby, Southport & Ainsdale. What links golf actually asks of you, and the lefty who once won here.
Apr 22, 2026 · Architecture
Redan. Biarritz. Alps. Eden. The four templates that built American golf architecture — and where to play each one.
May 23, 2026 · Architecture
Sweetens Cove, Landmand, Inness — how Rob Collins and Tad King broke from template, built a cult following from a gravel pit, invented the no-tee-time model, and changed what a golf course can be.
May 24, 2026 · Architecture · Heavyweight Contenders
One lets the land decide. The other decided for it. Two philosophies that reshaped American golf — from Kiawah to Streamsong, Blackwolf Run to The Loop.
May 9, 2026 · Industry
KSL bought Invited for $2.6B. Bain bought Concert Golf for $1.3B. Topgolf sold for $1.1B. Inside the wave of private equity consolidation reshaping who owns American golf.
From Brooklyn to Louisville, America's oldest public courses are democratic infrastructure — not interchangeable assets on a spreadsheet. One anchor essay and nine course portraits.
May 11, 2026 · Muni Series
Cherokee fought off closure. Seneca gave Gary Player his first win. The Park proved restoration works. The case for treating public golf as infrastructure.
Louisville · 1900
The course that refused to die. Built against Olmsted's wishes. Saved by a high school golf team.
Louisville · 1937
Where Gary Player became Gary Player. Tillinghast designed. First PGA Tour win, 1958.
Louisville · 1937
Tillinghast's other Louisville muni. Same year as Seneca. Still in the shadows, still standing.
Bronx · 1895
Where American public golf began. First public course in the country. 130 years running.
Brooklyn · 1897
The muni that hosts weddings. Olmsted parkland. Brooklyn's second-oldest public course.
Queens · 1901
The course that absorbed the expressway. Bendelow on glacial debris. It never closed.
Brooklyn · 1964
RTJ Sr. on a reclaimed tidal flat. 7,000 yards, links-style. The wind is the defense.
Staten Island · 1929
The Working Man's Country Club. Pro shop is a trailer. Two par 5s. 95 years running.
West Palm Beach · 2023
When a city bets on public golf. $55M, Gil Hanse, NCAA regionals. Proof of concept.
May 10, 2026 · Book Review · ★★★★★
The book that teaches you how to read a golf course. Doak's philosophy before he built Pacific Dunes. Required reading for anyone who thinks about architecture.
Apr 18, 2026 · Book Review
Pia Nilsson's VISION54 philosophy. The mental game book that actually gives you something to do on the course.
Apr 18, 2026 · Book Review
Pete Dye's autobiography. How a life insurance salesman became the most controversial course designer in history.
Apr 17, 2026 · Essay
How I rank courses: a physical wall of golf balls, one from each favorite. When a new course earns a spot, everything shifts.
Apr 17, 2026 · Analysis
Analyzing my top 50 courses to find the biggest gaps. Where should the next trip go for maximum impact?
Apr 17, 2026 · Essay
Left-handed golfers face fewer equipment choices, fewer demo days, and less representation. Here's what's actually missing in 2026.