The post Paddy’s parenting, Bryson’s dagger, Ryder Cup money | Monday Finish appeared first on Golf.

The post Paddy’s parenting, Bryson’s dagger, Ryder Cup money | Monday Finish appeared first on Golf.

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GOLF STUFF I LIKE

Paddy on parenting.

It’s a reflective time of year; it’s also PNC Championship week. And so I’m thinking back to a video that went viral this time last year, in the lead-up to the PNC: Padraig Harrington on how to introduce your kid to golf.

Harrington’s soliloquy was inspired by his son Ciaran, his playing partner for the week — and what he did right and wrong in Ciaran’s beginnings with the game. His insights, in four parts:

1. If you’re enjoying yourself, they’ll enjoy themselves.

“In hindsight, the best way, if you want to get your kid into the game of golf, is bring him somewhere where you’re not stressed. That’s very important,” Harrington said. “Kids pick up on that. Let them do what they like when they’re there, have a bit of fun if they want to hit one shot, two shots, 10 shots, play in the bunker, look in the water, or whatever they wanna do, let them do, and generally bring them home before they get tired.”

2. Quit while you’re ahead.

“So the best thing you can do with a kid early on in golf is say, ‘hey, we have to go home,’ and don’t wait till they’re tired and hate it. Wait till when they’re actually enjoying themselves, go home.”

3. But first, get a soda.

“When you’re finished, take 10 minutes to spend with your son or daughter and go and have a Coke, a Pepsi this week, go and have a Pepsi in the bar, wherever it is, and sit there have an ice cream, and spend 10, 15 minutes. Because if they have that 15 minutes alone time with you just, you and them, for the rest of their life, every time they play golf, they remember the 15 minutes they had with their father or mother, and that’s what would keep bringing them back to golf for the next day.”

4. Keep love first.

“If your kid gets good at the game, that doesn’t necessarily make them love the game,” Harrington said. “If your kid loves the game, it’s likely that they’ll become good at it. It’s the love should be first and, and it’s even more important to get a love of the game because we all know you plateau when you play golf.

“There’s many plateaus where it really gets frustrating. And if you don’t love it, those plateaus are going to stop you playing, you’re going to give up. Whereas if you love it, you’ll go through anything. So try and get the love of the game for the kids first.”

Paddy’s parenting — that’s golf stuff I like.

WINNERS

Who won the week?

Lanto Griffin won Q-School, ensuring he’ll have full PGA Tour status for the 2025 PGA Tour season. One money quote from Griffin after the round of Sunday, a clutch seven-under 63: I want to experience this with my family, now with my baby and it’s — you just don’t want it to end. It’s like being at a really good concert, you just want there to be a couple more songs and that’s kind of what I felt this week.”

Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit put a bow on their seasons with a victory at the Grant Thornton Invitational. Fun fact: This was the second time this year they won on the same day. The first time came back in February, when Knapp won the Mexico Open and Tavatanakit at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Shaun Norris won the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil as the DP World Tour continued its African swing, shooting a final-round 67 to erase a six-shot deficit as competitors fell by the wayside coming down the stretch at Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa. The win marked his second in as many starts after Norris won the Japan Tour’s Nippon Series JT Cup just two weeks ago.

“This changes a few things for me. I’ve got so much to look forward to over the next few years,” Norris said of his improved status. “But now it’s time for a holiday.”

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NOT-WINNERS

A few golfers who didn’t win but still kinda won.

Five other pros made it through a grueling Q-School week, which started wild and windy and finished with good old fashioned mega-pressure. A sentence on each with help from our Jack Hirsh:

Hayden Buckley: A PGA Tour member for the past two seasons who surprisingly fell out of the Top 125 after just two top-10s in 2024.

Takumi Kanaya: A seven-time Japan Tour winner who has already played in 11 major championships. Was a former World No. 1 amateur and was ranked as high as No. 49 in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2022.

Alejandro Tosti: PGA Tour rookie in 2024 who made headlines for some of his huge (and bold) tee shots, as well as some of his more controversial antics.

Will Chandler: Fired a final-nine 30 Sunday to jumpstart his career opportunities. Advanced from the second stage of Q-School after logging only 10 events on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and nine PGA Tour Canada events in 2023.

Matthew Riedel: Former standout at Vanderbilt University who graduated this spring and earned status on the Korn Ferry Tour through PGA Tour U. That also put him straight into the final stage of Q-School this week.

SHORT HITTERS

Six teams to watch at the PNC Championship.

When served with an ad broadcasting tomorrow’s Showdown odds, it occurred to me that the PNC Championship may be the most degenerate golf event to bet on, given the families and kids and whatnot. With that as inspiration, let’s run through the betting favorites (yes, real odds):

6. Team Singh (+650) — Vijay and Qass. The 2022 winners and the only squad to go 59-59 in event history.

5. Team Langer (+650) — Bernhard and Jason. Last year’s champs; they won in 2019 and 2014, too. Bernhard also won the last PGA Tour Champions event of the season so he’s entering in fine form. Dangerous team.

4. Team Woods (+500) — Tiger and Charlie. These guys are becoming seasoned vets at this event; with luck this will be their healthiest year yet.

3. Team Kuchar (+450) — Matt and Carson. Shot 57 in the first round last year but faded to T5 on Day 2. Back hungry.

2. Team Cink (+450) — Stewart and Connor. They won in 2013; can they turn back the clock?!

1. Team Daly (+300) — John and John II. They won in 2021; they’re locks to have the brightest pants. John II had a 71.78 scoring average at Arkansas last year, but I’m guessing they didn’t play any two-man father-son scrambles.

ONE SWING THOUGHT

From Daniel Berger and Nelly Korda.

During Grant Thornton week it’s interesting to hear what the LPGA and PGA Tour pros think of their partners’ games, and one fun bit of insight came from Daniel Berger and Nelly Korda, who realized on one approach shot that they were both pulling 7-iron.

“There was a couple times where I hit one in there yesterday and I looked in her bag and she was hitting the same club I was hitting,” Berger said. Korda was quick to add that her draw adds yardage, while Berger’s fade takes some off. But they were mutually impressed.

“It’s been very easy, she hits it in the fairway, she hits it on the green, she makes putts. I mean, it’s pretty clear why she’s No. 1 in the world and I need to get my act together,” Berger said.

“He’s a very much finesse player,” Korda said. “I always appreciate that when a player shows his artistic side.”

ONE BIG QUESTION

What’s up with Ryder Cup pay?

On Monday morning the PGA of America confirmed reports that yes, American Ryder Cuppers will be compensated for their participation in this year’s event at Bethpage Black. Specifically they’ll get $300,000 to give to a charity of their choice and another $200,000 as a stipend.

So how should you feel about this? Typically I just use this space to ask a question, not answer it, but here I’ll offer a suggestion: You do not need to feel any type of way about this at all! You do not need an opinion on this! Do these guys need the money? No, they do not. Do they deserve it? Yes, they probably do; they’re the ones everyone is coming to see. But the Ryder Cup is not made or broken by a couple million bucks in appearance fees and charitable donations. Pro golfers get paid to play just about everywhere else they tee it up. This seems [shrugs] fine.

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With that said, Team Europe should absolutely lean into the idea that theirs is a purer devotion to the competition. Their team bond has traditionally been stronger than the U.S. side — this is easy bulletin-board material, if they need any more.

ONE THING TO WATCH

Bryson chirps Rory.

The Crypto dot com Showdown is coming Tuesday, and while I’m genuinely excited for Scottie/Rory vs. Brooks/Bryson I was a bit concerned that nothing about this match had broken through to the general sports world (through the NFL bubble, in other words). But that changed Monday with a devastating and actually pretty organic dagger thrown by Bryson DeChambeau in the direction of Rory McIlroy.

The exchange, at a Monday clinic:

McIlroy: “I’d like to go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open.”

DeChambeau: “To be fair, you kinda did it to yourself.”

You could argue this was history repeating itself, with McIlroy doing it to himself once again by tossing this alley-oop to DeChambeau, but it was good, if devastating, fun. Let’s hope there’s some fun and plenty of fire, too, come Tuesday night. I’m cautiously optimistic.

NEWS FROM SEATTLE

Monday Finish HQ.

We haven’t yet hit the shortest day of the year, but we have crossed an important milestone: Last week we saw the earliest sunset of the year at 4:17 p.m. and now we’re headed in the right direction — 4:19 today! The mornings are another story (7:52 a.m. sunrise and still getting worse) but we’ll take the wins where we can get ’em. Spring is basically here.

We’ll see you next week!

Before you go, a quick request: If you like the Monday Finish, subscribe for free HERE to get it in your email inbox!

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.

The post Paddy’s parenting, Bryson’s dagger, Ryder Cup money | Monday Finish appeared first on Golf.

The post This cult-classic golf course ripped my heart out — but I still loved it appeared first on Golf.

The post This cult-classic golf course ripped my heart out — but I still loved it appeared first on Golf.

The ball seemingly landed just right of the hole, kicked left and disappeared. Suddenly, the constant drone from the highway just a few hundred feet away was interrupted with, “Did that go in?”

“Yeah, that went in!”

“I think that went in, Jacky-boy!”

I started laughing as I let my five playing partners, all colleagues here at GOLF and our 8AM Golf family, convince me I had just made my second-ever hole-in-one as we rushed to get in as many holes before dark.

But — spoiler alert! — the ball hadn’t gone in. When I arrived on the green, I discovered that my ball was 15 feet beyond the pin, hidden by contours. Still, that moment encapsulated the magic of Goat Hill Park, and late-afternoon golf (late afternoon for this time of year, anyway) with great friends.

In 2024, I was lucky enough to cross off three from my bucket list in The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.; Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course in South Carolina; and Cabot Highland’s Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands. Scotland’s Royal Dornoch and Nairn, and frequent trips around Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon course, rounded out my dance card.

These courses dot GOLF’s lists of Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 World courses.

But if we’re talking about the most fun I had on a golf course this year, I’d nominate two rounds chasing the sun at Goat Hill Park, a beloved and legendary muni in Southern California that cost me $80 total. There’s a reason many of our staff have come away raving about Goat Hill.

If you’re unfamiliar, “The Goat” was originally a regulation nine-holer, the first course in San Diego County on a wildly undulating plateau in now-golf-crazy Oceanside, right next to Interstate 5. In the 1990s, the course was redesigned into its current 18-hole, short-course form, but the place took a downturn in the early 2000s.

In 2014, a group of locals successfully fought back against the redevelopment of the land, and a new management team led by John Ashworth transformed the 4,500-yard design into the gem it is today.

These days, the course isn’t in perfect shape — the tees have brown spots, the rough is light and some of the cart paths are cracked — but the greens are smooth and true and fairways well-maintained. It’s an incredible value for a $25 walking fee.

How a golf course was built on this site is mystifying. The 75-acre parcel has incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding mountains, but the terrain has you go up, down and around massive undulations of earth. Many locals walk, some with furry companions at their side, but often with lighter bags and fewer than 14 clubs, a fitting way to play the short course. Which isn’t to say you won’t need all 14 clubs.

The best part of Goat Hill is the chill vibe: golfers, dogs, range goers, music listeners, beer drinkers all coexisting with not a care in the world. There’s not much of a dress code, aside from shirt, shoes, etc. You wouldn’t want one either for a place whose motto is “World Class / Working Class.” If you’re looking for a course to spot Tour pros practicing in street clothes, this is it.

We played as a sixsome and were told only to make sure we kept up, which we did.

There are even shorter tees for kids called the “Baby Goat.” Want to play frisbee golf instead? They have that, too.

Both afternoons-into-evenings we played the course, the parking lot was packed well after sunset. Playing just after 2:30 p.m. earned us a twilight rate of just $35 and enough time to zip around 16 holes.

Also, just because the holes are short, doesn’t make them any less challenging. The second green plays to a green perched above you and over a chasm. Miss short, your ball funnels down some 60 feet and 60 yards away. Miss too far left and you might find yourself in the bowl of the 16th green.

Holes that might seem drivable, like the par-4 4th, require a 270-yard forced carry over another chasm, or face another long uphill pitch to a blind green.

You need to hit shots at Goat Hill Park, but you don’t have to. There are no water hazards and it’s difficult to lose a ball.

But you can easily lose yourself in the experience.

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The post Jack Nicklaus reveals the secrets to fearless putting appeared first on Golf.

The post Jack Nicklaus reveals the secrets to fearless putting appeared first on Golf.

Good golf requires great mental discipline, and no element of the sport requires more mental fortitude than putting. When you’ve got confidence on the greens, the cup begins to look like a basketball hoop. But when you’re struggling, it can feel like trying to putt into a thimble.

Just about every tournament victory ends on the greens. Whether it’s a 15-footer to clip your opponent by one, or a two-putt to close out a dominant victory, it all ends on the greens.

That in mind, it’s crucial that you can handle your nerves with your wand in hand. If you’ve got sweaty palms and shaky hands standing over the ball, it’s tough to sink a putt. To be a great putter, you must be fearless.

There may be no more undaunted putter in the history of the game than Jack Nicklaus. Over the course of his legendary career, the Golden Bear won 18 major titles — and much of that success can be attributed to excellent pressure putting.

In 1994, Nicklaus joined GOLF Magazine to share some tips on becoming a fearless putter. You can check them out below.

Jack Nicklaus’ tips for fearless putting

The common wisdom is that putting ability declines with age. The analysts point to great champions whose green skills deteriorated late in their careers. Some of the great champions themselves have blamed inferior putting for making them less competitive as they grew older.

Well, it hasn’t happened to me so far. And I don’t see any reason why it ever should, as long as my competitive fires keep burning fiercely.

Granted, I haven’t putted these past few years quite as well as I did at my peak, but that had nothing to do with “nerves,” or vision problems, or declining mechanical skills, or any of the usual excuses for age-related inferior green work.

The only reason I putted a little less well than I used to was the extra pressure I subjected myself to as a result of hitting fewer greens in regulation and not getting the ball as close to the hole as in my best years. Whereas once I knew I only had to make a certain percentage of putts to win, during the long, lean spell I increasingly felt I needed to make everything I looked at to have any chance. However, had my tee-to-green skills matched those of my peak years, I’m certain my putting would have been equally good.

It’s in your head

If you think the above statement is further proof of the old adage that putting is all in the mind, you’re dead right. Believe you can knock them in the hole and you’ll knock ’em in. Believe you can’t and you won’t.

When I started on the Tour in 1962, there were a lot of what you might call “real men” out there who had come up the hard way and who, deep down, seemed to look upon putting as sort of a sissified part of the game. It was macho to be a great “shotmaker”-to crush out big drives, drill long-irons tight to the hole, draw and fade the ball at will-but a little wimpish to make low scores mostly with the short stick. Many of those players’ putting skills declined severely as they aged. I believe their attitude had a big bearing on that.

To become and remain a good putter, you have to accept putting’s huge role in golf, you have to like putting, and you have to want to do it very well.

A couple of statistics might help you with all of those challenges. The last time I checked, 43 percent of the strokes expended on the PGA Tour were putts. “Par” for players making a good living out there was under 30 putts per round.

The fear factor

“Boy,” you’ll hear on any golf tour in the world, “that guy is an unbelievable putter! He’s absolutely the best out here!”

Being a get-along person, I just smile to myself at such comments, but what I really want is to ask, “What’s he won?”

There are many great strokers of the ball in tournament golf. But players who can get the ball into the hole time after time after time when it matters the most — when you’re either going to win or lose right now — are a much rarer species. 

They, of course, are the top winners.

Last year’s Masters champion Bernhard Langer is perhaps the best current example of the dif-ference between a “wonderful putter” in the technical sense and a player with great ability to get the ball in the hole when it matters. At least twice, Bernhard has suffered from the yips about as badly as a golfer can, resulting in an ungainly-looking technique worked out by and unique unto himself. But, year after year, he’s also one of the winningest golfers in the world.

What’s at play here, of course, is the fear factor.

Because putting is the most precision-oriented, most delicate, and most decisive act in golf, fear of losing— or, even more commonly, fear of winning — grabs tightest and most destructively on the greens.

Instruction

Thus the best putters aren’t, as so many people seem to suppose, the finest technicians or the smoothest strokers. The best putters are the golfers who, over and over and over, make the putts they absolutely have to make in order to win the game’s top tournaments — Bob Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Ray Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, and Nick Faldo.

Did they all have wonderful putting techniques? No, sir. Did they all have strong, steady stomachs, steady nerves and great hearts? You bet! And that’s what made them great putters.

Learn from your mistakes

Are those qualities of courage and resolve innate gifts, or can they be acquired? Although some will do better than others, I believe anyone can build up his inner resources by learning from his mistakes.

One of the best examples of a golfer doing that is Tom Watson. When he was very young, Tom had the chance to win a number of major championships but lost them all down the stretch. He was accused of choking, but what he lacked was experience and self-insight, not guts.

Many people in Tom’s situation would have accepted second-best and gone on performing at that level. Watson was made of sterner stuff. Each time he failed he thought hard about why, then tried the next time he got into a winning position to feed off what he had learned about himself and his game. Most of the mistakes were in the management of his tee-to-green play, but some, like over-aggression or under-aggression under pressure, were in his putting. When he’d finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, his confidence had grown to a point where, especially on the greens, he believed he couldn’t fail. And, of course, he then became the best player in the world for a decade or more.

The chief reaction among amateurs to poor putting, it seems to me, is exasperation, combined with a sort of vague hope that, by some kind of mini-miracle, it will all have gotten better by the next time they play. Without analyzing and learning from their mistakes, I doubt that it ever will.

Are those qualities of courage and resolve innate gifts, or can they be acquired? Although some will do better than others, I believe anyone can build up his inner resources by learning from his mistakes.

One of the best examples of a golfer doing that is Tom Watson. When he was very young, Tom had the chance to win a number of major championships but lost them all down the stretch. He was accused of choking, but what he lacked was experience and self-insight, not guts.

Many people in Tom’s situation would have accepted second-best and gone on performing at that level. Watson was made of sterner stuff. Each time he failed he thought hard about why, then tried the next time he got into a winning position to feed off what he had learned about himself and his game. Most of the mistakes were in the management of his tee-to-green play, but some, like over-aggression or under-aggression under pressure, were in his putting. When he’d finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, his confidence had grown to a point where, especially on the greens, he believed he couldn’t fail. And, of course, he then became the best player in the world for a decade or more.

The chief reaction among amateurs to poor putting, it seems to me, is exasperation, combined with a sort of vague hope that, by some kind of mini-miracle, it will all have gotten better by the next time they play. Without analyzing and learning from their mistakes, I doubt that it ever will.

Because the advice about the basic techniques of putting is sp readily available from so many sources, my focus here will be on what long experience has taught me are the most crucial factors in accurately rolling a golf ball across a green.

Grip

So long as they allow you to swing the face of the putter squarely through the ball traveling directly along your intended target line at impact, the mechanics of your putting grip are immaterial. Experiment until you achieve comfort, repeatability, and effectiveness. When you do, even if your grip looks “funny” to others, stick with it. Silence any nay-sayers by mentioning Langer.

More important than the configuration of your hands on the putter is the pressure in them. Whether you hold the putter tightly, loosely, or somewhere in between is of much less consequence than equalizing the pressure in each hand, then sustaining the same amount of pressure throughout the stroke.

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Change your grip pressure and most likely you involuntarily change both the pace and the path of the putter head. Grip tight at address then ease up during the stroke and you’ll tend to over-accelerate the putterhead and pull the ball left. Hold loosely at address then tighten during the stroke and you’ll tend to decelerate and shove the putterhead and the ball to the right. Even if you avoid major errors of speed and line, you will be less consistent than you’d like on the greens.

Achieving equal grip pressure in both hands at address, then sustaining it throughout the stroke, has been a putting key of mine for many years. If you’re not already using it, I think it could have a beneficial effect on your green work.

Setup

As with grip mechanics, I think how you arrange your- self at address for putting is, with a couple of exceptions, pretty inconsequential, so long as it promotes swinging the face of the putter squarely through the ball and direct- ly along your intended target line at impact. Being comfortable and stress-free, or well balanced, over the ball will help you achieve that. The exceptions concern your eye-line at address.

Most good putters over the years have set up with their eyes either directly over the ball, which also posi- tions them over the intended starting line of the putt, or, as in my case, behind the ball but still over the target line. The reason for this is, when the eyes are positioned to the inside of the target line, there’s a tendency to stroke excessively from in-to-out and push the ball; and, conversely, to stroke from out-to-in and pull putts when the eyes are positioned beyond the target line.

Your other equally important optical goal should be to set your eyes parallel to the putt’s starting line, rather than angled to its right or left through an inclination or canting of the head at address. Even though you’ll hear or read less about this factor than the previous one, in my experience it can have an equal bearing on how you stroke the ball. Align your eyes right of the target line and you’ll tend to stroke too much from inside to out and push putts. Align your eyes left of the target line and you’ll risk doing the opposite-pull putts by swinging the putter head from out to in.

I recommend that, as I do, you constantly check both of these important optical elements in practice. And you should certainly look to them first whenever, for no obvious reason, you begin missing more than your share of putts.

Stroke

Over the years I’ve tried every kind of putting stroke known to man, but have always gone back to the technique that felt the most natural to me, and with which I was most successful from my earliest golf days. If I’m right in believing that most other top players have followed the same pattern, then the lesson is clear: Find out through trial and error what works best for you as a unique individual, then stay with it.

There are basically three ways to stroke a golf ball with a putter. One is with a swinging of the arms, hands, and putter as a single unit motivated by a back-and-through rocking motion of the shoulders while everything else stays relatively still. Another is with hinging and unhinging of the wrists, while as in the shoulder stroke, the rest of the body stays comparatively still. The third, which always in the end has worked best for me, involves a combination of the other two techniques.

I can describe my stroking action fairly simply. A slight targetward motion or forward-pressing of my hands serves as a “trigger” for backward swinging of my arms, combined with some hinging or cocking of my wrists, the amount in each case depending on the length of the putt.

A slight forward-press of my hands serves as a “trigger” for my backswing, combined with some hinging to cocking of my wrists, the amount in each case depending on the length of the putt. 

On shorter putts, from the end of the backswing I simply pull the butterhead through the ball with my hands and forearms with very little or no release of my wrists.

On longer putts, the distinct hitting motion of my right hand causes my left wrist to “break” or hinge targetward a little bit after impact. I believe this breaking of the left wrist through or after impact to be less than ideal theo- retically, but have gone along with it because fighting it does more harm than good to my sense of “touch.”

Why do I keep coming back to this method? I’ve always believed that golfers putt best when they are able to “feel the ball to the hole.” Although it can badly frustrate me at times, the action I’ve described lets me do that more often and better than any of the others I’ve tried.

You need to find the type of stroke that does the same for you.

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The post 2 big golf jobs need filling, and both come with pressing challenges appeared first on Golf.

No. 15 — Charley Hull goes viral

Biggest Golf Moments of 2024 No. 14: In wild golf landscape, 2 bosses are on their way out

Not long ago, many believed Jay Monahan was in the hot seat in his role as PGA Tour boss. But as we turn the page to 2025, Monahan is still there, and the Tour is still(!) trying to figure out its future in the golf landscape.

But Greg Norman and Mollie Marcoux Samaan are out. Or at least will be soon.

Norman, the sometimes controversial CEO behind LIV Golf, confirmed this month he’ll no longer be LIV’s CEO, a post he’s held since the league’s inception in 2021, with a new face taking over some time in 2025. His first public comments since the change came just a few days after Marcoux Samaan unexpectedly announced she’ll step down as the LPGA commissioner in January. She was hired in May 2021 and will leave before her contract is up.

The similarities, for the most part, end there. Norman was a crucial cog in shaking up the pro-golf landscape, getting LIV Golf off the ground and helping recruit talent away from the PGA Tour. Marcoux Samaan wasn’t exactly throwing wrenches in golf’s ecosystem.

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They did, however, share one common goal — expanding their tours’ reach and making them more relevant. You could argue that’s a key duty for any CEO in any role, but it was especially true for this duo.

Norman had to change minds. His detractors didn’t like the Saudi PIF funding his league, or the fact that Norman had a hand in diluting men’s pro golf. But Norman did do well to lure away big names like Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and especially Jon Rahm, whose signing came less than a year after he had won the Masters.

Marcoux Samaan didn’t have to deal with the baggage that has come with disrupting pro golf’s ecosphere, but she was tasked with getting more eyeballs on and increasings purses for the women’s game. To Marcoux Samaan’s credit, prize money on the LPGA Tour increased by more than 90 percent under her leadership, and next year the sport’s five majors will offer a combined purse of nearly $50 million, roughly double what was offered in 2021, the year she started.

But Norman and LIV never secured a big-time TV deal to maximize viewership (and help credibility), and despite Marcoux Samaan helping players put more money in their pockets, critics wondered if she and the LPGA could have done more to take advantage of Nelly Korda’s historic season and rise to superstardom in women’s sports. There was also the shuttle fiasco at the Solheim Cup and criticism from a crucial sponsor.

Marcoux Samaan’s successor has not been named. Norman says he will still be a part of LIV Golf in some fashion and will reportedly be replaced by former NBA and NHL executive Scott O’Neil.

But some of the same battles Norman and Marcoux Samaan fought will remain for whoever fills their roles. They are big issues that won’t be solved easily.

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The post Best golf courses in California for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in California for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in California. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in California (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Cypress Point (Pebble Beach) [#]

It’s almost inconceivable that land this stunning was made available for golf. For the lucky few who get to play here, they enjoy one of the game’s most inspiring walks as Alister MacKenzie’s design effortlessly transports the player around the diverse property. The iconic par-3 16th, which extends into the churning Pacific, is the game’s most dramatic and photographed hole, but there are endless other highlights, from the forested portion to heaving dunes to its famed jagged coastline. MacKenzie extracted the best from the land in part by breaking the “rules” and having back-to-back par-5s on the front and back-to-back par-3s on the back. The drivable 1/2-par 9th is another standout with its angled, sloped green invulnerable to rash tactics.

2. Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach) [#, Y, P]

The first great American public oceanside course, Pebble benefits from an ingenious routing that brings the player to the ocean’s edge, then onto much higher ground, before returning to the cliffs for the climactic final two holes. Even today, with gobs of world class courses having been built in the past 100 years, no more thrilling, spectacular stretch exists than holes 4 through 10. Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! Hard for a course this well known to exceed first-time expectations — but it does.

3. Los Angeles – North (Los Angeles) [#]

Gil Hanse and team restored George Thomas’s classic to perfection in 2010. Bunkers were reshaped and relocated, fairways widened and a natural barranca was brought back into play as a strategic hazard. As Hanse says of what is arguably America’s premier urban design, “The course enjoys a perfect sense of place and balance.” LACC hosted the 2017 Walker Cup and the 2023 U.S. Open won by Wyndham Clark. Early in U.S. Open week, a false narrative emerged that the fairways were too wide, but by the end of the event, the facts bore out that driving to particular sides and spots within the fairways was critical for success. LACC”s superlative collection of one-shot holes proved quite a test as well, even with ball in hand and a perfect lie/stance.

4. Riviera (Pacific Palisades) [#]

The value that an architect provides is highlighted here in technicolor. Built in a narrow canyon, there was no reason to hold high hopes for this course. Yet what emerged, courtesy of George Thomas and Billy Bell, is one of the game’s strategic design marvels. Together, the designers took bunker configuration and angled greens to new heights in the 1920s. As proof of their magical skills, look no further than Riv’s 311-yard, par-4 10th. Thanks to the inspired positioning of the bunkers and the angled green, options abound on how to card a big number on this tiny hole. Thomas’s famous quote — “strategy is the soul of the game” — manifests itself at Riv.

5. San Francisco (San Francisco) [#]

A.W. Tillinghast built his most artistic collection of bunkers at this low-key Bay Area hideaway that avoids publicity as steadfastly as its neighbor the Olympic Club embraces it. Known as the Duel Hole, the drop-shot par-3 7th may be the course’s most famous hole, but its par-4s, including the 2nd, 3rd, 10th and 12th, are the real headliners.

6. California Golf Club of San Francisco (South San Francisco) [#]

For most of its 80-year history, the Cal Club, as locals call it, served up a tight though well-regarded course, enhanced by its association with Ken Venturi. Following a 2008 Kyle Phillips re-do that was part restoration and part redesign, many feel this private course is equal to any in California north of Cypress Point. Situated on the side of a hill, Cal Club is guaranteed to catch any wind that is about. Add in fescue fairways and the site’s broad slopes and you have a course whose asks change daily. Take note of the stretch from 9-11 and how each of these two-shotters falls across the land in a different manner: the 9th plays up and over a hill, the 10th fairway slopes right to left off the tee and then left to right closer to the green and the 12th fairway glides through its own lovely valley. Overall, the mix of short grass, sprawling bunkers and cypress trees provide constant photo opportunities. When you discover the design plays as good as it looks, you have something special.

7. Valley Club of Montecito (Montecito) [#]

Designed by Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter overlooking construction, The Valley Club oozes charm. The holes don’t bully the player and length isn’t the issue but approaching these greens from the optimal side of the fairway is paramount, given the firmness of the playing surfaces that club routinely achieves. Look no further for proof than the first two greens and how they are angled to reward play from the riskier, left side of the fairway. The only thing missing is yardage markers, but only because the club doesn’t believe in them. Refreshing to find a place where the game is played by feel, not analytics.

8. Olympic – Lake (Daly City) [#]

It’s always a delight to find a course that rewards the lost art of shaping shots. The 4th hole, for instance, features a reverse-camber fairway: the hole swings right to left but the fairway tilts left to right, mandating a draw from the tee. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. Recent clearing has helped to highlight the stunning nature of the cypress trees that line this hillside overlooking Lake Merced. Its famous 5-5-short 4 closing stretch produced another climactic finish at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open. Kudos to William Watson, who might well be the least appreciated important architect from the Golden Age.

9. Pasatiempo (Santa Cruz) [#, Y, P]

Some nitpickers like to point out that parts of the course are pinched by homes. But one of those houses, along the par-5 6th, belonged to Alister Mackenzie, who chose to spend his final years on what he once described as his finest course. Unlike Cypress Point, about an hour down the coast, Pasatiempo sits just inland, but its high points offer views of the Pacific and the entire property is a sight to behold, with giant paw-print bunkers and rumpled fairways that give way to ample, undulating greens. Throughout a round here, it’s not hard to see the influence that Pasatiempo had on Mackenzie’s later work at Augusta National — nowhere more so than on the par-4 10th, a brawny two-shotter with the same dramatic sweep of what you see on TV every April. These and other fine Mackenzian features are now sharper than ever as the course emerges from a restoration and reopens to the public this fall.

10. Bel-Air (Los Angeles) [#]

A George C. Thomas classic that winds through the canyons overlooking Los Angeles. Great architects had tinkered with Bel-Air over the years, but Tom Doak’s recent restoration took out the modern gimmicks and more than 30 bunkers, bringing Bel-Air back much closer to its original design. What hasn’t changed: the clubby atmosphere on the patio, that stunning walk over golf’s most famous suspension bridge and a back nine showcasing what Ken Venturi called some of the best long par-3s in the world.

11. Monterey Peninsula – Shore (Pebble Beach) [#]

Once a ho-hum layout that languished in the shadow of its famous 17-Mile Drive neighbors, the Shore Course started drawing notice in 2004 after the iconoclastic architect Mike Strantz built 12 new holes and overhauled six others. Strantz said his goal was to make players “dance among the cypress.” But his routing, which opens and ends amid the pines, also takes advantage of a vast expanse of coastline, with fairways fringed by wispy native grasses, and dramatic rock outcrops framing several greens and tees. In 2010, five years after Strantz’s passing, his work gained even greater recognition when the Shore Course joined the rota of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

12. Ladera (Thermal) [#]

Tucked away in the lower Coachella Valley, this private club nestles up against the Santa Rosa Mountains and provides one of the game’s most peaceful settings. Given that Jim Wagner and Gil Hanse manipulated every inch of this desert site, they were free to configure the fairways as best they saw fit. Several tee shots now require appealing diagonal carries over the likes of barrancas, low-lying vegetation and well-placed bunkers on the inside of doglegs. Standout holes include the 210-yard par-3 12th that features a Biarritz type swale at the rear of the green, and the drivable par-4 15th that plays to an elevated, angled green. The best of the bunch might be the 18th, with its massive bunker on the left working in perfect unison with a sister bunker front right. This is strategic golf at a high level.

13. Monterey Peninsula – Dunes (Pebble Beach) [#]

Everything old is new again. Working with the original Raynor routing, wunderkinds Tim Jackson and David Kahn brought to fore the rugged features of a forest-meets-sea landscape on a reborn course that boasts majestic dunes, expansive sandy wastes and greens of wildly varied size and contour. Formerly straight fairways now sashay gracefully with the coastal terrain, and the par-3s, long a strength, have grown remarkably great. They include the hard-along-the-water 14th, which plays over the waves and is such a striking sight, tourists often stop to spectate from an overlook on 17-Mile Drive.

14. Spyglass Hill (Pebble Beach) [Y, P]

The toughest of the three sites in Pebble’s celebrity pro-am rota, this imposing design plays like two courses in one. After plunging toward the ocean on its opening par 5, the routing romps through coastal dunes, a charming and challenging stretch highlighted by the crafty par-4 4th, with its slender, angled hourglass-shaped green that runs away from the player. Two holes later, it’s back into the trees, where a different sort of test awaits in pine-framed tee shots, dog-legged fairways and pond-guarded greens. Emblematic of the challenge is the par-4 16th, a 476-yard right-bending beast that, year after year, ranks among the hardest holes on Tour.

15. Meadow Club (Fairfax)

16. Lakeside (Burbank)

17. Stone Eagle (Palm Desert)

18. Wilshire (Los Angeles)

19. The Quarry at La Quinta (La Quinta)

20. Lake Merced (Daly City)

21. Hillcrest (Los Angeles)

22. Torrey Pines – South (La Jolla) [Y, P]

Looking for an unrelenting test? Try this beautiful beast. The two-time U.S. Open venue (2008 and 2021) is polarizing for some architecture aficionados who feel the routing does not take full advantage of the coastal setting. But it certainly does on the 4th hole, a long par-4 that hugs an oceanside bluff. Enjoy the walk, stay out of the rough — which is especially juicy right before and after the annual PGA Tour event each January — and play the appropriate tees on a layout that stretches to a meaty 7,802 yards. Oh, and good luck.

23. Rustic Canyon (Moorpark) [Y, V, P]

Tucked away in Moorpark, a northwest suburb of Los Angeles, Rustic Canyon retains an under-the-radar vibe. Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford infused a minimalist theme here to the max, with an emphasis on angles and the ground game — elements more commonly found on the designers’ inspiration: the links courses of Great Britain and Ireland. Recognized as one of the best values for public golf in the region (and possibly the country), the aptly-named course kicks off with a vertical barranca dividing the first fairway short of the green, a strong hint at the experience to follow.

24. Madison Club (La Quinta)

25. PGA West – Dye Stadium (La Quinta) [Y, P]

Pete Dye put his singular imprint on desert golf at PGA West, and while it’s not quite the Southwest’s version of TPC Sawgrass, it comes close. Witness the island-green par-3 17th, which Lee Trevino famously aced at the 1987 Skins game. Former Dye associate Tim Liddy returned in the summer of 2024 to reclaim hole locations by restoring greens to their original sizes; he also rebuilt bunkers in his mentor’s inimitable style. This test will leave you both flummoxed and fascinated, just as Dye would have wanted it.

26. The Preserve (Carmel-By-The-Sea)

27. Diablo (Diablo)

28. San Diego CC (Chula Vista)

29. Los Angeles – South (Los Angeles)

30. Rancho Santa Fe (Rancho Santa Fe)

31. TPC Harding Park (San Francisco) [Y, P]

Even if you can’t drive the green on the par-4 16th, like Collin Morikawa famously did during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship, Harding Park remains a must-play. The course, which rubs shoulders with some elite private neighbors (The Olympic Club, Lake Merced, San Francisco Golf Club), was reborn in the early 2000s with an extensive renovation. Massive Cypress trees line the fairways, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more difficult closing stretch in the Bay Area than 13 through 18 here. Go too far left on the closing hole or your ball will disappear into Lake Merced. Fees: Varied green fees, with on-demand tee-time pricing.

32. Sherwood (Lake Sherwood)

33. Mayacama (Santa Rosa)

34. Martis Camp Club (Truckee)

35. PGA West – Mountain (La Quinta) [Y, P]

Elevated above the valley floor, the Mountain course is one of the more scenic places to play in La Quinta. Seven holes run parallel to the Santa Rosa Mountains. Among them are the short par-4 14th that plays over a riverbed on the approach, the par-5 15th tucked around a jutting slice of the mountain and the par-3 16th, one of Pete Dye’s forgotten island greens. As with most courses that bear the Dye name, there are generous applications of railroad ties and water hazards, with long angular bunkers reminiscent of TPC Sawgrass’ dictating strategy into the greens. Try to play early in the morning or late in the afternoon to see the prismatic colors reflect off the valley and surrounding vistas.

36. CordeValle (San Martin) [Y, P]

Located in the sleepy town of San Martin just a short drive from Silicon Valley, CordeValle is one of Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s best designs. The 260-acre property is one of the only in the area without real estate, keeping the tucked-away valley in the shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains a pure expression of Northern California golf. A recent bunker renovation has given the course better contrast with the natural creeks that act as hazards. A highlight of the round is the textbook example of a Redan hole at the par-3 12th, where the tightly mown green surrounds feed strategically placed shots onto the putting surface. A former PGA Tour site, CordeValle also played host to the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open.

37. La Jolla CC (La Jolla)

38. Orinda (Orinda)

39. Omni La Costa Resort and Spa – North (Carlsbad) [Y, P]

Gil Hanse was brought aboard — alongside John Fields, the University of Texas’ men’s golf coach — to bolster a venue that would be worthy of hosting the NCAA Championships. Every inch of La Costa North is calculated to test the top collegiate players while maintaining an element of forgiveness and varied options for resort guests, a feat easier idealized than actualized. Naturalized areas and wide playing corridors power a strong finishing stretch that includes, at the par-3 16th, a flipped version of the 12th at Augusta National. The 600-yard, par-5 18th will produce riveting NCAA theater with birdies and eagles for the taking.

40. Rams Hill (Borrego Springs) [Y, P]

An oasis with waterfalls and streams fed by local springs, Rams Hill is in Anza-Borrego State Park, about an hour south of La Quinta. Built in the early 1980s, the course was redesigned in 2007 by Tom Fazio on a hill overlooking the sleepy town of Borrego Springs; it plays up a rocky ridgeline on the front nine and back down for the returning nine. Uninhibited views of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west are met with some of the most iconic bunker work Fazio and his team have ever done; surrounding the bunkers are perpetually dormant grasses that strike a beautiful contrast against the immaculate fairways and greens.

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

The post Best golf courses in California for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Arkansas for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Arkansas for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Arkansas. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in Arkansas (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. The Alotian Club (Roland)

2. The Blessings (Fayetteville)

3. Texarkana (Texarkana)

4. Country Club of Little Rock (Little Rock)

5. Hot Springs CC – Arlington (Hot Springs) [P]

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

The post Best golf courses in Arkansas for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Alaska for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Alaska for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Alaska. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in Alaska (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Moose Run (Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson) [P]

2. Anchorage Golf Course (Anchorage) [P]

3. Chena Bend (Fort Wainwright) [P]

4. Palmer Golf Course (Palmer) [P]

5 Settler’s Bay (Wasilla) [P]

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

The post Best golf courses in Alaska for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Alabama for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Alabama for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Alabama. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in Alabama (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Wicker Point (Alexander City)

2. Shoal Creek (Shoal Creek)

3. CC of Birmingham – West (Mountain Brook)

4. Mountain Brook Club (Birmingham)

5. Turtle Point Yacht & CC (Killen)

6. RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National, The Links (Opelika) [Y, V, P]

Nitpickers might point out that “links” is a misnomer, and they’d be right. It’s the wrong term for a course that features sylvan fairways and carries over marshes to soft, receptive greens. But never mind the monikers. The conditioning is pure, the vistas are sublime and the course, the strongest layout on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, is a delightful, varied test. If you time the visit right, you can follow up your round with another top-notch form of outdoor entertainment: the Auburn football stadium is nearby.

7. Kiva Dunes (Gulf Shores) [V, P]

8. Country Club of Mobile (Mobile)

9. Old Overton Club (Vestavia Hills)

10. The Ledges (Huntsville)

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

The post Best golf courses in Alabama for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Arizona for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Arizona for 2024-25 appeared first on Golf.

You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Arizona. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

Check out our all-new travel podcast Destination GOLF. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Explore our all-new Course Finder

Golf courses near you? Search here!

Begin Browsing

The best golf courses in Arizona (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Scottsdale National – The Other Course (Scottsdale)

2. Forest Highlands – Canyon (Flagstaff)

3. The Estancia Club (Flagstaff)

4. Desert Forest (Carefree)

5. Whisper Rock – Upper (Scottsdale)

6. We-Ko-Pa-Saguaro (Fort McDowell) [Y, P]

We-Ko-Pa features great topographic interest. The fairways bleed into the desert floor, signifying how they are at grade with their surrounds. Steer well clear of the insidious little scar bunker that eats into the green at the short par-4 10th; if you find it, you could find yourself hitting out sideways or backward. From that claustrophobic hazard to the expansive views from the elevated tees at 15 of the distant Verde River and Superstition Mountains, We-Ko-Pa offers great variety.

7. Whisper Rock – Lower (Scottsdale)

8. Desert Highlands (Scottsdale)

9. Desert Mountain – Chiricahua (Scottsdale)

10. Talking Stick – O’odham (Scottsdale) [P]

11. Desert Mountain – Renegade (Scottsdale)

12. Troon Country Club (Scottsdale)

13. Stone Canyon (Oro Valley)

14. Pine Canyon (Flagstaff)

15. Desert Mountain – Geronimo (Scottsdale)

How we rank our courses

For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.

Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

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The post U.S. Ryder Cuppers to be paid for first time. Here’s the new arrangement appeared first on Golf.

The post U.S. Ryder Cuppers to be paid for first time. Here’s the new arrangement appeared first on Golf.

The governing body and partial owner of the Ryder Cup announced Monday that the amount given to each American player (as well as captain Keegan Bradley) will increase from its previous level. While formerly each player receiver $200,000 to be given to charities, they’ll now get up to $500,000 total — $300,000 of which will go to charities. The remaining $200,000 will be a stipend each player can do with as they please. Players have played in the Cup for decades without direct payment, but that has now changed. 

“The players and captains, past and present, are responsible for the Ryder Cup becoming the most special competition in golf and one of the most in-demand events on the international sports scene,” the PGA’s statement read. It also stated that no player asked to be compensated, but reminded viewers the figure had gone unchanged since it was introduced in 1999.

The past month has seen this topic inspire high emotion from both sides of the Ryder Cup aisle. It mostly began Nov. 13, when The Telegraph reported American players would likely be receiving a $400,000 stipend to do with as they pleased. The PGA refused to comment on that report, but the European team didn’t hold back. 

A number of Team Europe stalwarts — Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry — were playing in the Middle East on the DP World Tour when the report dropped, speaking separately but similarly. The message: We love the Ryder Cup so much, we’d pay to play in it. Tiger Woods offered a very literal response, saying, “If the Europeans want to pay to play in the Ryder Cup, that’s their decision.” 

Woods also added — during a press conference two weeks ago — that players have been angling for more funds to be distributed to charity for years. Woods blamed the media for making it seem like players were asking to be paid themselves, eventually saying he hoped the charitable gifts would reach seven figures per player. 

And while the charitable funds will increase by 50%, the real newsmaker is the stipend. In the past, many players have suggested that even if the funds are not required to go to charity, the players likely will donate the money regardless. Captain Bradley confirmed to the Associated Press that the entirety of his $500,000 will go to charity.

It has made December a surprisingly interesting Ryder Cup month, while we are still nine months away from the teams being finalized for Bethpage Black. The discourse around compensation has escalated on both sides of the Atlantic, on an issue that Bradley admitted he was “shocked” to see information leaking. Just last week, Sports Illustrated reported that a dozen former American captains penned a letter to the PGA of America decrying the idea of any money going to players directly. 

In the wake of the report, the Telegraph also reported that Team Europe would not be changing its payment structure in any way, ensuring this topic will continue to be a point of contention between the two sides moving forward.

The post U.S. Ryder Cuppers to be paid for first time. Here’s the new arrangement appeared first on Golf.