Thursday the Tweflth day's are numbered as the name for this page. I incorrectly figured the title would add a clever undertone to the page but I now feel limited by it. Soon I will publish a "style guide" to define the meaning of some of the phrasing used in past and future articles, by... Continue Reading →
An Opening Hole: Tobacco Road Golf Club
Mike Stranz managed to inject moments of sheer terror and excitement into actually gentle opener, so much so that a 160-yard lay-up on an opening 550-yard hole can feel exhilarating!
The Golf Industry’s Adolescence
My best friend of well over a decade allows me to indulge in conversation about golf and the golf industry frequently and I very much respect and consider his insight. He does not play or even enjoy the game but our desire to have lively discussion tends to trump those seeming shortcomings. I convinced him... Continue Reading →
Update and Moving Forward
While over a month has passed since my last update, this site continues to see some traffic and I hope those checking in see the current content as worthwhile. I have accepted an internship with Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak's company) on the Streamsong project in Florida. The Streamsong Resort is owned by the Mosaic... Continue Reading →
Strategic Hazards: Why Every Dogleg Doesn’t Need a Bunker
I am currently in a discussion on Golf Club Atlas about the strategic nature of a bunker on the fourth hole at Galloway National. Elements of the discussion highlight some of the differences in perception of strategy in golf, as well as what features introduce strategic thinking. No single authority exists which define the nuances... Continue Reading →
Know Your Turf: Annual Bluegrass
Know Your Turf seeks to improve the reader's understanding of the turf aspects of the golf course. Each post will explore and explain the uses of a species of a turfgrass in a golf course setting and how the management of that species influences the game. The majority of the information presented is from my... Continue Reading →
Who put that $%&#@* hole there?
...or how I learned to stop worrying and love the game. Last week's topic of general setup guidelines begs a few questions, especially on definitions for difficulty. Golfers constantly encounter hole locations or course setup nuances that are quickly labeled as "unfair" or "difficult." Seeking a fair examination of one's game is in the nature... Continue Reading →
An Opening Hole: Bethpage State Park Red Course
In which first holes are examined. Today’s is Bethpage State Park Red Course's 471-yard first hole. Bethpage State Park developed out of the ashes of the Lenox Hills Country Club during New Deal era public works projects. The Devereux Emmet design at Lenox Hills contributed elements that became the Green Course while A.W. Tillinghast designed... Continue Reading →
Golf Course Setup: Aims and Methods
Nothing integrates the golfer to the golf course more than golf course setup. Two levels of setup exist that accomplish this end. The first and most complex level pertains to the mowing practices, bunker maintenance, and overall agronomic presentation of the golf course while the second involves the daily location of the holes on the... Continue Reading →
Golf Course Image Crops
The horizontal crop emphasized the uphill nature of the tough approach into the eighteenth green. I've always liked the view of the flag-stick peeking over the bunkers in the hillside. The green extends further right of the flag-stick than the bunkering suggests, so much so that this seemingly middle hole location is actually closer to the left edge.
Kyle Harris' Nearest Point of Relief 