I watched the press room spat between Colin and Adam, I think it was appropriate for Colin to call him out. The media has/can move in a direction of writing things to simply get clicks or views, and there needs to be less of that and more of quality reporting/writing/journalism. For a media member to ask a question out loud on the first tee to a player? Seriously? The media member was just trying to make a scene and draw attention to himself. Bryson got so tired of the way the media spinning things about him that he started his own youtube channel so he can control the narrative. There is a line, but I think having the PGA tour players able to opt out of post-game press meetings and able to call out media members, allows for a proper back and forth that could lead to better writing.

Great article - thank you! Nice to see an example of a course - Tain - that is not referenced often. It would be interesting to also highlight courses that have the opportunity to create change, but choose not to do so - i.e. are a monotonous trudge despite having the opportunity to create change / drama. Maybe too many to mention, but comparing and contrasting would be interesting.

I did get the chance to walk the back nine at Harbour Town a couple days ago. The scope of the work is limited to tees and greens and surrounds it appeared, with slight, and I mean slight fairway expansions. I never saw the course before, but having watched it on TV, it seemed to be small changes. The most visual changes were the conversion of some of the small bunkers to Astro turf sod wall revetted bunkers in a few places. The narrowness of the course will remain, the trees focus your eye, and I found it to be a unique way to navigate an 100 yard corridor.

Love the swing tier system. What exactly does the label "Blue Blood Swing" and "59 Swing" mean?

Love the quote from Doak. Land and hazards together are more important than mere strategy, which should come in moderation. The same type of risk-for-a-better-angle situation on every hole gets boring after a while.4-5-8 are really world-class holes (5 was my favorite), but I found 6 awkward. That proposed 7th hole could be awesome! Would also decrease the current similarities with 9.

Not sure if this has been discussed, but I just saw that Mike Devries purchased Dunham Hills in Fenton, Mi and intends to build a course that “brings the best of the UK golf model” to metro Detroit.Curious as to what this means and if it is truly possible to copy across the US.

Fair! I'm not super familiar with Marine & Lawn. I just know they've done stuff in GB&I. Is it an ultra-upscale brand?I think you can definitely expect lodging prices at Mid Pines and Pine Needles to go up. Look what happened at Southern Pines post-reno. Those places left a lot of money on the table for a long time, and now they're capturing it. It's tough for those of us who enjoy affordable green fees and hotel stays, but probably inevitable? In any case, I'm with you.

Appreciate it, Dale!

What a great course to highlight! Really enjoyed going through this one. I also really appreciated calling out the false AI claim, it really shows the depth of research you put into these. I also really liked learning about the nuance of how the term "bold" is used in golf course architecture.

It’s certainly reasonable and understandable that renovations and updates would occur. The Marine & Lawn branding is what had me skeptical that it won’t end up in the same price bracket as the other resorts that are increasingly difficult to afford.