First, Vijay already used his two career money exemptions in 2022 and 2023. He should not have this one available.
Second, Andy was asking if somebody has compiled a list of who has career money exemptions they can still use. Ask and ye shall receive.
Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, David Toms, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III.
Finally, fields are flexing up to include all fully exempt people this year, so it is true he may not be taking a spot if and only if the field is flexing up. (Except Phoenix)
First, Vijay already used his two career money exemptions in 2022 and 2023. He should not have this one available.
Second, Andy was asking if somebody has compiled a list of who has career money exemptions they can still use. Ask and ye shall receive.
Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, David Toms, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III.
Finally, fields are flexing up to include all fully exempt people this year, so it is true he may not be taking a spot if and only if the field is flexing up. (Except Phoenix)
Hey folks! I'll be in Austin, TX in late Feb and I managed to arrange my work schedule to sneak in a round of golf. I've done some Googling and have a short list, but wondered if any one on here has any must plays. Let me know!
Hey folks! I'll be in Austin, TX in late Feb and I managed to arrange my work schedule to sneak in a round of golf. I've done some Googling and have a short list, but wondered if any one on here has any must plays. Let me know!
I play in a volleyball league that is pretty competitive, but in the offseason, the commish of the league is starting up a 5-week sim golf league, inviting people from all skill levels for screen golf. The commish doesn't know much about golf, so I'm trying to give him some tips. (For example, I asked him what the two-man format was, he said best ball. I pressed him further knowing full well he meant scramble) He claims the sim has almost any course we want and is excited to do courses like Augusta and Sawgrass. It sounds like there are going to be some beginner beginners in this. For example, they think I (an 18 index) am going to be one of the best players in the league (My teammate is a 2).
I think you see where I'm going with this. I think throwing newbies onto courses like Augusta and Sawgrass would be a complete disaster and unfun for all involved. Assuming they do indeed have every course in the world, any suggestions for ones I should suggest? I was thinking Mammoth Dunes, Kapalua Plantation, LACC, Trinity Forest, anything with wide wide fairways where people won't be hating life and quit.
I play in a volleyball league that is pretty competitive, but in the offseason, the commish of the league is starting up a 5-week sim golf league, inviting people from all skill levels for screen golf. The commish doesn't know much about golf, so I'm trying to give him some tips. (For example, I asked him what the two-man format was, he said best ball. I pressed him further knowing full well he meant scramble) He claims the sim has almost any course we want and is excited to do courses like Augusta and Sawgrass. It sounds like there are going to be some beginner beginners in this. For example, they think I (an 18 index) am going to be one of the best players in the league (My teammate is a 2).
I think you see where I'm going with this. I think throwing newbies onto courses like Augusta and Sawgrass would be a complete disaster and unfun for all involved. Assuming they do indeed have every course in the world, any suggestions for ones I should suggest? I was thinking Mammoth Dunes, Kapalua Plantation, LACC, Trinity Forest, anything with wide wide fairways where people won't be hating life and quit.
My biggest takeaway from the latest Yoak was that nobody was willing to just say "here's the money, do whatever you want." Like, yea, I get it, when you're investing $25 million on a golf course, you really, really need it to make money and you're likely super worried about the outcome. But what there thousands of people putting in not much at all? With 10,000 investors, you'd only need $2,500 invested per person. I mean, that's a lot of money, yes, but the point is (1) if it's an investment, it's small enough to lose, and (2) if successful, any perks from that money could probably pay for the initial investment over the lifetime of the going concern.
Now, I know finance law prohibits just asking normal folks to invest in a venture without becoming a public company, and that has non-trivial costs attached. However, the cost is low enough that I think plenty of folks would be willing to be compensated through a kick-starter structure, that is, I assume I'll get zero return on my investment, but maybe I'd get to play golf at a steep discount, or get access to a locker/bar that is otherwise private when I visit. I mean, I'd happily pitch in for a Bandon-like entity to get built if I know I'll get discounted golf and preferred access going forward. I also wouldn't care at all what the course was like, because I genuinely think pitching in for a Doak-level masterpiece to get built would be worth it.
Maybe I'm totally out of touch with reality, but it just seems doable to me.
My biggest takeaway from the latest Yoak was that nobody was willing to just say "here's the money, do whatever you want." Like, yea, I get it, when you're investing $25 million on a golf course, you really, really need it to make money and you're likely super worried about the outcome. But what there thousands of people putting in not much at all? With 10,000 investors, you'd only need $2,500 invested per person. I mean, that's a lot of money, yes, but the point is (1) if it's an investment, it's small enough to lose, and (2) if successful, any perks from that money could probably pay for the initial investment over the lifetime of the going concern.
Now, I know finance law prohibits just asking normal folks to invest in a venture without becoming a public company, and that has non-trivial costs attached. However, the cost is low enough that I think plenty of folks would be willing to be compensated through a kick-starter structure, that is, I assume I'll get zero return on my investment, but maybe I'd get to play golf at a steep discount, or get access to a locker/bar that is otherwise private when I visit. I mean, I'd happily pitch in for a Bandon-like entity to get built if I know I'll get discounted golf and preferred access going forward. I also wouldn't care at all what the course was like, because I genuinely think pitching in for a Doak-level masterpiece to get built would be worth it.
Maybe I'm totally out of touch with reality, but it just seems doable to me.
I'll have time for one round while on the Big Island and am torn on which course to choose. Outside of Nanea (definitely not well connected enough for that one!), curious if anyone has thoughts on the obvious public choices (Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani North, or Mauna Lani South) or if there are others I should consider?
I'll have time for one round while on the Big Island and am torn on which course to choose. Outside of Nanea (definitely not well connected enough for that one!), curious if anyone has thoughts on the obvious public choices (Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani North, or Mauna Lani South) or if there are others I should consider?
I'm heading down to Melbourne in a couple of weeks with some friends and will be playing some of the big dogs in the area, but I am going to stick around awhile and play more solo, and maybe pop over the 7 mile beach.
What are some good spots to hit up in Melbourne that are a reasonable price? Has anyone taken the train out to Warrnambool for a day trip from the CBD? That seems like a fun adventure, but 7 hours on a train in a day is a lot.
I'm heading down to Melbourne in a couple of weeks with some friends and will be playing some of the big dogs in the area, but I am going to stick around awhile and play more solo, and maybe pop over the 7 mile beach.
What are some good spots to hit up in Melbourne that are a reasonable price? Has anyone taken the train out to Warrnambool for a day trip from the CBD? That seems like a fun adventure, but 7 hours on a train in a day is a lot.
Morning FEGC! I'm curious if any North American fans have been to a DP world tour event. I'm thinking about going to the KLM Open in June and it would be my first time going to an international golf event. Has anyone made the trip over? Was it easy to do, what was the experience like? Thanks in advance.
Morning FEGC! I'm curious if any North American fans have been to a DP world tour event. I'm thinking about going to the KLM Open in June and it would be my first time going to an international golf event. Has anyone made the trip over? Was it easy to do, what was the experience like? Thanks in advance.
Will shared this yesterday to your inbox, but I wanted to also put the information for The Shotgun Start's first live show here.
On Thursday, February 12, Andy, Brendan, and PJ are heading to Chicagoland for their first ever live theater show at Space in Evanston, Illinois. The show will feature all your favorite segments, audience Q&A, and almost certainly a soliloquy on the Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears. Come for the laughs, stay for Champions Tour minute, and help make sure the mics are plugged in before they start.
Tickets for FEGC members are on sale now and are released to the general public on Friday, January 9. You can use code FEGC2026to purchase your tickets during the pre-sale period this week.
Will shared this yesterday to your inbox, but I wanted to also put the information for The Shotgun Start's first live show here.
On Thursday, February 12, Andy, Brendan, and PJ are heading to Chicagoland for their first ever live theater show at Space in Evanston, Illinois. The show will feature all your favorite segments, audience Q&A, and almost certainly a soliloquy on the Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears. Come for the laughs, stay for Champions Tour minute, and help make sure the mics are plugged in before they start.
Tickets for FEGC members are on sale now and are released to the general public on Friday, January 9. You can use code FEGC2026to purchase your tickets during the pre-sale period this week.
Three TGL matches down and everyone has played except Jupe stinks, and we just found out tonight that their potential roster next week is some combo of Akshay, Tiger, Kis, and Max. Not the change i thought they would make but you can’t show up to practice late. Also, they announced WTGL tonight with the retired Lexi Thompson. I don’t know if I’m more surprised there is an expansion team, a women’s version of the league, or that this will last more than 2 seasons. You have to wonder if the Liv/Tour negotiations are hung up on the PIF being able to get the next expansion team. A couple other thoughts:
Just like the MLB and NBA, analytics may be killing the fun in TGL with Cantlay’s hammer strategy
Per the most recent SGS, BP didn’t seem too thrilled there is TGL chat going on in the hottest club in town, and Andy looked like he was just disappointed.
Shane told Gotterup he’s the best indoor golfer in the world and he responded with “I don’t know if that’s a good claim to fame”
Updated power rankings: Drive, frogs, NYGC, LAGC, Bay, Jupe
Three TGL matches down and everyone has played except Jupe stinks, and we just found out tonight that their potential roster next week is some combo of Akshay, Tiger, Kis, and Max. Not the change i thought they would make but you can’t show up to practice late. Also, they announced WTGL tonight with the retired Lexi Thompson. I don’t know if I’m more surprised there is an expansion team, a women’s version of the league, or that this will last more than 2 seasons. You have to wonder if the Liv/Tour negotiations are hung up on the PIF being able to get the next expansion team. A couple other thoughts:
Just like the MLB and NBA, analytics may be killing the fun in TGL with Cantlay’s hammer strategy
Per the most recent SGS, BP didn’t seem too thrilled there is TGL chat going on in the hottest club in town, and Andy looked like he was just disappointed.
Shane told Gotterup he’s the best indoor golfer in the world and he responded with “I don’t know if that’s a good claim to fame”
Updated power rankings: Drive, frogs, NYGC, LAGC, Bay, Jupe
After heavy rainstorms slammed into the West Coast in late December, Soule Park Golf Course suffered significant flood damage. Multiple holes along the large barranca that runs through the Ojai, California, municipal course will need to be repaired or partially rebuilt.
This is the second time in three years that the course has taken a hit from rising waters. In the winter of 2022-23, portions of holes 12 and 14 were washed away. During the recent storm, the punchbowl green on the par-5 fifth hole took a particularly hard hit. Below are overhead photos of the green taken in 2022, 2024, and 2026, respectively.
Yeah. Yikes.
Soule Park has been vulnerable to floods throughout its 60-year history. In 2005, an especially intense storm left the course in a dire state. Fortunately, as I detailed in this 2019 piece, an ambitious leaseholder stepped in to rehabilitate the property and spearhead a renovation by Gil Hanse. In recent years, the course has seen a major uptick in play and media coverage.
Soule Park is near and dear to several of us at Fried Egg Golf. I grew up in nearby Goleta, California, and my dad and I played the course frequently in the late 1990s. Today, my colleague Cameron Hurdus lives about 30 minutes away.
Cameron visited Soule Park a few days ago and sent along these notes to me:
"The plan is basically to try and recapture as much of No. 5 green site as possible and put 'something' back, but no one has been hired on the design side yet.... I think what they end up building will depend on how much land is recaptured."
"There are a lot of areas that need to be addressed — just stabilizing spots and also potentially creating dams or buffers that might reroute water downstream slightly."
"The river is getting very close to the pond on No. 1/No. 10, [and a breakthrough there] would be the worst-case scenario."
"No. 12 will need some sort of stabilizing measure to keep it from eroding more."
This is all tough to hear. But I'm glad that the current leaseholder, Keith Brown, has remained committed to keeping the course open and preserving Hanse's excellent design work. All best to Keith and the team at Soule Park in their recovery efforts.
After heavy rainstorms slammed into the West Coast in late December, Soule Park Golf Course suffered significant flood damage. Multiple holes along the large barranca that runs through the Ojai, California, municipal course will need to be repaired or partially rebuilt.
This is the second time in three years that the course has taken a hit from rising waters. In the winter of 2022-23, portions of holes 12 and 14 were washed away. During the recent storm, the punchbowl green on the par-5 fifth hole took a particularly hard hit. Below are overhead photos of the green taken in 2022, 2024, and 2026, respectively.
Yeah. Yikes.
Soule Park has been vulnerable to floods throughout its 60-year history. In 2005, an especially intense storm left the course in a dire state. Fortunately, as I detailed in this 2019 piece, an ambitious leaseholder stepped in to rehabilitate the property and spearhead a renovation by Gil Hanse. In recent years, the course has seen a major uptick in play and media coverage.
Soule Park is near and dear to several of us at Fried Egg Golf. I grew up in nearby Goleta, California, and my dad and I played the course frequently in the late 1990s. Today, my colleague Cameron Hurdus lives about 30 minutes away.
Cameron visited Soule Park a few days ago and sent along these notes to me:
"The plan is basically to try and recapture as much of No. 5 green site as possible and put 'something' back, but no one has been hired on the design side yet.... I think what they end up building will depend on how much land is recaptured."
"There are a lot of areas that need to be addressed — just stabilizing spots and also potentially creating dams or buffers that might reroute water downstream slightly."
"The river is getting very close to the pond on No. 1/No. 10, [and a breakthrough there] would be the worst-case scenario."
"No. 12 will need some sort of stabilizing measure to keep it from eroding more."
This is all tough to hear. But I'm glad that the current leaseholder, Keith Brown, has remained committed to keeping the course open and preserving Hanse's excellent design work. All best to Keith and the team at Soule Park in their recovery efforts.
I'm brainstorming ideas for Golf Architecture 101 episodes and segments for the 2026 run of Designing Golf.
What basic questions do you have about golf course design? Or, if you're more advanced in your golf architecture knowledge, what 101-type topics would you like to see covered?
I'm brainstorming ideas for Golf Architecture 101 episodes and segments for the 2026 run of Designing Golf.
What basic questions do you have about golf course design? Or, if you're more advanced in your golf architecture knowledge, what 101-type topics would you like to see covered?
Heading to the Land Down Under for the 2027 Australian Open next January. Will probably only be able to golf 1-2 times but was trying to lay the groundwork early in hopes of getting out somewhere world class with my FiL.
Does anyone have any insights or experience getting out on some of the better courses in Melbourne? Thank you!
Heading to the Land Down Under for the 2027 Australian Open next January. Will probably only be able to golf 1-2 times but was trying to lay the groundwork early in hopes of getting out somewhere world class with my FiL.
Does anyone have any insights or experience getting out on some of the better courses in Melbourne? Thank you!
Trying to cobble something together for a long weekend mid-fall 2026 and add to my quest to play a round in every state.
The Nevada/Arizona/Utah corridor looks like an efficient way to punch three of those off the list. I have some ideas off of Google maps and basic research, but if anyone has preferences or great experiences with courses in that area, I'm happy to investigate and possibly add them to my agenda. Most likely scenario is fly into Vegas on Thursday night and out on Sunday evening, so at least one round each day. Thanks in advance.
Trying to cobble something together for a long weekend mid-fall 2026 and add to my quest to play a round in every state.
The Nevada/Arizona/Utah corridor looks like an efficient way to punch three of those off the list. I have some ideas off of Google maps and basic research, but if anyone has preferences or great experiences with courses in that area, I'm happy to investigate and possibly add them to my agenda. Most likely scenario is fly into Vegas on Thursday night and out on Sunday evening, so at least one round each day. Thanks in advance.
Beautifully written, KVV.
DFW's commencement speech is overquoted, but your words brought his to mind: "Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship."
A few of the pictures need to be rotated and just making a suggestion, adding the “par” designation for each hole, gives context to how the holes sequence together. As always, content is top notch still!
Listened to the Designing Golf pod, and my my experience, Garrett was spot on about the utilitarian nature of the Hawtree families work. Hawtree family was involved in the design, redesign and renovation of quite a few golf courses here in Belgium (where I live). And, after playing nearly all the courses they have had a presence, they have a style that rarely terrible or great...just pragmatic. I've not been a fan of some of the places they have been hired for green redesigns, because their greens are not very interesting with contours, relying mostly on bunkering around the greens as the defenestration of par. I think the Hawtree families best work is when they did the entire design, such as Royal Limburg and Royal Waterloo, where their style is consistent. They are often rated in the top 5 of courses in Belgium....although, I really prefer Limburg...its heathland with some quirk and lots of heather.
Well supported argument, and I tend to agree. I think a similar defense could be given for The Players being a major on the men's side too (elite field, legacy, money, strong test, etc). There is a definite aversion to reconsidering majors, but I think it's important to remember that nothing was a "major" immediately. Every major has reached that status over time
David, I’ve been on the road too much but we are hoping to do one ourselves in August. If you are willing to help set one up we’d love to se that happen in July!
Hi again everyone. Been a while since I last been on the site. Happy to host anyone at the Links at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels. Also a member at Stonewall n Elverson PA. Let me know and also happy to try to join anyone at another course. Happy 4th!
“ Whenever I play the New Course in St. Andrews, I am subconsciously faced with a difficult question, one that likely cannot be answered: Is it possible to fairly judge (and ultimately enjoy) something on its own merit without contrasting it to a neighboring course that is its clear superior?”
Will could have started his review of the Augusta Country Club the same way!
Thank you for the this write up. I was fortunate to play the New Course on an amazing trip to Scotland last summer with 7 friends. The New Course round was essentially an after thought for our group and was only acquired in order for our group to get access to the Old Course. Some guys understandably skipped it to rest after 36 the day before at Muirfield, in preparation for the Old the next day. I ended up playing with one other from our group and our driver Alan, a colorful Scotsman and avid golfer. He also acted as our unofficial caddy as he had played the New many a time. I can only describe the round as care free, enjoyable stroll. No nerves or pressure that comes with playing an Open Rota venue. Nothing felt monumental…..in a good way. It was just golf on sacred ground.
#9 was definitely the most intimidating par 3 on the trip! 230 yds into the breeze. Estuary left, gorse filled gully right. I did not birdie it!
Great write-up, thank you! I agree that the New Course's quality and relaxed atmosphere make it an underappreciated part of St. Andrews. Our group played it twice a couple years ago in September, as pressure from the AIG Women's Open and Dunhill Cup limited Old Course access. Even though it was not even on our formal trip itinerary, the New Course was one of our favorites (above heavyweights like Carnoustie and Royal Aberdeen) and the experience prompted us to play multiple rounds.
Part of the fun is also in walking up to a great course and having the starter apologize for asking you to wait 45 mins before teeing off. It is a refreshing antidote to the formalized puffery of most US golf. The New Course quickly removed any (first world) angst created by not "winning" the Old Course ballot / lottery.
Hole seven was fun om sunday afternoon but that is only because of the big tail wind they had. I dont know why they did not build a new tee for them on 14? They play that hole longer then the men do. I too cant wait to see a new Hazeltine.
Joseph, amazing article. Written with a bravado worthy of Mr. Block. Came back to read it again after seeing his haircut in advance of the US Senior Open. Can't wait to read it again after he fulfills his destiny on Sunday.
Love this comp, Dan. I also thought 1-5 were excellent holes.
The way the routing works it is sort of a funhouse version of Spyglass. There, the best and most memorable holes all come right away at the beginning of the round. However you feel about the forest holes that follow, the course's highlight comes early. At The Creek you get the better version of that in two ways. The more memorable holes come later and there are more of them.
