Pebble is scheduled to host the U.S. Open four times between 2027 and 2044. It's the shortest course on the PGA Tour, with insanely small greens (3,500 square feet) that have been systematically de-sloped and de-contoured so they can stimp at 14. Its bunkers frame resort-width fairways, and float 15 yards into the rough when the fairways are slimmed. A restoration or renovation is not financially practical when you factor in a year's worth of revenue lost. There is no incentive from a business perspective to shut the course down.

So my question is: since we know Pebble will be a U.S. Open course for the foreseeable future, how do you present the best version of it? What can realistically be done to create a compelling championship?

Hello all,

Heading to the Open Championship and then going up north and thinking of staying in the Edinburgh area and playing a bunch of rounds. Anyone have a good place to stay and a few fun spot for a pint and some food.

Thanks

Going Thursday to the Open Championship but looking for golf in the area on wednesday and friday. Would like to play one links and one parkland course. Anyone have a few favorites in the area or even a few hours away.

Thanks

I'm heading to Pinehurst in mid-March for a 4-round package (#'s 4, 10, 2, 8 in that order). This is my first time to the resort/area, so looking for any tips, to-do's, course pitfalls, or anything anyone else wants to provide. We are staying on property in the Manor house.

Thanks in advance.

WM Sunday was the first round this year where I really paid attention to the broadcast and I have to say that the CBS team in this configuration is honestly great. Knowledgeable, humorous, and worth listening to. Dottie & Colt do a fantastic job. Going to try and enjoy the next two weekends until the switch to NBC and the ramshackle production they call a golf broadcast. Not to say anyone on the NBC team doesn't try or care, but they are hamstrung by 'the legendary Tom Roy.'

When your awesome wife is willing to foster your budding golf architecture obsession and gifts you these for your birthday. She even researched what to get on The Fried Egg. 🥹 Surprise handwritten foreword in The Golf Courses of the British Isles.

Hey I will be coming in solo for the live show tomorrow night. Staying walking distance to venue. If anyone wants to meet up for dinner 615 or so lemme know. 207.659.9976

In the last 50 years, is there another location in the U.S. that's built as many independently owned courses over such a short period of time as Aiken? If you include Columbia and Augusta in the equation, we're getting to nearly double digits of just new builds! TTF, OB (3 courses), New Holland, Broomsedge, The Patch, 21 Club, The Chalk Mine, and maybe some more I'm missing. Do we think this trend is nearing it's end? Or is there a possibility for more courses, either private or public resort style?

If the answer is yes and you're interested in exploring it further, shoot me an email! grant.w.mcgrath@gmail.com

Cheers, Grant

Hello all,

We have an FEGC member who may need to bail on our NW Ireland Trip in late May and he's wondering if anyone would be interested in filling his spot. It is just for one player. The dates are May 23-31, 2026.

If you're looking for a late international trip to kick off golf season, let me know! This one is quite special.

Hello Fried Eggers,

Just watched the new Northwood Golf Club ASMR video, and got to say this is my favorite video TFE has ever made!

Northwoods was my home golf course during the COVID pandemic. Twice a week, my friend and I would meet in the early afternoon, make two loops, then eat a picnic dinner on the two Adirondack chairs up above the ninth hole. Since then, I've moved from Sonoma County to Michigan but I think about this little 9-holer a lot.

Y'all did a great job showing my favorite hole on the course, the par three 8th,and the MacKenzie bunkers surrounding the little green.

Thank you and kudos on the great video!!

Rory's comments at his Pebble press conference about the potential of him designing a course (thanks for the right up Joseph) got my mind turning.

The idea of a pro teaming up with a architect isn't new. Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, and, of course, Coore and Creenshaw.

Who do you think playing now would make a great design pair with an active architect? Who's a good fit for Rory?

For Rory, I don't know why, but Kyle Phillips sticks out to me. I'm struggling to think of a name that fits for Scottie and the Fair Police. I haven't played David McLay Kidd course, would you say those are fair? Andrew Green?

Hey FEGC, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's wine-themed hangout with Bryan Maletis. (It's at 8 p.m. ET. More info + the link here.)

Bryan and I are planning to explore some analogies between golf and wine. Specifically, we'll touch on the similarities between minimalist golf architecture and "minimal-intervention"/ "natural" winemaking, as well as the parallels between, say, Tom Fazio and Rombauer (i.e., maximal intervention, artificial luxury, waterfalls, heavy oak, things of that nature).

And to that end, I'll open two Pinot Noirs: one minimal-intervention example (probably from the Willamette Valley) and one more extracted/oaked/etc. (probably from Sonoma). I haven't picked up the bottles yet, but for the WV Pinot, I'm leaning toward Violin or Teutonic. The Sonoma bottle will be tricky because I don't just want to drink garbage (Meiomi), but I'd also rather not spend more than $30. That's a pretty narrow band of Sonoma Pinot. I might go with something from La Crema.

This experiment would be even easier with Chardonnay. If you were to compare/contrast Diatom or Cameron with Cambria Katherine's Vineyard (or really any number of Central Coast or Sonoma Chards), you'd get a nice sense of the minimal/maximal dichotomy.

What are you drinking? Do you have any other suggestions for a contrasting duo? What kinds of golf/wine analogies spring to mind for you?

Hope to see you tomorrow in the chat!

Augusta National Golf Club announced today that Augusta Municipal Golf Course, locally known as "The Patch," will reopen for public play on April 15 after a 16-month overhaul of the facility. Tom Fazio and Beau Welling headed up the renovation of The Patch's 18-hole course, and Tiger Woods's firm TGR Design (for which Welling serves as a senior design consultant) handled the creation of a nine-hole short course called The Loop.

Resident green fees for both courses will be affordable. Locals will pay $25-35 at the 18-hole course and $15 at The Loop. ANGC did not specify out-of-town rates, but I would obviously expect them to be substantially higher.

The Patch will host limited pay for local community groups in mid-March before shuttering for "private hospitality opportunities" during the week of The Masters.

Check out a few photos of the new golf courses (the first two of the 18-holer, the third of The Loop) below:

Headed to Orlando for work the end of February and will have a day or two to play. Our work deal is down by the airport so looking for something close and not $1000.

Hello...

I have two tickets for Thursday nights show in Chicago if people are still looking...I would hate to see them go to waste but I cant make the flight in from New York.

If you would like them, I dont have social media so email (riffice1965@gmail.com) is the best way to reach me.

Thanks for the suggestion Will.

Regards,

Mike Riffice