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The post For Wenyi Ding, the first man from China to win a USGA event, the sky appears to be the limit appeared first on Golf.

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At 53, Feng Ding is a retired soccer coach from Beijing. But for the past decade, he has worked an unpaid job as swing instructor to his only child.

It hasn’t been an easy gig, given his own modest background in a game that he only took up in adulthood.

“But with my experience as a soccer coach, I was able to help with training,” Ding said through a translator. “And with some advice from golf professionals in China, I have been able to guide him.” On Saturday afternoon, Ding’s guidance paid off when his 17-year-old son, Wenyi Ding, held off a spirited charge by Caleb Surratt, of Indian Trail, N.C., to capture the U.S. Junior Amateur by a margin of 3-and-2.

Ding’s victory in the 36-hole final earns him a spot in the 2023 U.S. Open. It also makes him the first male player from China to win a USGA event.

“I am very proud and happy,” he said. “I’m part of history now.”

As a three-time winner of the Chinese Amateur Open and the runner up in the 2020 Volvo China Open, Ding is a young headliner in his home country and the 20th-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Despite that standing, though, he arrived at Bandon as a relative unknown, having only played once in the United States before and never in a USGA event. He didn’t remain overlooked for long. As Ding cruised through the first two days of stroke play, and the opening rounds of match play, the buzz around him began to build. It swelled on Friday, when Ding edged last year’s Junior Amateur semifinalist, Luke Potter, of Encinitas, Calif., 1 up, in the morning, and then outlasted Eric Lee, of Fullerton, Calif., in the afternoon semifinals, putting himself on a collision course with Surratt.

Features

Surratt, who will attend the University of Tennessee in the fall, entered the championship as one of the hottest hands on the junior circuit, with two wins and nothing worse than a 9th-place finish in his previous nine events. He, too, cruised through the early rounds of match play, before knocking off defending champ Nicholas Dunlap 4-and-3 in the semifinals.

In Saturday’s final, Surratt came out blazing in the morning session with birdies on the opening three holes. Only a crafty up-and-down by Ding on the par-5 3rd hole kept the deficit to 2.

Surratt has the meticulous manner of a Tour pro and the ball-striking to match. But golf is like a box of chocolates. Throw in variables of a bouncy, wind-swept links, and you have no way of knowing what you’re going to get. On the par-4 4th, Surratt caught a greenside bunker, giving way to bogey. Ding made par. As he marched to the 5th tee, 1 down, his father gave him a gentle fist bump. The momentum in the match had begun to shift.

By the turn, Ding had drawn even. By the end of the morning 18, he had built a 3-up lead. His cheering section had grown, too.

David Zhou, Wen Wu Wang and Xian Zhang, who were all born in China but now reside in Toronto, had come to Bandon Dunes for a buddies’ golf trip, with no intent of watching the Junior Amateur. But when they heard that Ding was in the finals, they rushed out to watch. His name was no secret to them.

“I’ve been following him for a while now,” Zhang said. “In China, he’s a really big deal.”

So much so that the three men asked Ding to pose for a photo with them as he walked off 18.

Morning leads in the Junior Amateur have not been a good omen in recent years. Eight of the last nine winners of the event have been tied or trailing heading into the afternoon session. Ding came out looking eager to buck that trend, with a birdie on 2 and an eagle on 3, expanding his lead to 5 up. He played the first seven holes in five under par and was six under at the turn, with a 7-up lead. When Ding birdied the par-4 10th to go 8 up, the match was dormie.

Still, closing out a championship is tough. And Surratt wasn’t ready to lay down. On the 11th hole, Wing made his first bogey of the finals. Surratt then reeled off three straight birdies.

Another win for Surratt on the par-3 15th and the margin was down to 3 with three holes to play.

“I was feeling very nervous,” Ding said.

But he collected himself on the short par-4 16th, with a solid drive and crispy chip to close out the match. Surratt was the first to congratulate him.

Lifestyle

“Wenyi played some great golf today,” Surratt said. “But I fought hard and tried my best and that is all I can ask for.”

As the moment sank in, Ding broke down in tears. He hugged his caddie, Wil Lozano, a resort looper, then fell into the embrace of his weeping father.

In the long run, victory in the Junior Amateur guarantees nothing. But it’s not a bad sign. Johnny Miller won the event. So did Scottie Scheffler. Jordan Spieth won it twice, and Tiger Woods pulled off the trick three times in a row.

Ding has already committed to Arizona State for the fall of 2023. He will play in the U.S. Amateur, in August, at Ridgewood Country Club, in New Jersey, and the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club next year.

The sky appears to be the limit. His father is considering finding him a seasoned instructor.

“The problem is,” the elder Ding said, “I’m afraid that they might change his swing.”

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The post New Tom Doak design coming to acclaimed Top 100 property in Scotland appeared first on Golf.

The post New Tom Doak design coming to acclaimed Top 100 property in Scotland appeared first on Golf.

On Monday, Cabot, the company co-founded by Canadian businessman Ben Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes developer Mike Keiser, announced its acquisition of the Scottish property, which it has renamed Cabot Highlands. Operations at the course will continue uninterrupted, but upgrades to the destination are in store, as Cabot plans to add accommodations, for-sale real estate and, most notably for golfers, a second 18-hole course, designed by the acclaimed architect Tom Doak.

“Our goal has always been to create unforgettable memories in magical places, and this certainly fits the bill,” Cowan-Dewar said. “It’s such a marvelous destination in such a wonderful part of the world, the opportunity was almost too good to be true.”

Five minutes from the Inverness airport and within striking distance of such marquee Highlands courses as Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Brora, Castle Stuart has been a design-world darling since its opening in 2009. It was the brainchild of Mark Parsinen, who also built Kingbarns, in St. Andrews. At Castle Stuart, Parsinen collaborated with Gil Hanse on a links that rollicks over bluffs and along the Moray Firth, with infinity-edged greens, backed by the water, and long views of the Highlands. The course ranks 77th on GOLF’s current World Top 100 roster and four times has played host to the Scottish Open.

The purchase of Castle Stuart is the latest headline-making move by the Cabot team, whose growing portfolio of destination includes Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia (home of two of GOLF’s World Top 100 Courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs) and a pair of highly anticipated projects: Cabot Saint Lucia, set for late 2022 on the island of the same name; and Cabot Revelstoke, now in progress in British Columbia. Earlier this year, Cabot also acquired its first U.S. property, 45-hole World Woods, in Florida, which is now undergoing renovations and has been renamed Cabot Citrus Farms.

At their Highlands destination, Cowan-Dewar said that he and the Cabot team were proud to carry on the legacy of Parsinen, who died in 2019, at age 70. Along with the original course at Castle Stuart, Parsinen had long envisioned a par-3 course and a second 18-hole course. That short course was recently completed will have its grand opening next year (it is currently open to limited preview play). Construction on the new Doak-designed 18, which will be routed around a 400-year-old castle, will begin next year with an opening scheduled for 2024.

Real estate sales will begin at Cabot Highlands in 2023.

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The post Our favorite public courses we finally played in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post Our favorite public courses we finally played in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

For some of us, it was a lovely walk through the tall trees in California. For others, it was a delightful romp on a par-69 in Maine. And of course, for the lucky bunch, the best that Bandon Dunes and Pinehurst have to offer. Here are the places that stood out to us in 2021.

TPC Harding Park, California

Northern California’s Bay Area is chock full of quality golf. Private courses like Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and Cal Club highlight the menu, but there are plenty of high-caliber public tracks as well.

Presidio Golf Course, Sharp Park and (if you venture a little further south) Pasatiempo are all solid public-access tracks that should be on your radar if you’re in the area. But after receiving a facelift and hosting several big-time events over the last 20 years, TPC Harding Park might be the most well-known. – Zephyr Melton

Read more here.

Saratoga National, New York

Yes, we’d had a few close calls, but through some amalgam of skill, mental endurance and good fortune, Dad had always managed to wind up on top. And, as most good dads do, he never let me forget it.

“Oh, who’s the best golfer in the family?” He’d say to no one in particular. “Well, let me check the scorecard … Oh! That’s right. Me.” – James Colgan

Read more here.

Bandon Dunes, Oregon

Trapped in a bunker, I was thrown a lifeline. Or, in this case, a more-lofted sand wedge.

Over Labor Day weekend, I was fortunate enough to have made my first trip to Bandon Dunes, and over three days, I was fortunate enough to have played five of the six courses on the Bandon, Oregon property. (I missed just Old Macdonald.) And fortunately for me, Tyson was along for the ride. Especially deep into the back nine, and deep in the sand, at Bandon Trails.

“Here, use this,” Tyson said, handing me a wedge. – Nick Piastowski

Read more here.

Pasatiempo Golf Club, California

As with most courses that hold plenty of fanfare online, I held some skepticism about Pasatiempo. But when Alister MacKenzie calls it his best layout, well, you have to take the man at his word. It must be pretty good.

On paper, it might not wow you. Your view off the 1st tee offers a tattered driving range along the left side and a brutally long par-4 that slaps you from the jump; hope you’re ready. It plays just 6,450 yards from the tips and is priced at $325 during prime season, encouraging numerous golf buddies of mine to ask if Pasatiempo is worth extending their Bay Area or Monterey Peninsula golf trips. The answer is yes, every single time. Because at Pasatiempo you’ll pay a pricey rate but receive a 200-level class in course design. Thanks, Prof MacKenzie. – Sean Zak

Read more here.

Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina

Pinehurst Resort is a bucket-list golf destination, and for good reason. There are nine courses to choose from, first-rate lodging, delicious dining, a quaint village, the list goes on.

Course No. 2 is also one that lives large in our collective imaginations. – Jessica Marksbury

Read more here.

Cape Arundel, Maine

I’d driven through Maine before, but had never spent any time there prior to this trip. My knowledge of the state was limited to fresh lobster and what I’d seen in L.L. Bean magazines, so I was excited to experience it for the first time. I was also a little nervous — this was my first trip for GOLF where I’d actually be the person playing golf, rather than just watching the pros do their thing.

I drove up to Boston, where I met Dylan fresh off his redeye from Seattle. The two of us then hopped on the road up the coast, meeting Sean in Portland. Our first stop (after lunch in Kennebunkport) was at Cape Arundel, and it was the perfect course to kick off a few days of golf. – Claire Rogers

Read more here.

Goat Hill Park, California

I was fortunate enough to play a lot of great public courses for the first time this year. From Pinehurst No. 2 to Harbour Town to every course at Bandon Dunes, I checked quite a few boxes off the Top 100 Courses list. Sorry for the humblebrag, but you don’t need me to explain how great any of those courses are. But when I look back on a public course that left a different kind of first impression on me, Goat Hill Park, in Oceanside, Calif., comes to mind. – Tim Reilly

Read more here.

Forest Dunes — The Loop, Michigan

When my friends and I received a wedding invite to take place in Northern Michigan, we immediately thought one thing: golf trip. We figured a road trip through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan with a few rounds of golf, a few baseball games and lots of Enya would be more memorable than an indirect flight out of JFK (yuck).

And, we were right. We played three rounds of golf and crossed Progressive Field and Comerica Park off our stadium bucket-lists (in truth, I didn’t even have one of those until this trip). The most memorable stop though, was to Forest Dunes. – Emily Haas

Read more here.

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The post Our favorite public course we played in 2021: Tyson made Bandon Dunes even better appeared first on Golf.

The post Our favorite public course we played in 2021: Tyson made Bandon Dunes even better appeared first on Golf.

Trapped in a bunker, I was thrown a lifeline. Or, in this case, a more-lofted sand wedge. 

Over Labor Day weekend, I was fortunate enough to have made my first trip to Bandon Dunes, and over three days, I was fortunate enough to have played five of the six courses on the Bandon, Oregon property. (I missed just Old Macdonald.) And fortunately for me, Tyson was along for the ride. Especially deep into the back nine, and deep in the sand, at Bandon Trails. 

“Here, use this,” Tyson said, handing me a wedge. 

“Thank … Wait, that’s not mine,” I said as I reached for the club — from my playing partner’s bag. 

“Trust me,” Tyson said. “Trust me. Just take it.”

Despite knowing I was about to *bend* a rule of golf (fine, break), I grabbed it, dropped my third shot to within 3 feet and got up and down for a par five. Before tapping in, I walked over to Tyson.       

“Wow, thanks, man. I think that’s the best shot I hit out of the sand in about five years,” I said. 

Tyson laughed. And told me to buy my own, like, yesterday. 

Bandon, as written on these pages and elsewhere, has been described glowingly, and I’ll very succinctly add that, yes, every word you have read is true, you need to go if you haven’t, and you need to go back if you have. (I plan to.) But to me, two things made a great trip even greater. We were lined up with the same caddie for four of our five rounds. (I carried my own at Bandon Preserve, a par-3.) And Tyson was the caddie with whom we were paired. 

A little bit about our bagman. He’s originally from the Akron, Ohio, area. He played basketball against LeBron James in high school, and his team lost by a point. He once caddied for the former president who had a book written about his potentially dishonest ways on the course (coincidentally, the author of that book was also at Bandon the same weekend we were), but when we asked Tyson for some gossip, all he did was smile. What happens with a caddie stays with a caddie, it seems. 

The play on the Las Vegas slogan is intentional. I won’t soon forget this exchange, either. Talking about vacation spots after discussing folks’ zeal for Bandon (they’re booked already for all of next year), we asked Tyson where he wanted to go with his well-deserved time off. 

“Vegas,” he said. “Never been.”

“I love it there,” I said. “The gambling, the pools … “

“No, I’m planning on going to some places you haven’t been,” he said. And I’m still trying to figure out whether that was a compliment or a dig.

And that’s the thing. Yes, he shouldered our bags. As fog set in from the Pacific during our round at Sheep Ranch, he also pointed out lines and, at one point, even positioned himself about 150 yards up the fairway so we knew where to hit. (A brave man, indeed.) But the camaraderie was less handing over clubs and reading putts and more B.S.’ing and hand-slapping.  

It was at Sheep, too, where we played our last round together. The touch of being paired up with the same caddie throughout the stay was that the looper can actually best make sense of your game, then help you best make sense of the property. Yes, that’s a caddie’s job, and, by all accounts, the Bandon bunch does it better than most. But Tyson genuinely was excited. After the 18 at Sheep, he knew that we each shot our lowest rounds of the trip.

Travel

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing this.” 

He said it twice more. 

We then gave our hugs, settled the payment and went down our different fairways. After a short 16 hours together, over a short two days, after stories of LeBron and a president, after either a dig or a compliment, after two low rounds, leaving was all a bit more depressing than a bullet shot out of a bunker. 

Which I now know how to better avoid. 

Thanks again, Tyson. 

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The post American amateur golf has a new home: Bandon Dunes appeared first on Golf.

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The governing body will host 13 of its amateur championships at the famous Oregon resort over the next 23 years, including four years where multiple events will be held. It’s really as big as golf announcements get, at least since last year when the USGA announced it would have a new headquarters located in Pinehurst.

Pinehurst will host many U.S. Opens over the next three decades, and Bandon Dunes will host a ton of amateur events. East Coast and the West Coast. Sounds like a plan.

Courses

“With five championship-caliber courses and incredible support from the resort’s ownership, Bandon Dunes is the perfect location for these USGA championships,” John Bodenhamer, a USGA director of championships. “[Bandon Dunes founder] Mike Keiser has been an incredible advocate for amateur golf and his ongoing support for the USGA and our mission served as the vision for this partnership. We are excited to work together for years to come.”

The events at Bandon will begin with the U.S. Junior Amateur next summer, followed by the women’s amateur three years later in 2025. The Walker Cup will visit in 2029 and its female equivalent (the Curtis Cup) will follow in 2038. Both 2032 and 2041 will feature the men’s and women’s amateur events. The 2020 men’s amateur was a raging success just last summer. The entire schedule of announced events can be found below.

Bandon Dunes’ USGA amateur future events: 

2022     U.S. Junior Amateur

2025     U.S. Women’s Amateur

2029     Walker Cup Match

2032     U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur

2035     U.S. Girls’ Junior

2037     U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

2038     Curtis Cup Match

2041     U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur

2045     U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior

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The post Travel mailbag: What do I need to know when playing golf with caddies? appeared first on Golf.

The post Travel mailbag: What do I need to know when playing golf with caddies? appeared first on Golf.

Planning a foursome trip to Bandon Dunes next fall. I’m not very comfortable playing with caddies in general, but I’ve heard it really enhances the experience. Curious about trade offs, or ways to be more comfortable playing with caddies. Also, any helpful tips for planning the Bandon trip? — Tim Farrell via Facebook

Hey Tim. Bandon, eh? I’m envious, but I’ll try not to hold that against you. Let’s get to your second question first. For trip-planning tips, you might check out this Bandon primer, which two of my colleagues (Josh Berhow and Alan Bastable) and I produced a few years ago after our own coastal Oregon getaway. That was before the opening of Sheep Ranch, Bandon’s fifth 18-hole course (you can read more about that here), otherwise, though, all the basics still apply. The cliff notes version is this: pack rain gear, leave your lob wedge at home (on the tight lies here, you’re better off embracing the old-fashioned bump-and-run), book as many tee times as daylight — and your body — will allow. And prepare to have a blast. It’s hard not to.

As for your other question — the caddie conundrum — the answer is a little more involved. You’ve probably heard it said that golf is 90 percent mental, and 10 percent mental. That’s all the more true when playing golf with a caddie: it really can enhance your experience — especially at a place like Bandon, with its quirky bounces and coastal winds and walking-only (barring a medical exemption) culture. But you’ve got to be in the right frame of mind.

Instruction

The caddie discomfort you describe is not uncommon. A lot of golfers I’ve met balk at hiring a looper for various reasons. Sometimes, they’re simply being frugal (for what it’s worth, Bandon caddies are independent contractors; their base rate is $100, plus gratuity, which pencils out to an average of about $120 per bag). But more often, they’re leery of feeling added pressure: pressure to play well in front of a stranger, or pressure to make small-talk with someone they’ve just met. Some golfers insist they just want to focus on their game, on the course and on conversations with their playing partners, and they worry that a caddie will only distract them.

Maybe you share some — or all — of those concerns. How to deal with them? For starters, remember that seasoned caddies (and most Bandon caddies qualify as such) have been around the block. They’ve witnessed it all. Little that you do is likely to surprise them. No matter how well, or how poorly, you play, they’ve seen better and they’ve seen worse. They’re on hand to help you, not to judge you. If you sense their eyes upon you, scrutinizing every swing, that’s a good thing: they’re trying to make sure you don’t lose a ball. In short, you can set your performance anxiety aside.

The other thing to remember is that caddies are adaptable and undemanding. They’re also perceptive. They’ll sense what you want from them and do their best to oblige. If you’re not up for small-talk, they’ll keep quiet. If you’re keen on conversation, they’ll chat right back. The same applies to reading greens and pulling clubs. A good caddie can be as involved as you’d like. Or not at all.

As is often the case at courses with compelling architecture, the potential advantages of a caddie are all the greater at Bandon if this is your first time on property. These are course-knowledge layouts, and no one knows them better than the loopers. There’s also this: If you’re open to engaging with them, most caddies make great company. Many are characters, with stories to tell. Years from now, when you look back on your time at Bandon, it’s the stories you’ll remember, not your score.

Speaking of stories, on a Bandon trip I made a few years back, I was told that Steph Curry had just been at the resort and had a great time with the caddies in his group, so much so that he’d driven to downtown Bandon in the evening to shoot pool — and shoot the breeze — at the Arcade Tavern, a popular caddie hangout. A global superstar, hobnobbing with the local loopers. My guess is that if you wind up getting someone on your bag at Bandon, you might be tempted to do the same.

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The post Travel mailbag: 9 golf trips our staff is eager to take in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

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Jessica Marksbury, multimedia editor: Here in Arizona, there are some awesome summertime deals at area resorts, and this July, I’m branching out to Tucson, which is less than two hours from my home in Phoenix. I have a boatload of unused Hilton points, so the plan is to stay at the El Conquistador Tucson, which, aside from a gorgeous setting in the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains, looks like it has something for everyone: 45 holes of golf, five pools (including a 143-foot waterslide, yeah!) and plenty of opportunities for some scenic hiking.

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Josh Berhow, managing editor: I, like many golf fans, have recently become smitten with Big Cedar Lodge. I’ve long known of the resort and had been somewhat familiar with its courses, but watching Tiger/Rory/JT/Rose in the Payne’s Valley Cup — the TV event that showcased Woods’ first public design, Payne’s Valley — really put the place on my radar. I don’t think I was alone. (That’s what you call good advertising!) Anyway, it’s a place my group can drive to and has five courses to pick from. There’s lots of other things to do there, too, although I’m guessing our schedule will be pretty packed with golf. A nice change-up is that two of the five courses are short courses — perfect for a group of friends looking for laidback rounds.

Tim Reilly, director of social: I’m in more golf-centric group texts than I can keep track of these days. It feels like ALL of my friends have the golf bug. The most common topic discussed is a 2021 trip, and the most common suggestion is Bandon Dunes. Not a day goes by where I don’t scroll through an eye-popping photo from Bandon on social media. Hell, each time someone from our staff returns from their Bandon trip, the first thing I do is ask a dozen questions. It feels like everyone at GOLF has gone aside from me. In that sense, I’ve already done all the research. I know the travel tips. I know where to stay. I know what courses to play on the same day, and which not to. Now it’s time to stop putting the trip off.

Sean Zak, senior editor: I’m most likely to take a similar trip to one I took in 2020: Da U.P.! Seriously, there is some extreme value for golf on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — Greywalls, Sweetgrass, Sage Run, Timberstone. You can find mid-week rounds at each of these courses for $100 or less, and they’re all great. There’s the quaint, lovely town of Marquette, the hoppin’ casino in Harris and one of the most beautiful lakeshore drives in the Midwest on Highway 35. It’ll be worth the trek!

James Colgan, assistant editor: Back when we were students at a certain frigid ACC school, my buddies and I grew an affinity for road-tripping to the greener (read: warmer) pastures of North Carolina. The state is beautiful, cheap and fun, particularly for a group of young bachelors. This year, we’re running it back and heading to the home of (American) golf, Pinehurst, for the buddies’ weekend of a lifetime. In between the bars, restaurants, award-winning short courses and major championship venues, we’re taking the short trek up the road to Raleigh to see our alma mater take on NC State. To answer your next two questions: yes, you can squeeze a football game into a golf weekend, and yes, we will be wearing that immutable orange with reckless abandon.

Alan Bastable, executive editor: After months of hibernation, I’m aching for an adventure — read: Ireland or Scotland. Feels like a lonnnng shot in 2021 with quarantines still in place, but a golfer can dream! For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll go with a quick jaunt to Southwest Ireland, which, with some careful planning, can be done in five days. Ballybunion Old has long been on my short list, so we’ll start there, then head south to Tralee before closing out the trip with a doubleheader at Waterville and its exciting new neighbor, Hogs Head (and not just because it has what might be the best logo in golf). If I’m bound to domestic travel, I’m keen to pay my first visit to Streamsong. The whole place — 54 holes strong! — looks like a blast, and I love the idea of a shortish flight and shortish drive to get to relative golfing remoteness.

Ashley Mayo, editorial director: I know I likely won’t be able to take this trip in 2021, but I can certainly start planning for it. A golf-filled weekend in Iceland has been on my bucket list for years, and I’m finally going to start mapping out logistics and building an itinerary. The majority of courses are located in the southwest corner of the country, making it easy to experience them in just a matter of days. I know I’ll want to build my trip around Reykjavik Golf Club, which, from what I’ve seen in photos and videos, is a true stunner. And if my trip has me landing in Iceland on a Thursday morning and departing on a Sunday night, I’ll want to play at least seven rounds of golf, considering you can tee it up there around the clock during the summer. Planning for a trip is almost as fun as taking it, and I’m going to savor every moment of planning my Iceland golf adventure.

Emily Haas, project analyst: My best friend and former teammate is in her first year of residency at Penn State Hershey, which doesn’t allow her much time to take a vacation. So, this year, I’m planning on taking the vacation to her! Back in the day, we used to play our conference championship at Hershey Country Club’s East Course — one of my all-time favorite tracks. (Being the chocolate enthusiast that I am, it’s really no surprise.) A weekend stay at The Hotel Hershey gets us access to both the East and West courses and the esteemed Chocolate Spa (sold!) for a long-overdue weekend of relaxation and nostalgia.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor: Vegas. Vegas! There are courses no matter the roller you are, and desert golf is a breed unto itself. Among my favorite courses in the area are Revere Golf Club, Paiute Golf Resort, Rhodes Ranch and Aliante Golf Club, where we once played with a man who hit every shot from 100 yards in with one arm and never — never — dropped his cigar throughout the round. On the high end, I’ve been lucky enough, no pun intended, to play Shadow Creek and Cascata, where our forecaddie told us he once saw Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit one 450-plus. And, oh yeah, there are casinos and pools and shows and restaurants and bars. (Although, a trip to In-N-Out Burger after a round is fun, too.)

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The post 20 for 20: 20 broken New Year’s golf resolutions from 2020 appeared first on Golf.

The post 20 for 20: 20 broken New Year’s golf resolutions from 2020 appeared first on Golf.

What is a New Year’s resolution but a well-intentioned promise, destined to be broken?

As someone whose follow-through in life is nearly as poor as it is with his driver, I have a lengthy history of not making good on those annual vows. This year was no different. As evidence, I give you the 20 golf-related pledges I made to myself at the start of 2020, every single one of which has gone unfulfilled. My goal for 2021? This list, again.

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20 broken New Year’s golf resolutions from 2020

1. To stop asking random people for swing tips.

2. To stop offering swing tips to random people.

3. To practice once a week.

4. To buy a round for the house.

5. To play in the city championship.

6. To adopt a stretching routine.

7. To get back to Cruden Bay.

8. To play in the Bandon Dunes dawn-to-dark summer solstice event.

9. To quote Caddyshack a little less often.

10. To be the ball.

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11. To swing with conviction, every single time, without the slightest worry about the results.

12. To get my kids into golf (I tried, seriously, I did).

13. To stop talking to my partner’s golf ball.

14. To stop promising to stop talking to my partner’s ball because, really, what does it hurt if I talk to a golf ball?

15. To tell someone who gets mad when I talk to their golf ball that they are being completely insane.

16. To install a backyard putting green.

17. To install an indoor hitting bay.

18. To never, ever make excuses for my game.

19. To play in an LPGA pro-am.

20. To recognize, finally, after 21 years of marriage, that my wife is not the slightest bit interested in hearing about my golf game, and to act accordingly.

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The post 20 for 20: 20 broken New Year’s golf resolutions from 2020 appeared first on Golf.