Buckle up. Tobacco Road is golf’s thrillride—equal parts chaos and genius. In this edition of Playing 18, Broken Tee Society member and TGJ photographer William Rainey takes on Mike Strantz’s most iconic design, where blind tee shots and rollercoaster fairways are all part of the fun. A former College of Charleston standout who once went viral for his trickshots, Rainey is now a sharpshooter with both a camera and an iron.
Carved from a former sand quarry in Sanford, North Carolina, Tobacco Road is Strantz at full volume: sprawling waste areas, bold carries and green complexes that feel like works of art and dares at the same time. Strantz once said every hole should be a signature hole. At Tobacco Road, you believe him.
Warning: This video is very safe to watch at work.
