Everything you think you know about golf just might be wrong. Shinnecock isn’t that intimidating. A major champion prefers to grind in a laid-back paradise. The best caddies on Ireland’s toughest loop are 70-plus-year-old women. No. 36 throws your expectations out the window, and has nothing but fun doing it.
Our game never runs out of new stories to be told. Caddyshack’s original ending. Cypress Point like it’s never been seen. A Brazilian masterpiece hidden in the rainforest. Ekwanok’s outsized role in American history. No. 35 shines a light on tales from hallowed grounds to places you never knew existed. Surprises abound—dig in and enjoy.
Golf was always meant to be fun. No. 34 brings that spirit back with penguin bunkers, template putt-putt holes and a world-class course born from a video game. It takes you from a Dubai hookah bar to the colorful world of your new friend Jain, and stops for some trick shots with the Bryan Bros along the way. Across every page, joy proves to be golf’s best architect.
Golf is a universal language spoken in every corner of the world. No. 33 proves it, picking up local dialects in the dunes of Vietnam, the backstreets of Morocco, the first sunrise in New Zealand, the forgotten edges of LACC and the kitchen of Ohoopee. On this journey, nothing gets lost in translation.
This 500-year-old game still has secrets. No. 32 finds them on windswept islands, in graveyards and down narrow Scottish tracks. A cast of unexpected characters—newlyweds, artists, hustlers—show that discovering golf’s time-honored truths is always worth the trip.
Breathe deep. One foot in front of the next. No. 31 appreciates the surroundings. The salt air at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The anticipation on the first tee at Royal County Down. The fresh grass at a baseball MVP’s private paradise. The legends at Augusta. Come walk with us.
There is magic in doing the work. A world-famous cowboy lassoing the perfect swing. The unsung woman coaching PGA Tour stars on their mental game. Tom Fazio and Mike Keiser stubbornly building courses their way. No. 30 celebrates the process. But the results are also damn good.
A well-struck shot is eternal, whether it’s on the fairways of an exclusive new club in Southern California or from the heather at a Scottish classic. The grind matters in No. 29, which celebrates legends young and old in a print experience that also remains timeless.
There is something noble about the continued pursuit. Whether it’s on a once-in-a-lifetime trip or an afternoon at the local haunt, we know every shot means something. TGJ No. 28 recognizes that shared mission, and from Australia to Pinehurst to Holland, every page matters.
When we listen for our hands and start hearing something back, that’s when we’ve got them—the feels. You’ll have them too when you peel back the cover of TGJ No. 27 to reveal a richness and depth of storytelling that makes this issue worthy of living in your most sacred space.
A mystical 12-holer in the California desert. Six undiscovered Irish gems. A crusty miniature golf course from the Eisenhower era. Seminole. No matter the course, the love of the game flows through No. 26. We see it at Lancaster, which went from disrepair to a major home for the women’s game, and in the remarkable journey of Cal Club’s immigrant superintendent. It’s in abundance on the hardy NYC public scene and preserved forever on Tillinghast’s classic at Somerset Hills. And it’s summed up in a hilarious Phil Mickelson yarn that, like the adventures within, cannot be missed.
No. 25 stands on the shoulders of giants. We move from the legendary exploits of Babe Zaharias to aspiring pros in the U.S. Junior Amateur to Keith Mitchell on the precipice of a career-changing moment at TPC Sawgrass. We watch our favorite courses evolve, from a political revolutionary’s impact on early Pinehurst and Cypress Point to Mike Strantz’s visionary work in Myrtle Beach to a lifetime decision inspired by the Ghost Tree at Bandon Dunes. A bullet train through Japan, golf in a prison yard and more stories inside prove that no matter the era, our game endures.
Hogan said the secret is in the dirt. And No. 24 digs in, from a road trip through Kentucky’s golf and bourbon trail to the sacred ground of Prestwick, the game’s first major venue. Meanwhile, a first-timer is staggered by Sand Hills and Gil Hanse learns a lesson moving earth at Lake Merced. A photographer’s religious experience at Amen Corner blends well with Seattle’s coffee-soaked public scene, and we even share some swings with Willie Nelson, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. These stories and more prove what Ben knew: There’s magic in our game, if you know where to look.
Boundaries serve as invitations in No. 23, from a trip through Scotland’s backwater nine-holers to the man who turned a Long Island racetrack into The Bridge. A deep dive into Bernard Darwin’s remarkable golf life finds a man willing to risk it all for the game, while a crew of Canadian greenskeepers push past physical limits to keep a course open. New trails are blazed in the creation of The Creek, the rebuilding of Scioto, and side-splitting visions of Tiger, Annika and Rory. More adventures lie within, all asking the same question: How far will the game take you?
Grab your sticks. From a revelatory romp through the English heathland to the golf diehard aboard The War on Drugs' tour bus, No. 22 is hitting the road. Points along the way include the LPGA’s final party in Southern California, an inspirational camp for college-bound kids at Congaree, and a newcomer’s trip through Argentina’s golf scene. Buckle up for visits to Japan, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast and one of the best holes at Crystal Downs. It’s a golf adventure for the ages—and even more stops are inside.
Major championships are not required to be a legend in this game. Unforgettable characters parade through No. 21, from Tiger’s biggest childhood rival to a Cypress caddie who squatted behind the 16th hole. Only in golf can the man who cares for Hogan’s irons at Merion stand alongside a hustler who used baseball bats off the tee. Good conversation abounds, whether it’s between Gil Hanse and a rising star architect or players begging the golf gods for a miracle in the shadow of a centuries-old church. Enjoy their company and even more inside.
Rarely is golf just about getting the ball in the hole. No. 20 is a meditation on the bigger picture, from a sojourn in Scotland to mourn a son to answering one of life’s toughest questions at Pine Valley. Meanwhile, Tom Doak shares an epiphany at Tara Iti, and a lifelong dream is achieved at Southern Pines. Our celebrated cover artist also paints some much-needed fresh perspective on the game. But as Tom Coyne discovers on his trip to Oakmont, sometimes the score really is the thing. Join them for more revelations inside.
Golf is a game of yarns, layered with tales to stir the soul. Some, like the ones in No. 19, stand apart. Like the unfathomable ball striking of Moe Norman and the duo that logged thousands of Royal Dornoch rounds, or the revival of Cal Club and the time Walter Hagen lost the PGA Championship trophy. Trips to the Old Course, Rosapenna and Martha’s Vineyard produce stories for the ages. And the one with Tiger, a putter and a basketball court proves they can happen anywhere. Enjoy them all, and more, inside.
The thrill is in the chase. For some, it’s gilded invitations to Pine Valley and Sand Hills. For others it’s tracing the steps of their literary hero at a quirky Minnesota classic. The pursuit can take unexpected turns, evidenced in meetings with the vagabond who shared the secret of golf with Player and Spieth and the woman, uninterested in playing the game, whose life’s work provided the foundation for Bandon Dunes. And sometimes, like on a reckless California road trip, we simply chase the sun. No. 18 celebrates the journeys and the destinations.
Every golfer remembers when they fell for the game. With scenes from Nepal to North Carolina, sparks fly throughout No. 17. Newbies and veterans alike share the passion in maiden voyages to Pasatiempo and a little-known Scottish nine-holer. Characters in a Cleveland caddie barn, a Japanese course tour and a jaw-dropping memorabilia collection could only be bound by golf. And we find that a former president and a muni hustler are not so different with clubs in hand. Find even more love stories inside.
There is magic in a fresh golf discovery. And No. 16 conjures plenty. A trip to view the bones of one of America’s greatest lost courses rides along with the rebirth of Hillcrest, a true LA star. Gary McCord cackles through tales he could never tell on air and a pilgrimage to a Connecticut church unveils one of golf’s beautiful minds. Revelations abound on Chambers Bay, the Alabama coastline, New Zealand and a Texas distillery. So grab the bourbon and join the ghosts of Hogan and Nelson inside.
Look good, feel good, play great. With Audrey Hepburn and Cleopatra alongside St. Andrews and Augusta, No. 15 is not afraid to strut. An excerpt from Tom Coyne’s latest book revels in the splendor of the American game from Alaska to Hazeltine, while the thrill of discovery is found in a jaunt to four little-known English tracks. Looking sharp isn’t always easy, as seen in the bloody origins of the turf at Kiawah and Sea Island, but Nicklaus, Jones, Seve and Snead prove a great ensemble is timeless. See them all inside.
Just one good bounce. It can change a round, and as No. 14 shows, it can also change a life. From an addict’s discovery of a sober league to a weary traveler stumbling on a golf paradise, the game delivers. Shocking twists abound in a quest to find a Masters ghost, the unearthing of a classic golf video game and a mission to a lost New Orleans course. Torturous tales of lipping out show that for every give there’s a take, but that it's always worth taking the shot. More good fortune inside.
Sometimes, what sticks with you most happens after the last putt drops. No. 13 basks in what the game gives us, on and off the course. A mystic surfer with lessons on life and playing Riviera. A walker bag that brought a global community together. An intimate portrait of Herbert Warren Wind, the legendary writer who coined Amen Corner and whose volumes still resonate. Beginners becoming diehards on transformed vacant lots. A happy argument over the best par 3s in Australia. Night golf and even more found inside.
Subscriptions support independent golf storytelling and includes quarterly delivery of The Golfer’s Journal, a digital catalog of the full TGJ archive, access to bucket-list events, merch discounts, exclusive partner rewards and entry into the best community in golf.
Already a member? Sign in
The Golfer's Journal is made possible by our members with supporting sponsorship from:
