“He knew how much Pine Valley meant to every one of his guests. Despite always being practical, Barney still knew that history needed to be felt rather than read, because knowledge is far more than facts.”
A Weekend at Barney’s
Answering Pine Valley’s unforgettable question.
“With deep bunkers already surrounding it, and the stiffened green, it is the hardest shot on the golf course for me personally—because we made it harder than I wanted it to be.”
Yardage Book: Pucker Factor
Playing Tara Iti’s iconic 17th with the man who built it.
“As they were celebrating by the 18th green, my son walked over into the middle of them and shook every single one of their hands. I still cry when thinking about it. I think I always will.”
The Price We Pay
Tragedy and a search for peace in Scotland.
“As we strode out to our opening hole, I eyed my six partners and wondered who among us would walk back in as our hero. The fact that I was looking at everyone but myself was a worrisome sign.”
The Ball That Counts
Oakmont. The SWAT. Let’s go.
“Pour a little out for an ol’ girl who, like us, had a lot of miles on the tires, some dirt underneath a dented veneer and still enough motor to make it to the next tee. ”
You Ain’t a Beauty, But Hey, You’re Alright
Singing the praises of a golf road-trip legend.
“While his pieces today can fetch nearly seven figures at auction, Taylor was not widely known until his 40s, when the art world discovered his spontaneous canvases and found-object sculptures.”
New Ways to Get Better
Henry Taylor turns his celebrated eye to golf.
“Even in this sanitized version [of the jump into Poppy’s Pond], there is no disputing that golf will lose something when the LPGA moves this storied major to Houston next year. But what, exactly?”
The Next Big Leap
An elegy for one of golf’s murkiest traditions.
“It’s a lovely old soul where that golden hour of sunlight—the warmth cast on the bottlebrush and the wire grass, the long shadows that make the bunkers look like bottomless pits and the pines like skyscrapers—seems to be shining from more than a century ago, just waiting for someone with a bag on their shoulder.”
Power of Three
Southern Pines takes its rightful place among the giants.
“While the overwhelming majority of fans who flip on the weekend telecast have no idea who he is, they should know that those shot-tracer lines tracking 370-yard drives to the inch have their origins in what was known for years on Tour as ‘The Book.’”
The Ballad of Gorjus George
Before ShotLink, he created the yardage books players craved.
“You can forgive a bunch of folks for getting dressed up in some spectacularly goofy outfits in order to get away from it all for one blissful spring day.”
A Romp at the Gables
The 1970s were a strange time, man.
“Along with his trash bag, he carries weather-beaten pin flags and beat-up squares of faded green artificial turf. Such is daily course management for the Club de Golf Pozuelo.”
Golf Rustico
A toast to Spain’s open-land golf.
“We were actually doing it—hanging out with the prettiest girls our sixth- and seventh-grade eyes had ever seen. Then it happened.”
What Happens at Golf Camp…
A preteen tale of hope, love and crushing embarrassment.
“I made my first left-handed par on the ninth. I immediately texted my dad as if I were 13 and had just birdied a hole that had always been my nemesis.”
Left, Right, Left
Discovering the joys of switching sides.
“My wife has a right to an explanation for all the time and energy I dedicate to something that appears on the surface to be self-indulgent. I believe I will eventually come up with it.”
Yes, I’m Still Running
Examining the existential crisis of every golfer with a family.
“They probably have almonds in a Ziploc bag. They definitely have a Sharpie. Diehards need a Sharpie like caddies need comfy shoes.”
A Window into the Golfer’s Soul
One look at their bag is all you need.
The Golfer’s Journal is the perfect gift for every golfer.
