The post Why Peyton Manning is making cold calls about this 9-hole golf course appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Peyton Manning is making cold calls about this 9-hole golf course appeared first on Golf.

In the era of prodigious purses and savvy strategic thinking, pro golfers are making it their business to be in business outside of their sport, while show-biz stalwarts and superstar athletes like Steph Curry, Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick are discovering that the smart money is in golf itself. In our Golf & Business package (which you can also find in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue of GOLF Magazine), we’ll go inside their wallets.

Part 1: Why Abraham Ancer and Mark Wahlberg teamed up in the tequila business
Part 2: Bubba Watson the businessman is a lot like Bubba the golfer
Part 3: How ascendant attire brand Johnnie-O made a splash on the golf course

***

Imagine you’re the GM of a modest liquor store in suburban Indianapolis. The phone rings, with a familiar voice on the line. He wants to talk inventory.

“Hello, this is Peyton Manning.”

It’s the current plot twist in The Little Course That Could. If you’ve heard of Sweetens Cove — a dead flat nine-hole public course in South Pittsburg, Tenn. — you’ve heard of how it got a facelift a few years back from cult-hero architect Rob Collins, gained a loyal following and brightened the game of golf just a little bit along the way.

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But you might have missed the latest chapter in which an investment group, headlined by tennis star Andy Roddick, came in to turn passion into financial stability. Oh, and Mr. Manning too. Yes, that’s really him on the horn, hoping you’ll consider stocking Sweetens Cove Bourbon in your store. Esquire recently named it the best “Celebrity Alcohol.”

“Peyton just randomly getting a list of numbers and cold-calling them — that’s been one of my favorite sights,” says Roddick, laughing. Since Sweetens’ inception in 2014, golfers have left shots of bourbon for the groups behind them, paying it forward. Now the course’s bespoke blend is available in 10 states. It’s part of a larger vision. Creative thinking has added to the golf experience, too, which now includes double-pinned greens, a 20,000-square-foot putting course and periodic “Friday Night Lights” after dark outings. It’s clear these investors aren’t looking for a quick payday. They’re keeping the rootsy vision of the place alive — and hungry for little wins along the way.

“Peyton throws a TD and wants to know what to run the next series,” Roddick says. “We’re all competitive as hell and want to make this thing awesome.”

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The post Does Sweetens Cove live up to the hype? GOLF senior writer Michael Bamberger investigates appeared first on Golf.

The post Does Sweetens Cove live up to the hype? GOLF senior writer Michael Bamberger investigates appeared first on Golf.

Ed. note: This is Part III of Michael Bamberger’s three-part ode to nine-hole golf. You can read Part I here and Part II here.

***

If you know three fun facts about Sweetens Cove Golf Club, the course’s funky golf-this-way road sign is likely one of them.
    
Say you get to the nine-hole course in rural Tennessee as most people do, as a motorist and via I-24. You got your Rand McNally out? OK: now run your finger along Highway 72, aka North Cedar Avenue, heading south. You’re looking to make a sharp right on Sweetens Cove Road, named for a cove, not a golf course. And there it is: an “iconic” (not really but maybe by 2062) blue sign with white lettering:

SEQUATCHIE
VALLEY GOLF & CC

But you can barely read it, because of the 20 reflective hardware-store mailbox letters stuck on it:

SWEETENS COVE
GOLF
CLUB

The sign has been cited before. It’ll be cited again. It gets you in the mood.
 
And it’s fitting. Sweetens Cove is a golf course that is bathing in its make-do spirit. You know how Dyersville, Iowa, has a ballfield? South Pittsburg, Tenn., has a golf course. All together now: if you build it, they will come.

So you make that sharp right-hand turn on to Sweetens Cove Road, past another sign, this one posted by Star Pawn and Gun, and up and down a heaving road for two miles until you get to the golf course.

I arrived late on a recent and beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Yep, January, in Jethro-was-here rural Tennessee, and it was a perfect day for golf. No wind, high skies, mid-50s. I hadn’t played in maybe 10 days and was getting itchy. I had just read a book about the course, The Secret Home of Golf by Jim Hartsell, a Sweetens Cove regular. I had seen the golf-porn snaps. My heart was racing.
    
The course was closed.
    
The course had been closed all year, because of flooding and freezing temperatures. But now the tarps were finally off the course’s vast greens. (Technically there are nine of them but in practice you could say there are 18.) But still the course was closed.
    
The greens (MiniVerde Ultra-Dwarf Bermuda) were green. The fairways (Tifway 419 Bermuda) were the color of Army-surplus khakis. The itty-bitty pro shop was empty, save the fella manning it.
    
Nope.
     
Not today.
     
Probably tomorrow.
     
Get on the website and reserve your spot.
    
Hundred bucks, all day — if you’re walking.
    
By the way, they call that itty-bitty pro shop The Shed. If you know three fun facts about Sweetens Cove, that’s probably one of them.
    
The next day was the day. That Thursday. Opening Day, 2022, Sweetens Cove Golf Club, South Pittsburg, Tenn.
    
The first guys off all got shots of Sweetens Cove, a Tennessee whiskey, before heading out. I arrived long after that. (I’d rather be on a golf course at sunset than sunrise.) The day was dank. The fairways were soft. The greens were smooth and excellent.

Greens are to a golf course what eyes are to a portrait.
    
Some will say they are too much. Well, some would say the greens at the National Golf Links and the Old Course are too much, too. The Cove greens are excellent. There are vast sections of the greens where you could not put a pin — but you can roll your ball over this acreage, and watch it swoop and swerve. I think I saw them, in the dead of winter, likely about as fast as they get. They were country-club fast, if that. And that’s what they should be.
    
Greenkeepers have a word: pinnable. It’s an adjective, describing the sections of a green where you can cut a hole. It’s one of the most important words in golf, and one of the most underappreciated. The Sweetens Cove greens are loaded with pinnable sections. Each green has two flagsticks. On one green, one flagstick could be 100 yards from the other.
    
I played 36 holes, by myself and in about six hours, not including my lunch break, on the hood of my car. (No food service at Sweetens Cove, although they do tell you that if you order a Domino’s pie on the eighth tee, it’ll arrive by the time you hole out on nine.) I almost never waited and I played through only one group. I was never bored.

None of my four loops was like the other. I mixed-and-matched on every hole. Different tees, playing to different holes. I felt like I never played the same hole twice.

It’s an easy-walking course on a good-sized piece of land. The holes, all nine of them, are good. Good, solid, fun, I-still-got-my-ball golf holes. You’re hemmed in by mountains and farms. This is RFD golf. On the fourth green you can hear the 18-wheelers on I-24 roar on by.

Off the tee, driver in hand seven times from the back tees, the fairways are wide, but you can’t go to sleep. A lonely tree. A yawning bunker. A still cove. The approach shots, the same.

Some of the pin positions were comically difficult, but I never felt like there wasn’t a path to the bottom of the hole. I never had a moment of despair. I didn’t, but you could play all day with one ball, if you keep it out of the gunch and out of the ponds. Every hole, pretty much, has a gnarly area. Aim elsewhere.

What makes Sweetens Cove, more than anything, is its vibe. It’s refined pasture golf, if those words can coexist. It brings to mind for me two of my favorite courses: the old-timey Aiken Golf Club course, in Aiken, S.C., and Auchnafree, on the River Almond, near St. Davids, in the Scottish Highlands. Aiken is a public course. As for Auchnafree, good luck.

Sweetens Cove shouldn’t exist. I can’t think of another nine-hole public course in a rural area that is not connected to a school or a business or a resort.

By the time I marched back to the eighth tee for the fourth time, my shoes were caked in sand and dirt and the light was fading. I wasn’t worried about finishing. Nine is a par-3, and you can always play a par-3 in the dark. On the eighth tee, I could see the roof of The Shed. It was glowing, like a lighthouse for itty-bitty UFOs, or golfers trying to play home.

I did play nine by the light of the moon and made a 4 with three putts, none of them poor ones.

In the parking lot, men (I didn’t see any women then) were changing back into their Thursday-night civilian clothes in the beams of their headlights. The roof of The Shed, I could now see, was a series of stringed lights, packed tightly. The air was cool and getting cooler. A superb day of golf. My first 36-hole day of the new year. (Note to self: play more golf. It seems to make you happy.)

On my way back to I-24, I stopped at a gas station and then at the liquor store next to it. For any sentences here that you had to read twice, please direct your complaints not to me but the distillers at the Sweetens Cove Spirits Company. If you know three fun facts about Sweetens Cove, you probably know that the course owners — the humorist Peyton Manning among them — started a spirits company, too.

The one group I played through was a foursome, three men and a woman, from Alabama. They invited me through on the third hole. I went to a forward tee. I hit a solid drive, right down the sprinkler line. From there I cooked a hybrid past a tree in the middle of the fairway to about 20 feet from the left pin.

One of the boys trailing me let out a yell. I couldn’t duplicate the sound if I tried, but this is what it sounded like to me: ThatwhatImtalkinabout.
 
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@golf.com.

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The post Dirt Diaries: What it’s like embedding with a golf-course design crew (hint: intimidating) appeared first on Golf.

The post Dirt Diaries: What it’s like embedding with a golf-course design crew (hint: intimidating) appeared first on Golf.

Ed note: GOLF contributor and architecture nut Desi Isaacson is cutting his design teeth as an intern for King-Collins Golf on their redesign of Overton Park, a nine-hole muni in Memphis, Tenn. How are courses actually built? What moves are made behind the scenes? Here, in Dirt Diaries, we’ll pull back the curtain on how design decisions come to life.

***

It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday, my third day on the job, and I’m stuck inside a skid steer. Ten minutes pass, then 20, and now we are approaching 30. I’m laughing, a mix of fear and embarrassment. This is not how I imagined starting my first week interning for a prominent golf-course design company.

Turns out the bucket, which hadn’t closed properly, was blocking the door from fully opening. But because it wasn’t shut, it wouldn’t allow me to move the bucket, either. Eventually my boss, Paul, figured out we needed to trick the machine into thinking the door was closed. So he handed me a wrench and told me to touch the door sensor with it, because the metal would activate the door. Boom! I lowered the bucket and escaped.

Man, this project is going to be a wild ride.

You might recognize the name King-Collins from its first celebrated design, Sweetens Cove, on the other side of Tennessee. More projects are in the works, including the one I’m tagging along on here at Overton Park, in Memphis. The municipal course originally opened in 1904 and is in dire need of some updates. The plan is to keep the 9-hole routing the same as it weaves through a park that also has jogging trails, a dog park, a zoo and an art museum. But the holes are uninspired, there’s not a bunker to be found and every green is a small circle tilted slightly from back to front. The goal: add fun and strategic elements to tee shots, approaches and the area around the greens, while still making it feel like the course could have been built in the early 1900s.

My first day on site was Jan. 18, and everyone — Rob Collins, Tad King, some shapers and a few others — was ready to go. We huddled near the clubhouse just after 7 a.m. in 35-degree weather. There were some quick introductions, but no walk-through, no group meeting or rally speech. Things were underway almost immediately. I was nervous. I had little idea what to expect and was surrounded by new faces who had no idea I had never worked a job like this before. I had never driven a bulldozer. Never worked a saw. Heck, I’ve never even worked a job that required me to be outside.

A bunch of equipment had just arrived and it needed to be moved near the 3rd and 4th holes. One of the shapers I’m living with, Lucas, yelled, “D, get in that skid steer. I’ll teach ya how to run it!” I didn’t know what a skid steer was, but in a matter of minutes I learned the basics and was following him across the property. Just like that, we were off. I had no misconceptions that this job would be easy. I knew the hours would be long — 7:30 to 5 Monday through Friday and half days on Saturday — but is there really any great way to mentally prepare yourself for a first day like this?

For my first assignment I joined other newbies in laying silt fencing to prevent water from running off into the pedestrian way and the precious Memphis drinking water. My housemate, Bruce, a fellow 23-year-old but veteran from King-Collins’ Landmand site, started up the trencher, which is essentially a scary machine that digs, well, a trench. Next, we hammered in fence posts one by one for about 1,500 feet. Three of us got on our hands and knees and shoved the dirt back into the trench to cover up the bottom of the silt fence, crawling foot after foot. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more ridiculous.

Walkers and joggers passing by, glancing over at the land, would surely be drawn to the excavator digging a massive hole, another ripping down trees, or a third tearing up turf. They probably didn’t even notice the fencing four of us spent our entire morning installing. I never would have considered it either.

The morning flew by, mostly from the adrenaline of everything finally starting. When we finished lunch, I couldn’t fathom grinding like that for five more hours. My feet hurt, my legs were sore, my arm felt like Jell-O from hammering so many posts. I was envious of the guys sitting in machines, listening to the radio and letting the equipment do all the heavy lifting. But they are the experts, they have been doing this for years. Tomorrow, Lucas said, he’d teach me how to use the excavator.

I listened in as Rob and Trevor, one of the shapers, discussed the redesign of the 3rd hole. It was like they were talking in code. “If we just melt it off of this contour from this high spot to this lower area,” they’d say, making gestures with their hands and pointing about. Trevor asked what I thought. I was lost.

I spent much of the afternoon putting up more fencing around trees that were going to be saved. There are some beautiful old magnolia trees on the property, and the people of Memphis (rightfully so) are very protective of them. Near the end of the day Paul handed me a screwdriver and told me to take out the metal plates with each hole number. They’d make great souvenirs from the first day on the job, I thought, but don’t worry, I didn’t take any!

The rest of the first week was full of learning experiences. Now I can pick up tree trunks with the skid steer (photo above), use a grease gun on excavators and bulldozers and I’m really, really good at putting up fencing. That’s not to say everything went smoothly at first (like getting locked in that skid steer), but I think I’m getting the hang of this. Each new task with a new machine is nerve-racking. Lucas notices, and he’ll yell, “Ya can’t be scared of the machine!”

But every time I’m so tired and start to think I can’t do it anymore, someone will start talking about how excited they are for The Links at Overton Park to come to life. And I’m just as pumped to be a part of this awesome team making it happen. There’s plenty more to do, and lots more to write about. Until next time!

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The post America’s Best Golf Road Trips, Part II: The Appalachian Mountains Trail, from the Homestead to Sweeten’s Cove appeared first on Golf.

The post America’s Best Golf Road Trips, Part II: The Appalachian Mountains Trail, from the Homestead to Sweeten’s Cove appeared first on Golf.

Buckle up, folks, and welcome to the second installment of America’s Best Golf Road Trips, a six-part GOLF.com series in which our well-traveled writers will guide you through some of the most thrilling itineraries for golfers with a nose for the open road. (Check out Part I here.) Each journey will be built around golf but we’ll also sprinkle in a few other sights and stops along the way. Bon voyage!

***

Country road, take us home. But, please, take us to some great golf courses along the way. This killer itinerary does just that, on a trip that starts near Sam Snead’s birthplace and follows a winding path through Virginia and West Virginia, en route to Tennessee. The mountain scenery is stunning. The hot springs are soothing. And the barbecue isn’t shabby, either. Hungry for all that? Hop in, and off we go.

Starting Point: Charlottesville Albemarle Airport

End Point: Sweeten’s Cove GC, South Pittsburg, Tenn.

Days: 4 days

Miles: 470

Courses: 4 (though you could easily play more!)

Day 1: The Omni Homestead Resort (Virginia)

Milepost: 100

At some point during your stay at this historic resort, which sits on Sam Snead Highway, across the road from a restaurant called Snead’s 12, you are probably going to notice: the legacy of one man looms large around these parts. 

Slammin’ Sammy, the legend himself, was born and raised less than two miles away, and, at age 17, he landed a job at the Homestead, as a maker of hickory-shafted clubs. Five years later, Snead was promoted to head pro at the Cascades Course, one of two sublime 18-hole layouts here. Before long, he moved on to bigger things, like, you know, an 82-win PGA Tour career.

But back to the glories of the Homestead itself. Of the Cascades Course, Snead once said, “If I could play only one course, this would be it.” And no wonder. Designed by William Flynn (the author of Merion, among other classics), the layout oozes Golden Age greatness, all nuanced slopes and angles in an artful routing that rolls naturally over pine-fringed terrain in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains, rugged peaks that compose part of the Appalachian range. 

Widely regarded as the top public-access course in Virginia, the Cascades Course has staged such big-time events as the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships, the Curtis Cup and the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship.

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Its sister course, the Old Course, has a rich pedigree, too, and a claim to fame reflective of its name: it is home to the oldest continuously operating first tee in the United States. That tee opened for play in 1892, when the layout consisted of just 6 holes. The course was soon updated, stretched out and improved by Flynn and, later, Donald Ross. 

Like a lot of old courses, it is not especially long; it tips out at less than 6,100 yards. But there’s ample intrigue packed into its modest frame, thanks to fairway contouring that yields all kinds of quirky bounces and challenging lies.

Cap your day at Woody’s, a casual eatery named for the late (and lovable) Homestead caddie and staffer, Woody Pettus. We recommend the Homestead Burger (charred tomato aioli, lettuce, cheddar, pickles, thickly sliced tomato) paired with a Bailey’s-infused milkshake. You earned it.

Day 2: The Greenbrier (West Virginia)

Milepost: 140

Golf wasn’t in the offing at the Greenbrier in 1788, when the luxury resort welcomed its first guests. Mineral hot springs were the main draw, the same natural waters that supply the Greenbrier’s spa today. As for golf, there’s now plenty of that, too, with four courses from which to choose. 

These include the Meadows, a 1911 Seth Raynor original that was later reworked by Dick Wilson and then Bob Cupp; the Ashford Short Course, a nine-hole delight; and the Greenbrier, the only resort course in the world to have hosted both the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup. 

But if you only squeeze in one round during your stay, make it 18 on The Old White. Designed by the C.B. Macdonald, the grandfather of American golf architecture, and later modified by his disciple, Raynor, the course unfolds as an educational celebration of golf design, with template nods to some of the world’s most famous golf holes. 

The par-3 8th, for instance, tips its cap to the Redan at North Berwick, while the 13th is patterned after the Alps at Prestwick and the 15th pays tribute to the Eden at St. Andrews. 

Is there a signature hole? We wouldn’t say so. But there is a signature experience at the Greenbrier. You’ll find it at the spa. It’s called “The Greenbrier Treatment,” and it includes a soothing soak in the salubrious waters of White Sulphur Springs, followed by your choice of a 25 or 50-minute massage. 

By the time you’re done, you’ll be as loose and limber as a young Sam Snead, who, for the record, worked as a head professional at the Greenbrier, too.

Day 3: Downtime in Knoxville, Tenn.

Milepost: 330

It can’t be all golf, all the time, can it?  OK, sure, it can (and if you really want to play, we’d suggest Island Point Golf Club, a sweet Arthur Hills design at the confluence of two fivers).  

But since you’ve just covered a roughly four-hour leg, the longest stint behind the wheel of this road trip, you might also want to take a day to relax. Options abound. Among them is to wander the Old City in downtown Knoxville, a vibrant district dotted with cool bars, idiosyncratic shops, artist’s studios and other one-of-a-kind outposts. A 20-minute walk from Old City takes you to the verdant grounds of World’s Fair State Park, where the World’s Fair was staged in 1982.

Here you can admire Knoxville’s iconic Sunsphere, a 266-foot tower with a giant gold-dust filled, glass-paneled ball on top (for the time being, because of Covid, visitors aren’t allowed in the tower itself). It’s the most striking structure on the city skyline. 

By now, your stomach might be grumbling. Maybe you’d like some barbecue, which is big in Knoxville. No place does it better than Sweet P’s Downtown Dive, a local favorite in Old City. Never mind that you’re in Tennessee, the dry-rubbed St. Louis ribs are what you want to order. And don’t forget your sides of collard greens and mac-and-cheese.

Day 4: Sweeten’s Cove 

Milepost: 470

You could, in theory, start your day with a detour to Dollywood, the rollicking Dolly Parton-themed amusement park, which sits in the Smoky Mountains, some 25 miles away. But we know you’re itching to get back to playing, so prepare for a wild ride of a different kind. 

Set in a valley, 30 miles west of Chattanooga, Sweeten’s Cove is an iconoclastic charmer with a bootstrapping story that belies its lofty standing in architecture circles (GOLF Magazine ranks it as the 7th best nine-hole course in the world.) Designed and built on a shoestring by the then-unknown architect Rob Collins, it soon became a darling of the Instagram set, who captured stunning images of the place that set social media afire. 

What the golf world saw was a rambunctious layout with huge, unruly greens and holes that invite all styles of play, from aerial bombing to creative, bounding bump-and runs. The bunkering is rough-hewn, and the routing allows for various alternative loops, which many golfers take advantage of on slow days. 

Slow days are rare, though. The secret is out. Sweetens Cove sells all-day passes, ($90 on weekdays and $100 on weekends gets you all the golf that you feel like playing) but they get snatched up quickly by the ever-growing legions of devotees. 

The course’s admirers include Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick, who were so smitten by it that they became part owners of the operation. You get the picture. This place is a must. Be advised, though. Sweetens is all about the golf, not the creature comforts. The clubhouse is a shed. For a post-round meal, your best option is to ring up a delivery from Domino’s (Rory’s fave), which is three miles away. 

Just outside the shed, there’s a fire pit with seating and views of the course. Relax. Enjoy. That country road has done its job. It has brought you to a place where you belong.

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The post The 50 best 9-hole courses in the world, ranked! appeared first on Golf.

The post The 50 best 9-hole courses in the world, ranked! appeared first on Golf.

With detailed input from GOLF’s 88-member Top 100 Courses ranking panel, its editors, architects from around the world and select other short-course aficionados, we’ve compiled GOLF’s first long look at “short courses,” including our inaugural ranking of the world’s 50 greatest 9-hole tracks, plus the 25 best sub-6,000-yard courses and 25 best par-3 courses. Because good things really do come in small packages.

This year marks GOLF’s inaugural effort in the category of 9-hole course rankings, and it’s about time. Our World and U.S. rankings always stimulate lively debate, and 9-holers deserve the same attention.

Here, we’re focusing solely on standalone 9-hole courses, in part to show that solo niners — as opposed to 9-hole tracks built to complement full 18s, like the dazzling Valliere nine at Morfontaine in France or William Flynn’s excellent Primrose nine at The Country Club outside Boston — are quite viable financial entities in and of themselves. And every bit as thrilling as a traditional course.

“I’ve been fascinated with 9-hole courses since growing up at Goose Run GC, on the U.S. Navy submarine base in Groton, Conn.,” says golf coach Mike Dutton, whose specialty is researching niners in the U.S. (at last count he’d identified 277 of them in New England alone) and the UK.

“A good 9-holer,” Dutton says, “knows what it is — intimate, local, welcoming — and avoids what it isn’t: pretentious, punitive, grand. Like Cliff Notes or a nap, a 9-holer fits the bill when you want less to be more. And like the bar in Cheers, it should be a place where everybody knows your name.”

That said, American golfers will be unfamiliar with some of the greatest 9-holers. Unlike par-3 courses, where North America dominates, this group features plenty of UK loops, many of them built by “members” and “locals,” guaranteeing colorful originality.

The 50 best stand-alone 9-hole courses (ranked)

* Course descriptions compiled by GOLF’s Top 100 Course Panelists and GOLF staffers.

1. Royal Worlington & Newmarket GC, Suffolk, England (Tom Dunn/1893)

Expert’s take: Just as the Yale golf team has enjoyed playing out of one of the USA’s top golf courses, the golf team across the pond at Cambridge have a gem of their own. In this case, it is Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club. As one saddles up to the unassuming clubhouse and plays the first couple of holes, it’s hard to understand the fuss around this little nine-holer. But patience has its virtue as you will soon encounter some of the more extreme green complexes in all of England. Creativity rules the day with tee shots crossing greens and a final two-shotter that requires a clever little tee shot over the entry road. If you have an appreciation for quirky, you’ll relish your visit. (For more on Royal Worlington & Newmarket, click here.)

2. Whitinsville GC, Whitinsville, Mass. (Donald Ross/1925)

Expert’s take: Whitinsville proves once again that bigger and bolder isn’t always better. This quiet 9-hole layout serves the community well. If every town had a Whitinsville you would have millions more Americans enjoying golf. Fun, variety, an easy walk — all make for an enjoyable day. How I wish we could celebrate what nine holes can do for the outdoor spirit.

3. Culver Academies GC, Culver, Ind. (Langford & Moreau/1923) 

Expert’s take: I strongly believe that site selection is the most important factor in golf course architecture, and these nine holes may be one of the world’s best examples. Incredible landforms perfectly utilized by Messrs. Langford, Morreau, and more recently Weed.

4. The Dunes Club, New Buffalo, Mich. (Dick Nugent/1991)

Expert’s take: About as diverse and versatile as a 9-hole course can be. In a roundabout way, this Dick Nugent design on sandy, scrubby ground had enormous influence on the post-Bandon golf world. Mike Keiser built The Dunes, an early sign that he was a visionary.

5. Leckford (Old Course), Hampshire, England (Harry Colt/1929)

Expert’s take: A brilliant design by a brilliant designer (Harry Colt of Muirfield and Wentworth fame), Leckford has been largely untouched since its original design in 1929. What greets golfers is a fantastic test of bunkering, strategy and classic linksland — at prices starting at just 24 euros.

6. Reigate Heath GC, Surrey, England (Tom Dunn/1895)

Expert’s take: Reigate Heath would be one of Bernard Darwin’s little known “stars of sand and heather.” Of course there is pine, birch, oak and wild bilbery here too. A venerable club formed in the late 19th century, this club feels a bit Dutch given the signature windmill adjacent to the clubhouse. The routing circularly takes you around a surprisingly rolling property which tests the short irons as well as a few longer clubs. Reigate is a period piece of what golf was at the turn of the century.

7. Sweetens Cove GC, South Pittsburg, Tenn. (King-Collins/2014) 

Expert’s take: A 9-hole course that truly packs a punch! While the track itself is interesting and keeps a golfer intrigued from start to finish, the vibe that surrounds the course is perhaps even more noteworthy and memorable. There are no rules at Sweetens but to have fun, and the experience is consequently unmatched.

8. Edgartown GC, Edgartown, Mass. (Connie Lee/1926) 

Expert’s take: A true charmer with a no-nonsense clubhouse, a no-fuss attitude, and breathtaking views of the Vineyard Sound. A clever routing and creative use of multiple tee boxes that allows one to go around twice, but enjoy two distinctive nine-hole experiences. Don’t stray too far from the manicured fairways and greens as the fescue can be brutal.      

9. Sunnylands Rancho Mirage, Calif. (Dick Wilson/1964) 

Expert’s take: Uber-private, and usually the private playground of world leaders, it’s a meticulously manicured desert beauty. The two times I’ve played it, we were the only ones there. More fun than difficult, you feel off the planet for a day.

10. Cruit Island GC, Donegal, Ireland (Michael Doherty/1986) 

Expert’s take: The landforms on this rocky, seaside routing are almost Seussian, like you’re playing golf at the edge of the world — in a sort of netherworld where rules don’t apply. But the holes are legit, if short in spots, and the tiny green sites are perched in some truly phenomenal, unlikely places. Played it in a downpour accompanied by howling winds. Would love to go back but it’s so far out there in the northwest, I sorta doubt I ever will. 

11. Saratoga Golf & Polo, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Robert C.B. Anderson/1896)

Expert’s take: Kye Goalby redid the place on a tight budget, making it look old to embrace its origins by reimagining the bunkering, adding Victorian Era-inspired mounds, expanding greens and fairways and clearing out trees to open vistas. Then a new super (Steven Aspinall) came on board and changed it in one year from an overwatered, mushy swamp into a wonderful firm and fast course that embraces and highlights its throwback design.

12. Durness GC, Durness, Scotland (Keith, Morrison, Ross/1988)

Expert’s take: Widely considered one of the true hidden gems of Scottish Golf, Durness runs on an impeccable stretch of land along the coast of Balnakeil Bay. The track, which features nine holes of cliffside linksland, has nine holes but 18 sets of tees, meaning you’ll see a brand new course the second time should you decide to stick around for another nine.

13. Hooper GC, Walpole, N.H. (Stiles and Van Kleek/1927)

Expert’s take: As good as any Stiles course out there, just half the size. The property is dramatic but should never have yielded 9 such good golf holes. Pretty genius bit of routing, straddling a central ridge feature. 

14. North Haven GC, North Haven, Maine (Unknown/1916, Updated by Wayne Stiles/1932)

Expert’s take: A beautiful walk and a charming course. Make sure to check out the original clubhouse that sits near the 3rd hole.

15. Isle of Harris GC, Isle of Harris, Scotland (Locals/1920) 

Expert’s take: A wee course that captures the essence of Scottish golf and immerses the golfer in the beauty of the Isle of Harris. The nine holes pack a punch with wild blind greens, halfpipe fairways, a hearty dose of funk and mesmerising views across Scarista beach. Visitors are recommended to stay nearby to enjoy the four-hole opening loop long into the evening. If you’re into raw exhilarating golf, this is a trip worth taking.  

16. Mulranny GC, County Mayo, Ireland (Unknown/1896) 

Expert’s take: Guarded by electrified fences, the greens are surprisingly large and full of character. Punchbowl and plateau, embankment and benched, their sites are well varied, often at the end of some astutely occupied seaside terrain. The hardly believable left-to-right cant of the short 8th, perched beyond hidden burn with village in the distance above, will be a favorite.

17. King Island Golf & Bowling, Currie, Tasmania (Locals/1932)

Expert’s take: The first and, until recently, only golf course on tiny King Island, located between the island state of Tasmania and the mainland of Australia. Whilst the island has been enhanced in recent times with the development of two world-class courses — Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes — the King Island Golf & Bowling Club previously provided the only golf option for the 1,500 resident population. A number of holes play through and across well established vegetation and rolling farmland before heading to the water, where the course is fully exposed to the elements of wind, surf and the ever-changing (and quite challenging) weather patterns. Two sets of tees for each hole add to the variety (and fun) of the course.

18. The Course at Sewanee, Sewanee, Tenn. (Albion Knight/1915, Updated by Gil Hanse/2013)

Expert’s take: A fun, rollicking test set in some of the great Smoky Mountain scenery and unlocked by a creative redesign courtesy of Gil Hanse at the beginning of the decade. 

19. The Links Valley (reversible), Ermelo, Netherlands (Frank Pont /2018) 

Expert’s take: Situated in an old sand quarry in De Veluwe, the largest heathland area of the Netherlands, this undulating course features height differences of more than 20 yards, something that is quite unusual for courses in the Low country. Because it took nearly 15 years to secure permits for design, the design team (led by Frank Pont) took years to refine the somewhat complex design concept of a reversible course, following an idea proposed by Tom Simpson some 90 years ago. The course is a mix of bold landforms, (re)developing heathland, natural sandy waste areas and raised greens sporting mild contours surrounded by lots of short grass. Very few bunkers were used, mostly because they were not needed. Strong emphasis is on the ground game, which works well because the course plays very fast and firm.

20. Highland Golf Links, North Truro, Mass. (Willard Small/1892)

Expert’s take: Hardly a perfect 9 but the closest thing to proper Scottish links golf you’ll find in New England, where most attempts are just too manicured, irrigated, house-bounded, etc. Highland Links is convincingly rugged, wind-dependent and remote with 3-4 holes of real quality.

21. Castlegregory Golf Links, County Kerry, Ireland (Arthur Spring/1989)

Expert’s take: Another brilliant seaside links test, Castlegregory is everything you’ve come to expect about European links golf at half the length. This par-34 Irish test comes in at 2,876 yards, but best of all? Its proximity to the water leaves it impervious to frost, making it a year-round destination for golfers of all ages.

22. Real Golf de Zarauz, Gipuzkoa, Spain (Unknown/1916)

Expert’s take: Spain’s only true links defies many architectural conventions with three one-shotters in the first four holes and multiple holes crossing each other (four!). Despite its compact size (only 26 acres), the course features holes of all lengths and moves beautifully across the protected dunescape, with many uneven lies and elevated greens. Pure fun in a compact package.

23. Eagle Springs Golf Resort, Eagle, Wis. (William Tuohy/1893, A.G. Spaulding/1921) 

Expert’s take: Eagle Springs is the oldest course in the state of Wisconsin, and it might also be the quirkiest. Owned by Mike Bolan, a fifth-generation descendent of 19th-century course founders John and Mary Tuohy, Eagle Springs was originally built as an 18-hole layout, but shrunk to only nine holes after the Great Depression. While nine of the original holes are gone, the entertainment is not.

24. Gairloch GC, Gairloch, Scotland (A.M. Burgess/1898) 

Expert’s take: Set along a beach near the Islands of Sky, Gairloch’s strongest characteristics are similar to those of many other great 9-holers: it’s easy to make bogey, but hard to break par.

25. Madison GC, Madison, N.J. (Members/1896) 

Expert’s take: This quirky and intimate gem, rife with big and small holes, is golf’s version of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. A great place to play a match, take the kids, or squeeze in a sneaky nine.

26. Milton-Hoosic Club, Canton, Mass. (Willie Park Jr./1891) 

Expert’s take: Well into a superb restoration which has the potential to create a truly special nine-holer. Willie Park left behind a great collection of bones that slowly became lost as a result of tree overgrowth and some neglect. Good progress correcting to date and more planned. The 4th hole offers a very special green setting.

27. Hotchkiss GC, Lakeville, Conn. (Seth Raynor/1924)

Expert’s take: The bones of something wonderful are still there, but this course needs some TLC. What a treasure they have in their care. Hope to see them do right by it.

28. Weekapaug GC, Westerly, R.I. (Phil Wogan/1967)

Expert’s take: A wonderful Sunday 9 course where you can knock it around with a few buddies and have a fun, casual game. The wind can really blow and the bunkering, fairway width and shortgrass options around the greens make it really interesting and overall FUN. The grassing lines are simple, yet sophisticated and I loved the low-key vibe of the place.

29. Otaru CC, (Old Course) Hokkaido, Japan (Tozo Sato & I. Kuno/1928)

Expert’s take: One of the oldest and most prestigious golf clubs in all of Japan, Otaru’s Old Course is a flat-out stunner.

30. Northwood GC, Monte Rio, Calif. (Alister MacKenzie/1828)

Expert’s take: This special 9-holer is a must-play. Neither long, nor wide, wayward shots likely strike ancient Redwoods, yet these giants of the forest provide enchantment and awe and absolutely make this course unique. It’s as if Alister MacKenzie decided to grace golfers with the mating of an intimate walk-in-the-woods and an escape from reality.

31. Mahia GC, Mahia, New Zealand (Unknown/1984)

Expert’s take: A step back in time, this volunteer-run links course is golf at its purest. Low lying through the dunes there are moments where, but for the weather, you could be in Scotland. Uniquely, from the clubhouse, you can watch the sun rise and set over the ocean.

32. Tobermory GC, Isle of Mull, Scotland (David Adams/1896)

Expert’s take: A wonderful course that sits atop the town, Tobermory GC sports spectacular views and breathtaking golf. If ever there was any doubt that golf is indeed a sport, then all one needs to do is go play Tobermory, where walking 9 will feel akin to conquering Everest. But like Everest, the ascent on the first is worth the journey. For what awaits golfers is a rollicking golf course worthy of its praise. 

33. Domburgsche Golf Club, Domberg, Netherlands (Charles Warren/1914)

Expert’s Take: One of the oldest links courses in The Netherlands, situated in the narrow dunes of the province Zealand. The layout is understated, following a classic out-and-back routing, where especially the outgoing holes provide the most classic experience playing through, among other things, bomb craters of WWII. Course is a mix of classic and modern design elements; I would like to see it become more old fashioned again.

34. Barra GC, Isle of Barra, Scotland (Locals/1992)

Expert’s take: Well-maintained Scottish linksland along the coast, Barra GC is as fun as it is accessible, and with $90 for a full-year’s membership, it’s plenty accessible.

35. The Toronto Hunt, Toronto, Canada (Willie Park Jr./1918, Updated by Thomas McBroom/2018)

Expert’s take: Toronto Hunt is owner to one of the finest 9-hole tracks (and perhaps the finest logo) north of the border. With coastal views of Lake Ontario, delicately mown greens and white sand bunkers, you’d be forgiven for escaping to a world farther south (and toward the coast) during your round.

36. Bushfoot GC, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (Locals/1980, Updated by David Jones/2009)

Expert’s take: Bushfoot is a fond memory for me. My mother and daughter once joined me for a quick evening 9 holes. The course is on the cliffs between Royal Portrush and UNESCO World Heritage site Giant’s Causeway.  Play is suitable for beginning golfers like my daughter while simultaneously presenting an interesting links course to the scratch golfer playing off its fescue turf running up and down its sloping par-4 holes.

37. Cohasse CC, Southbridge, Mass. (Donald Ross/1918)

Expert’s take: This nine-holer is actually stronger than Whitinsville GC, with lots less attention and fame. The true epitome of a hidden gem. Hole Nos. 1-9 are solid and there isn’t a weak stretch within the layout, which catapults it much, much higher in the top 50 in my opinion. Holes 2, 5, 7 and 9 are standouts. More panelists should seek this one out.

38. Quogue Field Club, Quogue, NY (Tom Bendelow/1901)

Expert’s take: This is a course you would expect in a small Scottish town, not in the United States. It begins in the middle of town, playing through grand estates and out to the ocean in the distance. The architecture is turn of the century, low profile and understated. The middle of the fairways are green, but that quickly gives way to brown and eventually whispy fescue a short distance into the rough. It’s a firm bouncy course that goes from formal Bendelow bunkers to low exposed dunes as you play closer to the ocean. Eventually, you turn back and play into town and the architecture formalizes with the change in setting. The course makes me think of the Great Gatsby every time I visit.

39. Golf Club Norderney, Norderney, Germany (Members/1922)

Expert’s take: Golf Club Norderney has been around forever, and its practicality and playability are a perfect complement to the place in which it rests.

40. Musselburgh Links, East Lothian, Scotland (Members/1672) 

Expert’s take: As one of only 14 courses to have hosted an Open Championship, and as the second home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (from 1836-1891), its historical significance makes this a must-play when visiting and playing the great courses of Scotland.

41. Winter Park GC, Winter Park, Fla. (Harley Ward & Dow George/1914, Updated by Johns & Rhebb/2016) 

Expert’s take: This fun little course sits in the heart of Winter Park. Ripped up in a complete re-do by Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns in 2014, it was the winner of the 2014 Lido Design Contest. Now called WP9, it’s a fun test of golf. It’s a short 2,480-yard par-35 with several drivable par-4s. Great match-play course to unwind and not be consumed with the card and pencil. A must play!

42. Traigh GC, Arisaig, Scotland (Landowners/1900, Updated by Johnny Salvesen/1993)

Expert’s take: A subtle 9-holer on a beautiful piece of property, pay a measly 18 euros per round, or pony up 64 euros for a weeklong pass — either way, you won’t be disappointed.

43. Frankston GC, Melbourne, Australia (Rowley Banks/1913)

Expert’s take: A delightful layout affectionately known as the Millionaires Club. Frankston GC commences with a horizon view of the city of Melbourne across the water before playing in a clockwise direction and featuring a collection of tight holes over gently changing landscape. Green complexes are cleverly wedged into the natural setting and the less-than-perfect conditioning actually adds to the charm of the course. The understated entrance and clubhouse complete the experience. 

44. Real Club de Golf La Toja, Pontevedra, Spain (Ramon Espinosa Garcia/1968) 

Expert’s take: La Toja is a course that would get Top 100 attention if it were 18 holes in length. Located on a very small island, all holes play along the sea and take up half of the land. The other half is a beautiful pine forest that provides an amazing contrast with the water.

45. Unzen Golf Links, Nagasaki, Japan (B. Oles/1913) 

Expert’s take: Established in 1913 as the oldest public course in Japan, the Unzen area was certified as Japan’s first national park in 1934.

46. Castine GC, Castine, Maine (Willie Park Jr./1921) 

Expert’s take: Castine is a rough and rugged coastal Maine golf course that showcases glimpses of the water, without ever playing down to it or alongside it. Rocks and natural landforms give the course a nice flow from holes 1 to 9 and there are a few solid golf holes (6 and 7). The two-tier (linear bisected) green at 7 is truly worth a visit alone.

47. Kambaku GC, Komatipoort, South Africa (Douw Van Der Merwe/1999)

Expert’s take: A community golf course in every sense of the word, local farmers came together in the late 90s to clear the land to make what is now one of South Africa’s finest 9-hole courses. 

48. Alnmouth Village GC, Alnwick, England (Mungo Park/1869)

Expert’s take: A classic, understated out-and-back course on relatively flat linksland, but with very large undulations in the fairways. Exceptions are No. 6, which first plays up the bluffs to a volcano green and No. 7, which has a shot down from the bluffs to the links comparable to Cruden Bay’s 10th. The greens are wonderful, surrounded by lots of wrinkles in the links. 

49. Dragon’s Tooth (Ballachulish) Ballachulish, Scotland (Robin Hiseman/2002) 

Expert’s take: It’s cheap, it’s accessible, it’s consistently (and superbly) well-kept. What more could you want out of a 9-holer?

50. Wawashkamo GC, Mackinac Island, Mich. (Alex Smith/1898) 

Expert’s take: Still 122 years later, Wawashkamo is so beloved by its community that it’s recognized as a historic site in the state of Michigan. Largely unaltered from its original linksland design, Wawashkamo is part of the fabric of golf history as one of the very first Great Lakes golf courses. It’s a treat to all who play it, and more than worthy of the final spot in our inaugural top-50 ranking.

Editor’s Picks

The post The 50 best 9-hole courses in the world, ranked! appeared first on Golf.

The post Field guide: Sweetens Cove Golf Club is as good as advertised (see for yourself) appeared first on Golf.

The post Field guide: Sweetens Cove Golf Club is as good as advertised (see for yourself) appeared first on Golf.

Ed. note: As GOLF’s chief photographer and visual editor, Christian Hafer visits some of the most gorgeous and exclusive golf courses in the world (and even some underrated gems). Here, in his Field Guide, he’ll take you along for the ride. Lucky for us, Christian never leaves home without his camera. Follow Christian Hafer on Instagram here.

The darling of the golf world is a nine-hole course with double-pinned greens just 30 miles west of Chattanooga, Tenn. Low in the valley sits nine holes with enough alternate-routing options to make your head spin. The low-key vibe is the draw at Sweetens Cove, a South Pittsburg, Tenn., track built by Rob Collins and crew in 2014. It started from a rough place but Collins, Patrick Boyd and a few other instrumental pillars kept the dream alive. And as the golf world started finding it, it blew up. Rightfully so.

Getting to the course is easy from Chattanooga or Nashville, but lodging is limited. So is local cuisine. But we’re here for the golf, not the fish. You can purchase an all-day pass like a ski resort, but be warned, they sell out fast. Play as much as you want and, honestly, from pretty much wherever you want. All-day walking rates are $90 during the week and $100 on the weekend.

The greens at Sweetens are massive and their slope is no joke, allowing unlimited options for diabolical pin locations. The bunkering is rugged, mean and interesting. Some even have names (my favorite: Tupac). Shift tees as you please. Play the front or the back. On slower days play an alternate routing (the guys in the shed know them all, and some options are floating around on social media).

In perfect harmony with the club’s aesthetic, there’s no gaudy clubhouse. There is a shed. It even has AC now. It’s all an upgrade from the tent. (Imagine, being such a golf madman, that you hang out on a course all day with no cover other than a tent?) Don’t sell the shed short, though, it’s stocked with some of best merch in golf.

If in need of a break between marathon loops, a new covered area and fire pit now overlook the course. Hungry? Order Domino’s. Seriously. It’s just three miles down the road, and it delivers. You can have your plush halfway houses, I’ll take a double pepperoni and push cart all day.

The post Field guide: Sweetens Cove Golf Club is as good as advertised (see for yourself) appeared first on Golf.

The post These awesome watercolor-style prints of famous golf courses make perfect last-minute gifts appeared first on Golf.

The post These awesome watercolor-style prints of famous golf courses make perfect last-minute gifts appeared first on Golf.

Late on Tuesday night, I sat on the couch and Googled “Father’s Day gifts” for … myself. That’s right, and I’m not ashamed! My wife kept asking for ideas, I didn’t have any, so she said to find something.

I eventually started searching for “golf posters” and stumbled upon the Etsy site of ClaireWDesign. I was so intrigued by the clean and creative offerings I decided to message the owner, Claire Wickenden, and get more information so I could tell you, loyal GOLF.com reader, about these products. They are that cool.

Wickenden grew up playing golf and started creating these paintings/prints in early 2019. She starts by getting photos and scorecard layouts of courses, watercolor paints them and then copies them as prints, where they are put into her massive archive for anyone to buy. All orders are printed on premium watercolor texture paper, and there’s plenty to choose from. Right now there’s over 180 different courses in her library, with more than 200 expected to be available by the end of the month (all available on her personal website, and Etsy site). For examples of a few favorites, click through these photos:

1/11

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11/11

See! I told you they were cool. Better yet, Wickenden will create any course she doesn’t have for you, like your local club of the muni you grew up on. Her top-sellers are the bucket-list stops you’d expect: Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, Streamsong, Bandon Dunes and St. Andrews, but there’s also plenty of under-the-radar gems as well. Places like Sweetens Cove, Lawsonia Links, Tobacco Road, The Harvester Club and more.

Standard size is 11 inches by 14 inches (only $35!), but bigger sizes and framing options are also available. Wickenden can also personalize the title and subhead below the course layout and flip the print’s orientation from landscape to portrait (vertical). But if you like what you see and want to use it for a last-minute Father’s Day gift, you need to act fast. Today (June 17) is the last day to guarantee delivery by Father’s Day by selecting express shipping at checkout. (A custom course request not already in the system will take longer, however.)

So, if you need a gift for your dad, brother or just want to spruce up your own home — whether it’s the office, living room, man’s cave or kid’s room — these unique and modern designs are the perfect item for any golf fan. You can head to the ClaireWDesign Etsy page here. I’m buying one, too. I just haven’t figured out which one yet.

Watercolor-Style Golf Course Print

These clean, creative and modern watercolor prints of more than 180 different golf courses (a few examples above) are printed on premium watercolor texture paper. Standard size is 11 inches by 14 inches, but bigger sizes, framing options and customization is also available.

Buy Now from www.etsy.com

The post These awesome watercolor-style prints of famous golf courses make perfect last-minute gifts appeared first on Golf.

The post Golf community comes together to raise $100,000 for New York City COVID-19 Relief Fund appeared first on Golf.

The post Golf community comes together to raise $100,000 for New York City COVID-19 Relief Fund appeared first on Golf.

“How can I help?” is a question many have asked themselves since the COVID-19 pandemic began. That’s not an easy question to answer during what feels like a helpless time. For some, the answer never comes. For Eric Sedransk, it did.

Sedransk, a Jersey City, N.J. resident, made the decision like many others to flee the Tri-state area and went to South Carolina to move in with his mother in mid-March. A strong sense of guilt made the trip south with him. Friends were providing daily updates of life in the eye of the COVID-19 storm he left behind. One afternoon while staring out at the second tee box at Palmetto Hall in Hilton Head, where his mother resides, Sedransk had an idea.

As an avid golfer who has managed brand partnerships for nearly a decade, Sedransk formed a network of people with connections throughout the golf industry. Those relationships afforded him to play courses he once dreamed of over the years. Sedransk began sharing his adventures at exclusive clubs and Top 100 Courses on his @Member4aDay Instagram page. Golf became his true passion and he used social media to connect with like-minded avid golfers.

“I started @Member4aDay because I have been fortunate to play some of the greatest golf courses in the world and I wanted to take people along for the journey,” Sedransk said. ”Although nothing compares to being there and playing the course yourself, maybe just for a minute I can help give you a sense of what being a member for a day at this club would be like.

“So I decided to begin reaching out to my network of golf pros, directors of golf, friends with country club memberships, my social media following and people I’ve connected with on the course over the years to ask them if they would donate a round and/or point me in the direction of someone else who might. I thought if I could collect enough donations I could create a charitable auction for COVID-19 Relief.”

Before Sedransk could fine-tune his work-in-progress auction, courses began offering up donations without hesitation. Shinnecock, Friar’s Head, Medalist, Pete Dye Golf Club, Vahalla, Sleepy Hollow, Silo Ridge, Glen Oaks and Sweetens Cove are just some of the whos-who list of courses that offered up access. It was an embarrassment of riches and far surpassed Sedransk’s expectations.

*Note: All round donations are valid through 2021

The Dormie Network donated a one-year membership to its network of nation-wide courses. It was also a recommendation from a contact at Dormie that put Sedransk in touch with Project Frontline, a charitable organization he would ultimately team up with to create The @Member4aDay Auction.

Houston Astros pitcher Joe Smith and his wife Allie LaForce, a sideline reporter for TNT and CBS Sports, founded Project Frontline to help support COVID-19 Relief Efforts in Houston. Every donation to Project Frontline is used to purchase a meal from a local restaurant to be distributed to local hospital workers. This simultaneously helps to support small businesses and those on the front line of the pandemic. What started in Houston has expanded in cities across the country. All proceeds from the @Member4aDay Auction would support New York City restaurants and hospitals.

With a charitable partner and donations now in place, a goal of $50,000 was set and the auction went live. In the first 24 hours, $12,000 was raised. On top of that, Sedransk got bombarded with direct messages on Instagram from people wanting to get involved. “Next thing you know we went from 20 to 48 auction items by Day 2,” Sedransk said. “Strangers began messaging me to donate rounds to the clubs they belonged to or worked at. We’re talking about bucket list courses around the world. That really warmed my heart and that’s when I knew we were on to something special.”

The @Member4aDay Auction went on to raise a total of $101,186. To put that another way, Project Frontline will turn those funds into over 10,000 meals to support restaurants and frontline workers affected by COVID-19 in NYC. There’s no shot in golf that can feel as good as that.

To think, this all stemmed from the golf connections Sedransk made over the years. It goes to show that you truly don’t know where a round of golf or who you get paired up with might lead you.

“The relationships that I formed both in person and through Instagram have been instrumental in this initiative,” Sedransk said. “For example, last fall I got paired up with a guy, who I’ve remained in touch with, and that serendipitous meeting led to an $11k donation through my charity auction. It’s amazing to think that an encounter on the course is to thank for that.”

Given the overwhelming inaugural success, will there be a future @Member4aDay golf auction?

“The short answer is yes.”

Editor’s Picks

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The post At Home with Andy Roddick: Sweetens Cove Golf Course appeared first on Golf.

The post At Home with Andy Roddick: Sweetens Cove Golf Course appeared first on Golf.

The former World No. 1 in tennis discusses his partnership in the nine-hole public golf course, their new whiskey, and what it’s like working with Peyton Manning.

The post At Home with Andy Roddick: Sweetens Cove Golf Course appeared first on Golf.