I have to admit the first time I visited Bay Hill Club & Lodge earlier this decade I was impressed. But not that impressed. The golf course, site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard (back then it was sponsored by Cooper Tires), regularly provides must-see TV when the PGA Tour comes to town, but playing it wasn’t the blow-me-away experience I expected from such a respected venue. The course felt like so many other Florida country club layouts I’d seen … too flat and too predictable (bunkers in front, water here or there). After playing golf at Bay ... full post »

There’s only one thing worse than losing a golf club while playing a course … Losing a head cover. Wedges and putters left by the green can be replaced easily enough, often for $120 or less. Losing them on purpose almost sounds like a good idea. Then you can beg your wife (or husband) to go buy a newer, better model. But losing a head cover is like losing a family member. I lost another one recently – snoopy. Losing man’s best friend was the only downer on an otherwise fabulous visit to Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Snoopy, like so many Pro-V1s, ... full post »

Depending upon what camp you sit in, Pete Dye is either a beloved innovator or an irrational maniac when it comes to golf course architecture. Love him or hate him, there’s no disputing his impact on the game. Dye, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last November, tells his story to the world with the book, “Pete Dye Golf Courses: Fifty years of Visionary Design” by Joel Zuckerman. So much has been written about Dye, and his courses photographed so often, that the book’s best attribute is how it sheds new light, splashed with some new photography, about ... full post »

My first experience at Kiawah Island was a keeper. The January weather was perfect, at least for a Midwestern golfer. It was high 50s, low 60s and sunny. The golf gods were smiling down on me during the trip, but that’s probably the norm for anybody visiting this special island off of South Carolina’s southern coast. Check out my review coming soon to the site, but here are a few lasting impressions that I’ll never forget. * Look up! The stars at night are so brilliant. There are only a handful of street lights on Kiawah Island. Their light would ... full post »