Should I play or will it snow, now? 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for golfers in all climes

Every winter, I think to myself: “Will I be able to get out to play before spring?” Despite living in central Illinois, sometimes I do – I worry about climate change while teeing it up on some random 45-degree February day. If you happen to live in a climate more conducive to year-round play, countContinue reading “Should I play or will it snow, now? 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for golfers in all climes”

Pfau rhymes with “Wow!” Indiana University’s new home course dazzles

Big-league universities should have big-league golf courses – at least they should if they dream of competing at the top level of college golf. Indiana University in Bloomington is a stalwart of the Big 10 Conference in many sports, but their men’s and women’s golf programs have historically lagged behind many of the conference peers.Continue reading “Pfau rhymes with “Wow!” Indiana University’s new home course dazzles”

Golf in the Midnight Sun at Iceland’s Brautarholt Golf Course

The clubhouse at Brautarholt Golf Course outside of Reykjavik, 2 a.m. on the Summer Solstice It was 9:30 p.m., June 21—Summer Solstice, 2019—when Gunnar Pálsson picked me up at Hotel Frón in Reykjavik. Soon joining us in the Brautarholt Golf Course shuttle were four test pilots from Phoenix and a couple from outside Toronto. WeContinue reading “Golf in the Midnight Sun at Iceland’s Brautarholt Golf Course”

Sandals Emerald Bay Resort and Golf Course are Bahamian Gems

The view from our room was awfully hard to say good-bye to when it was time to head home. The water around Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas is one of the most recognizable landmarks to astronauts 249 miles overhead. The irradiant blue-green hues are unrivaled elsewhere on the plant, as tides rush in andContinue reading “Sandals Emerald Bay Resort and Golf Course are Bahamian Gems”

Any list of greatest Midwest golf resorts must include French Lick Resort

Golf resorts in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions are often overlooked in favor of southern or coastal golf getaways. But some of the best family golf vacation spots in the nation – and some of the best deals – can be found in America’s heartland. One Midwest golf resort that arguably more history andContinue reading “Any list of greatest Midwest golf resorts must include French Lick Resort”

The Forge at Palmer Hills: The family that putts together has fun together

The Quad Cities of Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, offer bountiful golf. Nearby Silvis, Illinois, even hosts a PGA Tour Event, The John Deere Classic, at the spectacular TPC at Deere Run. But the area’s courses don’t just cater to the core golf demographic. There are also plenty of opportunitiesContinue reading The Forge at Palmer Hills: The family that putts together has fun together

The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL

Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion has seen its share of ups and downs over the past 25 years. The Steve Smyers design has seen multiple changes in ownership since its founding, including a group that included Smyers himself. The most recent owners are Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro, local businessmen who have been at theContinue reading “The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL”

Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies

The Lake Geneva area of southern Wisconsin has been the preferred getaway for Chicagoans ever since 1871, when Chicago burned and industrialist families fled the remains of the city smoldering in the sweltering summer heat. The shores of Lake Geneva are lined with the “summer cottages” of families with names like Wrigley and Maytag –Continue reading “Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies”

SentryWorld reasserts dominance in Wisconsin destination golf

Before Whistling Straits. Before Erin Hills. Before Wild Rock. Before Sand Valley. Before all of these Wisconsin “destination” golf courses, there was SentryWorld. SentryWorld debuted in 1982 in Stevens Point, when Sentry Insurance commissioned Robert Trent Jones, Jr., to build a course to cater to locals and business colleagues as well as attract golfers fromContinue reading “SentryWorld reasserts dominance in Wisconsin destination golf”

Glynns Creek Golf Course: A municipal gem in the Iowan countryside

The mighty Mississippi meanders serenely between Illinois and Iowa, separating the two Illinoisan cities of Rock Island and Moline from the two Iowan cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. Together, they constitute the Quad Cities, an area rich in history, food, entertainment, and golf. Riverboat gambling is the biggest tourist draw, but well over a half-dozenContinue reading “Glynns Creek Golf Course: A municipal gem in the Iowan countryside”