Henry Hollis Horton was the 36th governor of Tennessee, serving from 1927-1933. Upon his death in 1934, the state procured a portion of his large estate with the intention of preserving it as a state park. The sprawling park opened in 1961, and in 1962 the park’s Buford Ellington Championship Golf Course debuted. The 7,060-yard, par-72 Charles Graves design eventually became the first in the present-day, nine-course Tennessee Golf Trail.
The Buford Ellington Course at Henry Horton State Park is characterized by generous fairways that are densely lined with towering hardwoods and thick brush. The routing takes advantage of the rolling terrain, with several elevated tees and greens. Multiple holes also challenge yardage estimations and club selections with blind tee shots and putting surfaces that cannot be seen from approach areas. The greens themselves are generally huge, with several tiers that require precise distance control to leave realistically makable putts.
I’ve played the Henry Horton Park course over a dozen times across the past two decades, and I can say with certainty that its current conditioning (Spring 2026) is the best I’ve ever experienced. A few years ago, the greens were resodded with Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda, and now that they have grown in, they are pure, true, and surprisingly fast. Every time I play here, I am shocked that the slope rating from the championship tees is just 128 (and a measly 122 from the white tees!). It’s certainly always played much harder than that for me.
Henry Horton State Park Golf Course, Hole 2 — one of the largest greens on the entire course, yet somehow still tricky to hit (and putt!)
Playing the Buford Ellington Championship Golf Course at Henry Horton State Park
The opening hole, a gently downhill, dead-straight par 4, plays shorter than the scorecard suggests, and along with holes 11 and 12, is one of the easiest on the course. The diametric opposites of these short holes are the par-5 6th (568 yards), par-4 10th (461 yards), par-4 13th (420 yards), par-3 14th (259 yards), par-4 17th (410 yards), and par-5 18th (611 yards) – all of which, if played from the tips, rank as some of the stoutest on the Tennessee Golf Trail.
There are four sets of tees, ranging down to 5,625 yards, with approximately 300 yards between each set. The exception is between the white tees and the green tees, with a difference of some 700 yards. The most notable advantage for players teeing from the more forward green tees is on Hole 6, where the white tees are separated from the greens by a forced carry of over 200 yards. This is a great hole for scrambles, as even bombs from the whites can be upstaged by worm-burners from the greens.
Henry Horton State Park Course, Hope 5 — the culmination of a sharp dogleg left that the biggest hitters might be able to get within 80 yards of cutting the corner from the tees
One of the more memorable holes is the 411-yard 9th, where the best tee shots are fades between trees left and right over a precipitous drop-off to a blind valley. Aided by gravity and the firm, fast fairway, well-positioned tee shots will leave less than 150 yards to the three-tiered green, playing 10-15 yards longer, though, as the top of the flag will be barely visible on the steeply elevated putting surface.
After the turn, you’re smacked upside the head with the number-one handicap 10th hole, which plays severely downhill and back up again. The sheer length of the hole (461 yards from the tips) means most drives hit into the opposite hillside and stop dead, leaving all but the biggest hitters 200+ yards up to the lofty green.
The remainder of the backside is composed of impressively varied holes – uphill, downhill, short, long and doglegs in both directions. The par-4 13th is one of the most vexing, as a long draw from the tee can catch the corner of the right-to-left dogleg and potentially trundle downhill to within 150 yards of the green. However, over-draw it, and you end up in jail in thick woods; hit it straight, and you can run through the dogleg into more woods with well over 200 yards left for your second shot.
The long but mostly downhill par-5 18th is an excellent closer, with a natural amphitheater around the back of the green to allow larger groups to set up and wait for foursomes to come in – ideal for spectating, applauding, or heckling, whatever the circumstances call for.
Hole 18, from the “spectator area” behind the green
Buford Ellington Championship Golf Course at Henry Horton State Park: The verdict
The Buford Ellington Course at Henry Horton State Park has the full collection of classic defenses: elevated greens that are both multi-tiered and steeply canted back-to-front, tree-lined fairways, and some serious length. It’s wild to me that the course slope rating from the white tees is only 122 – it always plays much harder for me than my home course, which has a higher slope rating. And now that the newly-sodded greens have grown in, they are some of the truest on the Tennessee Golf Trail.
Speaking of the Trail, it consists of nine courses, including three Jack Nicklaus-designed “Bear Trace” state park courses (Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain State Park, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park, Bear Trace at Tims Ford State Park), which get most of the attention from out-of-state visitors. But don’t sleep on the six other state park courses on the Trail, including Henry Horton, which all have lower greens fees: Fall Creek Falls State Park Course, Montgomery Bell State Park Course, Paris Landing State Park Course, Pickwick Landing State Park Course, and Warriors Path State Park Course. All state parks have cabins and lodges for golf getaways, many of which have been renovated and updated within the past 5-6 years.
Back at Henry Horton, those cabins, which are right across the road from the golf course and a short walk from the Horton-family cemetery plot, are joined by a completely renovated lodge (opening in late 2026). As for Chapel Hill itself, do yourself a favor and check out the Country Diner, just a few miles down the road from the park. The homestyle meals here are simply delicious and so reasonably priced, you almost feel guilty.
Hole 4, Parish Landing State Park Golf Course — one of my absolute favorites on the Tennessee Golf Trail
In 2013, I reviewed King’s Creek Golf Club, located in Spring Hill, TN. The two most memorable aspects of the 2005 Arnold Palmer design were the namesake creek and my first (and still only) hole-in-one. Upon returning to the area in 2026, I discovered that King’s Creek, which had closed several years earlier, was re-opened under new ownership and rechristened as the Towhee Club.
Said creek – more like a small river – still runs through the entire layout, influencing play on 13 of the holes. But, to be fair, the new moniker is equally apt, as there were dozens of towhees – lovely little songbirds – flitting amongst the trees, too. Aside from the name change, the new owners, who took over around 6 years ago, redid the greens, resodding them with TifEagle Bermuda, and removed “a bunch” of bunkers from the former collection of 49. Perhaps the most noticeable difference, though, is the brand new, ultra-modern, prairie-style clubhouse and restaurant.
Because the layout, and ever-present, snaking creek, have remained largely the same, however, the past advice to first-time visitors to this 6,783-yard, par-70 course holds: choose your tee boxes wisely. Even from the 5,665-yard white (Member) tees, there is plenty of trouble – and plenty of fun – to be had at Towhee Club.
Playing Towhee Club
So why is it so important to select the proper set of tees for your game? One reason is that the relatively diminutive course yardages tempt players to play farther back than they should. It must be kept in mind, though, that the course is a par 70. There are six par 3s, including four just under or over 200 yards, with the longest stretching to 241 yards from the back tees. If one chooses the tips, the par-5 7th is a monster at 615 yards.
This said, even the “Member” tees bring trouble into play for longer hitting higher handicappers. Also, taking driver off the tee, or even three-wood, often results half-wedges over the omnipresent creek or one of the remaining sand bunkers to greens.
Early in the season, conditions were still spotty, and the new greens were described by several in my group as “crunchy” or “crusty.” Still, they generally rolled true, despite patches on a few that were unplayable due to winter freeze and/or the previous summer’s mold damage. Considering the conditioning issues, the greens fees of around $100 seemed high, to be honest.
Towhee Club, Hole 11
Highlight holes include the opener, which is a stout par-4 that requires a long tee shot to the elbow of a dogleg, and a second shot between trees and over that blasted creek to a wide but shallow green. From there, special note should be taken of the aforementioned par-5 7th, with OB all down the left side, and the 430-yard, par-4 11th, which features a pretty tee shot over a small pond, more OB left, and yawning fairway bunkers on the right.
Towhee Club’s “signature” Hole 15
The 15th is arguably Towhee’s “signature” hole. The 195-yard, par-3 is picturesque, with water left, a tee shot over the creek, which you then traverse via a wooden bridge. From there, players with a good round going will need to hang on tight. The par-5 16th and par-4 17th holes are not rated as being very hard, but both tee shots are awkward, with water and trouble on both sides. And the 457-yard, par-4 18th is simply a brute.
Towhee Club: The verdict
Towhee Club 18th green and new clubhouse
Don’t let the relatively short yardage and benign course and slope ratings of Towhee Club fool you. This is an enjoyable layout that plays tougher than the scorecard lets on. Smart, strategic play is rewarded. Thanks to the ever-present creek, even big hitters will have trouble overpowering it, no matter which tees are chosen.
Conditioning was an issue when I visited, but perhaps this could be chalked up to a relatively harsh winter. Still, greens fees felt a bit high – more than double what they were back when the course was named King’s Creek – considering that not much has changed aside from the turf on the greens.
Towhee Club also offers full practice facilities, and the course is perfectly walkable. As mentioned, the most striking upgrade over the original incarnation is the lovely new clubhouse, which frames the 18th green quite nicely and also houses a very good and, by the looks of it, very popular restaurant called Birdsong Social.
Oh, in case you were curious, I did not repeat my 2013 hole-in-one. Sigh…
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was a civilian surgeon in the British military before turning to golf course architecture. He designed around 50 courses world-wide, with three immediately recognizable to most avid players: Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Royal Melbourne. A strong case can be made that the good doctor’s 1928-vintage New South Wales Golf Club rounds out the top four of his legacy courses.
Currently ranked by GOLF Magazine as the 46th-best course in the world, the 6,380-yard layout (from the member tees) climbs and tumbles along the cliffs of the national park area at La Perouse, just outside Sydney, overlooking historical Botany Bay. In 2024, the legacy firm of MacKenzie and Ebert rebuilt and redesigned every green and rivetted most of the bunkers, bolstering the classic design to withstand modern equipment and play. The originally small, mostly elevated table-top putting surfaces were enlarged considerably, reshaped to add variety, and leveled somewhat to keep shots from rolling back off down the fairways. About two years ago, all the greens were resodded with triple bentgrass, and they opened about a year ago.
One of New South Wals GC’s recently revetted bunkers, Hole 3
New South Wales GC is a private course, but it does allow limited public play – for a price. Greens fees for guests from abroad are $850 AUS. For Australians from outside New South Wales (NSW), the cost is $450 AUS. Residents of NSW are restricted from play – they must be accompanied by a member. Few golf carts are available, only for medical exemptions.
Considering the cost, the restrictions, and the distance for many avid golfers to travel “Down Under,” the obvious question is: Is New South Wales GC worth it?
“This is the number one course I’ve ever played!”
The day I visited New South Wales GC, it was blustery, rainy, and cool to start out. I had forgotten my rain suit, so I was clad in only a golf polo and shorts. I also was playing a set of excellent rented Callaway clubs. I was paired with a young couple, Charlie and Erika, from New York City who had come to Australia to visit friends and play nearly 10 courses across the country; this was their second stop.
After the sun appeared on our 9th hole, Charlie shared that he had played Augusta National five times, Pebble Beach a few times, and several other legendary courses. On the 16th hole, he said to me, “I just told Erika that this is the number one course I’ve ever played. This place is incredible!” High praise, indeed.
Another view from the 16th green at New South Wales GC (The featured image is looking in the other direction from this same green.)
Playing New South Wales GC
What makes players like Charlie – and yours truly – gush about New South Wales GC? For one thing, there is the natural splendor of the location. As noted, the course weaves through national parkland. The grounds were leased originally for 100 years for $1. Happily, the lease has been renewed in preparation for the course’s 100th Anniversary in 2028. Consequently, there are no houses, no development – just golf and the wild Australian countryside. One tip: If you hit a ball into the bush, just drop another. It’s not worth risking an encounter with one of the country’s famed deadly snakes.
Perhaps snakebite risk is why the proshop staff offered this tip upon checking in: “Keep the ball in play off the tee.” Although, to be fair, they also advised that the redesigned greens “have lots of different areas, so you need to hit the right one to have a good putt. Distance control is critical.” Honestly, though, I just did my best not to wander too far off the fairways.
Looking out across the course from the clubhouse
Keeping the ball in play turned out to be easier said than done, however, given that the layout features a number of totally or nearly blind tee shots and second shots. The course guide they provide with your greens fees is helpful, but when you’re standing on a tee and unsure where to hit it – for example on Holes 3 and 7 – everything feels awkward.
Yet course knowledge is limited even for regulars. As Director of Golf, Craig Stickling, says, “Every day here plays differently, because of the wind. And all the par 3s and 5s play in different directions, so however the wind is blowing, you’ll be challenged somewhere.”
New South Wales GC, Hole 6
Although the entire layout is memorable, the stretches of holes on the front and back nines that run down to and along the ocean are the standouts. The 444-meter (486-yard) par-5 5th Hole tees over a hill, down into a valley, and then back up over another hill, presenting a completely blind second shot. As you trudge up and crest the second rise, you’re presented with a spectacular view out into the sea. Then comes the “signature” 150-meter par-3 6th Hole, where the tee shot must traverse seawater, rocky shoreline, and deep bunkers fronting the wide, shallow green. (I made one of the best up-and-downs of my life from the sandy road running behind that green!)
The “signature” par-3 6th Hole — short but devilish
On the back side, the 303-meter (331-yard) 14th Hole challenges with an intimidating carry over brush and ocean to a dogleg-left fairway whose contours mirror the waves in the ocean. The second shot is all uphill, usually into a stiff wind. The number 1 handicap 15th Hole starts out with another blind tee shot to a saddleback fairway, but rewards with more ocean views. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring vista on the entire property, though, comes at the 16th green, the climax of a brute of a dogleg par-4 measuring over 452 yards from the tips (“just” 426 from the member tees). It was here where Charlie professed his admiration for New South Wales GC – “The best I’ve ever played!”
New South Wales GC, Hole 13
New South Wales Golf Club – The verdict
Australia is a long way to travel for most folks, but if you play golf and are coming to Sydney, it is a must-play. The cost is not trivial, but according to my playing partners, they would have gladly paid it again if their schedule permitted another round. It is simply not often that you can access one of the top 50 courses in the entire world.
The 2009 Australian Open was contested here and won by Adam Scott. According to someone on staff for that event, multiple pros said the national Open could be played here every year, but the practice facilities are too limited for a major professional event—the range is quite small.
Sydney itself is a city of beauty and excitement. Australia’s largest city is a delight for history buffs, gastronomes, and sightseers of all stripes. The seafood and wine are highly recommended, and, if you have time, book a sailboat cruise on the Sydney Harbor to enjoy the best vantage of the famed Sydney Opera House. (I highly recommend Liquid Edge Sailing School for a personalized harbor cruise.) A road trip out to the Blue Mountains is also a must for scenery, wildlife and cider- and wine-tasting. Jervis Bay National Park south of the city is a great place to see gray kangaroos (those are the cute ones—red kangaroos are the intimidating, muscle-bound ones).
No doubt, the city and area have changed immeasurably since Dr. MacKenzie built New South Wales GC in 1928, but even with the updates to the course design, you still feel the ageless wonder of the Australian coastline and appreciate the brilliance of one of the good doctor’s greatest creations. If you’re thinking about traversing the planet to tee it up, New South Wales GC should be on your bucketlist.
The author, first tee, New South Wales GC. (I was already soaked and shivering.)
Ask avid golfers in the US for opinions about “dream golf trips” – you know, those bucket-list destinations dotted with bucket-list courses – and Scotland and Ireland will naturally be mentioned first. Beyond those iconic venues, it’s hard to predict responses. The savviest of sticks might surprise you by casting their covetous eyes southward – like, way southward – to New Zealand.
Cape Kidnappers in the morning fog. [Courtesy Cape Kidnappers]
The land of kiwis and the Māori culture is also probably the most under-appreciated golf destination in the world, with so much more to offer beyond golf. The only catch: If you’re going to travel to literally the ends of the earth, be sure to plan plenty of time to both play golf AND fully enjoy unsurpassed scenery, food, and hospitality.
Golf in New Zealand
Even most golf fanatics might be surprised to know that New Zealand is home to nearly 400 golf courses, scattered across the North and South islands. Equally surprising is that the nation’s first course, Manawatu Golf Club, opened in 1895. In 1896, the second course, Napier Golf Club, opened on land gifted by the local Māori tribe.
Fast-forward over a hundred years, when American developer Julian Robertson realized there was plenty of room to build golf courses on his vast sheep- and cattle-ranch lands both north and south of Auckland, the North Island’s largest city. To the north at Matauri Bay, in the late 1990s, he enlisted course architect David Harmon to design Kauri Cliffs. To the south, near Hawke’s Bay, a stern competition between course designers resulted in one of Tom Doak’s earliest international masterpieces – Cape Kidnappers Golf Course.
Holes 12-13 & 15 [Courtesy Cape Kidnappers]
Cape Kidnappers
Located just south of Napier – which is itself a 5-hour drive or 1-hour flight south of Auckland – in the wine region of Hawke’s Bay (more on that later), Cape Kidnappers opened in 2004 to universally rave reviews. According to Golf Magazine’s 2026 ranking of the World’s 100 Best Golf Courses, it is currently #65. The par-71 layout teeters for 7,187-yards along 140-meter (500-foot) cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, covering 600 acres of the 6,177-acre property, which is still largely a working sheep and cattle station. Equally impressive as the dimensions and location is the 10-kilometer, 2-meter-high anti-predator fence that surrounds the entire property. Thanks to this fence, the Cape Sanctuary preserve was founded in 2006. The Sanctuary is home to over 1,000 kiwis (the birds, not the people) and 15 of the 550 total takahē left in the wild today (see below for a photo).
A section of Cape Kidnappers’ predator fence [Courtesy Cape Kidnappers]
As for the course itself, the first thing visitors will notice is that just driving from the entrance gate to the clubhouse takes about 20 minutes – so don’t cut your arrival too close to your tee time! As you wind your way up a narrow, twisting road to 200 meters above sea level, your anticipation builds as you imagine the breathtaking vistas to come. Arriving at the rustic clubhouse and gazing out across the practice range and final holes toward Hawke’s Bay, you realize your imagination wasn’t sufficient to capture the awesome realization that out beyond the fairways, past the cliffs along Hawke’s Bay and Napier, lies nothing but thousands of miles of open, roiling ocean.
Hole 3, with plenty of bunkers to avoid
The tee shot on Hole 4 is the only truly blind shot on the entire course — and finding your drive on the other side of that aiming state is not a given.
Some Front 9 holes are on the ocean, too, like the 6th green here.
The 8th green — the ravine that must be crossed to get here is no joke.
According to Tom Doak, a great course routing “should have a rhythm and a flow, with holes that vary in length, difficulty, and direction.” At Cape Kidnappers, this philosophy is gorgeously executed. The front 9 is mostly inland, but still with some view of the ocean in the distance. The holes run back and forth, generally angled toward the shoreline. The back 9, which plays considerably harder than the front, darts out to and back away from the cliffsides. Whether from tee boxes or greens, holes 10-17 are so visually stunning, that I frankly found it hard to remember that I was playing golf. Even on a somewhat overcast day, I could see snow-capped mountain tops in the distance and clouds of gannets swooping and diving over their nearby nesting grounds.
The infinity green on Hole 12 makes for an intimidating approach.
If you ball goes off the back of the 15th green, don’t try to retrieve it!
View from the 16th green
View from the 17th green
I played my round with Peter Clark, who had grown up not far from where the course now sits, but who had emigrated to France long before it was built. As he walked and I drove (GPS carts are included, but the course is walkable), he pointed out dozens of local landmarks. What was most telling, however, were the reactions of this local boy, who had hiked and ridden dirt bikes all over these shorelines in his youth. On every green and tee box on the back 9, he just kept saying, over and over, “Wow! Just, wow!” Doak’s masterful routing opened vistas even Clark had never seen.
Picking a favorite hole here would be like picking your favorite child. Not a single one feels repetitive or like a “filler hole.” The first of many times Kidnappers takes your breath away is on the 6th Hole, a long par-3 over a yawning ravine to a green perched above the bay. Left here is dead, as is long, and short, so club selection is critical.
The tee shot on the par-3 6th is…daunting.
The fairway on Hole 7 is a thrill ride hurtling down toward an equally unlevel green.
If there’s one aspect of Kidnappers’ design that might be criticized, it’s that the backside is much harder than the front. After a scrappy 41 on the front (with quality rented clubs), I was feeling pretty good about myself, felt like I was just warming up. Then the back 9 kicked me in the teeth. I didn’t have a single par on the back. Fortunately, the golf is so amazing, and the surroundings are so majestic, that I didn’t really mind. For first-timers, the best advice is to take your time and soak it all in: The infinity green on the par-4 12th Hole (aptly named “Infinity”), the short 13th (just 130 yards) dangling over the cliffside to the left, or the back-to-back par 5s on the 15th and 16th, where you not only feel like you’re walking on the edge of the world, you literally are.
On the edge of the world on the 17th tee
There have been two golf courses in my life when I’ve gotten emotional at the 18th hole, dearly wishing there were 18 more to play. One was Royal County Down. The other, right here. After I hit perhaps the best drive of my day from the awkward 18th tee, I had to fight back tears.
The 18th green and clubhouse — I have never been so sad to see the final green!
I can’t guarantee such an emotional experience for everyone, but I can guarantee that you will never forget your round at Cape Kidnappers. Many fairways and greens are rollercoaster rides, echoing the waves crashing on the beaches 100 feet below the course. The fescue rough is much denser than it looks – balls that you see bounce in the rough will often be difficult to find, so mark their positions carefully. Blessedly, New Zealand has no venomous snakes, so you can safely search for golf balls that have gone astray, unlike in Australia, where no golf ball is worth an encounter with a viper.
Playing Cape Kidnappers is not cheap, however. $950NZ is the rate for non-Kiwis (which account for 3/4 of play; $450NZ for Kiwis), including a GPS cart and range balls. Caddies are available for another $150NZ (plus gratuity), but must be booked in advance. Excellent rental clubs are available for $75NZ.
Getting There, Staying, and Exploring
For visitors arriving in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay is a bit of a drive – at least 5 hours. The Napier airport, however, is just a short hop in a turbo-prop, leaving more time for golf and exploration. If you’re wanting to play rounds at other courses in this mystical, mythical country—such as Kidnappers’ sister-course, Kauri Cliffs, to the north of Auckland—and have limited time to do so, air travel is a must.
Hawke’s Bay has so much more than just golf. Napier itself is called the Art Deco Capital of the World because nearly the entire city was rebuilt in Art Deco style after a devastating earthquake and fire in 1931. The National Tobacco Company Building is a prime example of Art Deco architecture, and is one of the most-photographed buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. Private walking or driving tours in classic cars can be booked through the Art Deco Trust – well worth the time!
The National Tobacco Company Building is one of the most photographed in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s a gin distillery in the building now. A tour around town in a 1938 Packard is an unforgettable treat!
Hawke’s Bay is also one of only 11 recognized Great Wine Capitals of the world. 90% of New Zealand Syrah comes from Hawke’s Bay. One of the most awarded vineyards in the area is the family-owned Craggy Range, whose restaurant is the recipient of three “hats” (the NZ equivalent of Michelin Stars). Every dish here utilizes the dazzling bounty of Hawke’s Bay produce, seafood, and meats. There is a reason why Hawke’s Bay is called the “Food and Wine Country of New Zealand.” Other must-try restaurants include Mission Restaurant at Mission Estate Winery (the oldest winery in New Zealand) and Cellar 495 in nearby Hastings, which gets its name from owner Michael Henley being the 495th Master of Wine in the world. Also in Hastings is the newly opened Restaurant Ari, where the desserts are the stars of the menu.
The pãua (abalone) at the Craggy Range restaurant was exquisite!
The view from the restaurant at Craggy Range — you can see where they got the name!
The bar at Cellar 495 — just what you’d expect from the 495th Master of Wine in the world!
Multiple wine tastings are mandatory. Americans likely associate New Zealand with Sauvignon Blanc, but to be honest, I tasted at least 30 different wines while touring the area, and none was a sauv blanc. The depth and variety of reds in the area were unexpected and sumptuous. (This is where I kept muttering, “Wow!”) And if white wine is your thing, the Chardonnay and Pinot Gris will pair with every seafood dish you try. What makes Hawke’s Bay so ideal for viticulture? The climate and surrounding micro-climates, the variety of volcanic soils, including the legendary Gimlet Gravels region, and the hole in the ozone layer, which is bad for people but fantastic for grapes.
The Smith & Sheth Wine Studio — like no other wine tasting you will ever experience!
Tastings can be scheduled at all vineyards in the area. Black Barn is a friendly, laid-back vineyard in the heart of wine country with a great staff. For a tasting experience unlike any other, though, visit Smith & Sheth’s Heretaunga Wine Studio, located just behind Porters Boutique Hotel in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay. Here, wine guides like Sean Burns will take you on a journey through time and place as you learn about the volcanic eruption in 232 AD that provided the unique terroir of Hawke’s Bay and taste a mind-blowing array of delicious wines (including, if you’re lucky, some right out of the aging barrels).
As for accommodations, options are plentiful. The above-mentioned Porters Boutique Hotel is centrally located near wineries, shops and restaurants, including its own lovely Malo and a charming breakfast place called Maina Café. The rooms are large and impeccably appointed, and the front-desk staff are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. For something completely different, check out Te Aratipi Station. This is a sprawling family sheep and cattle ranch that occupies some of the highest ground in the entire region. The farm has been in Ed Palmer’s family for over 100 years, and today he and his wife Ro have renovated several cozy, stylish cottages ideal for groups and families. Ro and Ed can arrange a wide variety of experiences for you, including actual farm work with the 1,000-head of cattle and 5,000 sheep. Other options include wine tastings, ATV tours of the property, yoga and wellness retreats, a bush/farm restaurant (launching soon), and even a “rough and ready” 9-hole golf course that Ed has mowed into the hillsides of the farm. He’ll take you out on his Can-Am ATV and serve as caddie and guide while you and your group have the whole course – and what feels like the entire country – all to yourself. You can even “look down” on Cape Kidnappers off in the distance from the heights of the Te Aratipi expanse. You will never have another golf experience quite like this one!
The Young Mr. Palmer takes a healthy lash on the “rough and ready” Te Aratipi Station golf course.
The views around the golf course atop Te Aratipi Station are phenomenal.
And, of course, if you just want to cocoon yourself in the Cape Kidnappers experience, there is Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, a 26-room luxury resort right on the property, with multiple dining options and sweeping vistas of the Hawke’s Bay Shoreline.
Time and space limit the details about Cape Kidnappers and Hawke’s Bay that I can provide here – and this is just one corner of the North Island. In the words of my Kidnappers playing partner Peter Clark, the North Island is “the waiting room for paradise,” by which he meant that until you get to the South Island, you haven’t seen anything yet. So, as I said at the outset, if you are fortunate enough to take the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand, go for as long as you possibly can – because however long you stay, it won’t be enough.
A group of 7 takahē on the 1st fairway of Cape Kidnappers. There are only 550 of these left in the wild, and 15 live on the course grounds. This photo is a birder’s dream.
Over the years, I have tested and reviewed hundreds of putters. A substantial number of those putters have subsequently stayed in my bag for a time – from a month to a full season, sometimes longer. Every time I think I have found my “forever putter,” a new one comes along and…fireworks!
Am I a putter slut?
Last year, when I reviewed L.A.B. Golf’s OZ.1i HS putter – the first heel-shafted putter released by the hottest putter maker in the business today – I was certain that I had – once again – discovered my soulmate. That more classically beautiful babe with the nerdy name and curvy hosel and I were going to be together for life.
But golf, like life, is long and full of surprises.
Meet-Cute
Around the start of 2026, a press release landed in my inbox about L.A.B.’s newest creation: The DF3.i. The DF3 has been the company’s most successful putter to date, despite its unconventional shape (like someone welded a circle behind a blade) and its center-shafting (which had not been an industry “standard” for some time). This is where the OZ.1i HS came in. Even the L.A.B. skeptics whom I know were intrigued: “This is the best-looking one I’ve seen,” said one club pro. It offered the company’s trademark lie-angle balancing without the atypical design.
So what’s the big deal about the DF3.i, I thought? But, my eye wandered through the press release – I couldn’t help myself. The DF3.i is styled like the stand-out DF3, but with a stainless steel insert that imparts 2% more speed to the ball off the face and provides a firmer feel. To be honest, my initial testing of the original DF3 in several golf superstores did leave me somewhat confused: a lot of putts were online, but speed was an issue.
A firmer feel, they say? That sounds sexy.
Next thing you know, I’d unboxed my new DF3.i and taken it to my indoor golf league for testing. Now, I consider myself a pretty good putter on actual greens. But on the simulator, putting is largely a mystery. There is a reason that the league has an 8-foot gimme circle. I lined up my first putt (a 12-footer) of the evening with the DF3.i, commenting to my partner that I hadn’t hit a single putt with it yet, but it couldn’t be any worse.
And then…lighting struck! That quirky-beautiful DF3.i dropped the ball right into the hole. And I retrieved it for her. “Hi,” it said. “Well, hi yourself,” said I.
The original DF3 on the left. That firmer, younger, hotter DF3.i on the right.
L.A.B. Golf DF3.i – The Verdict
Don’t let Hollywood fool you: Most meet-cutes don’t last. And I was under no illusion that a brief, simulated fling would turn into true love. My OZ.1i HS stayed in my bag alongside the DF3.i throughout indoor league season, but I could tell it wasn’t happy about being relegated to side-piece.
So, I waited until the first outdoor round of the season, just two days ago. Please indulge me for a moment:
Hole 1 – 7’ par putt, holed
Hole 2 – 6’ par putt, holed
I stopped keeping track after that (aside from the 12’ birdie putt on 15). All I know was I had just 23 total putts, with no 3-putts and never a 2nd putt longer than 2 feet — on bumpy, uneven, early-season greens. The DF3.i is now in my bag and…
I grew up on a horse-boarding farm in Minnesota. Winters could be brutal – back in the day (yeah, I’m old), -20F was typical even without windchill. And always so much snow! But to be honest, aside from the physical discomfort, there were plusses. First of all, horse manure doesn’t smell when it’s frozen. Second, winter means no baling hay, no planting, weeding, and picking vegetables, etc. The “off season” on a northern farm is sort of restful.
Now that I do not live on a farm, winter means exclusively one thing to me: No golf. And life without my weekly rounds is more brutal than -20F.
Thank goodness for golf simulators. About 12 years ago, my local muni invested in their first golf simulator and started a winter indoor golf league. To be honest, the original technology wasn’t overwhelming, and the hitting bay felt claustrophobic. (A tall buddy of mine once caught an overhead light with his driver follow-through, dramatically shattering the light bulb.)
Like all technology, though, golf simulators have improved, and my home course stuck with the indoor golf league. Now they have two Foresight simulators in the facility’s high-ceilinged event space. And us regulars lean heavily on weekly league play as we limp through the winter, waiting for the fairways to green.
Foresight Golf
Foresight Sports, headquartered in San Diego, CA, introduced their first golf launch monitor in 2010. Within six years, it was the best-selling professional-grade launch monitor in the U.S. In 2017, Foresight introduced their GCQuad monitor, and the technology has been improved every subsequent year. Today, Foresight is the industry leader in golf monitors and simulators, with over 15,000 units installed around the country.
At Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet, IL – my home course – there are two Foresight simulators with GC3 launch monitors ($6,999). General Manager Chris Edmondson says, “We moved to Foresight (from TruGolf) in 2022. This allowed us to switch from a sensor and light-based simulator (TruGolf) to launch monitors.” The course uses the Foresight Simulator-in-a-Box (starting at $16,000) with the Birdie Package, which includes 28 courses (such as Pebble Beach and The Old Course at St. Andrews).
The 18th tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links, thanks to Foresight Sports
According to Edmondson, the reason for the change in simulator provider was performance. “With the [previous] sensor-based systems, we had constant issues with light bulbs burning out or not functioning, sensors not reading or reading incorrectly, and often the sensor board would just stop functioning,” he recalls. “We were constantly working through issues just to keep two simulators running.” (I remember the previous system badly misreading some of my shots several times a round.)
Now with Foresight, he says, “There is the very rare misread that will be software related.” Although I must admit that the system occasionally fails to read one of my putters with a matte-black finish. I had to hit one putt 11 times before it registered (though I did make that 11th putt).
One real perk of Foresight is its precision. The resident clubfitter uses the system for clubfitting, too, and the teaching pros use it all winter long for lessons. Other great features are the putting alignment and green-reading aids built into the software. With a few clicks on the keyboard, you can line up your putt, and, if you hit it straight with the right pace, the system projects the correct break. Also, because the software is cloud-based, you can play against people around the world.
Playing Foresight
Of the three or four simulator systems I’ve played during winter golf league, Foresight provides the most life-like experience. Granted, without the 3D visual cues that exist in “the real world,” distance judgement can be challenging, especially with short shots. In “real life,” I don’t need to know my yardage from 100 yards and in – I just feel it. It’s hard to “see” shots on a 2D screen.
Sometimes yardages can be a puzzle, too. Sometimes it feels like you crush a drive, and it barely goes 200 yards. Next hole, you hit what feels like a knock-down 9-iron, and it goes 20 yards longer than a full 9 normally would. This seems quite idiosyncratic, but part of the issue is that any slight contact with the mat before hitting the ball can dramatically change the ball flight and yardage. The trick to enjoying simulator golf, and scoring well, is to think of it as a different game – like playing beach volleyball rather than volleyball in a gym. They’re just different games.
Me: “Don’t hit the mat! Don’t hit the mat!” (And yes, I know, I’m swaying a bit off the ball, and I have a cupped left wrist. I’m working on correcting the former. The latter is just how my wrists work.)
Nit-picking aside, Foresight does provide numerous “real life” features, like sand bunkers that simulate play from actual sand more realistically than previous systems. And trees, bushes, and tall grass really play more “solid” than other systems. I’m counting this as a plus, rather than a minus – which feels sort of masochistic.
But hey, no matter how you score, or how far your driver goes, as my simulator-league partner Karl says, “We’re playing golf in February in Illinois.” In this way, the simulator offers some real-life perspective, after all.
In last year’s Holiday Gift Guide, I fretted about prices increasing. According to The Budget Lab at Yale University, the concern was warranted. The lab’s research shows that leather products, wearing apparel, and metal products – categories central to the golf industry – are three of the top four that have been hit hardest by tariffs.
But hey, if little Cindy-Lou Who taught us anything, it’s to not let the Grinch steal your holiday spirit. So let’s circle around the 18th green, join hands, sing a joyful song, and dream of a feast of roast beast.
Srixon Ryder Cup Golf Balls
Ok, sure. The U.S. Ryder Cup Team once again double-bogeyed. But something good came out of it: The Keegan Bradley Signature Series Z-Star Diamond Ball ($50/doz.). I’ve been playing these since I received a dozen just before the Ryder Cup teed off. They perform beautifully, and to be honest, the somewhat campy logo of Captain Bradley in profile (porn-stache and all) makes them super-easy to identify, even in neighboring fairways (where I often find myself).
“Anybody order a pizza?” –Keegan Bradley (if golf hadn’t worked out for him, maybe)
Maxfli Tour Golf Balls
One of the surprises in the golf ball market in recent years has been the consistently high ratings earned by the Maxfli Tour family of golf balls. The 2023 models were widely praised when they first came out, and the 2025 versions have for the most part maintained the adulation. I’ve enjoyed playing the Maxfli Tour balls, but the Maxfli Tour X balls tend to receive the highest ratings of the three available models, often ranking near the top of distance and quality measures by multiple testing labs. The best part, perhaps, is the pricepoint: if you buy a few dozen at Dick’s Sporting Goods, you can get them for as low as $30/doz.
TRUE Linkswear
If you’re never heard of TRUE Linkswear, you’re missing out. I have five pairs of TRUE golf shoes, and I get more compliments on them than any shoes I’ve ever worn (golf or otherwise). The combination of styling, attention to detail, and comfort are tough to beat. All of them have excellent padding and, importantly, a nice, wide toe-box. Prices range from low $100s to low $300s. TRUE Linkswear also offers a large line of polos, hoodies, shorts, pants – pretty much any accessory you need to look like a Tour pro on the course, no matter how you play.
Bushnell
The Bushnell A1-Slope Laser Rangefinder ($300), which debuted in February 2025, embodies the precision and quality one associates with the name “Bushnell.” It is by far the smallest and lightest rangefinder I have ever used. Pinseeker and JOLT technology provides instant tactile feedback when the target is locked, the slope yardage is easy to see and read, and the BITE magnetic skin is great if you don’t want to take it in and out of the sturdy case. A final innovation that is rare in the market is the rechargeable battery (cord included), though one charge has carried me through an entire golf season(!). This might be the last rangefinder I ever use.
Sub70 Golf JB Sugar Skull Wedges
The Sycamore, Illinois-based boutique clubmaker Sub70 Golf is without question one of golf’s most-respected companies. Sub70 doesn’t release any new clubs or lines without ensuring through scrupulous testing that the new clubs are improvements over their previous models. They don’t pay any tour pros to play their sticks, but several pros do. Sub70 also offers free fittings at their homey HQ in Sycamore. (They’ll even mix you a cocktail!) And if the fitting results show your clubs work as well or better than theirs for your swing, they tell you that. Integrity, honest, quality – what more could you ask for?
The Sub70 JB line of wedges ($125) include the iconic Sugar Skull wedge. Designed for golfers with a variety of techniques and who play in a range of conditions, the Sugar Skull maximizes versatility and feel. Finishes include black and “natural,” and lofts run from 46 to 64 degrees. Laser engraving is available, which can be customized if you don’t want the original Sugar Skull. But if you do, you can also get a matching Sugar Skull cap ($35).
L.A.B. OZ.1i HS Putter
L.A.B. Putters have taken golf by storm, from the PGA Tour all the way to your local muni. If you aren’t familiar with the name, you have nonetheless likely seen their large, rather unconventional putter heads and wondered what the big deal is. What sets L.A.B. Putters apart is their balancing. Putters can be “balanced” several ways. If you balance your putter on your finger, lying the shaft perpendicular across your outstretched digit, you can determine its weighting scheme. If the face points upward, it’s “face-balanced.” If the toe hangs straight down, it’s “toe-balanced.” If the toe hangs down at an angle, there is some degree of “toe-hang.” L.A.B. stands for Lie Angle Balanced. Company founder and L.A.B. inventor, Bill Presse, was a mini-tour player who wanted to simplify his putting stroke. He reasoned that lie-angle balancing would most easily allow the putter to balance such that the face is dead-square with the target line, promoting a consistently square face at impact.
The first L.A.B. models were all center-shafted, which can take some getting used to. In 2025, they came out with the OZ.1i HS, the first heal-shafted L.A.B. offering. At $499, this putter is not for the budget-conscious golfer. But when I began playing it and rolling the rock exactly where I was aimed over and over again, the value became immediately clear. If you can, you NEED to give a L.A.B. putter a try!
REVL Grips by SuperStroke
The off-season is a great time to get your clubs re-gripped. And when you re-grip, there’s some big news in the equipment world that you should consider: SuperStroke, the maker of the most widely-used putter grips on Tour, purchased the legendary Lamkin Grips in May of 2024. In 2025, they combined SuperStroke’s Tour-proven design principles with Lamkin’s tried-and-true engineering to produce the REVL line of grips. You may have seen commercials for these grips during recent golf broadcasts. Let me say that the hype is completely well-deserved. I regripped my entire set with the REVL Comfort, one of three distinct models in the flagship line, half-way through the 2025 season. The Comfort is an all-rubber, quasi-wrap design that seems to just guide me to putting my hands in the right positions. This is the first time I’ve had the same grips on all my clubs at the same time in maybe 30 years, and I carded more sub-80 rounds with them than ever before. I don’t know if it’s the grips, or if by some miracle I’ve figured something out about my swing. But either way, I have never felt more confident when I take my grip and stance, so I don’t foresee playing any other grips in the near future.
Fuzzy’s Ultra-Premium Vodka
The day before Thanksgiving, we lost 2-time major champion and all-time character Fuzzy Zoeller. He was just 74 years old. In 1979 Fuzzy Zoeller burst onto the scene with his surprise win at the Masters. He won the U.S. Open in 1984. If you feel like reminiscing about Fuzzy, you could give his eponymous Fuzzy’s Vodka a taste. It is made from 100% American corn, five times distilled and ten times filtered, and a portion of each batch is rested in new American oak barrels. The result is crisp, smooth, and incredibly clean – far better in my view than any Russian vodka. (Get Russia out of Ukraine and out of your liquor cabinet!)
My bottle of Fuzzy’s Vodka, autographed by the legend himself. It will never be opened.
Not gonna lie – 2025 has been challenging in many ways. But let’s try to make Cindy-Lou Who proud and find some joy and brotherhood this holiday season. Giving the gift of golf always makes me feel better. I hope some of the items above will help you feel better, too. Happy Holidays, and bring on the roast beast!
Columbia, Missouri, is known as the location of the state’s flagship public university. And to its faithful fans and alumni, The University of Missouri is known as MIZZOU. During the Tigers’ sold-out SEC football games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, you can hear half the avid fans cheering “M-I-Z” and answered by the other half responding “Z-O-U!” one-third of a mile away at the A. L. Gustin, Jr. Golf Course. Despite its proximity to the stadium, and to the heart of campus itself, the course is surprising to many, even to many university community members.
Gustin Golf Course occupies 127 acres just off Stadium Boulevard. The land was donated by A. L. Gustin, Jr. in 1959 and specifically earmarked for a golf course. Golf course architect Floyd Farley laid out a 6,508-yard, par-70 course that relies on blind landing areas and narrow driving corridors to challenge players of all levels. A number of sharp doglegs, hidden hazards, and dense woods take driver out of the hands of most of today’s long-hitters, placing a premium on accuracy and local knowledge. In short, Gustin reveals surprises at every turn – and there are a LOT of turns.
The development of Gustin Golf Course into an SEC-worthy university course has been, shall we say, deliberate. Although the course opened in 1959, the clubhouse dates only from 1997. According to Aaron Wier, Director of Golf Operations, much of the irrigation system still dates from the 1970s-80s. Wier also notes that many students who play often don’t realize the course, with its well-conditioned Bermuda grass tees, fairways, and greens, is in their backyard. “I’ve proposed that students be granted access to the course as part of their recreation facility fees,” says Wier. “I’d love it if students could come play for free with just their IDs.”
When he heard that my son and his buddy, both seniors and avid golfers, were visiting for the first time, he shook his head and said, “See? Many students don’t know we’re right here. Better late than never, though!”
Playing A. L. Gustin Golf Course
Given the course’s modest 6,508-yard length from the back tees (rating 71.4, slope 125), Gustin doesn’t overwhelm with length. There are just two par 5s, and only one of those is barely over 500 yards. There are, however, four 400+ yard par 4s if you play from the tips, which first-time visitors absolutely should not do. Why? Well, even from the 6,024 gold tees, players unfamiliar with the course will find themselves asking over and over, “What’s the line from here? Where’s the green?” In fact, the first non-par-3 green players can see from the tees comes on the 18th hole, where the blessedly open tee shot still has to contend with the thickest rough on the entire layout.
Some hallmarks of the Gustin Golf Course are visible from the par-3 2nd Hole’s tee: a table-top green and a pollinator patch.
There is a 500+ yard gap between the back tees and the next-most forward (gold) tees, which results in a half-dozen par-4s of about 350 yards or less from the gold tees. One might think, then, that long-hitters would be launching their drivers like howitzers. But all these shortish par 4s feature sharp doglegs, sloping fairways, and blind hazards, making shorter clubs the wiser choice for nearly everyone.
The layout opens with one of the two par 5s, which tumbles down from an elevated tee and then climbs gently back uphill to a table-top green. This putting surface, like most of the others, does not break as much as it appears it should. The fairways, on the other hand, break plenty. The 400+ yard par-4 3rd Hole is the first introduction to the devilish fairway contouring. This is the #1 handicap hole because of the convex fairway that bends right and drops severely off into the underbrush to the right. Tee shots should hang left, but even these tend to wander into the rough if too far left. This was the first of many holes where one or more of our foursome thought we had hit perfect drives, only to crest a hill or round a bend and discover that our balls had ricocheted into trouble.
There are a few unique holes – quirky, even – on the front and on the back. On the front side, the par-3 5th Hole actually has two greens, which can be put into play on alternating days to lend a radically different angle and feel to the tee shot. Rather unintuitively, the farther green makes for the easier shot, as the pond right of the shorter green is taken mostly out of play.
The dual greens on the par-3 5th Hole provide flexibility in course set-up.
The short par-4 7th Hole is perhaps the quirkiest on the course. Here, the black and gold tee boxes are located back in the woods, raised above the fairway on a wooden platform. That’s right, players drive out of a narrow chute through the trees off of mats. To the uninitiated, this feels rather claustrophobic.
Teeing off from mats through the woods on Hole 7 is certainly a unique feature of Gustin.
The highlight of the back nine is the “Tiger’s Den” – holes 14-17, which a sign on the course touts as “arguably the hardest 4-hole stretch in Missouri.” Whether or not that description is accurate, it is noteworthy that only one of these (the 15th Hole is 467 yards from the tips) is considered “long” by today’s standards. The 14th and 16th holes are both quite “short” for longer hitters, but, as we found out, they are still plenty hard.
The claim is certainly worth a discussion!
The difficulty comes from the old-school design philosophy. The 14th Hole is a dogleg left, but the fairway cants steeply to the right, which makes it hard to hold the fairway and also makes the second shot to the elevated green tougher than expected. At the longer 15th Hole, the tee shot is up and over a hill to a completely blind landing area that is much farther left than is apparent from the tee. Three “solid” drives in our group were found to have scampered into the woods on the right. At the short 16th Hole, with its sharp dogleg right, the green lies less than 300 yards away as the crow flies. But big hitters who want to go for it must first elevate their drive quickly to carry massive trees and then not hit it too far, as balls that go through the fairway may be lost.
The tee shot on the par-4 15th Hole is one of many where first-timers will ask, “Where am I supposed to aim?”
Finally, the par-4 17th Hole punishes with one last totally blind tee shot. There is even a defunct periscope at the tee that was once used to check whether the group ahead was still in the landing zone. After a round of blind shots like this—and escaping the Tiger’s Den—it is a relief to get to the 18th and finally be able to see where you need to hit it.
A.L. Gustin Golf Course: The Verdict
Mizzou’s Gustin Golf Course presents players with plenty of surprises. From Stadium Boulevard, you can hardly tell it’s a golf course. The 127 acres are far more than just a place to play golf, too. Gustin was the first collegiate golf course in the nation to be named an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary in 1997. Director of Golf Wier reports that the rolling, pristine prairieland is the birthplace of some 3,700 fledgling bluebirds annually. There are also nine pollinator plots (the course is a member of Monarchs Forever) and four bee hives on the land (with plans for more). At times, it feels like you’re playing golf through a nature preserve just on the edge of campus.
With public weekend green fees topping out at around $35, rates are extremely affordable, even for many students (who receive a discount). Carts are $20, but walking is allowed. (The numerous hills, though, would make for a challenging walk!) The course does just over 25,000 rounds a year, but if you play on a football game day, when most of the city is at the game or watching it at the numerous college bars, you might have the links mostly to yourself – and you will be able to hear the cheers from the fans drifting through the trees: “M-I-Z…!”
One of only two par 5s on Gustin, the approach to the 12th green is also one of the few that is wide open and inviting.
Since the mid-1990s, golf has witnessed the widespread development of far-flung golf resorts constructed according to a “build it and they will come” philosophy. The idea is that dedicated golfers will travel to the ends of the earth to play great layouts. Today’s golfing public sometimes forgets, however, that the best courses are often within easy reach of major population centers, allowing even players of modest means to hop in a car or bus or train and access world-class golf. This latter philosophy was held by Joe Jemsek, the “Patriarch of Chicago Public Golf” when he purchased the two existing courses at Cog Hill in Palos Park, Illinois, and embarked on a lifetime mission to turn the facility into the pinnacle of Midwestern public golf.
The first course at Cog Hill was opened in 1927 by the three Coghill brothers, John, Martin, and Bert. The original David McIntosh design was joined in 1929 by a second course, also by McIntosh (with Bert Coghill). In 1951, Joe Jemsek purchased Cog Hill, and he hired famed golf architect Dick Wilson to renovated Cog Hill #1 in 1963. Cog Hill #2 received a facelift in 1995 from Joe Lee and Rocky Roquemore. Also in 1963, Jemsek contracted Dick Wilson to construct Cog Hill #3, often called “The Ravines” in recognition of the numerous forced carries. Despite the burgeoning success of these three courses, Jemsek dreamt of a public-access layout to rival the famed private clubs in golf-rich Chicagoland. This dream came to fruition in 1964, with the opening of Cog Hill #4, nicknamed Dubsdread. The Dick Wilson and Joe Lee design soon became host of multiple prestigious amateur and professional tournaments. In 2008, Rees Jones thoroughly renovated “Dubs,” and it hosted the BMW Championship on the PGA Tour several years thereafter, cementing Cog Hill’s legacy as a Tour-quality public-access facility, with Dubsdread perennially ranked as the top public course in Illinois and one of the best public courses in the entire nation.
The tee of the par-4 4th Hole on Dubsdread is typical of many holes here: The course is all in front of you, and even semi-straight hitters will find safe harbor off the tees. But the second shot — that’s where the challenge lies.
Playing Dubsdread
Chicago’s blue-collar bona fides were perhaps most succinctly captured by poet Carl Sandberg, who called the city “Toolmaker, Stacker of Wheat…City of the Big Shoulders.” Pulling into the parking lot at Cog Hill, this working-class ethos was visceral – a dozen high school busses crowded the lot, as a day-long boys’ and girls’ golf meet was underway on Courses #1 and #3. Despite Cog Hill being one of the most storied and respected public golf facilities in the nation, the place is distinctly unpretentious. Although the facility boasts an august, historical clubhouse, heated year-round practice bays with Top-Tracer technology, and the top-ranked courses, no one puts on airs. The staff were unfailingly friendly, patient, helpful, and down to earth. Even the prices for apparel and gear in the well-stocked proshop in the “2-4 building” (there is a separate proshop for courses #1 and #3) were reasonable.
The moniker of Cog Hill #4, “Dubsdread,” stands as a warning to “dubs” – players with limited skills (a.k.a. duffers) – that they might be in for a long day. This is 100% true if players don’t choose the appropriate tees for their skillset. From the champaionship Black tees, “Dubs” stretches to 7,554 yards with a rating of 78.0 and a slope rating of 153. I frankly don’t think I’ve ever played a course with ratings this severe. Fortunately, the yardages of the remaining 6 sets of tees (including a Blue-White Combo of 6,564 yards) shrinks down to 5,422 at the forward-most tees.
We played the Combo set, which was perfect for my own 9-handicap and my buddy’s 2-handicap. What became immediate apparent is that Dubs is very much a “second-shot course.” For me, keeping the ball in play off the tee usually leads to low-scoring rounds. Remarkably, I didn’t lose a single ball off the tee on Dubs. Yet I did not score terribly well, as most of my approach shots failed to find the greens, or, when they did, they left massive putts over dramatic undulations.
The tee shot on the par-5 15th Hole is one of the few on Dubsdread to inspire real dread on your drive.
There are 89 bunkers on Dubs, all of which have recently been rebuilt and filled with snowy-white sand from Ohio (where the best bunker sand in the world is found). According to Troy Newport, General Manager of Cog Hill, the granular structure of this sand is such that it sort of locks together and doesn’t wash down the faces of the bunkers, even during midwestern gutter-washers. I can attest to the bunkering’s impeccable grooming, given that I found myself in greenside bunkers on at least half of the holes. The bunker design throughout is epitomized by the one fronting the 5th green – steep faced craters that usually leave you with little to no view of the putting surface.
This bunker on the par-5 5th Hole epitomizes the bunker design. (And yes, I did end up in it.)
One of the striking features of Dubsdread is the brutish collection of par 3s. From the Black tees, these measure 224, 240, 216, and 215 yards. From the Combo tees, they are a much more reasonable 161, 173, 178, and 174 – still, none are pushovers.
The 216-yard, par-3 12th Hole
Another memorable feature are the greens, with their amorphous shaping and vexing contouring. Consider the par-4 7th, where deep bunkers nestle into the “crooks” of the cruciform putting surface. We played on a Monday, yet it seemed nearly every pin was in a “Sunday” position, tucked behind traps and set into slopes. Two lessons were learned, though not as quickly as they should have been: Keep the ball below the hole and ALWAYS take an extra club to make sure you clear the sand.
The par-4 7th Hole — typical of the heavy bunkering and unique green shaping on Dubsdread
If there is one hole on Dubsdread that symbolizes the idyllic nature of Cog Hill, despite its location on the outskirts of America’s third-largest city, it is the par-5 11th. From the back tees, this 607-yard monster is a test for even the best players in the world. No matter which tees you start from, though, everyone ends at the remarkable green, which is perched high above the surrounding county, presenting an endless vista across the brilliant green tops of hardwood trees. The atmosphere is diametrically opposite the gritty Chicago that Sandberg described.
The view over Cook County from the 1tth green looks more like northern Michigan than northern Illinois. (After you extract yourself from one of those bunkers, take a moment to enjoy the view!)
Dubsdread: The Verdict
Dubsdread is the unrivaled king of Chicagoland public golf, and Cog Hill is the archetype for multi-course facilities in major metropolitan areas. When asked whether there are plans to bring more Tour events to Cog Hill #4, GM Newport says management is open to it. But the planning would need to take into account the Jemsek family’s dedication to providing the highest-caliber public golf in the state for the residents of the Chicago area.
Green fees range widely across the four courses, with Dubsdread running between $149-$204 in 2025. The other courses, however, are more budget-friendly. The Ravines (#3) maxes out at $92, and the other two range between $40 and $80.
If Cog Hill were a remote boutique destination, these rates would all be considerably higher. As it is, their accessibility and laid-back atmosphere invite players of all levels to step out of Carl Sandberg’s “stormy, husky, brawling” city, roll up their sleeves, and flex their broad shoulders to play a round in a literal urban golfing paradise.
The approach on the bruising par-4 16th Hole varies tremendously in difficulty depending on pin position.
The 18th green threatens you with water, but also beckons you with food and drink in the historic clubhouse just behind it.
I’ve been writing about golf equipment for almost 30 years. In that time, I have tested and reviewed close to 100 putters, ranging from household name brands to boutique start-ups. Many – by which I mean most – new putter companies fail within a few years. But every now and then, one of these plucky newcomers really moves the needle and shakes up the market. L.A.B. Golf is one of these movers and shakers. L.A.B.’s radical designs and precision engineering are creating tsunami-like waves through all levels of the game, from weekend warriors to the PGA Tour.
What sets L.A.B. Putters apart is their balancing. Putters can be “balanced” several ways. If you balance your putter on your finger, lying the shaft perpendicular across your outstretched digit, you can determine its weighting scheme. If the face points upward, it’s “face-balanced.” If the toe hangs straight down, it’s “toe-balanced.” If the toe hangs down at an angle, there is some degree of “toe-hang.” L.A.B. stands for Lie Angle Balanced. Company founder and L.A.B. inventor, Bill Presse, was a mini-tour player who wanted to simplify his putting stroke. He reasoned that lie-angle balancing would most easily allow the putter to balance such that the face is dead-square with the target line, promoting a consistently square face at impact.
A number of design features combine to create this lie-angle balancing. In L.A.B.’s first models, a key feature – along with numerous adjustable weights and an aluminum chassis wrapped around a steel putterhead and insert – was center-shafting. In other words, the straight shaft was inserted into the center of the putterhead. Combined with some radical head shapes (think branding irons – big branding irons), the initial L.A.B. putters were easy to recognize.
The unique profile of the original L.A.B. offering was polarizing, however. Even golfers who appreciated the consistency with which they stroked their putts were sometimes put off by the head shape or size. The center-shafting, too, if you’re not used to it, can make alignment tricky. In 2025, L.A.B. introduced its first non-center-shafted model, the OZ.1i HS ($499), where “HS” stands for “heel-shafted.”
Playing the L.A.B. OZ.1i HS
I recently played the undisputed king of public golf in Illinois, Cog Hill #4, a.k.a. Dubsdread, where the greens are fast and dramatically contoured. Before the round, I met up with an old buddy of mine who is currently a 2-handicap. When he arrived, he couldn’t wait to show me his L.A.B. DF3 Putter, a smaller, slightly less radical version of the original L.A.B. DF2.1. “This putter shaved two strokes off my score,” he said. “I feel like I’m cheating!”
I then pulled the L.A.B. OZ.1i HS out of my bag and asked, “Have you seen their new heel-shafted model?” (OK, so I can be a little smug sometimes. But this situation called for smugness!) He took it to the practice green and proceeded to run in 3 6-foot putts in a row. We both just smiled and shook our heads at the consistency. And he had to admit that the heel-shafted design fits the eye more naturally than the center-shafted version.
The ball comes off the steel insert incredibly softly, allowing for confident, even aggressive, strokes. Within 8 feet of the cup, the OZ.1i HS instills incredible confidence: I just set the putter behind the ball on the line I want it to begin on, take my stance, and swing – as long as I don’t get handsy, the ball rolls exactly on-line. Even my misses go where I want them to – can’t blame a misread on the putter!
Between the exquisite lie-angle balancing, the Press pistol grip, and the premium steel shaft, I’m not sure I’ve ever tested a putter that immediately fit my eye so well. During the last few rounds with the OZ.1i HS, I feel like everything inside 10 feet should drop, and 3-putting is basically a foreign concept.
For players with exacting standards, L.A.B. offers myriad custom-fitting options on their website and a variety of putterhead shapes (including an Anser-style blade) and colors (the purple ones are back!). There are even shaft options that can add close to $400 to the price tag. Although it is true that L.A.B. Putters aren’t cheap, developing supreme confidence on the green is nearly priceless.
