Swing easy and accept the extra distance

There are golf resorts you visit for a single round, and there are golf resorts that deserve several days of your time. Whistling Straits belongs firmly in the second category.

I've been fortunate to play many of the world's great Open Championship venues—the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Royal Portrush—with Royal Troon and Turnberry coming up later this summer. Yet if someone offered me one tee time tomorrow at any Open Championship course, I'd choose Royal Birkdale without a second thought.

Every golf group has its own language. This is ours.

I played golf recently with a group of 16 guys ranging in age from 50 to 80. In that group were Billy Clagett, John Hendricks, Chuck Kuhlman, and David Dunnam — four men who have all shot their age, and in some cases do it often enough to make the rest of us a little uncomfortable. Watching that happen got me thinking about one of golf’s most intriguing milestones.

I've been fortunate to play more than 550 golf courses across all 50 states and several countries. Many of those courses have hosted major championships, challenged the world's best players, and stretched beyond 7,500 yards from the back tees.

Legendary 19th Holes: Where the Best Golf Stories Begin 

Golf Across Continents: What the Game Taught Me About the World

Playing with a professional caddie adds a layer of depth and delight to any round of golf. It’s more than someone carrying your bag—it’s a partnership shaped by trust, humor, and an almost uncanny understanding of the game. Every time I’ve had a caddie beside me, the round feels elevated, more connected to the roots of golf itself. They don’t just guide you to the right target; they guide you to the right miss—and, just as importantly, the smartest way to recover.

I’ve been fortunate to play golf in all 50 states and across multiple continents. Along the way, I’ve kept lists—favorites, hidden gems, great experiences—but this one might be the most fun.

What 36 holes in a Texas day can teach you...

There are golf rounds where you remember the score, and then there are golf rounds where you remember the stories. 

Over the years, I’ve accumulated a small golf library—somewhere around 200 books. Like most things in golf, it didn’t happen all at once. It was built slowly, one recommendation, one gift, one curiosity at a time.