Swing easy and accept the extra distance

Sometimes the most memorable part of a round has absolutely nothing to do with golf.

Some golf courses are memorable for the holes you play. Others stay with you because of the stories they tell. At Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio, those stories are literally carved in granite.

Some golf resorts offer several courses that feel like variations on the same theme. Casa de Campo offers three Pete Dye designs that could hardly be more different. Laurie and I returned to the Dominican Republic with the chance to play Teeth of the Dog, The Links, and Dye Fore. We were joined by Keith and Sue, and by the end of the trip we had plenty of opinions about which course we liked best.

Some golf memories are defined by great shots. Others are defined by great courses, close matches, or a putt that somehow found the bottom of the cup.

Twenty-one years is a long time between tee times.

Golf's best shots aren't always good shots.

Golfers hit thousands of shots they forget almost immediately. A few remain perfectly preserved.

Fourteen clubs are allowed in the bag. The harder question is whether all fourteen have earned their place.

Six rounds in northeastern Scotland reminded me why I would rather play interesting.

Sometimes the best way to improve the spectator experience at a professional golf tournament is to have fewer spectators.

What happens to your golf game when you play two courses separated by nearly 10,000 feet of elevation? Laurie and I decided to find out.

I've played hundreds of golf courses over the years, and occasionally I'll think about one I'd like to play again—only to remember that I can't. The course is gone.