18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf…
- Royal Dornoch was everything I was hoping it would be. The town square was charming, the new clubhouse being constructed behind the 18th green and in closer proximity to the water will usher in a new era for the club and fortify it for the future. Getting to play the golf course in different winds over the course of three days allowed for an even better understanding of how the golf course changes and the people were fantastic.
- There is a line at Dornoch about how difficult the second shot is at the second hole, a par 3. Suggesting that the greens raised position and narrower entry make it very hard to hit the green in regulation. Part of me wishes the hole was later in the round because of how good it is and the exacting nature of the shot from the tee regardless of the wind direction, but the hole is wonderful. We saw a front right pin, a middle left, and a back pin, just three paces from the rear of the green. The fall offs left and right are pronounced but full of options. The 8th and 17th are blind tee shots with options to stay on the plateau or drive it down to the lower fairway with a much shorter second but both holes are wonderful. Finally, the blend of holes from 12 through 17 is superior with a celebration of contrast in look and distance.
- I’m not associated with “Links House” the boutique hotel right next to Royal Dornoch where we stayed the first four nights of our trip, so this endorsement is not motivated by anything other than to share how wonderful it is. Each building is different but all of them are so beautifully appointed, and the service and warmth is world class. The food was outstanding in their quant restaurant, Mara, and the library where we watched the Presidents Cup and college football games on Saturday night is a space to spend days reading and talking. It’s simply one of the best hotels regardless of size I’ve ever stayed at, and it enhanced our trip immeasurably.
- Andrew Carnegie chose to spend ample time in the Highlands of Scotland and actually took some golf lessons from the legendary John Sutherland at Dornoch. He also purchased nearby Skibo castle and increased the size of the original structure to three times its previous footprint. Spending a day and night at the Carnegie Club allowed us to play the Carnegie course. The setting with natural water features, mountain ranges in every direction and the castle in the distance is sublime. The lower holes closer to the nearby loch are the ones that need a re-examination. The 7th and 8th holes are both short par fours, but the fairways are virtually nonexistent, and they should be redone. The holes in the “meadow” on leveler ground are aesthetically pleasing and overall, it’s an asset to the Highlands region. Ellis Short, the owner for 22 years, is determined to make the golf course the best it can be and the 8000-acre estate is a reflection of obscene wealth then and now.
- Returning to Gullane for the first time in two decades was a hoot. The number #1 course was loved by my traveling crew and the beauty of the holes on the other side of the hill can hang with anything in Scotland. The 12th hole is one of the most pleasing holes in the world. From the back tee looking back toward Muirfield and the Renaissance Club and then playing along the daunting dunes the hole is art.
- North Berwick is one of the best, endearing and fun golf courses in the world. Playing with a long-time member it is frightening how much costal erosion the golf course has experienced and will continue to unless something very significant is done. When you turn for home the large dunes that used to insulate holes 11, 12 and 13 have been diminished and despite fortifying the shoreline in recent years the vulnerability of the course is evident. North Berwick is now the wealthiest town in Scotland, and it shows. The homes along the outward nine are regal but the holes are the show. It has it all and I would pick it among a select few to play the rest of my days.
- I’ve always had a special fondness for Muirfield and you can read my thoughts on the day there with my boys at www.5Clubsgolf.com but needless to say its ascended into a place in my mind and heart previously unoccupied by any golf course.
- This is my final overall thought about returning to Scotland for a week with lifelong friends. I assumed the responsibility of driving the entire trip. I drove from Edinburgh to Dornoch and back to East Lothian for the back half of our journey and I’m thankful that I was required to pay attention to where we were going. The drive into the highlands was therapeutic and similar to earlier drives this year across Oregon and from Indiana to northern Michigan. I was locked in on the destination while appreciating the journey simultaneously. What a gift.
- Sanderson Farms announced this week, the report delivered by Todd Lewis of Golf Channel, that they will stay on for an additional year as the title sponsor for the event in Jackson, Mississippi. I hope the decision makes sense for them, but it is the latest example that 2025 is going to be the final year of what the schedule currently looks like for the PGA Tour. It does not mean that fall events will not be a part of 2026, but the tides appear to be shifting into a more dramatic reconstructive direction.
- Kyle Porter has been writing and opining at CBS Sports for over a decade, but he announced this week he is breaking away with a new newsletter, Normal Sport, which included part one of a two-part conversation with Rory McIlroy. I applaud anyone with the belief to leave maybe more comfort and security to pursue something that may be more fulfilling but is associated with greater risk. Kyle will be my guest on Monday night on 5 Clubs on the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio to discuss the move and his conversation with Rory.
- The state of South Carolina is enjoying an embarrassment of new and widely talked about golf courses coming online in the Palmetto state. Broomsedge east of Columbia is ready for its big opening in addition to Tree Farm and Old Barnwell embarking on their second seasons with additional assets like lodging soon to be available for members and guests. Old Sawmill, designed by Tyler Rae has begun construction and the Kiawah Island club is adding their third golf course outside the resort gates being designed by Beau Welling. Plus, the 21 Club is a provocative project of 36 holes from King/Collins in the Aiken area and Coore/Crenshaw are building an additional course at Palmetto Bluff. South Carolina is going to be very DEEP.
- I recommend the article from John Huggan in Golf Digest on the impact and role of Johann Rupert in men’s professional golf. A global business magnate, Rupert is the host of the Dunhill Links Championship and has been a champion for golf and South Africans in the game for decades. His reputation and voice with every important entity in the professional game make him the ideal stealth conduit to more harmony.
- The Dunhill, as a stated last week is one of the great events in golf annually but this year it wins the award for being the most inclusive event in men’s professional golf for 2024. The size of the field, but with Johann Rupert running point, reflected what events can and should look like again. The combination of a few top Americans from the PGA Tour, the standard bearers of the DP World Tour and many LIV players was refreshing to see. I’ll say it again, it should be a co-sanctioned event with the PGA and DP World Tours.
- The sight of Jay Monahan playing alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was a nice photo op but the additional power players in the game and industry also being present has made the Dunhill Links the fall meeting of the weightiest voices in golf. This past week only amplifies that the Ryder Cup will include anyone and everyone who can help the respected sides.
- Kingsbarns is part of the rotation for the Dunhill Links and Kyle Phillips has a great resume and reputation, but I would argue his construction and design of the course down the road from the St. Andrews will be his greatest triumph. It has rightfully received praise since opening over two decades ago and the course and facility are impeccable. The views of the North Sea and the natural presentation is a magnificent accomplishment.
- Wenyi Ding won the Asia pacific amateur championship one year after losing in a playoff. The 19-year-old from China is the fifth ranked amateur in the world and is projected to make the transition to professional golf nicely. He is also the #1 ranked amateur in the global amateur pathway ranking and that position would make him fully exempt on the DP World Tour next season, similar model to PGA Tour U. It’s his journey and no one would begrudge him at all if he started his professional career immediately, however, you can be certain that Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament and to a lesser degree the R&A, which offers a spot in the Open Championship, to the winner will be disappointed if Ding passes on a Masters invitation.
- Tyrell Hatton became the first player to win the Dunhill Links for the third time. Hatton had reached his loftiest perch in the men’s game when he left in the aftermath of the Jon Rahm departure for LIV. To have the type of record his has over the Old Course as well as Kingsbarns and Carnoustie is historic. Europe is coming to Bethpage to win a road game and you can book Hatton being on that side as a phenomenal irritant, and also, sadly, a target for fans because of his demonstrative personality on the course.
- An itinerary this coming week for team 5 Clubs that includes Piping Rock, National Golf Links, Friars Head, Shinnecock and Maidstone and you can expect some videos and reflections from Long Island and the Great Gatsby trail this coming week. I call it research.