Broomsedge Golf Club 2024 - Mike Koprowski & Kyle Franz Private with limited public tee times The hype around this South Carolina sand hills course has been high. Could it live up to the hype? The answer is a clear YES. With so many new projects being built on similar land with similar settings, it is hard to stand out. But the designers did a great job of working with the land to create something that just feels different. It has all the tenets of modern golf design that are common. Walking only, firm turf, wide fairways, ground game emphasis, bold green slopes. So what makes it feel different? It always starts with the land. The sandy soil moves up and down, with big natural swales to create lots of ground movement. The 2nd hole is a modern masterpiece, influenced by the famous 6th hole at Eastward Ho!. With a giant slope that would be considered too bold for many, it provides multiple routes and rewards for your drive. Options are a big part of Broomsedge. This includes two holes that have 2 separate greens that can make the holes play completely different day to day. The routing also has some interesting quirks. There are back to back par 3’s, only 2 par 5’s, and 3 par 3’s on the front! The designers believe that finding the best holes is more important than finding a “typical” hole routing. Including a run of 6 par 4’s on the back 9. The turf is wonderful. The greens were fast and firm, but could also receive a spinning shot. The fairways are firm, but not overly fast. This provides added challenge, because you end up with many non-flat lies. The aesthetic here just works. The broomsedge and natural grasses border every hole really make the golf course just very pleasing to the eye. That said, the gunch is real and you will be punished when you miss the wide fairways. (As you should be.) The postage stamp 8th hole is an ode to Royal Troon and plays only around 100 yards. It’s devilish and you will see lots of birdies and doubles, anything can happen. Broomsedge is an excellent addition to the golf scene and should attract visitors from everywhere. Be sure to add it to your Carolina golf trip!

What’s the best 36 hole day in golf? Rule: Max 20 minute drive between courses. Pebble Beach and Cypress is the clear #1. (First tee time at Pebble a must.) Other contenders: Royal Melbourne/Kingston Heath Sunningdale 36 Old Course/Kingsbarns What else?

Eugenio Chacarra now is leading the DP World Tour over Rory McIlroy with his win. A big reason is course design. Delhi Golf Club took bomb and gouge out of play. All the modern analytics saying “Hit it far!” got thrown out the window. And Rory isn’t going to be the favorite without his driver. Watch this collection of tee shots. It’s all controlled, flighted irons. This was the winning play in Delhi.

Played a short muni golf course yesterday. 80% of players were in carts As a walking foursome, we left the cart riding foursome 3 holes behind us. While walking leisurely and enjoying conversation. This is not a cart hate post. It’s just pointing out to the “Walking is slow, carts fast” people how wrong that is. Yes in theory, carts could be faster. But in reality, carts begat behavior that is rarely faster. More drinking, more eating, more phone reading, more driving all over inefficiently. True, walkers can be slow as well. But go walk 36 at Bandon and then go play 18 in a cart at Payne’s Valley and you will see how cart culture affects golf in ways that aren’t always obvious. One interesting observation: The walkers were older males and females. The riders were a mix, but mostly young.

What do you think about the “Texas Wedge Blocker” at Tree Farm? With an easy bailout right, Kye Goalby made a decision. Rather than allow guys to miss right with no penalty and have the ability to putt, he added this tiny feature that prevents one shot specifically. The Texas Wedge. I think it’s cool and unique. And now forces a much harder shot without changing the golf hole in a big way. Subtle but also jarring once you are there. Always in support of taking architectural risks in golf design. Very cool!

Would you pay $2 Million dollars to skip a country club wait list? Silly question that none of us can relate to. But it’s a real question being asked. The wait list at Riviera near Miami is 10+ years long. So they are offering a wait list skip for $2 Million!!! Insane. As insane as it is, people are going to take it. $2m to some people is like $500 to you or I. If 65 years old and crazy rich, why not?

St Andrews is reporting lower demand from Americans for the Old Course Hotel. Has golf travel finally peaked? Or maybe Americans are tired of spending over $1,000 a night for a hotel room…just saying…