Golf Courses That Have Hosted the Most Major Championships

Whilst there are a variety of championships included on the PGA Tour, it's the Majors which are the most famous in the sport. The Augusta Masters, the U.S. Open, U.K. Open and the PGA Championship are perhaps the most exciting championships on the PGA Tour. They are played at some fantastic golf courses and settings. A variety of golf courses have been selected for the Majors, and there are a few which have been venues in a number of seasons.

Augusta National

The Augusta National course has been the venue for more Major championships than any other, quite simply because it has its very own. The Master's championship is the one Major that is played at a single venue (although the Players Championship, at TPC Sawgrass, is a close second). Each April the invitation golf championship invites the top ranked players from the PGA Tour to play in the Masters at Augusta.

The course is probably the most famous in the sport. With its pristine greens and fairways it has green keepers that can cut grass down to bowling greens. Each hole has a variety of shrubs and flowers such as tea olives, magnolias, camellias, junipers, hollies and yellow jasmines. As Augusta has a substantial maintenance budget it is usually ranked among the top golf courses in the United States.

As one of the foremost championship courses in golf it has some famous holes. Among the more notable are the 12th Golden Bell hole in which Rae's Creek separates the tee from the green. The 16th Redbud hole, a 170 yard par-3, also has a small lake in front of the green. It is a course with some great holes and landscapes.

Old Course at St Andrews

The Old Course at St Andrews, in Scotland, is another of the household name golf courses. It's the home of golf, and a course of considerable championship pedigree. This is one that has hosted 28 U.K. Open golf championships, which is a record number. Here Nicklaus, Woods and co have all been crowned Open champions.

The golf course itself now covers some 7,305 yards. It has approximately 112 greenside and fairway bunkers scattered along its holes. In addition to this, the course is also notable for its huge double greens which effectively combine two greens into one for a number of its holes.

It has a few famous holes such as the 17th Road Hole. This is a long par 4 that stretches some 495 yards, so it could be a short par 5. It includes the deep Road Hole bunker along its fairway. At is back green tarmac roadways and stone walls are both included within the hole. As a public course you can play this hole, and the others, at St Andrews.

Oakmont Country Club

Located at the rolling hills outside Pittsburgh is the Oakmont Country Club. This is one of Americas more historic courses that has been a regular venue for Major golf championship. Oakmont has hosted more Major golf championships than any other in the United States, except Augusta which is seasonal venue. Overall, it has played host to a record nine U.S. Opens, and an additional three PGA Championships. Furthermore, as it has been selected for another Open, a 10th will be played at the course.

As such, when it comes to championship golf few can match Oakmont. Its 18 holes cover approximately 7,255 yards. The course is notable for its slick and undulating greens. It also has more than 200 yards over its 18 holes, which is somewhat more than the Old Course. The most famous of its bunkers is that of the Church Pew bunker, which has transverging grass ridges, and comes into play on the third and fourth holes.

Among its famous holes is that of the 18th finisher. This is a classic final hole that extends some 484 yards. The hole has a tree-lined fairway and a multitude of bunkers scattered along it. It provides a suitable finale to any golfing championship.

Southern Hills Country Club

Southern Hills Country Club includes the Front Nine/Back Nine course. This is another of the United State's foremost championship courses located in Southern Hills, Tulsa. It has played host to a record four PGA Championships, and three U.S. Opens.

This golf course now extends 7,131 yards. It is a course that has a heated climate, and a tree-lined layout. That course also includes notable elevation changes between tees and fairways. Among its holes it has a 653 yard par-5 hole which eclipses most of the holes on the PGA Tour for distance.

Those are the courses that have hosted the most Majors. As regular venues for the Tour some gripping championships have been played on them. And there will be plenty more exciting Majors played at the legendary golf courses.

Golf Vacation Destinations: Grand Cypress Golf Club

The Grand Cypress golf club is one with a great collection of golf courses. It includes the New Course golf course, which is partly inspired by those at St Andrews. It is a golf course that has double greens, pot bunkers and stone bridges. In addition, its finishing hole is a replica of the 18th Road Hole. You can also play at the East, North and South golf courses. This video shows some of the holes at the golf club.

U.S. Open Golf Courses

The U.S. Open is one of the most exciting golf championships that has been played at a variety of destinations in the United States. Whilst the Masters golf course is always the same, the U.S. Open has great variety of venues for the championship. A number of exciting championship courses have hosted the Open.

Oakmont

Oakmont golf course, in Pennsylvania, has hosted the record number of U.S. Opens. Having hosted several U.S. Opens the course is among the most famous in the United States. Oakmont has considerable slopes, and the famed Church Pews bunker that stretches some 100 yards. It includes a 667 yard par-5 golf hole at the 12th, which is among the most extensive PGA Tour holes.

The U.S. Open was first played there in 1927. Then the course yardage was somewhat less than the 7,230 yards of today. It was at Oakmont that Nicklaus won the first major of his career in a playoff round with Palmer. In later championships at Oakmont there were further playoff victories, such as Els' three-way playoff triumph in the Open during the 1990s.

Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course)

Oakland Hills Country Club, in Michigan, has a couple of 18-hole courses. Among them is the South Course which is the primary championship venue at the club. That's a golf course that can extend some 7,445 yards from the championship tees.

There six U.S. Opens have been played, among a number of other golf championships such as the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. The most recent U.S. Open championship at Oakland was won by Jones after edging out Lehman in the final round.

Pebble Beach Links

Pebble Beach Links is a resort course that is ranked among the top 10 golf courses in the game. The golf course is located on the Monterey coastline of California, which provides a great landscape for Pebble Beach Links. It has some great coastal holes such as the 109 par-3 which has a green surrounded by Pacific Ocean. The 543 yard par-5 18th hole is along among the highlights at Pebble Beach Links. The Pacific Ocean dominates the left fairway of the hole up to the green.

Pebble Beach Links has been the venue of five U.S. Open Championships up to 2010. There both Nicklaus and Woods have been crowned U.S. Open champions. In the most recent championship at the course McDowell edged out Harvet by one to emerge as the first Irish champion in the U.S. Open.

Baltusrol Golf Club

Another regular venue of the U.S. Open is that of Baltusrol Golf Club. That's a golf club in New Jersey that has a couple of championship courses. At the Lower Course four U.S. Opens have been played, and an additional three have been hosted at the other Baltusrol courses. The Lower Course has a yardage of approximately 7,400 yards, with a par-5 hole that expands some 650 yards.

At the Lower Course four golfers were crowned U.S. Open champion. Nicklaus twice lifted the trophy at Baltusrol. Aside from the Open, the golf course has also been selected for a couple of PGA Championships.

Those golf courses have been great venues for the U.S. Open. There some enthralling Open championships have been played.

Great Replica Golf Courses in United States

Replica golf courses are those that include replicas (or duplicates) of famous holes. They have famous holes from courses such as St Andrews, Augusta, Pebble Beach and Harbor Town. These are a few of the more convincing replica golf courses in the United States which restore famed golf holes and landscapes.

Tour 18 Houston

The Tour 18 golf course was one of the first to include an 18-hole compilation of exact famous hole replicas. This golf course includes three holes from the Augusta National course, the 12th Golden Bell Hole with Rae's Creek, the 11th and 13th. Other notable holes at the course is that of 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass with the green surrounded by a lake. The 14th par-5 hole at Pebble Beach, which has hosted five U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, is also simulated at the Tour 18 Houston course. Overall, the holes are convincing replicas of the great championship holes.

Castle Course at Northern Bay

This is Northern Bay golf course includes up to several replica holes among its 18. Once again the TPC Sawgrass island green hole and 13th hole at Augusta is among them. Here you can also play the Augusta National's 16th hole, a longer par-3 with a lake separating the tee from green. Alongside them the Castle Course has the 18th at Bay Hill, third at Oakmont, 16th at Firestone and fifth hole from Oakland Hills.

The New Course at Grand Cypress, Orlando, FL

The New Course is one that is partly inspired by St Andrew's championship golf course. Whilst it doesn't have many exact replicas of the holes, the course still includes double greens, stone bridges and pot bunkers. It includes replica holes for the 18th Road Hole, as well as the 1st at St Andrews. As such, the New Course at Grand Cypress is the closest match to the famed St Andrew's course in the United States.

International World Tour Golf Links

At the International World Tour Golf Links, in Myrtle Beach, there are three nine-hole golf courses. The Open Nine, International Nine and Championship Nine include 27 famous replica holes. Holes from courses such as Augusta, Inverness, Oakmont, Spanish Bay, Royal Melbourne and Valderrama are simulated at the International World Tour Golf Links. Its the Championship Nine that includes holes inspired from the Major championships. The International Nine includes a variety of overseas holes, whilst the Open Nine course is more limited to famed holes from within North America.

At these replica golf courses you can play some great championship golf holes. From Pebble Beach to St Andrews they have a variety of replica holes from famous courses. They could be suitable destinations for an exciting golf vacation.

Trump International Golf Course

The Trump International Golf Links, in Aberdeenshire, is set in a dramatic set of sand dunes. It is a 7,428 yard golf course with tumbling fairways that have variable elevations. This video shows some of the golf course's holes and landscapes.

Golf Courses That Have Plenty of Water

Whilst golf courses are predominately grass, they also include sand and water. The water is included on golf courses either with man-made lakes, or surrounding coastline. Golf courses that are located beside the sea do not always require the addition of lakes to add water. These are a few notable golf courses that have a variety of water holes.

Pebble Beach Links

Pebble Beach Links is a great championship golf course that is located on the coast of Monterey Bay, in California. After the first three holes at this golf course, the next four play around the coast of Stillwater Cover. The seventh hole is one of the more famous on the course, a short par 3 little more than 100 yards that has a green located beside the Pacific.

The latter nine also include some coastal holes. The 17th and 18th finishing hole are perhaps the most famous. The 18th hole is a par-5 hole that extends some 543 yards. The Pacific Ocean runs along the left side of the hole, up the green.

Pebble Beach Links golf course extends some 6,828 yards. Overall, half of the golf course's holes are located along the Pacific coastline. As such, even without any lakes water is still prevalent at Pebble Beach Links.

The Players Stadium Course

The Players Stadium Course is the Players Championship golf course. This is a golf course located in acres of Florida swampland. Whilst not a coastal course, a variety of lakes have been added to its holes.

Perhaps the most famous hole at this golf course is that of the 17th Island Green. That's a short par 3 that expands some 137 yards. The green is located in the middle of a lake, and is surrounded by water. Thousands of balls drop not on the green, but in the lake that surrounds it.

The 18th hole is another that has plenty of water. That's a 462 yard hole located beside a lake. The lake dominates the left side of the hole up to the green.

Cypress Point

Another great coastal golf course in Monterey is that of Cypress Point. Whilst the golf course doesn't have a comparable number of coastal holes as Pebble Beach, it still has some great water holes. The 15th, 16th and 17th are a majestic triumvirate of coastal holes.

The 16th hole is a par 3 that expands 231 yards. On that hole an ocean enclave separates the tee from the green. With up to six greenside bunkers included, the green is also surrounded by sand.

Aside from those the golf course doesn't include that many more coastal holes. The majority are more inland, and without any additional lakes don't have any water added. However, it's still a great coastal course.

Pelican Lakes Golf Course

Pelican Lakes, in Colorado, is an 18-hole championship golf course which expands 7,264 yards. However, with five expansive lakes, that expand hundreds of acres, the golf course has lots of water across its 18 holes. A lake runs alongside the left of the first and second holes. The 542 yard 11th hole is another located beside a lake that dominates one side of its fairway. The 17th hole is also surrounded by plenty of water.

With their coastlines and lakes they are golf courses which have considerable shorelines. As such, they have plenty of water holes. You won't find many other golf courses with a greater range of water holes.

How Golfers Qualify for the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open is one of the four major golf championships played at various golf courses. This is a golf championship that has more open qualification than that of the Masters. Whilst the Masters invites the top 50 ranked PGA golfers, the U.S. Open includes up to 156 in the championship.

By default the top 60 ranked golfers qualify for the U.S. Open a few weeks before they play in it. Previously it was the top 50 ranked golfers, but that has now been expanded. As such, the top 60 in the PGA rankings amount for 38% of the overall number of players in the championship.

The previous winners of some PGA Tour championships also qualify for the Open. U.S. Open champions from the last 10 championships all qualify to play in it, and the top 10 from the previous Open are also included. As such, winning it once is a great way to ensure further qualification. In addition to this, the winners of the previous five majors such as the Masters, the U.K. Open and PGA Championship all qualify for the U.S. Open.

Aside from the majors, the U.S. Open includes the winners of the previous three PGA Championships. The winner from the previous BMW PGA Championship also qualifies. Amateur golfers that win either the previous U.S Amateur Championship, or U.K. Amateur Championship, qualify for the Open. Those that played in the previous year's Tour Championship are also included in the U.S. Open.

However, for those that aren't PGA Tour players, the road to the U.S. Open usually begins with local qualification. The first step of qualification is played over 18 holes at over 100 U.S. golf courses. A handful of those that begin at local qualification usually reach the U.S. Open. Several players, at each site, usually qualify from the sectional qualifiers.

The second, and last, stage of U.S. Open qualification is that of the sectional qualifiers. They are international qualifiers that take place at 11 U.S. golf courses, one in England and in Japan. They are played over 36 holes, with only a few number of qualifying spots at each of the sites. The number of U.S. Open spots at the sites varies depending on the number of players they have. In 2013, the number of spots at each site ranged from nine to two.

Those that qualify from the sectional qualifiers then join the rest of the PGA Tour players at the U.S. Open. A couple of golfers that qualified from the local and sectional stages have won the U.S. Open. However, the top ranked PGA golfers dominate, and usually win, the U.S. Open.

The 2014 U.S. Open will be played at Pinehurt's No 2 golf course. The local and sectional qualification stages whittled 9,860 golfers down to 156 final contenders for the 2014 U.S. Open championship title. They will be further cut to 60 after 36 holes at the No 2 course. Check out the U.S. Open website for further details on the championship.

Wade Hampton Golf Course

Wade Hampton, in Cashiers, North Carolina, is usually ranked within Golf Digest's top U.S. golf courses. This is a 7,302 yard golf course located within a natural valley between flanking mountain peaks. Check out this Wade Hampton video which shows the golf course's great landscapes.

Harding Golf Course Reopens

Harding Golf Course is a venue of the PGA Tour that the Tour once left after a period when the golf course deteriorated. However, the Tour returned again after renovations expanded the golf course to 7,200 yards. The World Golf Championships and Presidents Cup are among the great championships that have been played at TPC Harding Park. In 2013, the golf course underwent further renovations; and it has now just reopened for golfers.  

Mayor Lee stated: “TPC Harding Park is a world-class public golf course that has been part of our city’s storied golfing history. San Francisco is proud to showcase the newly renovated greens of Harding Park to residents and avid golf players around the globe.”

As such, all 18 greens at Harding Park have now been replaced. Their renovations include reconfigured approaches and refurbished bunkers. They filled the bunkers up with about 375 tons of Pebble Beach white sand.

TPC Harding Park is rated one of the top municipal golf courses in the United States. For further details, check out this website.

Add a Golf Theme to Google Chrome

Looking for some golf themes for the Google Chrome browser? Well, you might not find many; but can still add your own custom golf themes to the browser. My Google Chrome is an extension with which you can add custom themes to Chrome. 

Click the + Free option on the extension's page to add it to your browser. Then click Launch App on the extension page to open a wizard which you can set up your own golf theme with. Select some golf wallpaper for the browser’s New Tab page background, and add green colors to Chrome. Then you might have a Google Chrome golf theme comparable to the one in the shot below.

With the My Google Chrome extension you can add a variety of golf themes to the browser. Check out this previous post for some links to golf wallpaper websites. Alternatively, you can also add your own golf photos to the theme.

Titleist's NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, DT Solo and Velocity Golf Balls

The latest Titleist golf balls are the NXT Tour, Velocity, DT Solo and NXT Tour S. They are golf balls that have new core, cover and aerodynamic technologies. The Titleist vice president of R&D stated:  

“We’re constantly in the field talking with golfers, capturing their launch conditions on all types of shots, and observing how different golf balls perform for their game. All of this information feeds the product development process and allows us to focus our design efforts and ultimately, our prototype testing in ways that will enhance performance for these golfers.”

The NXT Tour and NXT Tour S balls have been re-engineered with softer compression cores. The DT Solo also has a soft compression core, ionomer cover blend and is available with optic yellow and white colors. The Velocity has been redesigned with a reformulated, proprietary LSX core which gives better distance; and it also has a shallower angle of descent for more roll.  

Below is a video for the Velocity golf ball. For further details, check out this page.

Top Five America's Longest Golf Holes

The USA has some fantastic golf courses, and some of the world's longest holes. Now you can find par-6 holes on America's golf courses which are becoming increasingly prevalent. These are the five longest golf holes in the United States.

Five: Black Mountain Club

Hole 17 at the Black Mountain Club is the fifth most expansive hole in the USA. The hole expands 747 yards which is the second longest in North Carolina. Much of the hole plays along a hill on the right side, and it also includes an elevated green above the fairway.

Four: Farmstead Golf Links

 

The finishing hole at Farmstead Golf Links, in Myrtle Beach, covers some 767 yards. It is a unique hole in which you can tee off in South Carolina, but putt in North Carolina! It is also the longest finishing hole in America.  

   

Three: The Links Golf Course

From the back tees, hole 9 at the Links  Golf Course is a 777 yard par 6. However, you can cut this down to size from the green tees which are just behind the hole's fairway, but still 500 yards from the green. Consequently, 277 yards separate the tee boxes ahead of the fairway.

Two: Spring Lake Golf Resort

The Spring Lake Golf Resort has Florida's longest golf hole. The par-6 sixth hole expands 800 yards across the Panther Creek golf course. From the longest tee you shoot across water, and a lake also lies along the left side of the green and latter half of the fairway. The hole also includes a couple of bunkers along the left of the fairway, and one on the right of the green.

Aside from this hole, the resort also has the world's largest green on its second golf course. The Cougar Trail's ninth hole has a green with an area of 47,000 sq feet. The Spring Lake Golf Resort website provides further details. 

One: Meadows Farm Golf Course

The longest hole in the USA is … drum roll... hole 12 on the Meadows Farm Golf Course! The hole is an 841 par 6 which includes a couple of lakes between its fairways, and trees along along the left side. Check out this previous blog post.

Prestwick Golf Course Video

The Prestwick Golf Club course, in Ayrshire, is a classic links golf course. The golf course, which expands 6,544 yards, has hosted the Open championship. It is built on rolling sandy land, and some of its holes run along railway tracks. This Prestwick video shows some of the golf course's holes and landscapes.

Great Golf Travel Websites

There are a variety of great golf resorts in the United States and Europe. Golf resorts such as Pebble Beach Resort and Pinehurst have top-class golf courses which have hosted Major championships. As such, there are also a number of great online resources.

Golfpac Travel

Golfpac Travel is a golf travel site that covers a variety of golf travel destinations in the U.S. and beyond. From the homepage, you can select a destination for the website’s drop down list. Or alternatively, select golf packages to find some great packages for a specific destination. The website also covers over 600 hundred golf courses with ratings provided.

World Golf

This website covers top golf course destinations. The website includes a selection of golf courses from over 50 countries which provide details on the yardages, pars and rating. It also includes a golf resort guide with brief details for each resort and the golf courses they include. In addition to this, the website has a big list of golf blogs where you can find links to lots of golf blogs, and if you have your own golf blog you can also have it listed here. At the bottom of the website there are also further links to a variety of sites a part of the Travel Golf network.

Your Golf Travel.com

Your Golf Travel.com is a website that covers a variety of potential golf holidays. The website includes a directory of golf holiday packages which can be booked from the website. Here you can search for golf resorts, golf hotels and golfing destinations. The website lists over 1,000 potential golf holiday destinations. The homepage includes search tools with which you can search for potential golf holiday packages. With the search box you can also input a golf vacation destination. As such, this is a golf travel website that is worth noting.

Golf Holidays

This is the website of Golf Holidays, a North American golf tour operator. There website covers 40 exciting golf destinations in the U.S., 100 golf resorts and over 400 golf courses. Here you can find details on a variety of golf resorts in the U.S. and their golf courses. The website also lists a variety of golf vacation packages at various resorts.

These are four golf travel websites that are worth noting. They are great online resources for golf travel that include extensive directories and details on a variety of golf travel destinations. For further details, follow the links included above.

Blog Archives

There are plenty of blog posts on Amateur Golfer beyond the first few pages. You can find them from the archives on the blog template. These are a few of the more notable posts from the archives.

The Golf Gamebook

"Digital scorecards aren't exactly new. Those are electronic scorecards which save your scores. However, they do not include official signing options..."

How to Play at the Augusta Golf Course

Unless you can get on the member list of Augusta's club, make the top 50 of the golf rankings or win a major you can't play the holes of Augusta. Well, actually you can..."

An Augusta Flyover

"The Augusta golf course has some great holes, all of which are included within this great simulated tour of the golf course. This EA tour flys over and through the course's holes from hole one to the final 18th. The flyover is from EA's Tiger Wood PGA Tour 12 golf game, which is the first to include the Master's golf championship. Check out the video below for an overview of this famous course..."

Golf Holes With Lots of Water

"A number of the world's more famous golf courses have golf holes that are surrounded by water. These are holes in which you can lose your balls, in more ways than one, when they fall down into the water. Water holes can be located alongside expansive lakes, creeks or perhaps even the sea and oceans. These are a few of the great golf holes in which you could take a swim on..."

Links Golf Courses

"Links golf courses amount to less than 1% of the overall total, and most of them are in Britain. The 2013 U.K. Open was played at the links golf course of Muirfield. But how exactly is that golf course any different from other alternatives?"

Great Mackenzie Golf Courses

"Mackenzie was a great course architect who inspired some famous golf courses in the early 20th century. Mackenzie's golf courses in the United States stretch from Georgia in the east, to California in the west. These are a few of Mackenzie's great golf courses..."

Free Drops

"In some cases during a round, you may have a free drop if your ball lands in a specific lie as outlined by the R&A. With a free drop you can lift and drop the ball a little further back onto a playable lie. So, when can you free drop?"

The Texas Wedge Putt

"The Texas Wedge is just another name for the putter. Except that it is only called a Texas Wedge when putting off the green. Mastering the Texas Wedge putt can be a great way to enhance your short game."

Royal Troon Golf Course Video

The Royal Troon championship golf course is one that has hosted eight U.K. Open championships. It's a 7,175 yard golf course which includes a 601 yard par 5. It is usually ranked among the best links golf courses in the game. Check out the Royal Troon golf course video below.

The Best Holes in the USA

There are many great golf holes in the USA, and the best can be found at the championship caliber golf courses such as Augusta, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and the Stadium course which hosts the Players Championship. The 500 World's Greatest Golf Holes book includes a selection of the best 18 holes in the USA. They are as follows:

Augusta National 13 

510 yards, Par 5

Bethpage (Black) 5 

455 Yards, Par 4

Colonial 5  

470 Yards, Par 5

Crystal Downs 8

 550 Yards, Par 5

Cypress Point 15

139 Yards, Par 3

Doral (Blue) 18 

443 Yards, 4

The Dunes 13

 590 Yards, Par 5

Merion (East) 13

 428 Yards, Par 5

The National 4

197 Yards, Par 3

Oakmont 3

425 Yards, Par 4

Pebble Beach 18

548 Yards, Par 5

Pinehurst (No 2) 5

482 Yards, Par 4

Pine Valley 13

448 Yards, Par 4

Shinnecock Hills 14

447 Yards, Par 4

Southern Hills 12

445 Yards, Par 4

Spyglass Hill 4

365 Yards, Par 4

TPC as Sawgrass (Stadium) 17

132 Yards, Par 3

Winged Foot (West) 10

190 Yards, Par 3

Those holes are largely dominated by the classic designs. Among them are holes that include plenty of water such as the enthralling 18^th hole at Pebble Beach which plays alongside the Pacific Ocean, the 15th at Cypress Point on which the sea lies between the tee and green, and the short par-3 hole at TPC's Stadium Course which has a green surrounded by water. Lakes or streams lurk on half dozen of the finest holes in the USA. The selected holes are reasonably geographically dispersed, with several in the northeast, five in the south and three on the West Coast.

Poppy Hill Golf Course Reopens

Among the most anticipated golf course reopenings of the year is scheduled for 4 April. Then the newly renovated Poppy Hill golf course, at Pebble Beach, will reopen. Trent Jones returned to the golf course to give it something of a revamp.  

The golf course's drainage has been notably enhanced. The architects added native waste areas to reduce about 25 acres of irrigated turf. In addition, a more modern irrigation system has also added greater efficiency.  

Whilst the golf course's par has dropped by a stroke, they have expanded its overall yardage from 6,863 to 7,002 yards. This is largely due to the addition of the new Jones Trail back set of tees. There are now five sets of golf tees on each of Poppy Hill's holes.   

The golf course now includes a new par-3 11^th hole. That is a hole which includes a large bunker behind its green. Overall, it is the shortest hole on the golf course.

The 12th hole now plays downhill to open up 
previously unseen views of Monterey Bay.  

The architects also revamped Poppy Hill's bunkers. They moved and enlarged many of the bunkers on the golf course. Natural sandy waste areas have also been added to Poppy Hill.

Renovations aren't just limited to the golf course either. The Poppy Hill clubhouse has been renovated to include a new dining menu and expanded TVs. Its deck overlooking the ninth and 18^th holes has also had some modifications.   

"It’s a renaissance more than a renovation. It’s really a brand new golf course. The new conceptions have reinvigorated the golf course. They will bring the course back to all its glory." - T Jones

For further details on the Poppy Hills golf course, check out this website. That includes photos and video flyovers of the holes. 

Royal Dornoch Golf Course Video

The Royal Dornoch Championship golf course, in Scotland, is mesmerising. This is a coastal golf course, beside a pure white, sandy beach, that is ranked among the top U.K golf courses. Its 18 holes cover some 6,697 yards, and include raised domed greens. Check out this Royal Dornoch golf course video. 

The RZN Golf Balls

The RZN is Nike's latest golf ball which is boasting a revolutionary design. The ball's Speedlock core, which harnesses more energy, is said to give it a notable advantage when it comes to ball spin and distance. One of Nike's directors said of the ball:

“We knew we hadn’t pulled 100 percent of the energy that we could out of the initial RZN core, which we brought out in 2011 with the 20XI ball.” Ishii stated: “Working in partnership with DuPont, we were able to develop a softer, faster RZN material and create that interlocking-core design. It works like gears locking in place with each other."

The new ball series includes the RZN Platinum, Red, White and Black models. The RZN Platinum and Black balls are four-piece models, and the Red and White are three-piece alternatives that have Surlyn covers. Check out this video for further details on the revolutionary golf balls. Well, actually the video says very little about the golf ball!