PNGA Member Enjoys Scotland

Scotland was absolutely wonderful. My wife Toni loved it. The golf was wonderful and I was able to play three days straight at St Andrews including the Old Course. I never had one drop of rainfall on me while on the golf course. The St. Andrews Bay hotel was just great. They gave us a junior suite (fireplace and all), which overlooked both golf courses and we could see the town of St. Andrews off in the distance. (click for more)

Great Golf Experiences

The greatest golf courses I have played all maintain a common link. When you play fabulous courses, the game is transformed from simply playing the sport to a more rewarding golf experience. During the past year, I attempted to play as many highly regarded courses as possible during my travels. With assistance from many friends and colleagues, I played or visited some of the top courses in the country. After doing so, I can easily explain that golf without the qualities that combine to make a great experience is similar to riding a bicycle without scenery. Golf without the experience might be less expensive but certainly is not nearly as tantalizing. The history, exclusivity and the topography from which certain golf course designs are extracted is part of the allure to playing a great course. Those factors are as curious to me as what score I am fortunate or unfortunate to post. (click for more)

A Conversation with Stewart Cink

Stewart Cink, a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech, lives in Duluth with his wife Lisa, and two children (Connor and Reagan). Cink, who will turn 30 in May, is trying to regain the form that enabled him to win two PGA Tour events (Greater Hartford in 1997 and the Heritage in 2000) and a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team last fall. Cink has one top-10 finish this season and has missed the cut in three events. PARD spoke with him following his first round at the Honda Classic in March. He finished tied for 24th with rounds of 67, 68, 69 and 67. (click for more)

A Perfect Day at Hawks Ridge

There are identifiable tracts of land around the globe whose mere mention sends golfers into august genuflection. Courses such as St. Andrews, Muirfield, Ballybunion, Oakmont, Pinehurst and Pine Valley are synonymous with the rich, passionate history of golf. In Georgia, there are several that many of us want to play. Some of us would bequeath the proceeds of our 401(k) for a round at Augusta National Golf Club. Many of us would provide safe harbor -- for an entire summer -- to a child of the generous soul who invited us to play at Peachtree, East Lake or Ocean Forest. The topography of these magnificent tracts provide the canvas from which architects like Tillinghast, Mackenzie, Ross, Morris, Dye, Alison, Colt and Fazio extract classical portraits for golfers to enjoy for decades, perhaps centuries. (click for more)

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