Short one this week on the backend of some travel (more on that later) and deep into 2025 planning.
GHIN
- We’re getting into the meat of golf season here in Florida and my handicap index is settling into the 2.3-2.6 range, which feels both comfortable and accurate. We discussed it a bit on this past Sunday’s pod - there’s some very good golf in there that’s trying to come out. Patience! Strangely, that hankering to play some left-handed golf is coming back for the first time in a couple of years and I may have to indulge it over the next couple of months and re-heat my alternative “Tron Carter” lefty GHIN account. Stay tuned!
- Recent travels took me out to San Francisco and I had the chance to play Brambles, the latest Coore & Crenshaw layout up north of wine country. Patience, rusticity, and minimalism are all on full display. The 3rd hole felt straight out of Scotland. And then it really ramps up from 4 through 9, and there's some cool stuff on the back nine that I probably glazed over because I was jetlagged. Great burger. James Duncan poured his heart and soul into the place, lined up the right partners to fund it and bring it to life, and that all shines through. I had a great conversation with the superintendent, Tyler Marcotte, and then the head pro, Tom Holmes, felt like a kindred spirit - Australian who came over to the US for college and then caught on up at Wykagil and moved out to California to help bring this place to life. Everyone up there about the right stuff. And sheep roaming all over the place. As the native grows in and frames the holes, it’ll be one of the better walks in U.S. golf. I also met Robert Nelson while there...not sure there's a more fascinating job in golf than what he does with tying in nature to golf course design and experiences. This guy had been a mythical creature in my head for years: "Wait, there's a guy who just wanders around out here reflecting and learning the rhythms of the property and observes the trees and the light and then crafts little tie-ins?" That realization and thoughtfulness made me think of a walk around a golf course in a far different light nearly five years ago and my experiences have been far richer because of it. A wonderful surprise to meet the man himself and realize he isn't just an urban legend!
- It was fun to dig into the Golf Magazine Top 100 rankings on Sunday’s pod, and really I think we’re just scratching the surface. Golf Digest’s list should be coming out in the weeks ahead and will provide great fodder and context. Will have plenty more to come on this front.
The Midnight Troubadour
Tough and timeless, this polo is built for the long ride. Featuring a crisp, non-collapsing collar and a rugged, stretchy fabric, it's the perfect shirt for any cowboy's wardrobe.
- Cody flew into Jax on Sunday and we went up to Sea Island for th
Source: https://nolayingup.com/blog/ghin-and-tonic-vol-26-tc
