LINKS Golf Podcast

With Ian from Cary, N.C. and Graylyn from Asheville, N.C., Pinehurst was never too far away growing up. The two hosts discuss all things Pinehurst in this episode and then go on to design their perfect long weekend golf trips to the area. You may be surprised how similar, and different, their two trips are.

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In this episode, Ian sits down with Jimmie James, a golf-obsessed traveler who completed the nearly impossible task of playing every U.S. top 100 course in a single year. Ian and Jimmie played golf together at Jimmie’s Atlanta, Ga. club and set up the microphones in the bar post-round.

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Season 2 begins with Graylyn and Ian recording at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. The hosts talk about the resort, the LINKS Invitational in which they’re playing, and they sit down to interview two other participants—Arch and Tom. The duo are Army veterans who have traveled the world for their jobs, often with clubs in tow.

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In this episode, co-host Graylyn discusses his trek through the North Coast 500, a famous road trip that follows Scotland’s northern coastline and traverses the Scottish Highlands. He describes the golf he played golf along the route, from rural local gems with only honor boxes to famous venues like Royal Dornoch. He also talks about the jaw-dropping scenery, logistical hurdles of the trip, and what he would do differently the next time around.

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In this episode, Ian tells us about a recent trip to New York where he played Shinnecock Hills and Sleepy Hollow Country Club. He played Shinnecock a month before it hosted the U.S. Open and he describes the conditions, the difficulty of the course, and the overall experience of playing at such a historic club. Ian then details his round at Sleepy Hollow, where Gil Hanse and company restored the course to its original C.B. Macdonald roots. Additionally, the hosts swap travel tips, including where to stay, how to get around, and dos and don'ts of golf in greater New York City.

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In this episode, we speak with our friend and LINKS editor George Peper. We talk about his column in our Fall 2018 issue, which is about him playing his 750th golf course—an astounding milestone, even by George’s standards. In the column, he picks his 50 favorite courses that “stand out above the other 700,” so we touch on a several of those 50 and why they are so special to him. George also takes us through his ever-changing bucket list, to which Ian and Graylyn respond with a few of their own must-play courses. Thanks to George for such an enlightening and fun conversation!

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In this episode, we break down the seemingly daunting task of planning a Scottish golf trip. Ian, who has never played golf in Scotland, assumes the role of interviewer for Graylyn, who is an expert on all things Scottish golf. We discuss how to choose the courses to play, the best time of year to visit, how to pace yourself, and other essential information. Graylyn also takes us through his steps to painlessly plan a golf trip to Scotland and finishes with a story of a very memorable round on the St Andrews Old Course.

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In this episode, Graylyn takes us through a recent California road trip during which he played several public courses at varying price points between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula. He describes his favorite courses, pleasant surprises, best parts of the drive down Highway 1 in a brand new BMW M6 convertible (thanks, BMW!), and his honest take on whether Pebble Beach is worth the hefty price tag. 

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“What we think of as golf course architecture today is vastly different from what it was 20 years ago, let alone 50 or 100. So where will it be in another decade, two, or 10?” In this episode, we give thought to this very important question that was posed in the cover story of our Winter 2018 issue, The Next Era. We discuss how golf travel has evolved over time and how golf course architecture has changed alongside it. We also give our take on what the future of golf architecture will be, given current industry and economic trends.

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In this episode, we discuss some of the dos and don’ts of traveling with your golf clubs. It’s an often forgotten topic when planning a golf trip, but there’s a lot to think about that can make or break your trip. Come for the sound travel advice from Graylyn, stick around to hear how Ian made a fool of himself with his clubs on public transportation in New York City.

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