Cover Story – WFAA’s Mike Leslie

WFAA has a rich history of sportscasting excellence. From legends like Verne Lundquist, to local stalwarts such as Dale Hansen, George Riba and Joe Trahan, WFAA has been a trusted source for local news, weather and sports for decades. During that time, those covering our local teams have never been twiddling their thumbs, as the […]

Travel – Palm Springs

Home to 120 golf courses, a bustling calendar of peak-season activity and what is arguably the nation’s most idyllic winter weather, the Coachella Valley (oft known as “Palm Springs”) is far more than a mere SoCal escape of wedge and respite. Rather, it’s a destination worthy of international repute – with said sabbatical tucked into […]

Cover Story – New Year, Big Stories

As we turn the calendar to January once again, we here at AG wanted to draw your attention to a few things happening in the new year. Starting with the magazine itself, you may notice some small changes to the layout inside. We just wanted to make some things a little more dynamic, so we […]

Travel – Solmar Golf Links Cabo

The days of the sleepy fishing village here are long gone, following Jack Nicklaus’s powerhouse course designs that started the Cabo golf boom more than two decades ago. But to continue to grow as a must-visit golf destination, areas always need new layouts by new designers and that’s exactly what you have with the longtime […]

Travel – Rancho de los Caballeros

The Phoenix area is a hotbed for golf and gorgeous scenery. From the week the city is on display for the Waste Management Open, to the climate conducive to near year-round play, you won’t need to go far from the city center to find any number of attractive options to tee it up. However, if […]

Cover Story – 2025 Holiday Gift Guide

                            AG 2025 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph Solar Quartz, 38 mm, Steel  |  $1,950 The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph, now in a versatile 38mm size, showcases its energetic allure. With a solar-powered quartz movement and contemporary design, […]

Cover Story – 2025 Best of Public Golf

For 27 years, AVIDGOLFER has been offering Metroplex golfers rankings on every daily fee course in the area. We put in the legwork to see all the courses annually, so you don’t need to. If you are looking for your next great round of golf, we have you covered from stem to stern. This year […]

Feature – Batbox

Baseball is America’s pastime. References to early incarnations of the game go back to the 1700s and amateur teams in the United States began organizing in the 1830s and 1840s. In the years since, the great game has provided us with heroes like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr. and […]

Travel – Terranea

One may not travel specifically for the purpose of playing 1,300 yards of golf. And yet, the golf grounds at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. are far from your typical short course. Situated oceanside on the Palos Verdes Peninsula cliffs overlooking the Pacific and Catalina Island beyond, the par-3 pleasures across the nine-hole […]

Cover Story – SMU Head Golf Coach Chris Parra

Chris Parra’s career in golf has taken plenty of twists and turns along the way. From evenings working on his game at Las Colinas Country Club and TPC Las Colinas (now The Nelson Golf & Sports Club), to beginning his collegiate career playing for the legendary John Fields at the University of New Mexico, Parra […]

Travel – Portland, OR

Great golf history might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of this scenic sector of the Pacific Northwest, but that’s exactly what you will find when you visit – especially in the nearby Tualatin Valley, which covers much of the area. Portland has trees (plenty of trees), lots of […]

Cover Story – Renovation at TPC Craig Ranch

The host course of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, TPC Craig Ranch is widely regarded as one of the best properties in the Invited Clubs stable. The club, which is the brainchild of business mogul David Craig, opened to much acclaim in 2004, with a state-of-the-art clubhouse and the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole championship course. In […]

Travel – Mississippi & Alabama

There’s something about great music that can turn a round of golf into an epic experience. It’s more than just playing golf – you’re creating lasting memories. And if music can transform an afternoon round, just imagine an entire golf trip centered around music. And I’m not talking about cranking the tunes at the condo […]

Cover Story – George Dunham

For over 30 years, George Dunham has been a driving force behind one of the most successful radio shows in Dallas radio history. As a member of “The Musers” on Sportsradio 96.7 and 1310 The Ticket, Dunham, Craig Miller and Gordon Keith have brought a unique style and perspective to not only sports talk, but […]

Travel – Central Oregon

Oregon is widely known for its coastal golf. Bandon Dunes has been one of the most desirable golf trip destinations in America for a little over 25 years. In that time, thousands of players have made the trip to what many consider to be the American golf mecca, and most come away with rave reviews. […]

Feature – DFW Car & Toy Museum

Ron Sturgeon is the definition of the American dream. From humble beginnings, Sturgeon went to Richland High School, and when his father passed away when Ron was 17, he was left with almost nothing. One of the few things his dad did pass down was a Volkswagen Beetle. Sturgeon taught himself how to work on […]

Feature – Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation

The Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation has been serving our wounded veterans with medical bills, housing, emotional support, rehabilitation and building relationships since 2007. With a mission to bridge the gap between military benefits and real-world, real-time needs, this Tyler-based organization has raised almost $9 million for these veterans and their families … oftentimes, when they […]

Profile – Big Bully Turf Co.

Carla Arzubiaga’s business journey began in San Diego, California. As the founder and CEO of Big Bully Turf, Carla entered a predominantly male-dominated industry, not only from a backyard turf point of view, but in the golf sector, as well. Undeterred by being a female in the industry, Arzubiaga continues on her path to success, […]

Cover Story – Cowboys Golf Club Renovation

Cowboys Golf Club has been a centerpiece for premium golf in the Metroplex for almost a quarter century. First opened in June 2001, this is the first and only NFL-branded golf club on the planet, and that brand recognition has brought golfers and visitors from around the globe. AVIDGOLFER has ranked Cowboys as the best […]

Travel – Coeur d’Alene

Modest in populace, Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene spreads wide from water to wilderness to wedges. From mid-spring through mid-autumn, the all-seasons activity hub of just 55,000 residents finds ample mountain bounty via a spread of visitors seeking sizzle solace from Southern California, Arizona, Texas and points beyond. With 27-mile-long Lake Coeur d’Alene serving as playground […]

Travel – JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country is chock-full of attractions and infinite beauty. The rolling terrain, tree-covered hills that open to majestic vistas, make this a place every Texan wants to see year after year. From the River Walk to the Alamo, San Antonio is Hill Country majesty from stem to stern, with great food, kind people […]

Cover Story – KPMG Women’s PGA Preview

PGA Frisco and the two Fields Ranch golf courses were not only developed for those who love top-notch golf, amenities and dining, but also to host major championship tournaments for decades to come. The Senior PGA Championship took place at Fields Ranch East in 2023, with Steve Stricker outdueling Padraig Harrington in a playoff to […]

Feature – LIV Golf Dallas Preview

LIV Golf made its first appearance in Dallas last year for the LIV Golf Team Championship in September. Although the weather was steamy and unseasonably warm, the event was met with solid reviews and the overall vibe was well received.  LIV Golf is back in Dallas for 2025, this time with a new (and likely […]

Cover Story – 2024 Charles Schwab Champ Davis Riley

Former Alabama golf star and  Dallas resident Davis Riley felt right at home at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial last year. Facing a newly renovated Colonial golf course and a field that included World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Riley came out on top on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the storied tournament. Now preparing […]

Cover Story – 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

Colonial Country Club is steeped in rich history. The club opened in 1936 and was the brainchild of Marvin Leonard, who had long dreamed of bringing bent grass greens he had seen on northern courses to Fort Worth. Designed by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell, the parkland design has been a delight to members, guests […]

Travel – Boyne, Michigan

The largest and best golf resort in America is Pinehurst, right? After all, with 10 courses, plus The Cradle short course, and its history and tradition of championships, that’s going to be pretty hard to top. But what’s second, behind Pinehurst in terms of size and tradition? A case can be made for a destination […]

Cover Story – Nelson Defending Champ Taylor Pendrith

AG: When you’re not playing or practicing golf, I know you’re spending lots of time watching the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.  How would you rate a Maple Leafs Stanley Cup win, winning a Masters title and a Byron Nelson win? TP: Yeah, I think we have a pretty good chance this year. I’d say […]

2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson

The CJ CUP Byron Nelson returns to TPC Craig Ranch in 2025 with an exciting field and some new, great hospitality opportunities and all the fun we have come to expect from this wonderful event. Canadian Taylor Pendrith returns to try to defend his title, alongside plenty of your favorite PGA TOUR superstars.  TPC Craig […]

Travel – Vancouver Island Golf Trail

The westernmost part of Canada is closer than you think. Vancouver Island – situated between the respective U.S. and Canadian landmasses – proves its country’s warmest region, a tenet which translates to Canada’s most diverse playground. Across an island on which one can literally ski, surf, golf and fish – all in the same day […]

Golf Tech – Mill, Baby Mill!

Golf club manufacturing has been transformed in the past few decades with modern computer-aided design and advanced precision manufacturing using high-tech equipment and space-aged materials technologies. Golfers can now benefit from these state-of-the-art advancements with golf clubs that are higher in quality, perform better and can be fit and customized like never before, ultimately allowing […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Golf 2025

BEST OVERALL COUNTRY CLUB VAQUERO CLUB With Dallas National closed for a multi-million-dollar renovation, this year’s top spot for best overall golf club was up for grabs. Preston Trail has long been considered one of the overall best, and we don’t disagree. But in the end, Trinity Forest emerged among our staff as the leader […]

Travel – Mountain Sky Guest Ranch

Montana has a mystique all its own. From the days of Lewis and Clark and the fur trade to the hit TV series Yellowstone, Montana’s growing popularity has tourism on the rise. Not too far from the 2.2-million-acre National Park is a place that offers every bit of the Paradise Valley experience. The Mountain Sky […]

Travel – Reynolds Lake Oconee

Towering pines, fresh air, lakeside views and every possible amenity you could ever want. Yes, that is what you get when you travel to Reynolds Lake Oconee, nestled deep within the Georgia wilderness.  Located about 90 minutes east of Atlanta in the Oconee National Forest, this sprawling property offers world-class golf, a 19,000-acre lake, some […]

Cover Story – 2025 PGA Show

The area near the convention center was clean and nice, although it was a little tourist-trappy. There are multiple bars and restaurants along International Drive, offering any number of places to dine and drink. There is also Icon Park, which features an observation wheel. For some reason, there is a business that offers helicopter tours […]

Feature – Cosm Dallas

“Shared Reality” is a concept many are not familiar with. However, if you live in the Metroplex, there is a new venue that provides an atmosphere and watching experience unlike any other in Texas. Cosm Dallas, which is located in The Colony’s Grandscape, is the newest way to watch your favorite team, all in a […]

Cover Story – The Golf Power Players of North Texas

The DFW golf landscape is ever changing, and there are always movers and shakers in the industry that we follow so closely. The PGA of America’s move to Frisco, the emergence of Topgolf as a global technology sensation and a trio of fantastic young PGA TOUR stars make this one of the best times ever […]

Travel – Black Desert Resort

For a destination long reputed for its national park play, the Red-Rocked canvass of southern Utah is living a visitor script flip in real time.  Since the stated 2023 debut of Black Desert Resort (Ivins, Utah), the region is now more apt to see travelers arriving with Titleists, instead of off-road tires, and soft spikes, […]

Travel – Mallorca, Spain

As we head into 2025, chances are you’ve got a couple of resolutions up your sleeve. Maybe you’ve got a wellness goal and want to improve your diet, exercise more, get some rest, or take better care of yourself.  And maybe (since you’re reading AVIDGOLFER) you also want to… play more golf? Golf is not […]

Cover Story – Beau Welling

Beau Welling could easily be described as the most interesting man in golf course design. His love for golf began as a child and developed as he made his way through Brown University as a member of its golf team. After a brief stint in the financial world, his longtime dream of golf course design […]

Course Review – Tour 18

Tour 18 in Dallas has been a staple of the Dallas-area golf scene since the mid-‘90s. Think of Tour 18 as an interactive trip around the golf world. It features replica holes of some of the most famous designs in American golf. From Doral’s Blue Monster, Oakmont’s church pews and Amen Corner, these 18 holes […]

Feature – For Love of the Game(s)

Dr. Jim Hilliard loved the game of golf. He played religiously and always enjoyed the challenge of trying to perfect a game that is imperfectible. As a collegiate athlete, an offensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns, sports were a huge part of Jim’s life. He loved football, but while at Texas he also found another […]

Cover Story – Best of Public Golf 2024

A New Number One! Yes, avid golfers, it is once again time for our rankings of the best daily fee and municipal courses in Dallas-Fort Worth. This is the 26th year for our public rankings, and in that time, many courses have come and gone from the Metroplex golf landscape. Renovations to courses, clubhouses and […]

Travel – Idaho

Sometimes, out-of-the-way is the best way. Opened to national raves in 2005, Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort in the mountain and meadow bounty of west-central Idaho’s Valley County would enjoy a buoyant, but brief debut. After a quick trip in the spotlight, the 3,600-acre resort property’s ill-timed unveiling amid national economic downtown would see the […]

Travel – Lajitas Golf Resort

If you are a golfer in Texas, you have likely heard of Lajitas Golf Resort … but chances are you have yet to make the trip to the Big Bend to see it. If you have yet to embark on this Texas adventure, it’s time. It’s time to stop making excuses and cross this one […]

Cover Story – Marty Turco

The Dallas Stars franchise has seen its share of netminders over the years. From Andy Moog and Eddie “The Eagle” Belfour to Kari Lehtonen and current goalie Jake Oettinger, the franchise has boasted plenty of talent between the pipes. But, if you take a gander at the franchise leaders in net for the Stars, one […]

Feature – The Southwest Airlines Showcase

Cedar Crest Golf Course in southern Dallas has been home to history since its charter in 1919 (see sidebar). New history was made in November of 2023 with the debut of a nationally televised tournament on GOLF Channel showcasing the top 42 amateur golfers in the country – 21 men and 21 women – from […]

Golf Tech – MACHINE Putters

Watch a golf tournament on TV and you’ll see professional tour players making a ton of putts, especially within 10 feet of the hole. One reason? Virtually every touring professional has a fully customized, professionally fit putter. It’s the same for college golfers and top amateurs. It’s extremely rare for an elite-level golfer to have […]

Cover Story – Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau is, by most accounts, the most interesting and popular pro golfer in all the land – along with Tiger Woods. He tied for 6th at the Masters, lost the PGA Championship by a stroke and won the U.S. Open, overtaking Rory McIlroy with an incredible bunker shot on the 72nd hole. The galleries […]

Travel – The Hideout Golf Club & Resort

Texas has many options for a great golf getaway. Unfortunately, many of them can be on the expensive side. What if I told you there is a rustic, fun resort just three hours from Dallas, that offers a fun golf course, pool, cabins, great dining and great customer service? I am sure you would be […]

Cover Story – Troy Aikman

Troy Aikman is a Dallas icon. He led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in the 90s, including winning the MVP in Super Bowl XXVII. Since his Hall of Fame playing career, Aikman has become a lot of things. He is a girl dad. He has been in the broadcast booth with FOX and […]

Travel – Nemacolin

HISTORY Just south of Pittsburgh, nestled among sprawling Allegheny Mountain ridges, sits a property where dreams become reality. Despite being less than 40-years old, Nemacolin offers a remarkable combination of luxury accommodations, activities and experiences that are second to none. The history of Nemacolin is as unique as its amenities. In 1987, Joseph A. Hardy […]

Feature Story – Darren Clarke

Darren Clarke had to make a decision as a teenager that would shape his life. He was infatuated with rugby and felt like he could have a future in the sport.  But he was also a talented junior golfer, making a name for himself in his native Northern Ireland and in Ireland. He opted for […]

Cover Story – Jane Slater

When AVIDGOLFER last checked in with Jane Slater, the year was 2004. Jane was a fresh-faced reporter for CBS 11 here in Dallas and was working hard to cover local sports and other major events like the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA postseason and local golf tournaments such as the Byron Nelson and Colonial. Now, […]

Travel – Summer Golf Destinations

Summer is here, but you don’t need your Pete Delkus, your friend’s social media picture of their car thermometer or an upcoming family vacation to figure that out. Just head to any golf course, where you’re sure to find green fairways, brisk winds, coolers full of swing grease and other beverages, and festive times (the […]

Travel – Streamsong

Nestled about 75 minutes outside of Tampa Bay, on the site of a once thriving phosphate mining operation, sits a golf wonder of the world. Streamsong Resort is astonishing in almost every way conceivable. From its four courses to its resort amenities and dining, this majestic Florida property must be seen to be believed. The […]

Cover Story – Sports Cards and Memorabilia

Just about every red-blooded American kid took a spin through collecting baseball cards at one time or another. From picking up packs in convenience stores, to checking out card shows or popping into your local card shop, ripping packs and seeing our heroes immortalized in card form was a great pastime among friends.  Over the […]

Travel – Traverse City

Would you rather tee it up in temperatures reaching the mid-90s or between 75 and 80 degrees?  We all know the answer to this question.  The average daily temperatures in Dallas – soaring to 96 degrees in July and August, according to weatherspark.com – sound downright painful compared to those blissful 75- to 80-degree summer […]

Feature – L.A.B. Golf & Sam Hahn

If you have ever picked up a golf club, then you have undoubtedly, at some point, questioned why you even play this stupid game. The ebbs and flows of consistent play can be downright cruel at times. One of the main things I hear, especially from amateurs, is bellyaching about short game woes … and, […]

Cover Story – CJ Cup Byron Nelson & Charles Schwab Challenge

THE CJ CUP BYRON NELSON The CJ CUP Byron Nelson is happening a couple weeks earlier than normal this year. So, rather than focus our attention on a preview of the tournament as we would normally do, we wanted to spotlight the Salesmanship Club and the Momentous Institute, both of which are critical to the […]

Travel – Hyatt Regency Hill Country

Hill Country road trips are a staple among those from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. There isn’t anything quite like hitting the open road and heading south for a weekend of majestic rolling hills and all the other attractions that area of our great state offers. Located just 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio, the Hyatt […]

Cover Story – Alfonso Ribeiro

Alfonso Ribeiro is probably best known for his role as Carlton Banks on the ‘90s smash-hit TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Alongside Will Smith, Ribeiro carved out a nice career, buoyed by his nerdy, but charming, portrayal of Carlton and his now infamous “Carlton dance.” But, this 52-year-old actor, who has been a […]

Travel – Gaylord’s Golf Getaway

North Texas has long presented one of the strongest golfing participation rates in the country, and Dallas has been ranked No. 4 among the 10 Best Golf Cities in America by GOLF Magazine based on the number of quality courses, affordability and weather.  But when the summer temperatures top out in excess of 100 degrees, […]

Feature Story – Leonard’s Links

Dallas native Justin Leonard has won at every level of golf, except one. As he embarks on his second full PGA TOUR Champions season, he is still looking for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour. He played 19 events in 2023 and had 12 top-25 finishes and five top-10 finishes, including a playoff loss […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Golf 2024

Best Overall Country Club 2024 Once again for 2024, Northwood Club holds AVIDGOLFER’s top spot for best country club in the Metroplex. Northwood has everything, from its modern, beautiful clubhouse to a world-class golf course. Conditions are always stupendous, with its rolling parkland architecture and one of the most scenic tee shots you will find […]

Travel – The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

Robert Trent Jones is a name synonymous with golf course design and architecture. Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is responsible for over 500 courses internationally, including Adair Manor, Spyglass Hill and, a little closer to home, three of the courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort, which is just a few hours south of DFW.  Of the hundreds […]

Travel – Florida

Planning the perfect family vacation is often an exercise in compromise or the art of the deal, as one former president once wrote. But it’s hard to go wrong in the North Florida haven of Hammock Beach, the history of St. Augustine and, of course, a nearby side trip to Orlando and Mickey Mouse. Enough […]

Cover Story – Jon Drago and Michael Tothe

PGA TOUR events take a lot of work. From sponsorship sales to hospitality areas and putting together a dynamite field for the fans, Tournament Director is a tireless, and sometimes thankless job. Michael Tothe and Jon Drago put in more work than just about anyone getting the Charles Schwab Challenge and the CJ CUP Byron […]

Feature – 2024 Tournament Planning Guide

Options Make For A Better Tournament  By Victoria Edwards • Director of Sales, Cowboys Golf Club How do you host a VIP Tournament with the pandemic? Tournaments are a great way to entertain clients, colleagues and raise money for your cause during the pandemic. It is very important that you understand what safety measures the […]

Cover Story – Hayden Springer

Hayden Springer may not be a name you’re familiar with. But to his family and friends, he is a husband, a father, a son and an inspiration.  In just a matter of a few weeks, this soon-to-be 27-year-old and his wife, Emma, experienced an emotional whirlwind unlike most people ever will, beginning on November 13 […]

Travel – Bahamas Bliss

When you use the term “royal blue” with the ever-scenic Caribbean, it can mean a lot of different things. It can certainly refer to the sky and the weather, which are blue and full of sunshine for a vast majority of the year. It can also refer to the Atlantic Ocean waters that lap up […]

Travel – Lake Charles

When you hear the words “golf trip” or “golf getaway,” what usually comes to mind? Perhaps you think of a bunch of guys, nonstop golf, greasy food, drinks and sports bars. Being married to a golfer and the daughter and sister of golfers, that’s what I envision the men in my life have done while […]

Cover Story – Total Madness

As AVIDGOLFER celebrates its silver anniversary in 2023, one of its original staffers takes a look back at some of her favorite moments – and, in particular, what she deems as its “one shining moment” – during the magazine’s first year.  You have to understand that Google was in its infancy in early 1999, the […]

Cover Story – Here’s to 25 Years!

Twenty-five years is a long time. It works out to 300 months, a little over 1,300 weeks, 9,131 days, 219,144 hours, 13,148,640 minutes and 788,918,400 seconds.  In a quarter century, AVIDGOLFER Magazine has evolved, grown and expanded with the Metroplex golf landscape. In that time, AG has delivered hundreds of thousands of magazines to courses […]

Travel – Shangri-La Resort

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain, is accurate in many ways. The wind-blown fields and wide-open vistas make the Sooner state one of the most underrated destinations in our great land. Golf may be a little scarce north of the Red, but the courses Oklahoma does have are legendary by anyone’s standards. […]

Cover Story – Best of Public 2023

If you have been paying attention, then you are aware this is the 25th anniversary of the publication. For those 25 years, we have given our readers the Best of Public Golf rankings. Every year, our staff sits down and discusses (sometimes ad nauseum) where we think each course should be ranked based on any […]

Travel – Giants Ridge

Minnesota’s rich history and gorgeous lake-strewn vistas are tailor-made for great fishing, great friendship and great adventure. But in the iron-ore rich northern part of the state, there is an abundance of natural beauty and a golf destination you won’t want to miss. Giants Ridge checks all the boxes for both becoming one with nature, […]

Cover Story – Our College Football Road Trip

Football and golf. Both are immensely popular in the south, especially during the fall months as the weather cools and courses green up with the season. If you are a fan of the pigskin and chasing the white-ball, then AVIDGOLFER has the perfect way to embark on a football/golf adventure. From the Metroplex, to the […]

Travel – Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta

The idea of first-class golf facilities, lodging and scenery all rolled into an amazing beach resort is hardly a new travel concept. But the new and ever-growing PGA TOUR site, Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta, takes it to a whole new level. Opened in 1997, Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta is a 2,500-acre property on a mile of beach […]

Feature – A Chat with Warren Stephens

The Stephens family has a long and storied history when it comes to the game of golf. Jackson T. Stephens, the patriarch of the family, was a member at Augusta National Golf Club beginning in 1962 and later became the chairman of the club from 1991 to 1998. Throughout his many years of love for […]

Cover Story – Sonny Dykes

Sonny Dykes took TCU to the National Championship game in his first year as Head Coach of the Horned Frogs. But the road hasn’t been easy for the son of Texas coaching legend Spike Dykes. After a career playing college baseball for Texas Tech, the same university where his father roamed the sidelines for the […]

Travel – Balsam Mountain Preserve

You would be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful and peaceful area of this great land than the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. There is a reason George Vanderbilt built the architectural wonder that is The Biltmore Estate in this area over 100 years ago. The serene vistas and tree-covered mountainous terrain are awe-inspiring […]

Cover Story – Every Golfer’s Dream

Every golfer has long imagined hitting all six of those magical lottery numbers and then joining that expensive country club, buying all the latest equipment, and building an amazing setup in their home to keep their game sharp and entertain their buddies. Over the last several years, companies that specialize in home golf simulators, putting […]

Cover Story – Bob Sturm

Bob Sturm has been a Ticket stalwart for almost a quarter century now. After working his way through smaller markets, Sturm was presented an opportunity to join KTCK back in 1999. After some early struggles with self-doubt, Sturm found his way to co-hosting with Dan McDowell, a duo that would alter the Ticket’s broadcast day […]

Travel – Northern California

When it came time to pick a college home, Tiger Woods, who hasn’t always made the best life choices (that’s a whole other story) did just fine by picking the lush, golf-rich environment of Northern California and nearby Stanford University. Perhaps outside of Long Island, New York, or maybe Philadelphia, there is no better concentration […]

Travel – Wild Dunes Resort

South Carolina is known for a lot of things, from its blooming yellow jessamine to its stately oak trees and sandy Lowcountry beaches, the cultural significance and abundant Southern hospitality is palpable from the minute you set foot on Palmetto State soil. But, if you are one who enjoys chasing the white ball, South Carolina […]

Feature – Fred Perpall

Longtime Dallasite Fred Perpall achieved a couple of impressive firsts when he recently was elected to a three-year term as President of the United States Golf Association, which oversees amateur and some professional golf in the United States. He became the first Black ever elected at president of the USGA, as well as the first […]

Cover Story – Greg Chalmers

Greg Chalmers may not be a PGA TOUR household name, but this southpaw Aussie has quietly carved out a nice career playing the great game of golf. Born in Sydney, Chalmers picked up the game thanks to his father, who would take him to his local golf course and give him a 7-iron to hit […]

Travel – Traverse City

Would you rather tee it up in temperatures reaching the mid-90s or between 75 and 80 degrees?  We all know the answer to this question.  The average daily temperatures in Dallas – soaring to 96 degrees in July and August, according to weatherspark.com – sound downright painful compared to those blissful 75- to 80-degree summer […]

Cover Story – Nelson, Colonial, Senior PGA Previews

The 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson  The AT&T Byron Nelson is back for 2023 with an exciting commitment list, new hospitality options and a great venue to host it all! Since 1968, the Byron Nelson has been one of the premiere events on the PGA TOUR. Over the years, the tournament was held at Preston Trail […]

Cover Story – DeMarcus Ware

  When the Dallas Cowboys made DeMarcus Ware their first-round draft pick back in 2005, little did anyone know, including DeMarcus himself, what a ride he was about to embark on. Ware was a multi-sport athlete at Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama, before continuing his athletic endeavors while on scholarship at Troy University. As […]

Travel – Quivira

When you have one of the most popular and successful golf courses in this target-rich links environment on the Pacific tip of Mexico, designed by one of the most popular architects, what’s the only thing you can do to improve? Build a second one, like the first, by Jack Nicklaus. That’s exactly the plan for […]

Travel – Gaylord’s Golf Getaway

North Texas has long presented one of the strongest golfing participation rates in the country, and Dallas has been ranked No. 4 among the 10 Best Golf Cities in America by GOLF Magazine based on the number of quality courses, affordability and weather.  But when the summer temperatures top out in excess of 100 degrees, […]

Travel – On the Road in The Magnolia State

Mississippi is known for its majestic cotton fields, beautiful deltas and for being the birthplace of blues music. It has a rich history chock-full of southern charm, with French, Spanish and British influence. I doubt the first thing many think of when it comes to The Magnolia State is golf, but there are plenty of […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Golf 2023

Best Overall Country Club 2023 Dallas National Golf Club  There are a handful of clubs in Dallas/Fort Worth that are just special. Dallas National Golf Club is certainly one of those places. Opened in 2002, National is a golfer’s paradise, with a course that is unlike anything for hundreds of miles and a practice facility […]

Cover Story – Hope Beel

If you have been a fan of AG for the last 25 years, then you undoubtedly remember the days of our Cart Girl of the Month. It was one of our most popular benchmarks and we still get questions about it today. Our first Cart Girl of the Month ran in October 2003; our last […]

Travel – Houston

While the PGA Frisco project looms large on the North Texas golf horizon, the Houston area also has been busy by adding three new public golf options, with Tour 18 Incorporated’s Highland Pines, the par-3 East River 9, and a modern putting course, PopStroke, designed by Tiger Woods and his design team. All three projects […]

Travel – Northern Majesty

Golf in the target-rich environment of Canada is known for spectacular views, lots of on-course wildlife and famous course layouts by famous designers. As the saying applies here, though, it’s a great season, but a short season. Translated, Canada, known as the Great White North for a reason, is under a blanket of snow and […]

Feature – Kathy Whitworth 1939-2022

It was March 10, 2019. A crowd of junior golfers sat within the high-ceilinged, Mira Vista Country Club clubhouse, awaiting the commencement of the Kathy Whitworth Invitational welcome dinner. Among that group was my 12-year-old self, both wide-eyed with excitement, and undoubtedly red-cheeked from enduring the standard 20mph breeze of a spring day in Fort […]

Cover Story – Benjamin Vincent

If you a longtime reader of AVIDGOLFER, then you have likely seen many of our illustrated covers. What you may not know is who is behind them and how they are created. As we embark on the 25th anniversary of the magazine, we wanted to pull back the curtain and give our readers an inside […]

Travel – Firestone Country Club

Invited Clubs, formerly ClubCorp, is one of the premiere club management companies in the United States, with properties all across the country. One of their most recognizable clubs is familiar to those who have followed the PGA TOUR, Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.  Getting to Firestone is pretty painless from Dallas. There are plenty […]

Cover Story – Ryan Palmer

Ryan Palmer is as Texan as they come. The Amarillo native grew up worshipping Texas A&M football and wanting to be an Aggie. He got that chance and after a solid career in College Station, the now 46-year-old is one of the wily veterans on the PGA TOUR. In his career, he has finished in […]

Feature – First Look: PGA Frisco

Here at AVIDGOLFER, we have followed the story of the new PGA development in Frisco since it was little more than a wild idea circulating among the local golf community. Those whispers began about four years ago, and since then, the idea not only became a reality, but has given birth to the new modern […]

Travel – Big Cedar Lodge

Long known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Branson, Missouri, with its ceaseless marque of family-style shows, has adjoined with a burgeoning playing partner to redefine the region amid the heart of the Ozarks.  (And no, it’s not Jason Bateman, whose acclaimed Netflix series was set 120 miles northeast, in Lake of the […]

Cover Story – Best of Public Golf 2022

This year, 2022, was one of our most competitive ever for our best of public rankings. The western side is particularly compelling, as there are so many great public courses that not only boast great conditions, but outstanding price points to boot. The east also has plenty of great options, and with the grand opening […]

Cover Story – Joe Pavelski

Joe Pavelski isn’t necessarily a household name across the hockey landscape. He’s not as recognizable as, say, a Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick or former AG cover boy Mike Modano. But while you might not notice Pavelski if he wandered by you in a grocery store, he has quietly put together a potential hall-of-fame career right […]

Travel – Luck of the Irish

To know Ireland golf is to know truly authentic and wonderful links golf, stunning scenery, quaint and charming villages, interesting (to say the least} weather, and a buddies’ golf trip you’ll remember forever. But if all you know is Ireland golf, then you will have missed out on a great deal of this most interesting […]

Travel – Brainerd Lakes

For the golf destination traveler, the compass continues to point north. For players making a run toward the upper border: Cut between Nebraska’s sandhills to the west and the Ozark’s rocky outcrops to the east; as the terrain transitions from Iowa’s heartlands and Wisconsin’s canvass of stream cities and railroad towns to the Land of […]

Cover Story – Ascendant LPGA Preview

An elite LPGA tournament, a great date and course, and a chance to win a pro tour event in their home state is the draw for several local LPGA Tour players, who have a Texas-sized interest in the $1.7 million Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, to be contested at Old American Golf Club in […]

Cover Story – The Power Players of North Texas Golf

The DFW golf landscape is ever changing, and there are always movers and shakers in the industry that we follow so closely. The PGA of America’s move to Frisco, the emergence of Topgolf as a global technology sensation and a trio of fantastic young PGA TOUR stars make this one of the best times ever […]

Travel – Fresh Vintage

This probably isn’t the Southern California pictured in your mind. It’s better. Rolling, rustic and verdant, SoCal’s all-seasons Temecula Valley is on the rise for travelers seeking a primo pairing of golf and wine. Ideally triangulated between the better-known destinations of Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs (and less than a two-hour drive from […]

Travel – Louisiana

When searching for (or being asked about) great golf travel locations, the heavy hitters that often come up – the Pinehursts and Pebble Beaches and Kiawah Islands of the world – require a boat load of planning, an incredibly long lead time and, in most cases, at least one rather lengthy (and costly) plane ticket […]

Feature – Jason Leap

There are countless “comeback” stories that hit the airwaves in our pop culture-dominant world. J.K. Rowling went form single motherhood and government subsidies to authoring “Harry Potter” literary sensations. Robert Downey, Jr. followed major substance abuse and legal troubles with trips to the Academy Awards. And the 1969 New York Mets ascended from projected cellar […]

Cover Story – Texas Two Step

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you likely know how dominant golfers from Dallas have been over the last several years. Jordan Spieth, although he isn’t winning at the clip he was several years ago, still has 13 PGA TOUR wins, a trio of majors, and a whole lot of money at age […]

Travel – Hot Springs

I have loaded my clubs into a vehicle and headed in many different directions from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, but until recently the northeastern direction was vacant from that list. I am happy to report that is no longer the case. The 325-mile, four hours and change, easy jaunt to Hot Springs Village, almost all […]

Feature – DFW Schedule Shuffle

Next spring’s opening of the new PGA Frisco golf headquarters and resort facility – along with the 26 announced PGA tournaments it will host, including the first major golf championship in North Texas in more than 50 years – will establish the area as the new home of golf competition for both professionals and amateurs […]

Feature – Justin Leonard

North Texas golf fans, who knew of the local golf rivalry between Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson only through the history books, and maybe only saw Dallas’ Lee Trevino on the Champions TOUR, certainly are reveling in the current Scottie Scheffler-Jordan Spieth rivalry on the course.  Both Scheffler and Spieth are Dallas-bred junior golf products […]

Travel – Louisiana Golf

Standing on the 17th tee of Pete Dye’s TPC Louisiana, pondering what iron to pull in the face of a stout, southerly breeze with water guarding the railroad tie-lined green on one side and sand on the other, I thanked the golf travel gods for putting me here, in New Orleans, at long last. Somehow, […]

Feature – The Ticket’s April Fool’s Open

Last month, Dallas sports radio giant The Ticket held its second April Fool’s Open at Prairie Lakes Golf Course in Grand Prairie. If you are a Ticket listener, you likely remember the first incarnation of the event held at the same venue back in 2016. The inaugural event featured several Ticket personalities all vying for […]

Cover Story – Nelson and Colonial Preview

  The AT&T Byron Nelson is back to full capacity this year, with a star-studded field and some new fan-friendly experiences to enjoy. The Nelson embarked on its maiden voyage at TPC Craig Ranch last year, and with only half the allotment of fans allowed on the course due to the ongoing pandemic, it gave […]

Travel – A League of Their Own

Football may be king here in Texas, but baseball is still America’s pastime. While the 99-day lockout may have some initial repercussions, the sport has proven it can rebound quite nicely from any work stoppage or even – remember 1994? – the cancellation of a season and the World Series. For Texas Rangers and Houston […]

Cover Story – Larry the Cable Guy

Over the years, AG has had its fair share of not only golfers, but celebrities on our cover. From major winners like Jack Nicklaus and Todd Hamilton to celebrities like Jerry Jones, Dr. Phil, Janine Turner, and even President George W. Bush. When we got word that there would be a new Champions Tour event […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Clubs 2022

Our best of private club rankings issue is always one of the most enjoyable endeavors we embark on annually at the AVIDGOLFER office. We always relish the opportunity to see how the upper crust lives and the amenities and courses they enjoy as members of clubs around the Metroplex. From the highfalutin, hyper elite clubs […]

Feature – Hammer Time

Texas Longhorn senior golfer Cole Hammer, the latest in the seemingly never-ending Lone Star State assembly line of great golfers, is nearing the end of his amateur career after this summer’s NCAA Championships and looking forward to his next step. Hammer, 22, a native of Houston who is known by his friends and fellow competitors […]

Travel – Magic Awaits

Long ago, Mickey Mouse conquered the world for anybody with kids under the age of 12, especially for those who ventured to his headquarters at Disney World in Orlando.  But if you combine another legendary figure who conquered the world for a slightly higher age demographic, Arnold Palmer Golf Management, with the orchestrators of “The […]

Travel – Mexican Majesty

The idea of great golf, great food and beverages of all variety, all during an 18-hole round, might be the greatest sporting combination since the afternoon tea break during the World Cricket Test Matches. The game, in its most refined form – golf, cricket or just about anything else – is a celebration; it’s not […]

Cover Story – Joe Trahan

Joe Trahan, Texas born and bred (with stops in South Carolina and Louisiana), replaced a true Texas TV legend when he took over from retiring WFAA-Channel 8 Sports Director Dale Hansen as the lead Sports Anchor in September 2021. Hansen spent 37 years as the leading sports voice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, before retiring […]

Feature – 2022 Tournament Planning Guide

Options Make for a Better Tournament By Megan Calmes, Cowboys Golf Club When given a variety of course options to hold a tournament what factors should I consider? The size of the outing and projected number of participants, their abilities and skill levels should be taken into consideration. And, since most golfers enjoy eating and […]

Feature – Passion and Perseverance

The famous sports book, “Heaven is a Playground,” was a passionate ode to the game of basketball. But for TPC-Craig Ranch Assistant Golf Professional Brian Kleckner, heaven is the first tee on any local golf course, with the chance to grow the game and help others. Kleckner, who has battled and transcended Cerebral Palsy in […]

Travel – Destinations for 2022

It’s been a long … and we do mean long … two years since our lives were drastically changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some of the things we did prior to March 2020 are now a thing of the past or no longer considered a part of society (think greeting strangers with a handshake […]

Predicting 2022 – How will Jordan, Scottie and Will Fare in 2022?

Over the years, we here at AVIDGOLFER have previewed many seasons and events on the PGA Tour. We always take a look at the upcoming AT&T Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge in May, and there have been occasions where we take a look at the upcoming PGA Tour season in our January issue. The […]

Cover Story – Stars CEO Brad Alberts

In 1992, the Minnesota North Stars were planning to relocate to a new market. Originally, owner Norm Green was planning to take the franchise to Los Angeles to play in its new arena, which is now the Honda Center. However, a cheeky hockey movie called The Mighty Ducks and Disney were already in negotiations to […]

Travel – San Diego

Golf in December can mean a lot of things to golfers, depending on where you play on a regular basis. But golf in December in San Diego means about the same thing it does the rest of the year: perfect conditions, sunny days, light winds and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the adjacent […]

Travel – Bexar County Beauty

San Antonio is known to Texans for many things. The Riverwalk, the Spurs, SeaWorld, and, of course, we all remember the Alamo. However, for those Texans who love golf, leisure and relaxation, San Antonio should be on your radar for another reason. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa has been a […]

Cover Story – Best of Public Golf 2021

After a turbulent and trying 2020, this year has been better. We saw the COVID-19 pandemic slow, and life is returning to some semblance of normalcy. Ironically, one of the few industries that has seen a significant increase in revenue is the golf industry. Equipment sales boomed and courses have been busy over the last […]

Cover Story – Danielle Kang

From taekwondo to putts for dough, Danielle Kang is already a superstar on the LPGA. With a major championship, five total wins, three Solheim Cup appearances, an Olympic appearance, a Vare Trophy, and almost $7 million in earnings, this Korean American sensation has accomplished a career’s worth of success despite having yet to reach her […]

Travel – Streamsong Resort

Florida has long been known as one of the premiere destinations for golf in this great country of ours. From Bay Hill to Sawgrass and Doral, the sunshine state is one of the must travel places for great food, an adventure in culture and fantastic golf. Steamsong is another one of Florida’s finest golf resorts, […]

Feature – Tom Fazio

Tom Fazio has been called America’s greatest living architect by several publications, and for good reasons when you consider his highly ranked body of work. But looking through a Lone Star lens, he might be Texas’ favorite golf visitor.  This month’s soft opening of the first nine holes at Driftwood Golf & Ranch Club just […]

Travel – O Fair New Mexico

While I have heard many people talk of visiting The Land of Enchantment for the shopping, art galleries, historical churches, and perusing items available at craft shows or the items available from the local Native American artisans, when I think of visiting the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area my thoughts turn to two of my favorite activities: […]

Cover Story – Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler is yet another player on the long list of young PGA Tour phenoms that are from or live in the Dallas area. Of course, the success of Jordan Spieth has been well documented, and over the last few months, we have seen Will Zalatoris and Harry Higgs both grace our cover.  Scheffler has […]

Drive Time – 2021 Porsche Macan GTS

The Porsche brand brings visions of quick, superb handling, engaging sound and downright adrenaline driving cache, delivering on the euphoric promise their rides check the boxes on all sensational counts. And now with three four-door options, Porsche is no longer deemed all fun but light on practicality.  For those who relish their two-door 911 but […]

Luxury Travel – Cornerstone Club

We Texans adore our trips to Colorado. Beautiful weather (spring to fall for golf; winter for snow sports), mountainous topography and a quick plane ride to this lovely nirvana make this a must-do destination. The factors ramp up further when escaping the summer furnace of the Bluebonnet State.  AG President Craig Rosengarden and I visited […]

Cover Story – Sam Gannon

You may recognize the lovely Sam Gannon as the co-host of the popular Free 4 All on FOX 4 here in Dallas. On that nighty sports program, she sits beside veteran anchor Mike Doocy. Doocy has been in DFW since March of 1994 and has become a staple of Dallas sports broadcasting. Free 4 All […]

Cover Story – Harry Higgs

At AVIDGOLFER, we like to keep our fingers on the pulse of local golf, especially when it comes to our local professionals. We have covered many careers over the years, and we have helped spread the word about up-and-coming local talents. Just a couple months ago, we were able to chat with Will Zalatoris, who […]

Feature – On the Brink

“Here we are” my mom remarked. Her voice possessed a softness that only she could accomplish. She promised she would video this moment, the moment I took one giant leap into my future, but in a tired haze we marveled at the sight before us, free of the obstruction of her cracked phone screen.  I […]

Travel – Las Vegas

In late January, the opportunity to play two of the nicest golf courses I have been fortunate to swing a stick on, Southshore and Southern Highlands, were alluring enough to get me to travel to Las Vegas in the midst of a pandemic.  Four days of staring at a Las Vegas Boulevard bereft of traffic, […]

Travel – Omni Barton Creek

The Texas Hill Country is always awe-inspiring. It doesn’t seem there are a lot of Texans who appreciate just how infinitely different the various regions of our vast state can be. From the Gulf Coast to the vast, flat red dirt of West Texas, to the mountainous region known as the Big Bend, we have […]

Cover Story – A New Beginning for Colonial

The upcoming renovation at historic Colonial Country Club by architect Gil Hanse will restore the site of the 1941 U.S. Open, 1991 U.S. Women’s Open and current PGA Tour host to its original 1930s grandeur, according to members who voted in favor by a huge margin. All without missing a beat in the annual tournament.  […]

Feature – Groundbreaking at PGA Frisco

The Swing and the Dance Floor are the two latest additions to the massive PGA Frisco project steadily rising in north Frisco near Highway 380 and just west of Dallas North Tollway. While North Texas golf fans undoubtedly are excited about the 26 PGA of America golf events already announced for the two-course complex being […]

Feature – Q&A With 2020 Schwab Winner Daniel Berger

The 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge was one for the record books as North Texas golf’s most historic event welcomed the PGA Tour back to full-field competition after a nearly two-month COVID-19 pause. With no professional tournament golf since the Players Championship in mid-March, players were left to own devices to get ready to play for […]

Cover Story – AT&T Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

AT&T Byron Nelson  When we last published a preview for the AT&T Byron Nelson, we had yet to enter the pandemic and the tournament was scheduled to be contested at Trinity Forest in south Dallas. My, how things have changed since the 2019 Nelson, which was won by Sung Kang with a score of -23.  […]

Travel – Island Vibes

For most travelers practicing and perfecting their golf game is not the number one reason they come to the Big Island of Hawaii. Practicing their suntan acquisition. Yes! Their beach walking and sea shell collecting. Yes!! Plus their Mai-Tai and Lava Flow drinking. Big, big yes. But the Fabulous Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the […]

Cover Story – Will Zalatoris

Will Zalatoris is rapidly becoming a household name. But if you are from the DFW area, you have likely been following his progress much longer. Since the end of 2018, the 24-year-old Plano resident has rocketed up the Official World Golf Rankings from number 2,006, to as of the publishing of this feature, number 43. […]

Feature Story – Annika and Me

“Straight back, straight through,” I thought, as I stood over the final putt, a putt that would change my junior golf career. In spite of the large amounts of pressure that could have limitless effects, I stood the stance that I have used since I was old enough to walk and made a stroke blissfully […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Clubs 2021

Here we go again. Yes, it’s time for our annual private club rankings. When we last published this issue in 2020, we had not yet entered the year of shutdowns, masks, pin flags remaining in and single-rider carts. The last year has been bizarre to say the least, but we continue to move forward and […]

Feature – Private Club Shuffle

After a year of big changes in the North Texas golf scene, mainly related to the COVID-19 virus and the new PGA headquarters facility in Frisco, 2021 is starting out with some huge developments of its own as four of the area’s most prestigious private clubs are changing head professionals. While changes at the head […]

Cover Story – DOT COM TOM

When Tom Cox got into the golf business in the 1990s, little did he know that his journey would take him from country club general manager to entrepreneur to husband and now to father. Cox, like many in the 90s, began to soak up knowledge about the internet and how it might benefit not only […]

Travel – Mahalo, Hawaii

When it comes to golf sequels, the second edition is rarely as good as the original. Does Caddyshack II ring a bell? Sadly, it probably does to anyone who paid good money to see the disappointing sequel to the original. What about Tommy Armour 855 irons, Greater Big Bertha driver or any other club which […]

Cover Story – Caddy Confidential

The caddy is a mysterious figure in the world of golf. They are constantly hovering in the background of camera shots, just out of focus, helping the world’s greatest golfers make decisions that can ultimately lead to swings of thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. But what do we really know about the […]

Travel – Golf Fun in ’21

Thank God 2020 is in the rearview mirror! Truer words have never been spoken … the year was an incredibly trying one for us all. In some way – and unfortunately for some, in many ways – COVID-19 had a maddening effect on us all. The golf industry also was greatly affected by the coronavirus, […]

Feature – Carolina Grand

Pinehurst resort is on every golfer’s bucket list. For those that have been there, they will never play a round with a stranger and not brag about the time they went to North Carolina. For those that haven’t been, they can only dream about trying to replicate the putt Payne Stewart made to win the […]

Cover Story – Good Riddance, 2020

Since March when the pandemic took hold of the world, things have seemed bleak for many of us. There have been some hopeful moments. When we were told that it would only take a few weeks to “flatten the curve”, we bought in. We wear masks, we wash our hands for minutes at a time, […]

Feature – Taking a Look at the Ladies

Texas Golf ends its strangest, most stressful and in some ways most successful participation year ever this month, with two national professional events. The Volunteers of America Classic LPGA Tournament December 3-6 at Old American Golf Course in The Colony and the 75th U.S. Women’s Open December 10-13 at Champions Golf Club in Houston. That’s […]

Cover Story – Best of Public Golf 2020

2020 will go down as one of the most bizarre years ever for the DFW golf industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered families, businesses, and our day-to-day lives like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Throughout the topsy-turvy year, courses have been forced to adapt and evolve as the rest of us have. Some closed by local […]

Travel – Divots on the Delta

Great golf and great food are two must-haves for any golf trip and the Mississippi Delta region offers them in abundance with the added attraction of a rich history that includes being the home of the quintessential American music form, the Blues. A recent visit began by learning a geography lesson. The area called the […]

Cover Story – Touchdowns and Tee Shots

Ezekiel Elliott has been an athletic stud since he was a tyke. On the field, court and track he has been dominant. As a three sport standout at John Burroughs School in Missouri, he piled up rushing yards on the football field, was an ankle breaking small forward on the basketball court, and was a […]

Travel – Hammock Beach

You can hammer it with hurricanes and close it with COVID, even change owners, but no matter what traveling hurdles you put in front of the spectacular oceanside Hammock Beach Resort it keeps improving and wowing golfing visitors to the East Coast of Florida. Now with industry leader Troon Golf, which arrived earlier this year […]

Texas Treasures – Starr Hollow

Marty Leonard has filled plenty of roles in her decades of service to Texas golf. The daughter of Colonial Country Club founder Marvin Leonard, she has served as a longtime committee member at Colonial, spent 18 years on the USGA Women’s Golf Committee, played and long promoted the game, but the one she enjoys the […]

Travel – Rancho San Lucas

Uneven and unloved could be the title of a country music song, but it just as well could be the title for some Greg Norman-designed golf courses built in the U.S. over the last several years. But with the debut of his new Rancho San Lucas course, which opened last February in this golf-heavy region, […]

Travel – Firestone CC

Truth be told, I have always had an affinity for what I like to call television golf courses. The golf courses that you have the ability to play that you also get to see on television if you are a person who enjoys watching the PGA Tour. There is a possibility that I have always […]

Cover Story – PGA Frisco

Neither golf architect Gil Hanse or PGA of America COO Darrell Crall has any formal training in drama. Crall got plenty of traditional education at Duke University with a degree in history while Hanse has a masters of landscape architecture degree from Cornell University. But together, along with more than 200 daily workers at the […]

Feature Story – Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber has always been a pro’s pro. Through nine seasons, 98 wins, and a pair of Cy Young Awards, he was a cornerstone for the Cleveland Indians franchise.  The Birmingham, Alabama native played his high school ball right here in DFW at Coppell High School. While there, he was a two-time all-district selection and […]

Cover Story – Fairways of Solitude

The COVID-19 Worldwide Pandemic has changed life for golfers and just about everybody else in the world over the last six months.  From no live sports and fanless golf tournaments to out of work members to prolonged at home executives and on-line schooling for kids, everything which can been disrupted in the golf world has […]

Cover Story – The Pride of Panther City

On a soggy afternoon at Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth, Angela Stanford gets ready for another day of her golf career. After 20-years playing as a professional, she still loves it just as much as she did her first day on tour.   Stanford was always an athlete growing up. Volleyball and basketball […]

Feature Story – Beaver State Anniversary

To build a new resort, where one doesn’t exist for hundreds of miles and most don’t think ever will, as Mike Keiser found out, first you have to be called crazy, delusional and a soon-to-be epic golf failure. And that’s just for starters. But thankful for golfers worldwide, Keiser and then-unknown Scottish golf architect David […]

Travel – Casa de Campo

What happened when the greatest golf course architect in the modern era plied his considerable imagination and skill on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth? Well, you get one of the special places to play the game of golf on Pete Dye’s glorious Teeth of the Dog layout at Casa de Campo Resort […]

Travel – Mystical Golf in Myrtle Beach

Mystical Golf and its trifecta of Myrtle Beach courses – The Witch, Man-O-War and The Wizard – is perhaps the best bang for your golfing buck in the U.S. Why? The three Dan Maples’ designs are flat-out superb; the maintenance excellent; and the price is off-the-charts reasonable – specially the stay-and-play packages.  Though Man-O-War and […]

Defending Colonial Champ Kevin Na – Q&A

Kevin Na has been a regular visitor to storied Colonial Country Club over several years with plenty of success at the historic Fort Worth course. He has turned in four top-10 finishes, tied the course record with a 61 in 2018 and shot a 62 in 2017. But until last year he had never come […]

Cover Story – Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

Colonial Country Club, the historic Fort Worth golf mainstay, birthed in the Great Depression, having survived fire and flood and the annual assault on par, is ready to regain its relevance and step back to the worldwide stage. Twice in the last two decades, Colonial has been the site of a worldwide golf event, relevant […]

Feature – True Americana: French Lick Resort

When most people consider their bucket list destinations for golf travel, the ones that come to mind are often the heavy hitters: Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes and others. However, a recent trip to Indiana has me thinking there is a new candidate for a must-see golf destination. French Lick, Indiana is probably best known […]

Feature – Colt Knost: Unplugged

In 34 years of golf and life, North Texas native Colt Knost has packed in plenty of both in a remarkable three-plus decade span which is still going strong now in its next chapter as a new media member.  After a stellar high school career in Pilot Point, he arrived to play college golf at […]

Cover Story – The Byron Nelson and TPC Craig Ranch

The AT&T Byron Nelson PGA Tour event and the Salesmanship Club ,which has overseen it’s operation for more than five decades, has built the most successful golf fundraising event in the U.S., with more than $110 million raised for its charity through hard work, inspired vision, leadership and knowing where the next big thing might […]

Travel – For Pete’s Sake

By Robert Rodriguez Golf lost a special ambassador when legendary course architect Pete Dye passed away earlier this year at the age of 94. Many in the golf world memorialized the Indiana native, and tributes throughout this year were set at many of his layouts, both on and off the PGA Tour schedule.  Who would’ve […]

Cover Story – COVID-19 and the Golf Industry

By Eli Jordan and Art Stricklin Over the last several weeks, the way we live our lives has been dramatically altered. The COVID-19 pandemic has risen like a storm and swept its way across the world, wreaking havoc in various forms. Menial tasks have become infinitely more difficult. Schools and universities have closed their doors […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Golf 2020

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone as we say goodbye to a decade and enter the 2020’s. As we always do, AVIDGOLFER put in the work in 2019 to see as many of the local private clubs here in Dallas-Fort Worth and again, we bring you our Best of Private rankings.  […]

2020 Private Club Directory

Bent Tree Country Club 5201 Westgrove Drive Dallas, TX 75248 972-931-7326 www.benttreecc.org Designers: Muirhead, Nugent & Foster Year Opened: 1972 Initiation Fee: $75,000 Monthly Dues: $1,100  Greens: Bent Equity Club: Yes General Manager: Dan Burkett Director of Golf: Danny Coughlan Membership Director: Lisa Heward    Brook Hollow Golf Club  8301 Harry Hines Boulevard Dallas, TX […]

Travel – Bama Bound

Sweet Home Alabama is more than just a song or a movie, although they both certainly evoke the spirit of the beautiful state. It’s also a mantra for the hard-working, friendly folks that travelers encounter along the way. From the bagboys and beverage cart girls on the world-class golf courses to the servers and chefs in […]

Cover Story – Bob Stoops

The name Stoops is legendary in the Sooner state.  The winningest coach in Oklahoma history, Bob Stoops’ indelible impact on the University of Oklahoma and their football program cannot be understated. “Big Game Bob”, as he quickly became known, led the Sooners to a school-record 190 victories, surpassing Barry Switzer’s 157 wins during the 2013 […]

Travel – 2020 Golf Vision

The cold fronts are now swooping in, bringing snow to those up north and chilly temps and brisk winds down south. For golfers, that means either pulling out the long sleeves and beanies, or stowing away the clubs until spring … late spring (for some). That also means scouting the top-100 lists and best-you-can-play rankings […]

Feature – 2020 Tournament Planning Guide

Creating a VIP Experience – By Carla Goss, Clubcorp How would you define a VIP experience?  A VIP Experience is what we try to do every day with our tournaments. It starts with the planning process, ensuring we understand what they want the guests to remember. It is incorporating elements that WOW players by making […]

Feature Story – The New Way to Putt

skep·ti·cal /’skeptək(ə)l/ Adjective not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations. When AG first got wind that Barney Adams was part of a new business venture, this one centered around the art of putting, the staff could frequently be heard using the word listed above. Skeptical. We began to wonder how the Stability Putting shaft could […]

Feature Story – Get Lost in the Pines

By Gary Krupkin AG Special Guest Contributor Turn into the gate, and imperceptibly but inexorably, the hectoring of daily clockwork demands unwind as the roadway bends toward The Lost Pines Resort. Into view comes the hotel; a solid, prairie-inspired building of limestone, wood and Texas welcome. “Howdy’s” all around as the staff greets you like […]

Cover Story – Forecasting the 2020 season

The calendar has turned to January and the doors have officially closed on the 2019 golf year. With that in mind, we here at AG (and with the help of some friends) wanted to look ahead at what we would like to see occur on the PGA TOUR over the next 12 months. But before […]

Cover Story – FOX Sports broadcaster Shane Bacon

From the time Marshall native Shane Bacon could walk, he had a golf club in his hands. Trust me, there’s photos on social media to prove it. But while Bacon’s aspirations of playing professionally faded not soon after college, he always believed his career path would involve sports. Boy, was he right. What began as […]

Tales From the Back Nine Part XII – East Texas

On the debut journey of Tales from the Back Nine, we embarked into the great unknown with stubborn invincibility. Enthusiasm for exploring wilderness golf adventures trumped common sense. With my faithful F-150 loaded with golf, camping and fishing gear, we took off for the remote rugged stretches of West Texas in mid-December feeling bulletproof. Driving […]

Cover Story – Best of Public 2019

2019 was a tremendous year for Dallas/Fort Worth golf. Favorable weather conditions and a Metroplex chock-full of talented agronomy teams kept courses fantastic throughout the year. With that in mind, 2019 was one of the most competitive ever in AG’s annual Best of Public rankings. From Old American and Cowboys to Prairie Lakes and Bear […]

Tales from the Back Nine, Part XI – South Central Texas, Port Aransas

Most native Texans, if they paid attention in grade school, or read the book, or saw the movie, or stumbled onto the hallowed grounds after sipping margaritas on the River Walk, know the Alamo as the enduring symbol of Texas’ heroic fight for independence. So, yeah, we like sorta remember the Alamo. But what about […]

Cover Story – Kyle Berkshire, 2019 World Long Drive Champion

With his now signature long hair dripping with sweat, Kyle Berkshire makes his final preparations to become a long drive immortal. Ball after ball sail into the Oklahoma night sky, seemingly never reaching for the ground below.  Berkshire, a 22-year-old destroyer of golf balls, known for his flowing brown locks and rock-step triggered, 155-mph swing, […]

Feature Story – The World Long Drive Tour: Past and Present

The 44th edition of the World Long Drive Championship was contested last month in Thackerville, Oklahoma and when all was said and done a new king and queen were left standing on the men’s and women’s sides.  It was the first time since 2013 that both events produced a first-time winner with Kyle Berkshire and […]

Tales from the Back Nine, Part X – Red River Region

With Texas and Oklahoma seemingly headed for an epic college football showdown this month, it seemed the perfect time to explore wild golf in the Red River region. Remote courses, state parks and fishing spots flourish on both sides of the border, making the Red River a golf adventure waiting to happen. The trusty old […]

Cover Story – College Days Revisited

To become a PGA TOUR player, you need talent, determination and self-minded focus to do nothing but eat, drink and sleep golf. Except in the fall, of course. That’s when the Tour players passion for the game they play for a living, takes a back seat – or at least an equal seat – to […]

Feature – Magic in Maricopa

It’s hard to believe that in the land of triple-figure golf courses and lots of triple-figure heat this time of year, that there might be a course so good it would be worth wearing out your travel GPS to find a desert hidden gem. In fact, it would be a grave golfing error to not […]

Cover Story – The PGA of America Heads to Frisco

In just a shade under 10 years, a trip to Tennessee and a pair of inconspicuous signs showcasing upgrades to parks in two North Texas communities has somehow managed to morph into a half-a-billion-dollar project that will pump more than $2.5 billion into the local economy over the next two decades. How did the PGA […]

Cover Story – An “Open” Book

AVIDGOLFER: You were born in Illinois. What was your childhood like?  Todd Hamilton: My childhood was nice. I grew up playing golf, baseball and basketball. Golf, I didn’t have too many kids in my school that played, so I played a lot with my father and his friends. I think that made me mature for […]

Course Review – Heritage Ranch Golf and Country Club

As golfers run through their hierarchy of great local golf courses, most of the ones that come to mind are all in DFW proper. Cowboys, The Tribute, Old American, Southern Oaks all usually come up at some point. But if you head northeast, there is a course that should definitely be in that conversation. Heritage […]

Feature – Royal Portrush

By: Art Stricklin The British Open, known as the Open Championship in most parts of the civilized golfing world, returns to Northern Ireland this month for the first time in 68 years, showcasing the fabulous Royal Portrush championship layout, the spectacular North Sea scenery and the golfing aura which is embedded in every part of […]

Cover Story – Mr. Nicklaus and The Dallas Athletic Club

By Art Stricklin and Eli Jordan The 100-year history of the Dallas Athletic Club includes three different locations, three generational head pros, two championship golf courses, one legendary major championship winner and decades of memories. Back in May, the club held one of several events planned to celebrate 100 years as part of the Dallas […]

Course Review – Tempest Golf Club

There has been a re-birth of a spectacular golf course deep in the East Texas pines. Once known Southern Hills Golf  Course, Tempest  Golf  Club is open for play after a major renovation.  Renovations started in 2016 and Tempest has done some serious work as they have maximized space from the previous layout while using […]

After the Round – Bob’s Back!

When you think of the great dining experiences in Dallas, there are several that immediately come to mind, and for years, the original Bob’s Steak & Chop House on Lemmon Avenue has been one of the go-to destinations for steaks, chops and top-quality seafood.  After almost a decade away from the business, Bob Sambol stepped […]

Cover Story – Q&A with 2018 Champions

Justin Rose Q&A 2018 Fort Worth Invitational Champion Justin Rose, a English veteran of the world golf circuit for nearly two decades, certainly proved his worldwide worth with a four-shot victory over current U.S. Open Champion Brooks Koepka in the 2018 Colonial. He started the final day at historical Colonial Country Club with a four-shot […]

Cover Story – PGA Tour Preview

The PGA TOUR is once again back in DFW and AVIDGOLFER will be along for the ride. The North Texas swing will have a little different flavor in 2019, as a scheduling change separates the AT&T Byron Nelson and the Charles Schwab Challenge. The Nelson will take place the week of May 6th through the […]

Cover Story – Pudge Rodriguez

Photography Courtesy of Kelly Galvin, Photographer of the Texas Rangers and Texas LIVE! Special thanks to Catalina Villegas Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez played 21 seasons in the Major Leagues. During his playing career, he played in 2,543 games, amassed 311 home runs, 1,332 RBI and hit .296. He won the MVP in 1999 with the Texas […]

In Memoriam – Dan Jenkins

Knock on Dan Jenkins’ front door and you’re unexpectedly greeted by a kind, charming gentleman who belies the irascible, PC-bashing writer alter ego – an alter ego whose journalism has skewered the bland, clueless, dumb and under-performing sports figures for more than 50 years. In that span, the athletic climate has turned from blissfully innocent […]

Cover Story – Best of Private Clubs 2019

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to see which golf clubs passed the test in 2019. As we do every March, AVIDGOLFER ranks and rates every private club in the Metroplex. Over the last several years, renovation has been the name of the game when it comes to some of the heavy hitters in DFW. Courses […]

Cover Story – The Grind: Conrad Shindler

Full Name: James Conrad Shindler III DOB: July 20, 1988 Wife: Theresa Parents: Jim and Leslie Sister: Jennifer High School: Coppell High School College: Texas A&M Career achievements: Web.com Tour Rex Hospital Open 2017 Champion. 3 mini-tour wins. 2009 NCAA Team National Champion. Career low round: 62 (-10) in competition. Number of Aces: 4 (one […]

Feature – 2019 Tournament Planning Guide

Selecting the Right Course For Your Event By Cliff Coffelt, PGA General Manager • The Tribute Golf Links at The Colony I want to host a golf tournament in 2019… how quickly can I get everything booked, and what should my budget be?  First steps are picking a course and setting a date. Most courses […]

Cover Story – Whatever Happened to Anthony Kim?

Just over ten years ago . . . Yes, Anthony Kim said, he’d be happy to talk and pose after he hit a few more balls. On a sunny spring day at TPC Las Colinas, on a pre-Nelson Wednesday practice tee crowded with the world’s best golfers, I leaned in close to observe the wonder […]

Feature – 25 Things AG Wants to See in 2019!

2018 was a fantastic year for the PGA TOUR and the game of golf as a whole. Although it wasn’t a popular win, Patrick Reed’s performance at Augusta was dominating. Brooks Koepka captured his second straight US Open and the PGA Championship at Bellerive, and Francisco Molinari was a bit of a surprise winner at […]

Tales from the Back Nine – West Texas

Golf clubs, check. Camping gear, check. Two tires, new battery, full tank of gas in the pickup, check, check, check. What could possibly go wrong? If you have traveled with me then you know that calamity lurks around every corner. My travel journals read like what-not-to-do manuals of white-knuckle road trips. Long hours driving alone, […]

Cover Story – Mizzen + Main

And if that shirt is a full-fledged button up, with cuffs, collar stays and everything, it’s out-and-out silly, right? It’s 2018, not 1938. It’s the era of souped-up polos with technology we’ve never heard of (I’m sorry, is your golf shirt broadcasting a Wifi signal?), exotic colors and patterns, and cuts so slim even Rickie […]

Feature – “Ace” of Insurance

The charity golf tournament has long been a way to raise money for any number of causes. From high school booster clubs, to various diseases, fallen police officers or wounded veterans, there’s nothing quite like a day on the links for a great cause with friends and some cold beers. AVIDGOLFER does their share of […]

Travel – Pinehurst

By Art Stricklin The Pinehurst Golf Resort has been in place in the rolling and wooded South Carolina Sand Hills, ever since James Walker Tufts came down from the snowy and cold Northeast and decided this tranquil and scenic area would make a fine place for relaxation and recreation in 1895. Then along comes Donald […]

Feature – AG 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

Breakthrough Golf Technology Stability Putter Shaft $199.99 The Stability Shaft is revolutionizing the way putters are crafted. Available on any putter Breakthrough Golf has designed a shaft that separates itself from the rest by reducing flex and twist upon impact with the ball giving you a straighter putt every time. Simply send your putter into […]

Travel – On Wisconsin! Sand Valley Golf Resort

By Art Stricklin For a state roughly the size of noted golf hotbeds England and Scotland, Wisconsin has done a remarkably good job of producing special public golf resorts for its brief, but spectacular golf season, running from late April to October, possibly early November. First came the Whistling Straits Resort, the Herb Kohler owned, […]

Cover Story – Guitars and Two-Putt Pars

By Art Stricklin and Eli Jordan Country music has long been a staple of southern living. From Luckenbach to San Antonio, from Cheatham Street and Gruene Hall to Billy Bob’s, Waylon, Willie and the boys were the beginning of a music revolution. Country music was eventually thrust into the mainstream with the emergence of mega-stars […]

Travel – A Trip to the Tropics

By Robert Rodriguez The tropics are quiet right now – gone are the days of hurricane-force winds and menacing rainstorms. We hope it stay like that for quite a while, as Mother Nature has shown she can be quite menacing over warm waters. It was heartbreaking to see the destruction left in the wake of […]

Course Review – Sky Creek Ranch

Nestled into the suburbs of Keller, lies the majestic Sky Creek Ranch. A beautiful 18-hole course designed by the world-renowned Robert Trent Jones Jr., a man whose courses are synonymous with possessing uniqueness while being environmentally conscious. Sky Creek Ranch’s design and layout is no different from that. The first thing you notice when pulling […]

Course Review – Oeste Ranch

Fun layout at an affordable rate for the Westoplex By: Eli Jordan Weatherford Texas isn’t exactly what you would call a metroplex golf mecca. More known for its peaches, cutting horses and its courthouse, this suburb of Fort Worth gives you the small-town country feel, without having to travel far for your everyday needs. On […]

Feature – We’ll Drink to That: Whiskey Ranch

Whiskey Ranch is crafting great spirits, while preserving Fort Worth’s rich golf history. By Art Stricklin Leonard Firestone never considered himself a Texas golf history restoration devotee, a golf architect or even a whiskey expert, but thankfully, the 10-year Fort Worth resident has become all three and local avid golfers are the grateful recipients. Because […]

Wayward Shots – The Man Who Saved the 1947 Ryder Cup

How Robert A. Hudson became the hero of the 1947 tournament By CURT SAMPSON Perhaps you’ve been thinking about the Ryder Cup, witchcraft, Ben Hogan, and exploding whales. I know I have. These oddly linked topics came together for me at green, serene Portland Golf Club, a jewel-like acreage in Oregon’s largest city. PGC owns […]

Cover Story – Masters Craftsmen: Artisan Golf in Fort Worth

Fort Worth has always been a golf town. Its rich history, which includes Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan caddying as teens at Glen Garden, Marvin Leonard and his passion and near obsession for seeing bent grass greens thrive in the Texas heat, to Colonial and the Horrible Horseshoe, Panther City has always been a place […]

Feature – Luxury Essentials 2018

It’s August, so that means it is time once again for AVIDGOLFER’s Luxury Edition. It is our pleasure to highlight some of the finest things that the world has to offer in 2018. From top-of-the-line vehicles, to the world’s most expensive fountain pen, we have everything that you need to be the essence of luxury […]

Travel – Cabo’s Chileno Bay Resort

In a simpler, sleepier much more sedate travel lifetime, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and its nearby geographical cousin San Jose del Cabo, was basically known for only two things, deep sea fishing and Tequila plus other alcoholic liquid creations. In fact, back then, one of the most popular souvenirs from your trip here was a […]

Going Through Changes – A look at the 2019 PGA Schedule

The PGA Tour schedule has been, for decades, like a giant, un-moving monolith in the sports landscape. It didn’t change. Players and fans could always count on the same run of tournaments every year, plan their travel and TV watching accordingly, and only adjust to different sponsor names. Good or bad, the consistency of the […]

Feature – David Pillsbury, The New CEO of ClubCorp

David Pillsbury has officially taken the reins of Dallas based ClubCorp. As of June 1, Pillsbury inherits the largest owner operator of private golf and country clubs in the Country. ClubCorp manages more than 200 golf and country clubs as well as business, sports and alumni clubs across the globe. Located in 26 states, the […]

Travel – Edgewood Tahoe

By: James McAfee For the last 50 years, Texas golfers have discovered that making a trip to Lake Tahoe to play the venerable Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is a great way to beat the heat back home in the summer. The addition of the ultra-deluxe 154-room Edgewood Lodge in June of 2017 along with a […]

Cover Story – Bryson DeChambeau

PGA Tour golfers have often been lumped into the same pro linkster stereotype. Tanned, trim, talented, with the exact same swing and same looking Tour wife as the last dozen pro golfers who strolled through here. Same appearance, same clothes, same success. Like out of the pro golf factory. To that similar narrative, allow us […]

Cover Story – Ballin’ Out

For years Titleist has been known as the king of the mountain when it comes to golf balls. From the Tour Balata, to the Professional, to the release of the Pro V1 in 2000, it seems Titleist has always been on the forefront of technology. Over the years, other companies have entered the sweepstakes for […]

Travel: Montage Palmetto Bluff – South Carolina Beauty

Hilton Head, the scenic, golf-heavy island which juts into the Atlantic Ocean and the Calibogue Sound, has been known as the low country for centuries for its ebbing tides and the proximally to the water with very little elevation change. It’s the combination of sun, sandy beaches, fresh seafood, not to mention dozens of high […]

Photos from the North Texas Swing

The North Texas LPGA and PGA tournaments are in the history books for 2018. The LPGA made their inaugural trip to Old American in The Colony, but rain shortened the tournament from 72 to 36 holes and made it a sloppy walk for patrons and competitors. When the mud had settled, South Korean Sung Hyun […]

Champions Q&A — Kevin Kisner

Champions Q&A — Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel arrived at the 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Championship as a FedEx Cup Champion and a multi-PGA tour winner, but mainly as a golfer enduring four straight missed cuts and having gone more than a year since his last Tour victory. But what Horschel did have when he arrived in Irving for the last […]

Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Preview

After a touch-and-go year, the 72nd Fort Worth Invitational will go on as planned later this month in Fort Worth. When DEAN & DELUCA told tournament officials late in 2017 they would be unable to meet their financial responsibilities, the tournament was once again left scrambling to find a title sponsor for the 2018 event. […]

AT&T Byron Nelson Preview

Not unlike the children standing in front of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, golf fans across the DFW Metroplex are anxiously awaiting to present their tickets for the first glimpses of ultra-exclusive Trinity Forest Golf Club, the brand-new site of this year’s AT&T Byron Nelson. Anticipation around the course and this year’s event have been building […]

LPGA Preview — Old American the Beautiful

The Volunteers of America are once again sponsoring the metroplex LPGA event in 2018, this time with a new name, new format and an exciting new venue. The Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic will take place April 30 – May 6. The official LPGA tournament will feature 144 of the world’s top players in […]

Old Classics, New Adventures

Oklahoma architect Tripp Davis has had plenty of successful and positive experiences in his two-decade career as a stellar amateur player who then transitioned to a top architect with plenty of well-respected courses all over the U.S. But this May, he will record another significant first when his Old American Golf Course, which he designed […]

2018 Best of Private Clubs

Well sports fans, it is that time of year again, where those of us here at AVIDGOLFER Magazine get together and ponder the greatness that is the private club industry here in DFW … and bang our heads against the wall until we figure out which of the dozens of awesome clubs is the most […]

Hidden Creek Golf Course — A Hidden Convenience

When Hidden Creek first opened for play in 1997, it was a welcome addition to the south Fort Worth/Burleson community. Until then, residents of the area didn’t have many options if they wanted to tee it up. In the 20 years since, Hidden Creek has seen its share of rounds, to the tune of almost […]

Scene and Be Seen – Texas Bleu Steakhouse

When you first lay eyes on Chef Stefon Rishel, he appears to be a bit of a wild card. His large colored mohawk standing at attention is visible from across the room. In a day where those in the culinary industry make an extra effort to stand out, Chef Rishel certainly fits the bill. This […]

Noah Goodwin: Self-Defined

It’s no secret that the Metroplex has been a hotbed for young golf talent the last few decades. There are easily a half-dozen names that immediately come to mind as incredibly talented young men and women playing on the collegiate and professional circuits. Many of them have been featured right here, in the pages of […]

2018 LoneStar Preview

It’s January, and we all know what that means – only three months until the PGA Tour rolls into the Lone Star State for a run of six professional tournaments stretching across a roughly eight-week span. The PGA Tour kicks off the golf season in Texas at the Houston Open, before jumping over to the […]

Need Presents? It’s AG’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide!

TITLEIST 718 T-MB IRONS $280/Club Now available as a full set of irons, the new 718 T-MB irons by Titleist deliver high launch and longer distance while maintaining a compact, muscleback design. Available in 2-iron through 50-degree wedge. www.titleist.com ADIDAS TOUR 360 BOOST 2.0 SHOES $200 Improving on last year’s Tour 360 Boost shoes, the […]

The Hickory De-Evolution

Golf has never been simple to master. It’s a complex game with a multitude of moving parts. The swing is a symphony of action, starting deep within the gravitational bounds of the earth and working its way up through the legs, midsection, torso and arms to create power. As with any symphony, if any one […]

2017 Best of Public Golf

The proverbial “Top 10 List” is arguably a staple of modern day culture (and, seemingly, about 45 percent of the entire contents of the Internet). Flip through the guide on your television any day of the week, and you can probably find a show with “countdown” in the title, or “best of” in the program […]

Looking Ahead on the PGA Tour

Last month, the PGA Tour released the 2017-2018 schedule, and while not much changed (it looks like we will have to wait another year or two before the talks of the PGA Championship moving to May and THE PLAYERS moving back to March come to fruition), there are a few new wrinkles that should provide […]

Cody Gribble – The PGA Tour’s Next Lone Star

In the excitement whirlwind that is DFW’s Golfing Golden Child Jordan Spieth, it may be easy to forget that there is a growing contingent of hungry, talented young golfers from the Lone Star state that are making their own mark on the world of amateur and professional golf. At the amateur level, University of Texas […]

Club Fitting for Pinheads

These days, every golfer is a gear head. We all have at least one adjustable club in our bag (and most of us have at least two, if not three or four), and can be seen tinkering, tweaking and fiddling with the adjustable components, trying to “dial in” the driver to gain that extra 5-10 […]

Plano’s Newest Icon of Opulence

North Texas isn’t just experiencing a boom in growth, it’s a full-on explosion. From the epicenter of Dallas spreading to the outlying suburbs, such as Plano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney, businesses from all over the country are flocking to this newly formed corporate Mecca and setting up shop. Toyota, Liberty Mutual, JP Morgan Chase and […]

Luxury Essentials

Bugatti Chiron ▪ $2.5 Million Ultra-modern, incredibly fast, agile and powerful with a stylistically demanding design and the highest possible levels of comfort. This supercar has a 16-cylinder, 4-turbocharger engine that produces a face-peeling 1,500 horsepower and goes 0-60 in 2.4 seconds. However, it is electronically “limited” to a top speed of 261 mph. Available […]

The Re-Prioritization of Hunter Mahan

Once the Lone Star State’s most promising young golfer, McKinney boy Hunter Mahan is now a 35-year-old father who has found his life’s truest passion – his family THE PLAYERS Championship, golf’s so-called Fifth Major, draws one of the best annual fields on the PGA Tour, with nearly every top player competing or commentating if […]

2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Photo Gallery

AVIDGOLFER Magazine was on-site for the final AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament at TPC Four Seasons in Las Colinas.  Let’s take a look at the final spin around the course and all the sights that came with it. Photography by Jason Wesch and Tara Tamer “The first step in building a solid, dependable attitude is to […]

Decades of Memories at the AT&T Byron Nelson

Past champions, players and staff members recount their best memories and favorite things about the Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons Compiled by Art Stricklin   Ernie Els (1995 Champion) It’s sad they’re leaving, but the best memory I have came when I was the reigning U.S. Open winner in 1995 and I […]

2017 DEAN & DELUCA Invitational Preview

The honeymoon phase has worn off for new Colonial title sponsor DEAN & DELUCA, and now in its second year as the tournament’s main supporter, the gourmet grocery store giant is poised to continue the long-standing tradition of producing one of the most popular and successful tournaments on the PGA Tour. In its maiden voyage […]

2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Preview

There is that saying about parting, that it is filled with such sweet sorrow. That is exactly how we feel on the eve of the 35th and final playing of the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship at the famed and hallowed TPC Four Seasons Dallas at Las Colinas. While moving to Trinity Forest Golf Club in […]

The Girls Are Back in Town — LPGA Preview

The greatest four weeks for golf in Dallas-Fort Worth are upon us once again, and the ladies of the LPGA are here to kick things off at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. For the fifth consecutive year, the event will be held at Las Colinas Country Club during the last week of April. Although […]

Lessons From a Legend

Through nine decades of his incredible golfing life, Houston’s Jack Burke, Jr., has lived and embraced almost every instance of the amateur and professional golf experience: from a hard-working caddy at Houston’s River Oaks Country Club, who shot dice and hauled clubs with the other caddies while his dad served as head pro, to a […]

A Texas-Sized Renovation, Part 1

Chester W. Ditto Golf Course has been a North Arlington staple since 1982. Over the years, it’s seen countless shots from thousands of players, including 35,730 rounds in 2016 alone. With its popularity, many were excited when they heard the news that  the city would close the facility for a complete redesign in late 2016. […]

2017 Best of Private Clubs

It is that time again, DFW, where all of us at AVIDGOLFER Magazine get together for our Best of Private Club rankings. There have been a lot of changes and improvements at the country clubs and golf clubs across the Metroplex in the past year, and it has made the task of ranking them all […]

2016 Cart Girl of the Year — Anna De-L

Congratulations to the AvidGolfer 2016 Cart Girl of the Year, Anna De-L! Anna was the Cart Girl of the Month in September 2016 representing Coyote Ridge Golf Club. See the stunning photos from her photo shoot below (originally published in the February Issue of AvidGolfer Magazine).

The Man Behind the Curtain — David Winkle

Salesman. Negotiator. Organizational expert. Mentor. Cheerleader. Sounding board. David Winkle has a lot in his job description. As the president of Hambric Sports Management and agent to some of the top players in golf (such as Dustin Johnson), Winkle has walked through some of the sport’s greatest moments and heart-wrenching defeats with his clients over […]

TV’s “Top Chef” Star Tiffany Derry

For the vast majority of us, diving into the clear waters of the Bahamas for conch shell, cooking with space food or making fried chicken at the White House is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For Chef Tiffany Derry, adventures like these are just her typical Tuesday. The 33-year-old Beaumont native has spent the last 15 years […]

PGA & LPGA Tour Season Preview

Storylines, players, tournaments and topics to watch in 2017 on the PGA and LPGA Tours The AT&T Byron Nelson plays its final year at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas. We all knew this was coming a few years ago when the announcement was first made about the building of Trinity Forest Golf Club in south […]

The Ryder Cup – Land of a Thousand Chants

CHASKA, Minn. – One of the first lessons you learn in journalism school is that a real golf writer keeps his or her personal feelings strictly personal. That means you can be secretly happy when a favorite golfer wins (which I am when Jordan Spieth, Nick Price or Ben Crenshaw ever does) or even glad […]