Where's Matty G?

Results for April 2011 Back to Where's Matty G? Index

Poll results: Your favorite course at Bandon Dunes is...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 Comments
The results of the most recent Golf Digest Facebook poll are in. Of the four courses at the Bandon Dunes resort, 40 percent said Pacific Dunes is their favorite, 25 percent voted for Bandon Dunes, another 25 percent voted for Old Macdonald, and 10 percent picked Bandon Trails.

Personally, I have a hard time deciding between Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes as my favorite on property. I think Trails is underrated, and I think Old Mac is the course I play if my priority is having fun. 


A new poll question just went live: Which is a better U.S. Open venue?

A) Pebble Beach doesn't have a shabby list of champions: Nicklaus (1972), Watson ('82), Kite ('92), Woods (2000) and McDowell ('10).

B) Bethpage Black's first Open came the summer after 9/11, when New York could use some tender love and attention, which was provided by an animated crowd (see Monty and Sergio) and another major championship for Tiger Woods. (Lucas Glover won in '09.)

C) Pinehurst No. 2 was forever bronzed in Open history after Payne Stewart punched air on the 18th hole in 1999. (Michael Campbell won in 2005.)
 
D) Torrey Pines South was where the one-legged Woods beat the bad back of Rocco Mediate in 2008, but he needed a 19-hole playoff to do it. 


--Matty G.

(You can follow me and more about my travels on Twitter: @Matt_Ginella.)


Keywords:

Remember Ambush No. 15, Watson's Springfest?

Monday, April 25, 2011 Comments
Ambush No. 15 is one of my more memorable trips to report on buddies golf. I went to Canandaigua, NY, where I met Dave Walker and 131 of his closest family and friends on their 20th anniversary of staying, playing and marinating. I found value golf, hard liquor before 9 a.m., and a bed in a barn.

Walker and company were at it again last week, and they were back in the (local) news:



Here's a link to the blog I wrote after I survived Springfest.

And here's a link to the story that appeared in Golf Digest (July 2009).

Cheers, Walk. (I'll have a Bloody Caesar.)

--Matty G.

(You can follow me and my travels at Twitter: @Matt_Ginella.)


Keywords:

Dear Tiger, I can't believe I'm saying this...

Friday, April 22, 2011 Comments
...but I'm glad you're back.

Pardon the interruption from travel content, but after Tiger caught some heat for his Sunday post-round exchange with Bill Macatee, I wrote the following column for this week's Golf World:

Tiger.jpg
Dear Tiger, 

I’ll admit, you had me fooled. I was among your cattle car of fans who believed you were a talent without peer inside the ropes, and equally exceptional outside the ropes. I went as far as posing you walking on water for a cover of Golf Digest in 2002, so I’ll even accept the fact that I painted a panel of the facade. I’ll also admit, after your personal life went to the bottom of the lake, so did my opinion of you. 

Or so I thought. 

Read more
Keywords:

Pebble beats Pumpkin Ridge and True North tops Seaside

Friday, April 22, 2011 Comments
And away they go . . .
 
The first two matches have been completed in Golf Digest’s tournament pairing the top 64 courses from our list of America’s 100 Greatest Public, and the results are posted on the Fans’ Choice bracket at golfdigest.com.
 
Pebble_20.jpg
As you’ll see, Pebble Beach, a No. 1 seed (pictured above), beat Pumpkin Ridge a 16 seed; True North, a 9 seed (pictured below), upset Sea Island’s Seaside course, an 8 seed.

Read more
Keywords:

Vote Now! A tournament of the Top 64 Public Golf Courses

Monday, April 18, 2011 Comments
Most lists are effective tools for quick reference, and a list such as Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses in the May issue is especially good at inspiring debate.

Now were getting you involved in taking this one step further. Today is the start of the Fans’ Choice, a tournament of the top 64 public courses based on the opinion of the 1,000-plus Golf Digest panelists. They got us to the bracket; now it’s your turn to decide which course advances to the title.

If you haven’t seen the bracket, click here. There will be two matches per voting cycle, and voting cycles start on Mondays and Thursdays. This tournament will run through the summer, with a winner being revealed on Tuesday, Aug. 16, after the conclusion of the PGA Championship.

PEBBLE_PUMPKIN.jpg
Today, in the Donald Ross quadrant of the bracket, No. 1 seed Pebble Beach tips against No. 16 seed Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge.

Read more
Keywords:

Update and images: Streamsong Resort

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 Comments

To cover new golf courses in the U.S. is like trying to cover an ant with a picnic blanket--it’s not hard to do.

The Streamsong Resort in Polk County, Fla. (between Tampa and Orlando) is not just building one, but two courses.

Streamsong.jpg

I’ve been given access to some pictures of the progress...


Read more
Keywords:

VALUE GOLF: $125 to play Pasatiempo in April.

Thursday, April 7, 2011 Comments
Let's back up for a second. As I've sampled public golf in this country, I've established some benchmarks for value. I measure courses I play against this rough scale of overall experience and price. Some of these courses below will cost you a little more than the price I've listed, some are less, depending on the season, day and time you play. But the point is: these prices and courses are what I use as my standards for making my value assessments on a course-to-course basis. 

After I play a $50 course, for example, I take my overall experience (service, maintenance, fun factor, prestige and history), and measure it against my ideal $50 course (Brackenridge Park):











As I've stated before, I can never see myself paying more than $300 of my own money for a round of golf. And if I pay $300, the course and experience has to be as good as what I can get at Spyglass, which is actually a little more than $300. 

Pasatiempo_20.jpg
All of that being said, when I was forwarded information about Pasatiempo (pictured above) running a deal in which you can play an Alister Mackenzie design for a $125 green fee (through April), I had to pass it on. It's good value.


--Matty G.


Keywords:

Ron Whitten's live chat: Masters, Augusta and 100 Greatest

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 Comments
It's Masters week--the Super Bowl of the game we try to love, try harder to play, but mostly just respect and adore.

On my morning commute to the office today, I called Tim Rosaforte (@TimRosaforte) for an early update on what's happening at Augusta. It was 7:00 a.m., it was "chilly," and he was on his way to the course. Just like you, I'm anxious, but mostly desperate, to be in the know.

As I'm sure you've read via print products, daily digital issues, Facebook pages, or Twitter handles, we're on it. Which is to say, we're covering the Masters like never before. Which is also to say you're covered like never before.

Take yesterday for example, our architecture expert, Ron Whitten, participated in a live chat on Twitter, responding to your questions about the Masters and the release of America's 100 Greatest--Augusta is No. 1 on the list.

I can't believe you had anything better to do on Tuesday at 12:30 EDT, but in case you missed it, I've pasted the banter below.

Read more
Keywords:

Playing the new Pinehurst No. 2

Saturday, April 2, 2011 Comments
I give everyone involved with the renovation of Pinehurst No. 2 a lot of credit: They took a top 10 public course in the country--one of the most unique golf experiences in the world--and by going back to the way it used to be, they made it better. 
 
On Friday, in preparation for my psychological scuffle with the latest version of the ultimate Donald Ross design, I covered my plate with fresh biscuits and sausage gravy at the Carolina Hotel’s famous buffet. Thankfully my plate wasn’t crowned like the greens I’d be putting on in less than an hour.
 
As I scanned the room, I saw Rees Jones, the “Open Doctor” who was in town to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Pinehurst No. 7.

Read more
Keywords:

The latest on golf digest

Search

most emailed

most commented

most viewed

Close

Thank you for signing up for the Tip of the Week newsletter.

You will receive your first newsletter soon.
Subscribe to Golf Digest
Subscribe today