2024 Year in Review

The year 2024 was a banner year in terms of number of courses played.  Before this year, I had never played 200 new courses in a year.  This year I blew way past that number and ended up with a staggering 262 new courses played.  I was incredibly aggressive this year because I knew what would be coming in 2025.  More on that later.  The major highlight of the year was the bucket list trip to New York I took with my wife in July to revisit some of the best courses in the world that I hadn't seen in 20 years.  It was very emotional getting to play one of my favorite courses in the world, Fishers Island, with my wife, with whom I have shared this crazy journey for the past fifteen years.  The second half of that NY trip where we played a lot of Donald Ross courses was also a major highlight.  Trips to Kentucky, St. Louis, Tennessee, and my new home state of Florida, were also wonderful highlights of 2024.

Getting to play Fishers Island again after twenty years was the biggest highlight of 2024

The year 2024 was also a year of transition because I said goodbye to my job at one of the best clubs in the country, Yeamans Hall, and began a new adventure in South Florida at a brand new high profile design near Jupiter.  Leaving Yeamans Hall was very emotional because I had so many amazing experiences in the 3 1/2 years I spent working there.  I ended up writing about the experience which you will see further down.

Sunrise at Yeamans Hall, which I left in 2024 after 3 1/2 amazing years

FLORIDA SPRING TRIP

The Backyard course at McArthur. An amazing new course by Coore & Crenshaw

Just like every other year, my first trip of 2024 was to Florida.  Unlike other years, this trip took place exclusively in South Florida.  The overwhelming highlight was the brand new Backyard course at McArthur Golf Club in Hobe Sound, my favorite new course played in 2024.  There were also some very nice surprises in West Palm and Naples.  Read all about my trip to South Florida here:  Florida Trip 2024

The Park West Palm

TENNESSEE TRIP

Troubadour Golf & Field Club, where I exorcised some demons in 2024

I returned to a place I have traveled many times other the years, Tennessee, in 2024.  The focus of this trip was the Nashville area but a stopover in Kentucky to check out a hot new course was also on the agenda.  I also expelled some demons in a return trip to a course in the Nashville area.  Check out my exploration of Tennessee here: Tennessee Trip

The Grove

KENTUCKY TRIP

Louisville Country Club

I visited the state of Kentucky many times in the 2000's because of my fondness for visiting my aunt in Florence, just south of Cincinnati.  I stopped visiting the state after she passed a few years ago, but in 2024 I returned to hit some courses in Lexington and Louisville including one of the biggest surprises of 2024, a wonderful Walter Travis design.  My journey through Kentucky is here:  Kentucky Trip

Sultan's Run Golf Club

OTHER COURSES

The Tree Farm, an exciting new addition to the SC golf scene

Once again in 2024 I played a couple courses that were not part of a trip that I felt should be highlighted.  The Tree Farm is a very high profile course in the Aiken, South Carolina area with a routing by Tom Doak and a design by Kye Goalby.  PGA Tour player Zac Blair is the visionary behind the course and the course is a ton of fun to play with a wonderful driveable par four finishing hole.  The other big name course I played that wasn't part of a trip was Pinehurst #10 designed by Tom Doak.  I worked in the Pinehurst area for many years and lived a couple miles down the road from where this course was built right off Route 5 south of Pinehurst.  The course is everything you love about Tom Doak designs with a little bit of restraint on the greens for the resort crowd.

Pinehurst #10.  An exciting addition to the Pinehurst landscape

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS

New Courses Played:       262

States Played in:               13

9 Hole Courses played:    36

Top 10 Courses by Architect

12   Donald Ross

7     Robert Trent Jones

6     Michael Hurdzan

6     Rees Jones

6     Jack Nicklaus

6     Arnold Palmer

5     Russell Breeden

5     George Cobb

4     William Byrd

4     Arthur Hills

4     Joe Lee

Top 10 Courses by State

66    South Carolina

58    Florida

46    New York

22    Tennessee

21    Kentucky

16    Missouri

11    Connecticut

5     Illinois

5     Indiana

Milestones Reached

1.  200 courses played in FL

2.  150 9 holes courses played

3.  100 courses played in NY

Favorite Course:                Fishers Island
Least Favorite Course:      Pfau
Most Overrated:                Shinnecock Hills
Most Underrated:              Country Club of Rochester/Yahnundasis

Favorite Par 3:  11th Hole-The Park
Favorite Par 4:  4th Hole-Fishers Island
Favorite Par 5:  14th Hole-Friar's Head

What's in a name

A fun breakdown of golf course names from 2024

(68)Landforms: Cape, Cavern, Dune, Farm, Forest, Glen, Grove, Hill, Hollow, Island, Isle,Meadow, Mountain, Park, Port, Quarry, Ridge, Shore, Trail, Valley, World

(54)Water:Bay, Beach, Brook, Cove, Creek, Harbour, Lake, Ocean, Pond, River, Run, Spring, Water

(27)Trees: Banyan, Cedar, Cypress, Dogwood, Hickory, Oak, Palm, Palmetto, Pine, Red Bud, Tree, Willow

(21)Object/Man Made: Bridge, Chalk, Crown, Diamond, Fort, Gate, Iron, Mill, Mine, Pebble, Ring, Rock, Sand, Village, Wall, Yacht

(20)Animals: Bear, Bull, Cardinal, Coral, Diamondback, Dolphin, Eagle, Fox, Horsre,Mammoth, Panther, Pheasant, Quail, Turtle, Wildcat

(17)People: Admiral, General, Governor, Griffin Harris, Grover Cleveland, Hunter, Indian, Man, Mark Twain, Rip Van Winkle, Sergeant, Spy, Sultan, Ted Rhodes, Widow, Wizard

(12)Directions: East, North, South, West

(8)The word "National"

(8)Colors: Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Grey, Indigo

(6)The word "Links"

(4)States: Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania

(2)The word "Old"

(1)Food: Apple

Best Scores

64-Yeamans Hall

65-The Breakers(Ocean), Yeamans Hall

66-Forest Park, Grover Cleveland, Spy Ring, Yeamans Hall
67-Cape Club of Palm City, Golden Bear, Heritage Hill, Palm Beach CC, Thendera, Yeamans Hall

Worst Scores

81-Turtle Creek

78-Old Barnwell, Pfau
77-Hidden Cypress, Yeamans Hall

                   NY BUCKET LIST TRIP

My return trip to Friar's Head was even better than I could have imagined!

The most exciting trip I took in 2024 by far was a trip to New York with my wife.  We played several of the best courses in the world, including one of my all time favorite courses that I hadn't seen for 20 years, as well as discovering a Seth Raynor hidden gem in Westchester County.  Read all about our bucket list trip to New York here: NY Bucket List Trip

My wonderful wife and our caddie walking in front of the infamous Redan at Shinnecock Hills

NY DONALD ROSS TRIP

CC of Rochester, the biggest surprise of our trip to Western NY

After our amazing bucket list trip in NY, my wife and I headed into the mountains of NY and the western part of the state to discover many Donald Ross designs in my ongoing project of trying to play every course he worked on.  We also had the pleasure of playing a couple very good Walter Travis designs and one of Robert Trent Jones's best courses.  Our journey through Western New York is here: NY Donald Ross Trip

Yahnundasis Golf club, a Walter Travis classic!

 ST. LOUIS TRIP

Bellerive Country Club

The year 2024 was the year that I took a trip that was long in the making.  The last time I played golf in the St. Louis area was in 2009.  I finally returned in 2024 to see some of the best courses in the Midwest, as well as enjoy rounds at some hidden gems on the Illinois side of the river.  My journey through the St. Louis area is here: St. Louis Trip

Old Warson Country Club

FAREWELL YEAMANS HALL

Sunrise at Yeamans is a beautiful thing!

In 2024 I said goodbye to working at one of the best courses in the country, Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina.  I decided that I had to write about the wonderful 3 1/2 years I spent working at Yeamans Hall.  My recollections of a wonderful time in my life are here: Farewell Yeamans Hall

My wife walking on my favorite hole at Yeamans Hall, the 14th!

WELCOME TO FLORIDA

The Village course at Jupiter Hills is one of the most fun courses to play in Florida!

We moved to Florida in October of 2024 and I spent a wonderful two weeks playing golf before I started my new job.  I wanted to highlight a few of those courses.  The Village course at Jupiter Hills Club is overshadowed by the Hills course, but is one of the most fun courses in Florida.  The bunkering is creative and the routing provides a great variety of holes. The course that really surprised me was High Ridge Country Club, recently renovated by Kipp Schulties.  The bold and creative bunkering and the great variety in the par threes made this a very enjoyable discovery.

High Ridge Country Club

9 HOLE COURSES

Spy Ring is an amazing debut by architect Tyler Rae

I played 36 new nine hole courses this year, by far my all time best.  The highlights were a debut design by Tyler Rae in New York, Spy Ring Golf Club, and a wonderful Ross design in the mountains of New York, Schroon Lake Golf Club.

Schroon Lake Golf Course is a brilliant nine hole Donald Ross course.

HOLE IN ONE #3

One bounce and in!

I made my third hole in one this year at Royal Palm Golf & Yacht Club in Florida.  It was a wet and overcast day where the course was walking only because of the weather.  I was very glad I decided to play!

Royal Palm Golf & Yacht Club, 8th Hole.  3rd Hole in One.  161 yards, 8 iron.

ECLECTIC EIGHTEENS

                                             Par 3's 1 to 9

Top Left to Right: #1-Colleton River(Borland), #2-Palm Beach CC, #3-The Legacy, #4-Sebonack, #5-Hideout, #6-Nashville G&CC, #7-Teugega, #8-Onondada, #9-Little Sandy

Par 3's 10 to 18

Top Left to Right: #10-McArthur(Backyard), #11-The Park, #12-Windsor, #13-Panther National, #14-High Ridge, #15-Louisville, #16-Belle Meade, #17-Pinehurst #10, #18-Brook-Lea

Par 4's 1 to 9

Top Left to Right: #1-Sultans Run, #2-Park Mammoth, #3-Cape Club of Palm City, #4-McArthur(Backyard), #5-Blind Brook, #6-Pinehurst #10, #7-Bear Trace at Cumberland, #8-Brook-Lea, #9-Richland

Par 4's 10 to 18

Top Left to Right: #10-Louisville, #11-Boone Valley, #12-Panther National, #13-Admirals Cove(East), #14-Old Warson, #15-Bellerive, #16-Watchung Valley, #17-Hideout, #18-Tree Farm

Par 5's 1 to 9

Top Left to Right: #1-The Park, #2-The Grove, #3-Ballenisles(East), #4-Mark Twain, #5-Teugega, #6-Richland, #7-McArthur(Backyard), #8-Vero Beach, #9-Spy Ring

Par 5's 10 to 18

Top Left to Right: #10-Pinehurst #10, #11-Panther National, #12-Cape Club of Palm City, #13-Tree Farm, #14-Belle Meade, #15-CC of  Rochester, #16-Crag Burn, #17-Bellerive, #18-Louisville

BALL MARKERS

I continued to collect ball markers from courses I played this year to contribute to the collection at Yeamans Hall.  Read about the work collection here: A Collection is Born. 

Birdie is so eager to help when I try to put these things together!

SCORECARDS

I discovered that it's very difficult to fit 262 scorecards in one picture, so you'll get three scorecard pictures this year.

Once again Birdie was a big help putting the collage together!

FLAGS

White

Red

Yellow

Blue

Checkerboard

Miscellaneous

2025

For the first time in many years, I really have no idea where I'll be going in 2025.  Summer trips will be determined by where I end up working in the summer.  Scotland was a possibility at one point but logistical issues have postponed that at least a year.  I could end up working in the Northeast this summer or possibly in the Rocky Mountains.  Time will tell.  One thing I know is that I will be playing a lot of new courses in Florida!  

Farewell Yeamans Hall

There's a very popular saying "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life".  I've been a golf professional for 26 years now and I haven't always loved my job. However, the three-and-a-half years I spent working at Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina really did feel like a dream come true.  I left Yeamans in the fall of 2024 to begin a new chapter in my life, but I felt that I needed to sit down and express my thoughts about what an amazing experience it was for me working at such a special place in the world of golf.

Sunrise at Yeamans Hall.  Photo courtesy of Tyler Morse

How we got to Charleston

Let's begin with the interesting story of how I ended up working at Yeamans Hall Club.  What's interesting about this story is how your life can change dramatically because of one moment.  That moment for me was a frustrating situation I experienced at my job in Concord, North Carolina in early 2021.  I had a particularly challenging interaction with my supervisor and after that I very clearly remember saying to my wife, "We need to get out of here."  Her response was, "How about Charleston?"  

One of the many great views of the 14th hole at Yeamans Hall.  My favorite hole on the course!

She had been wanting to relocate to the Charleston area for several years so she could help take care of her dad who was in failing health.  I had previously dismissed the idea, but this time around I said, "Well, let me look at the PGA job board and see if there is anything interesting."  I checked out the job board and Yeamans Hall had posted a job on the board.  I later found out that this was the first time they had posted a job on the board in many years.  My wife and I decided I would apply for the job at Yeamans and if they hired me, we would move to Charleston.  After a phone and in-person interview, I was hired and our adventure in the Charleston area began.  All of this happened because I had a bad moment with my boss that resulted in my deciding to look at jobs in Charleston.  Sometimes one moment can lead to something that completely changes your life!

The 1st tee at Yeamans is one of the best in all of golf!

The Birdcage

One of the odd things I discovered when I began working at Yeamans was this very interesting utility cart, nicknamed, "The Birdcage" that we stored in the cart barn.  

It was originally designed to be wheeled out onto the driving range and had sections to store towels, scorecards, supplies for cleaning clubs and grips, etc.  We weren't using it on the range anymore and it was just sitting in the cart barn, mostly getting in the way.  In the middle of my first year a co-worker suggested we wheel it out to the bag drop everyday.  After we started doing that, the strangest thing happened. The birdcage has a roof with slats in it and members and staff started putting ball markers in the slats.  At first it was just a place to put ball markers that had fallen out of a bag in case the person was looking for them, but after a while people just started putting markers up there as a way to contribute to the collection.

I started to notice that we were getting quite a few courses in the top 100 in the country in our new collection, so I decided we would devote a section to the top 100, and display them in order using the current Golf Magazine Top 100 list in the US, then 2020-2021.  After about a year we had roughly 40 of the top 100, seen in the below photo in the middle section starting on the left.  I was surprised how quickly we acquired most of the top 30.  It just speaks to our well traveled membership!

In 2023 we moved to the other side of the birdcage.

When I left in October of 2024 both sides were almost completely full.  We had ball markers from 47 states, 16 countries, and we had accumulated 97 of the top 100 from the list we used!

Favorite Rounds

I don't really have pictures of most of my favorite rounds at Yeamans Hall.  But believe me, there were many of them!  I enjoyed so many great rounds with members, guests I was accompanying for a member, my friends visiting Yeamans Hall, fellow professionals visiting from other clubs, and most of all, my wife.  There was one specific round with the wife I can pinpoint, Christmas 2021.  

A beautiful walk at Yeamans Hall on Christmas Day

Yeamans Hall is closed on Christmas but members and employees are welcome to come out and play if they want to walk.  Christmas 2021 was a lovely 75 degree day and we had the best time playing a special golf course on our first Christmas in Charleston.

Long shadows and great weather on Christmas 2021!

The Wall of the Past

A fun tradition they have at Yeamans Hall is for interns and outside operations staff to sign a particular wall of the cart barn when they leave.  It has been going on for well over 20 years.

Sadly, the cart barn needed to be renovated in 2024 so the wall disappeared.  Of course where there is loss, there is also beginning.  I got the privilege of being the first person to sign the new wall.

White Whale

One of the great things that happened because of Yeamans Hall was that I got to play my White Whale course.  For at least ten years, I was doing everything I could to find a way to play Chicago Golf Club.  Chicago is undoubtedly the best use of a small piece of property in the world, and every student of golf architecture needs to see it.  By the time I started working at Yeamans, I had resigned myself to never being able to play it.  Luckily for me, Chicago was designed by the same architect as Yeamans, Seth Raynor.   That connection allowed me to play Chicago in the fall of 2021.  It was even better than I imagined and I will always be grateful to Yeamans for making this dream come true.

Chicago Golf Club was better than advertised!

Pro-Member

My favorite thing that happened while I was working at Yeamans Hall was getting to play in the Pro-Member in 2023.  Since I started working at Yeamans, I had always wanted to play in the annual Pro-Member.  Our rule is you have to be invited by a member to play and, even though I play with members quite frequently, as the outside operations manager, my name is not really thought of as a possible partner for an event like this.  Our club is the type that gets tour pros and pros from top 20 clubs in its Pro-Member, so it was more of a dream for somebody like me to be able to play in the tournament.  Through a very unexpected set of circumstances, we had an odd number of teams and the member I play with the most said "let's do it!" 

Day one of the tournament was an absolute dream for me.  I shot 65, including birdies on the final three holes.  We shot 59 as a team and were tied for the lead heading into day two.  I beat a couple of actual touring pros on day one, which is something I am usually not capable of doing!  Our play on day two was less stellar, but we still finished third ahead of some very good professionals. 

During the tournament dinner I got to try Osso Bucco for the first time!

I can't even begin to tell you what it meant to me to play in this tournament and I will forever be grateful to the member who gave me the opportunity!

Things you see when your day starts very early

I began my work day at 6 am.  When you begin your work day this early, you get to see things that most people don't get to see on a golf course.

This guy wanted to help me restock the coolers one morning

Beautiful sunrises are a wonderful part of being at the course early.

The wildlife enjoy them too!

Of course, during some parts of the year, sunrise comes well after I've started work

The view of the moon can be just as wonderful as the sunrise.

Random things that happen when you work at a golf course

You get to witness lots of different types of things when you work at a golf course.  One interesting thing I got to witness was a par three course under the lights we did for one of our tournaments.

One of the oddest things I witnessed at work was a wedding on the 1st tee.  The bride and groom walked down to the pond in front of the first tee where the ceremony took place.  I can't say I blame them for wanting to do it there, but the logistics were somewhat challenging.  As you can see in the picture they had to start setting up while people were still teeing off!

In my three plus years of working at Yeamans Hall it only snowed once.  I hate snow, so the sight was very unwelcome.  Typical for weather in Charleston, three hours after the snow it was 60 and sunny!

Snow was not a welcome sight!

The beauty of frost

Frost is the natural enemy of a golf operation because it results in delays that are not always well accepted by the members and guests.  

Frost on the 11th Hole

One thing about frost though, it does make for some great pictures!

Frost on the 6th Hole

What's Next?

Now comes the part, beloved reader, where I trick you into revealing whether you read to the end or not.  With a post titled, "Farewell Yeamans Hall," the obvious question is going to be, "So what's next?" I am going to tell you here what I'm doing next, so if you ask me on social media where I'm moving, working, etc, then I'll know you didn't actually read the blog post.😀 

I am moving to Stuart, Florida, which is just north of Jupiter, on the east coast of Florida.  I will be working at a very exclusive new private club that for now will go unnamed.  If you really want to know, it's not very hard to figure out.  The job is seasonal, and right now the plan is to work in Florida until May, and then spend the summer working in either Scotland or New England depending on many TBD factors.  I am very excited for this next chapter in my life, but will really miss the golf course, and members, at Yeamans Hall.  It is one of the most special places in golf.