Blind Shots Podcast S5 E11 Americans in Oregon – Sheep Ranch

This is the Sheep Ranch episode. Perched against the coast on the bluff just north of the Pacific Dunes and Old Mac golf courses, the Sheep Ranch struck me as a bit different than the rest. A much ballyhood Coore Crenshaw masterpiece, it’s more familiar to other experiences than I felt on the rest of the Bandon Courses. Sure, it’s in a unique, almost magical setting, but it was flatter, with fewer visual disruptions. It felt like a core golf course, with long sightlines largely unbroken in most directions. Gentler, calmer ground led to a gentler calmer golf experience, at least on the morning we were there. Later that afternoon, the caddies told us the winds were upwards of 40 mph at Sheep Ranch, where we played in, at worst, a nice breeze that morning.

Blind Shots Podcast S5 E10 – State Park Golf Series – KY Parks Commissioner Russ Meyer

The Kentucky State Park System is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2024. This episode is the first of a new series wherein I’ll profile Kentucky’s state park golf courses from time to time. To kick off this new endeavor, I was honored to sit down recently with the Commissioner of the Kentucky State Park System, Mr. Russ Meyer. We talk the breadth, mission, and funding of Kentucky’s state park courses, as well as highlighting some of the much-needed improvements that are on the way.

Blind Shots Podcast S5 E9 Americans in Oregon – Pacific Dunes

This is the Pacific Dunes episode, our fourth of this season’s “Americans in Oregon Series.” A golf course of almost unanimous acclaim, it’s the golf course that brought architect Tom Doak into the larger golfing public’s consciousness, that showed people how spectacular coastal golf in America can be, and what natural, minimalist golf architecture can…

Blind Shots Podcast S5 E8 – Chris Boysel PGA of Play Golf Lexington Returns!

Friend of the Show, Chris Boysel, PGA, returns to talk about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we think we’re going in golf in central Kentucky, and to an extent, in golf writ large. Chris oversees Tournament Operations and Player Development for Play Golf Lexington, the omnibus organization responsible for municipal golf in…

green leaf trees on grass field

The Intersection of Golf, Passion & Work

One of my favorite works of journalism in recent years is Shane Ryan’s 2022 deep-dive into “The Club Pro Crisis.”  Chances are if you are reading this particular blog, or ever visited onebeardedgolfer.com before today, you are familiar with the primary narrative echoed throughout that article – working in the golf industry can be a…