Hey Everyone,

Over the last week, I was a guest on two different podcasts. First, I joined Brian Hilton on his new podcast called The Loop Golf Podcast. We talked about my quest and what I’ve learned over the years visiting different courses around the state.

You can watch that here.

Then, Noah of Golfers Anonymous (and Golf Culture on Instagram) had me on for a different discussion. We did a Wish List Draft, picking some pie-in-the-sky topics along with some more realistic hopes for the future. We hit on pace of play, PGA Tour sites in Massachusetts, resort golf, trees at Franklin Park (you know the one…). When that episode is live, I’ll let you know!

It’s always fun talking about golf with people (and not editing the podcast after!). It sparked new ideas and thoughts that have been added to the “write about this” list.

Davis Chatfield made his PGA Tour debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Thursday. He shot an even-par 70 with two birdies and two bogeys. He is T80, so he’ll be battling to make the cut. He’ll tee off at 1:27 pm EST. Live Scoring

Rob Oppenheim shot 71-68 in the opening Korn Ferry event at the Bahamas and missed the cut by two shots. Final Results

A handful of club pros played in the 2026 Senior Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club in Florida. Wollaston GC’s Jeff Martin led the way with an 11th-place finish.

The Jones Cup was shortened to 36 holes due to a fog delay. Ryan Downes shot 72-79 and finished T49. Results

Isabel Brozena, Molly Smith, and Lillian Guleserian played in the South Atlantic Women's Amateur Championship (aka The SALLY). Results

Brendan Hester finished second in the Heron Creek Senior Invitational. The 2025 Mass. Senior Amateur champion shot 73-75-68, two shots behind winner Dave Bunker.

Earlier this week, I wrote about Brook Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour.

I made a video about a day trip to Miacomet in the winter.

I have a running list of my favorite holes on every course I’ve played during the quest. Over the last week, I’ve revisited that list and realized there are a few things that connect a lot of those holes, whether they are dive bars or the top courses in the state.

I love the image of a bunch of clubs scattered on a tee box: driver, fairways woods, hybrids, long irons.

A plethora of my favorite holes are on the shorter side. The short par 4 doesn’t have to be driveable; in fact, I think they’re better when they’re just on the edge of driveable because then the options become even more obvious. If the front of a green is 20-40 yards outside my driver distance, it gives me pause.

Do I want a little wedge shot into this green?

What’s the trouble surrounding the hole?

Should I just play it safe and lay back?

Playing a hole like this numerous times gives someone the chance to unlock the strategy, and it also gives the hole a chance to weasel its way into someone’s psyche. One double bogey and suddenly the golfer has doubts the next time they’re standing on that tee box.

Some examples:

Hole 7 - 320 yards - Par 4

The seventh tee is one of the highest points on the property. The hole plays downhill, and bunkers create buckets of fairway for players to aim for. They can lay back into a closer bucket or push the ball over a cross bunker into the next bucket.

Hole 8 - 290 yards - Par 4

This might be a polarizing hole, but it sparks discussion on the tee box. It’s a driveable par 4, but water stand between the tee and the green, so the risk is high. Lying up is no picnic, the fairway is tilted, and the green sits on the edge of the water, so a wedge shot can be nervy.

Hole 13 - 365 yards - Par 4

This hole is a bit longer, but the direct line from tee to green is shorter, and a pot bunker in the middle of the fairway makes players think twice about what they want to do with their tee shot. It’s a simple design, with trouble lurking on the right for anyone who wants to bite off a big chunk of the dogleg.

Hole 13 - 352 yards - Par 4

A shortish hole with a green that requires respect before a tee is even in the ground. Two bunkers, out of bounds, and a hill force a player’s eye all over the place. Driver brings the fairway bunkers into play. And the pin location puts a premium on what side of the hole you want to aim.

Short Par Fives

Short par fives also pull me in… are they easy? Not always, but they do elicit a bit of hope that can be dashed rather quickly.

Not every short par 5 is good, that is for sure, but the good ones do a couple things.

First, they require a driver or fairway wood off the tee. Short par 5s with a hard dogleg or cross hazard are not my cup of tea. Put the trouble up near the green for these holes because the charm of a short par five is the decision on the second shot.

Maybe a good tee shot gives a player a bright green light to go for the green, but maybe there’s a hazard, and that long iron feels a little clunky in your hand. Maybe the risk isn’t worth it, and then suddenly you’re hitting a sand wedge for your lay-up only to hit another sand wedge on your approach.

Your buddies might not let you live that down in the text chain for a while…

Hole 12 - 487 yards - Par 5

The 12th is a straightaway par five, which is the second of back-to-back par 5s. It has a ditch that runs across the fairway that can mess with the layup; there’s a small canal that runs the length of the hole on the left. The green had the most slope of any green on the course aside from the 18th.

Hole 11 - 472 yards - Par 5

The 11th hole, the first par 5, is a short one, but it turns slightly uphill to the left. It’s the first hole with any elevation. The green sits on one of the higher parts of the property. The slowly turning dogleg gives a player a chance to cut off some of the yardage, but misses to the right will make the hole feel even longer. The green is protected by four large bunkers as the land falls off on all sides.

Hole 17 - 580 Yards - Par 5

The length of this hole might make it seem like it doesn’t belong on this list, but the ball collects down a hill to make the hole shorter. It’s a great hole at the end of the round. The rolling land, blind tee shot, and ability to roll the ball onto the green all make this an excellent hole to play.

Every round should have a couple of holes that lurk on the edge of a player’s mind. The holes that require a little extra fortitude. Holes that are kinda hard.

You just have to step up and hit the shot.

These are typically par fours with a bit of length, so the urgency is felt on the tee to put the ball in a good position.

Some examples:

Hole 4 - 427 yards - Par 4

Just a menacing par 4. And it’s made even more interesting because it’s the first par 4 on the course. After opening with back-to-back par 5s and a short par 3, players might be feeling good on this tee box. The hole calls for an accurate, long drive to have a chance at hitting the raised green. A deep, massive bunker and a false front protect the front of the large putting green.

Hole 12 - 443 yards - Par 4

The tee shot on 12 is uncomfortable. A large bunker on the outside of the dogleg right looks closer than it is. For most, it’s an aiming point, too far in the distance to reach. The slope of the fairway from left to right leaves players with a hanging lie on an approach that might be the most exacting on the course. The 12th green is perched up and narrow. Bunkers guard the wide misses, but anything long or short is in jeopardy. The tree-lined hole also makes the wind whip through the trees, making distance control even tougher.

Hole 13 - Par 4 - 425 yards

A demanding hole that climbs uphill across some rumpled land. There is plenty of space in the landing zone, as long as the fescue isn’t too long. However, what’s really delightful about this hole is the green site. It’s simple. There are no bunkers, but the short grass surrounds allow for creativity. Putters, hybrids, wedges are all viable options. The green itself has interesting, with some slopes and a shape that makes for some cool pins, especially in the back left corner.

Sometimes a favorite and “the best” hole are not in the middle of the Venn Diagram. Someone’s favorite hole could be the one they made their first par or birdie on. It could be a hole that brings about great memories.

For me, my favorite holes are ones that I could play every day or would be content playing over and over.

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