The sixth on Old Tom Morris Links has a brilliant green site in the dunes The green on the beautifully sited par-3 fourteenth on Old Tom Morris Links Glorious views await as you play the sixth on Sandy Hills Links The par-5 thirteenth sweeps left to right through the dunes Looking back over the fifth and fourth holes on St Patrick's Links St Patrick's Links with the fourteenth and fifteenth greens in the foreground The short third at North West is surrounded by fabulous views in every direction The thirteenth at North West is 177 yards from the back tee but the longest par 3 on the course The course at Portsalon is blessed with some fabulous dunes and an idyllic setting Looking back down over the brilliant par-4 second hole at Portsalon The hotel at Rosapenna has a wonderful setting overlooking Downings Bay The fifth green at Cruit Island with the sixth tee waiting out on the cliff beyond The sensational par-3 sixth at Cruit Island - scene of Rob's unlikely birdie.. The sun sets over the bay and hills to the west of Rosapenna Golf Hotel on his keenly anticipated golfing return to County Donegal and a further eclectic handful of varying size and description Joining me on this golfing odyssey was fellow courses’ aficionado and good friend and while we are saving some of our discoveries for other features I am delighted here to recommend six of the best that we visited while based at Rosapenna the excellent golf resort owned by the Casey family The first course at Rosapenna opened in 1891 and was designed by Old Tom Morris before subsequent changes by three golfing greats; Vardon with the original back nine still played as the Coastguard nine while a newer nine was created resulting in two quite different and yet perfectly complementary nines to enjoy.  with highlights including a par 3 on each nine; the seventh with a carry over a rugged and the fourteenth which is played in the opposite direction to a green where run-offs lead to sneakily placed bunkers it is a cracking links with plenty to enjoy When I first played Sandy Hills Links in 2011 with Frank Casey Junior I was greatly impressed but also keen to see if was as good as I had remembered This also means that you can see exactly what you have to do get to play a lot of long-range putts from below the green.  As we worked our way through the magnificent dunes we were reminded of just how strong this Pat Ruddy design is boosted by a gallery of exceptional views such the fabulous vista that reveals itself as you play down to the 6th green Maheramagorgan Links and Trá Mór Links then Martin Hawtree and Nicklaus Designs were going to develop them and finally the Casey family purchased both to create what is the most ambitious exciting and brilliantly sited new course in the UK&I.  and with a quieter but still totally engaging stretch around the turn Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts East of Rosapenna are two courses that had been on my hit-list for years The first was also one of some mystery as I hadn’t met anyone who had played it North West is on the eastern shores of Lough Swilly about 15 miles south of the two superb courses at Ballyliffin I must have driven past it last time without even realising; a big mistake the bluest of blue skies and gentlest of breezes greeted us as did member Sean Meenan and the club’s head pro who won the Amateur Championship in 2005 at Royal Birkdale.  The other course I had been itching to play is less than 10 miles from North West, but an hour and a half in the car round the lough, and a world away in character. A group from my club had visited Portsalon Golf Club a year before and everyone came back raving about it The original course received a complete Pat Ruddy overhaul and redesign in 2000 and is now a riotous adventure through the dunes packed with drama and sensational views.  you are faced with a long approach over a wide inlet The beach at Ballymastocker Bay was once voted the second most beautiful in the world Jeremy and I were bowled over by hole after hole of interest and intrigue Since my last visit, then just as the golf itself, the accommodation at the Rosapenna Golf Hotel has blossomed and bloomed It is now a substantial but somehow still intimate hotel with 70 rooms and suites My superb accommodation included a balcony with views out over Downings Bay and the fine dining in the Vardon Restaurant was delicious and varied taking full advantage of the freshest local seafood and fish Both the friendliness and efficiency of the staff could not have been better based on strong recommendations on my journey I had headed off-piste one afternoon to cross onto Cruit Island there is a remarkable 9-holer that I have since been banging on about to anyone who will listen and we met up with committee member Eugene McGarvey who gave us an update before setting us on our way Cruit Island - pronounced Critch - is a craggy but beautiful island that is about 3 miles from top to bottom and varies in width from a mile down to about an inch and its sporty course hugs the northern end with unbelievable views over neighboring islands It begins with a pair of testing par 4s before you encounter some brilliant cliff-top green sites on the next few holes.  and with a green fee at odds with its stellar setting I told my wife that Donegal was probably the most gloriously scenic county in the whole of the UK and Ireland Having finally and very joyfully returned and experienced its spectacular topography both on and off the course I will reiterate that sentiment but without the word ‘probably’ I would urge any golfer who hasn’t been to do so to tackle its giants but also to enjoy its many hidden delights The gap between my journeys was way too long and I will make sure that’s not the case next time He specialises in course reviews and travel and has played over 1,250 courses in almost 50 countries he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I as well as the Next 100 where he is missing two in Scotland and two in Ireland He has been a member of Tandridge for over 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15 You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com An official website of the United States government Open Search  Mobile Menu < All Press Releases Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management, Sierra Front Field Office seasonal motorized vehicle closure of the Sand Hills Critical Wildlife Area went into effect on Dec This habitat area is located 20 miles north of Reno south of Bedel Flat Road and west of Bird Springs Road The annual motorized vehicle closure encompasses approximately 13,300 acres and protects critical winter range habitat for mule deer Law enforcement will be conducting patrols of the closure boundary to ensure compliance with the closure Areas outside of this closure remain open to motorized use and the public is encouraged to seek out alternate riding opportunities Nevada Department of Wildlife would like to remind public land users that seasonal closures of OHV traffic on Critical Mule Deer habitat are important to conserve mule deer and their body condition this time of year Reducing human disturbance is even more crucial following catastrophic fires that have consumed large portions of habitat for this interstate mule deer herd “This seasonal closure is vital for Mule Deer habitat,” said Jonathan Palma “We encourage the public to enjoy recreating on public land by finding alternate riding areas during this time.” The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations An official website of the Department of the Interior Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. More than a dozen residents of a Sandy Hill apartment building were forced to evacuate due to a fire early Tuesday morning. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Ottawa Fire Services said it received a 911 call shortly before 6:30 a.m. reporting smoke and flames in the back of a two-storey apartment in the 100 block of Daly Avenue, near the University of Ottawa. Approximately 20 residents had to evacuate, the fire service said on social media, and an OC Transpo bus was sent to the scene to shelter them while firefighters fought the blaze. The fire was held under control as of 7:45, and two searches were done to ensure nobody was inside. No injuries were reported. The fire service’s victim assistance unit was called to the scene to help the 15 residents that are displaced due to damage caused by the fire. A “fire watch” was established to have a truck remain on scene to monitor for hot spots, the fire service said, and investigators were dispatched to the scene.  transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account SALT LAKE COUNTY — Despite being within Sandy City limits Majestic Road is unincorporated Salt Lake County "It was a really wonderful way to have get-togethers swimming event for the neighbors," said longtime resident Pam Hanrahan "The good things were that we could have fireworks on our street so that was really fun because right next door they're not allowed to," said 4-year-resident Samantha Pierson their street and many others will no longer be unincorporated Salt Lake County A new law passed in the 2024 legislative session requires areas within or adjacent to Sandy to become part of Sandy City within three years The Granite community and Sandy Hills will have the opportunity to qualify for incorporation first "They're going to have to do a feasibility study by spring of next year to determine whether incorporation is feasible or not they'll automatically be annexed into Sandy City come July 1 2027," said Sandy City's assistant community development director Sandy City sent a mailer to residents inviting them to a town hall that happened Monday night It also listed what the city says are benefits of annexation "Most residents will see a reduction in their taxes so they'll save money by coming into Sandy," McCuistion said Obviously they'll be closer to first responders Majestic Road residents Tom and Pam aren't thrilled about the looming annexation "I know we've tried to be unincorporated and stay with the county for very many years trying to get younger folks involved," Pam said "We're hopeful services will be readily available and occur in a timely manner," Tom added Samantha Pierson says she's interested in learning more about what annexation will mean for her family "I think the biggest question — besides fireworks because that is the most exciting part — is are our taxes going to increase?" Pierson asked To help answer that question, the city has created a cost comparison tool on its website for residents to use. All it needs is your property value, gas and power bill, and monthly cable and phone bill. "It will break down what your costs are in Sandy City versus Salt Lake County," McCuistion said. The annexation will happen in 2027, but Sandy City says residents can apply now if they're ready. "We just want to make the process smooth and make it work for all the residents and help you as much as we can in getting you information," said James Sorenson, Sandy City's community development director. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account colourful garden in front of her Sandy Hill home on a quiet mid-week afternoon Kathryn Holst is pushing back against the tide of heavy criticism against the neighbourhood Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience It has been a hot topic on the streets here ever since RE/MAX received a flood of ridicule for labelling the area — bordered by Rideau Street to the north the Rideau River to the east and the Rideau Canal to the west — as one of Canada’s best neighbourhoods according to its 2024 Liveability Report earlier this month Alta Vista and lots of other places before we got married,” Holst says of life with her husband “This is my favourite neighbourhood of all those And all of those other neighbourhoods were awesome.” By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of The Evening Citizen will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Holst and Gottheil live a five-minute walk away from Strathcona Park an inner-city 15-acre gem of stately trees bordered on one side by the flowing Rideau River and a row of embassies on the other The couple can easily bike to get their groceries to check out the Lansdowne Park markets or to see what’s playing at the National Arts Centre They’re regulars for Jazz Fest at Confederation Park Casually stroll around for 10 minutes and you’ll see an eclectic mix of restaurants offering tastes of the world “It’s an amazing neighbourhood to live in for all those reasons; the green spaces “Some would say it’s trilingual … bilingual for sure It’s near both the canal and the Ottawa River a University of Ottawa chemical engineering student from Winnipeg “I love this area because it’s so peaceful dog walking white terriers Pedro and Olivia “I can sit here in the sun or take a nap here and I know for sure that nothing will happen to me there are some parts where … in every part of the world there’s a lot of grime: the idyllic side of Sandy Hill is in stark contrast to its darker edge It’s also home to overflowing homeless shelters a safe drug injection site and streets of shady student housing there’s bleed from the well-publicized ByWard Market issues while police have done a better job of shutting down out-of-control post-Panda Game partying around Russell Avenue in recent years photos of the past paint an ugly picture of the neighbourhood which also includes the bordering communities of Lowertown has the highest rate of violent crime in the city based on Ottawa Police Service statistics from 2023 many found the RE/MAX assessment of Sandy Hill laughable and out of touch emphasizing that the report was based on criteria including “affordability proximity to public transit and childcare/schools She’s a huge fan of the community — “I like to keep up with the students and the trends and we have better food choices now” — but says the over-concentration of emergency services in the area is an issue she says it’s a tale of two neighbourhoods in one “There’s a huge difference between people on Mann Avenue or Range Road and the single-family homes and those living near Daly There’s also the reality of student living in the midst of the two extremes who spent four years studying nursing at the University of Ottawa the long-established restaurant at the corner of King Edward and Osgoode “I think it has its charm and its character but it has definitely changed a lot,” she said You can walk just about anywhere you want in 10 minutes “The safe injection site is right there and a couple of times I don’t know why they always go for the Ritz crackers “There are some great little neighbourhoods and nice old houses but a lot has been turned into apartments for students,” said Miller a New Edinburgh resident biking through the city to show it off to friends visiting from Philadelphia “We go to the Ottawa Little Theatre and Lansdowne so we will go through Sandy Hill to get there but I feel like it’s getting a little rundown with the homelessness problems.” they concede they’re living in a “nicer pocket” of the neighbourhood they believe that the homelessness and abuse crises that exist within should be considered a wider city problem “I’ve heard some folks complaining about the neighbourhood but I disagree with a lot of it,” said Gottheil “Whether I’m living in Sandy Hill or living in Westboro or living in a rural area I’m concerned about that as a community member kwarren@postmedia.com 5 months agoDuration 2:56Sandy Hill residents want city to defund drop-in centre5 months agoNewsDuration 2:56Neighbours say Centre 454 is causing chaos; the city says it would prefer to move the centre elsewhere. Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video11:28 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |11 hours agoVideo1:19 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Ottawa firefighters made quick work of a fire in a five-storey apartment building Saturday in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood Ottawa Fire Services received a 911 call at about 11:42 a.m reporting smoke and flames coming from an apartment in a building on Wiggins Private The 911 caller said a resident was inside the apartment but the resident was able to escape before firefighters arrived Smoke continued to show from the exterior of the building Firefighters made their way to the fifth floor and located the fire in the kitchen It  was brought under control at 11:51 before it could spread High-pressure fans were used to ventilate the residual smoke out of the structure High readings of carbon monoxide were found inside so ventilation operations continued and the air quality was monitored and deemed to be safe before residents were allowed to return inside The Sandy Hills Golf Course at Rosapenna was designed by Pat Ruddy There are two more courses on the property one designed by Old Tom Morris and the most recent - St Patrick's Link It's owned by the Casey family - brothers Frank Jr and John run the operations at the resort Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort Sandy Hills course ranked 50th in our Top 100 UK&I course rankings in association with Peter Millar https://www.rosapenna.ie Always available - online discounts available for off-peak afternoon times A very natural and evenly flowing course in a stunning location The course is set in an amazing area of sand dunes that stretches for miles It has to be one of the most natural links courses in the world It is pure links golf which is both challenging and thrilling at the same time There’s great variety to be found and it's a firm but fair test of golf It’s a course of nuances and subtlety with green complexes featuring some challenging slopes and falloffs REASONS TO PLAY ROSAPENNA SANDY HILLS COURSE – Impressive example of modern course design – Fascinating mix of holes requiring careful thought and a strategic approach UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 50 Sandy Hills at Rosapenna is one of the great modern links in our Top 100 golf courses UK&I It’s hard to believe the Sandy Hills Links is just more than 20 years old, the Pat Ruddy design opened in just 2003. Carved through the dunes, this superb layout has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best golf courses in Ireland the challenge of this tricky course is evident – you must find the fairways Although it’s a short par-5 on paper The slopes and speed of the greens on the Sandy Hills Links are quite a feature I have found them both hight satisfying and highly frustrating at times A deft short game and touch is essential if you’re to negotiate the testing green complexes There are some very difficult shots to be faced on the Sandy Hills the tee shot is played downhill to a firm green with dramatic run offs right and long the approach is to a raised green where anything short will roll back some 40 yards But that’s not to say it’s unfair carefully thought out and well played shots will be rewarded This is a real thinkers’ links course and definitely one that’s fun to play trying to master its nuances and subtleties On the run in there are some really excellent holes with standouts for me including the bunker-less par-4 15th and par-5 17th The former dips and turns to the right before climbing again to a sheltered green The latter offers a birdie chance in prevailing winds but with significant slopes to a collection area right of the green it’s a daunting approach and one that must be played with surety I think Sandy Hills is one of the great examples of course design from the last 25 years It makes the very most of this dramatic coastal landscape but it’s fair and it’s hugely enjoyable Tim BrowneGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistSandy Hills has matured nicely over the years The fairways have lovely fine grasses and you rarely have a poor lie. Some may not like this course but I love it It is very different from St Patrick’s next door and from older traditional links but it is a good test of golf Peter HurstGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistThe towering dunes deep valleys and uphill green complexes mean you need to know your uphill and downhill yardages (with or against wind) like the back of your hand It’s a great course in a great setting and is underrated in my opinion Sheila DiamondGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistAn extremely demanding links course more suitable for low handicap golfers Although we played in beautiful weather with very little wind and although the par 3s for women are really quite short accuracy is essential as there is little or no room between the greens and the long dune grass Laid out on terrain occupied by two former courses The design by one of the modern greats – Tom Doak and his team – shows just how big imagination can be This is a vast rollercoaster adventure charging through deep dune valleys and soaring over more open One of two brilliant courses at Ballyliffin this was designed by the great Pat Ruddy in the mid-1990s and hosted the 2018 Irish Open it manages to combine the best of traditional links with a look and feel that is somehow modern It’s a thrill from start to finish and features punishing bunkers and fast-running fairways For more Irish golfing gems, check out our guide to the very best golf courses in Ireland. Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort - Book NowStaying at the resort you're right there on site to hit the fairways There are also packages available for hotel guests playing the golf courses The views are superb and the accommodation and facilities are excellent this is a comfortable hotel serving locally sourced food in the restaurant and there's always a good atmosphere in the bar Guests can also enjoy free access to the nearby local leisure centre (Image credit: Getty Images)2nd(Image credit: Larry Lambrecht)6th(Image credit: Larry Lambrecht)13th(Image credit: Larry Lambrecht)Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort Sandy Hills Course Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I2025/26 - 502023/24 - 442021/22 - 462019/20 - 442017/18 - 452015/16 - 452013/14 - 422011/12 - 392009/10 - 43Frequently Asked QuestionsWho Designed Rosapenna Golf Course?The Sandy Hills Golf Course at Rosapenna was designed by Pat Ruddy golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin OttawaNewsCan Sandy Hill do more to make Panda Game weekend a positive experience for everyone?By CTVNewsOttawa.caPublished: October 03, 2024 at 4:25PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park protects a mosaic of 15 unique natural communities from high and dry scrub to low floodplain marsh. The two dominant natural communities in the preserve are scrub and sandhill The unique scrub ridge in the preserve is part of the Lake Wales Ridge and provides valuable habitat for many species of flora and fauna, including the imperiled gopher tortoise and Florida scrub-jay The dominant plant species in the scrub ecosystem is a mix between scrub oaks Chapman’s oak and rusty staggerbush. The canopy varies in height from 3 to 8 feet with scattered openings in the canopy and bare patches of sand that support many endemic plant species.  Sandhill communities are traditionally associated with wiregrass but sandhills in the preserve contain more of a scrub component such as the scrub oak scrub hickories and other oaks have attained tree status in some of the sandhill areas creating a canopy that has shaded out much of the wiregrass.  Prescribed fire plays an important role in the way we manage both dominant communities in the preserve with a fire return interval in the scrub between four to 15 years The desired effects from our prescribed burns are a mosaic of burned and unburned areas limiting the scrub height to less than 10 feet.  The Florida scrub-jay requires fire in this habitat to survive with an ideal scrub height between 6 and 8 feet, and if the scrub burns too frequently it will limit the acorn production that the scrub-jay needs as a food source. If the scrub height gets too high or acorns too few, the jays will be forced out of the area.  The sandhills in the park have a fire return interval of two to four years, and we are conducting more frequent prescribed fires to obtain the desired fire effect and return the communities to a more natural state. The goal is to remove some of the larger oak trees and reduce the amount of canopy throughout the sandhills, which will encourage wiregrass and longleaf pines to naturally regenerate after the fires. 20228 min readSand Hills Golf Club: The Club TFE ProfileA review of Coore & Crenshaw's Sand Hills the first installment of what will be a weekly series in 2023 for Club TFE members only Architect: Coore & Crenshaw (original design Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw changed the trajectory of golf course architecture Sand Hills Golf Club proved that a faraway course on spectacular land could work It was a “field of dreams” moment for the golf industry which had been focused for decades on building in population centers Developer Dick Youngscap deserves immense credit for pushing the crazy idea of taking golf to the small town of Mullen four-plus hours away from any major airport All our course reviews are available in Club TFE, our membership offering. To learn more about Club TFE and to join, click here {{content-block-sand-hills-course-review-001}} I’m a sucker for great holes early in the round but there are a few other reasons why I love the second at Sand Hills: {{content-block-sand-hills-course-review-002}} This is one of the greatest courses in the world There’s so much to marvel at as you walk it Two aspects of Sand Hills that stick with me most are how well the course embodies its place and how thoroughly worked out the strategic concepts of the holes are I can’t think of any other club I’ve been to that has such a distinct feel and culture These traits are shaped by the town of Mullen more than the membership itself and much of the credit for that dynamic belongs to the club’s visionary who empowered the local staff to be culture setters Sand Hills is unapologetically unique and its own It’s not trying to be anywhere or anything else Almost everyone treks long distances to get there and the emphasis is on one thing: the golf Part of what this course and its culture prove is that luxurious accommodations and amenities aren’t necessary What is necessary is an outstanding course and a strong community looking after it It’s easy to see that Mike Keiser learned something from the culture of Sand Hills and applied it to Bandon Dunes imagine a more intimate and remote Bandon Dunes with slightly less stellar accommodations Every hole at Sand Hills has preferred lines These can change day to day based on different hole locations and winds Coore & Crenshaw were working with a tremendous place for strategic golf as the natural elements are off the charts Coore & Crenshaw found strategy in a variety of ways: natural terrain Generally—and wisely—they opted for natural topography rather than artificial bunkering in many spots Sand Hills is a great example of how the best architects are often the ones confident enough to leave a piece of ground alone and know that the topography will do the work for them I don’t believe it would be possible for a serious golfer to play Sand Hills a few times and come away without at least a basic understanding of how golf strategy works. Along with the 18th hole, which we’ve already written about the 14th is maybe the course’s clearest example of strategic design This reachable par 5 offers an advantage to playing up the left because the green the left half of the fairway offers the chance to catch a massive downslope into a big hollow which will add 60-plus yards to a tee shot playing left is a risk because a massive blowout bunker sits there Finding this bunker will eliminate almost all hope for a birdie and make for a challenging par Hitting a long tee shot up the right is fine you have to contend with another massive blowout Almost every hole at Sand Hills puts players in this position—take the risk right now or pass it off to the next shot If I were to critique two things about Sand Hills I’d focus on the 13th hole and the lack of a walking culture The par-3 13th is breathtaking; I’m just not sure it sets a consistently achievable task Perhaps it’s yet another victim of increased green speeds but the margin for holding any part of this green is very slim I’ve been disappointed with how much cart golf at Sand Hills which is such a wonderful—if hilly—place to walk the Sand Hills membership is on the older side and most members go there to play golf all day But I still wish more decided to walk and truly take in one of the cathedrals of the game It’s a course that should be visited and studied by anyone interested in golf architecture as a profession A letter explaining why you want to experience the course may open up an opportunity for an afternoon round (How We Rate Courses) Sand Hills is everything a three-Egg course should be and accommodates a wide variety of shots and skill levels Superintendent Kyle Hegland does a marvelous job presenting the course with the native vegetation deserving special praise When you hit one out of play and into the taller grass it’s usually easy to find your ball and feasible to get it back in the fairway This is what well-maintained native does: it allows for the possibility of a heroic shot from an unpredictable lie Enjoy this review? We’ll have one of them per week in Club TFE, our new membership program, which launches on January 2, 2023. To learn more about Club TFE and to join, click here Club TFE Course Chat with Andy and Garrett (mini-podcast): https://thefriedegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sand-Hills-Club-TFE-Chat.mp3 Bill Coore on Sand Hills (audio clip; apologies for the recording quality!): https://thefriedegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bill-Coore-on-Sand-Hills.mp3 https://thefriedegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Tom-Doak-on-Sand-Hills.mp3 Superintendent Series: Kyle Hegland (full podcast) Teaching Turf in the Sand Hills (video series) Profile of the 18th Hole (article) {{content-block-sand-hills-course-review-003}} In looking at an entire golf course holistically Fried Egg Golf brings another dimension to the game and fills a gap in golf coverage Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet 24ReplyCancelSUBMIT COMMENTSUBMIT COMMENTThank you! Your submission has been received!Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.Author NameJan 13, 2025DeleteLorem ipsum dolor sit amet FooterA deeper level of golfSign up to our newsletter for fresh takes Mondays Fried Egg Course RatingWe rate golf courses using a three-"Egg" scale a course must be very good; to receive three Most courses will not get any Eggs at all — and this is not meant as an insult Click here to learn more about our rating system and our criteria of Land Rowan Barrett was trying to keep the animals from breaking out of outdoor enclosures in the Sand Hills of Nebraska It was a problem that had stymied researchers before – mice can squeeze through dime-sized holes and burrow under fences “I had no idea what I was doing,” he admits He first experimented with pens constructed with materials from the hardware store and then turned to huge galvanized steel sheets Barrett, then a postdoc in Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Hopi Hoekstra’s lab at Harvard University was attempting to pull off a “crazy science experiment.” He and Hoekstra were trying to watch evolution happen in real time – out in the wild They wanted to show how natural selection can cause gene variants that boost survival to spread through wild populations – in this case Just three months after constructing escape-proof enclosures and tracking mouse survival Under pressure from predators like hawks and owls, surviving mice in the enclosures were more likely to carry gene variants that helped them blend into their surroundingsexternal link, opens in a new tab She and her colleagues even uncovered a single genetic alteration responsible for the change in hair color shade – a direct link between natural selection and genetics The study is “groundbreaking,” says biologist Jonathan Losos of Washington University in St Telling such a complete evolutionary story “can be done in the lab with fruit flies,” he explains Pulling off this grand experiment required huge amounts of time and effort – and a little bit of luck Hoekstra had already discovered some of the genes that control hair color in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and related species Mice from sandy environments are typically lighter in color than those that live on darker soil Scientists believed the variations in the genes evolved in response to predation make up a nice story for the genes we think are related to fitness,” explains Hoekstra But such narratives might not actually be true could this particular story be put to the test who had just finished a PhD study showing that saltwater stickleback fish lost their armor when they colonized fresh water because the change conferred a growth advantage he was looking for a project that was bigger and bolder Barrett was well aware of Hoekstra’s pioneering molecular work in mice “but I felt like a piece of the study was missing.” He wanted to prove that natural selection was actually at work on those hair color genes out in the wild And he had just the place in mind to do it: Nebraska’s Sand Hills sandy hills exist not far from dark agricultural soils and mice with both light and dark coats can be easily trapped she didn’t laugh me out of the room,” he recalls “A lot of principal investigators would have said it was just too high risk.” They planned to build four vast enclosures on the sandy soil and four more on the dark soil and watch how mice with different coat colors fared in each Barrett quickly got a permit for the sandy soil enclosures in a wildlife refuge area but finding a spot with dark soil was much harder “I spent a lot of time knocking on doors,” he says he ended up in a bar in the town of Valentine – “drowning my sorrows” – and spilling his woes to a local character nicknamed Wild Bill “That was just total luck,” Barrett recalls The next challenge was transporting and erecting nearly half a mile of steel sheet fencing The metal is too tall and smooth for the mice to climb and could be sunk two feet deep in the soil we work with pipettes and sequencers,” Hoekstra says we were working with a trencher and heavy machinery We had to deal with rattlesnakes and tons of metal.” Even when the enclosures were built the mice still managed to scamper out by burrowing down and wriggling though gaps between sheets the scientists had to dig out around every single post – hundreds of them – and fill the holes with concrete “I thought ‘Wow!’ at the amount of work and the blood and tears involved,” says Erica Bree Rosenblum an evolutionary biologist at the University of California The finished enclosures stretched across the Nebraska landscape “like a Christo [and Jeanne-Claude] installation in steel,” Losos says The team then trapped hundreds of wild deer mice carefully selected to have a mix of light and dark coats and put 75 to 100 mice into each enclosure Each mouse got an implanted microchip and had its tail snipped for a DNA sample checking dozens of traps every two hours to recapture and ID the animals That’s how the researchers kept track of which animals survived who became adept at nabbing scampering mice with his bare hands “we spent a lot of time sitting in the truck looking at the stars,” recalls Barrett The results showed that the simplest evolutionary story was the correct one Owls and hawks did find it easier to spot – and snatch up – lighter-colored mice in the dark soil enclosures and darker mice on the light soil this powerful natural selection had pushed the population in the light soil enclosures to have a higher proportion of lighter mice whereas the opposite happened in the dark soil enclosures “We gave a huge sigh of relief when we saw the phenotypic change,” Hoekstra says “There were so many ways the experiment could have failed.” the scientists elucidated the full molecular story behind the adaptation Working with gene sequencers and transgenic mice in the lab Hoekstra’s team showed that a single amino acid deletion in a gene named Agouti changes the way two proteins interact That change reduces the production of a coat pigment and leads to lighter-colored mice the pressure from predators selected for mice with the deletion because their lighter color offered a survival advantage “This study is so exciting because it illuminates the full process of evolution by natural selection out in nature going all the way from fitness to the underlying molecular mechanism,” says Hoekstra in cases where organisms already have a certain amount of genetic diversity “We know evolution creates light-colored mice but we used to think it took millennia,” says Rosenblum we’re seeing how incredibly quickly that can happen.” Rowan D. H. Barrett et al., “Linking a mutation to survival in wild miceexternal link, opens in a new tab.” Science 363 OttawaNews City of Ottawa asks Sandy Hill, Lowertown residents for feedback on quality of lifeBy Dave CharbonneauPublished: January 10, 2025 at 12:42PM EST Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Erik Matuszewski's coverage spans golf businesses news & destinationsFollow AuthorApr 18 06:00am EDTShareSaveCommentThis article is more than 2 years old.A rendering of a planned golf hole at Rodeo Dunes the new destination golf property being built in .. in soaring sand dunes less than an hour from the Denver International Airport Less than an hour from the Denver International Airport are soaring sand dunes – acre after acre of them some up to 85 feet high and covered in green – that have the look and feel of Southwest Ireland owned by one of the biggest rodeo production businesses in the U.S. that will be home to the newest destination golf property in the Keiser family portfolio: Rodeo Dunes Itinerant golfers can thank a canceled flight for the discovery Michael and Chris Keiser – the sons of Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley co-founder Mike Keiser — were on their way to visit Sweetens Cove in Tennessee when their flight from Denver (one of the nation’s three busiest airports) was delayed and eventually canceled altogether Michael Keiser became curious about the prospect of good golf land in the vicinity of Ballyneal a high-end private club tucked in the northeast part of the state He hopped on Google Earth and within five minutes spotted the first of a series of sandy blowouts eventually focusing his search just outside the small town of Roggen he was able to identify and arrange a meeting with the landowner an 86-year-old rancher by the name of Mike Cervi “But he didn’t chase me out of his kitchen became close with him and partnered with him and his family on this project we want to tell not just the geological story – how did the sand dunes get here that look like you’re in Ireland – but what was this land and who have the caretakers been?” Some of the sand dunes at Rodeo Dunes are massive in size a long-time assistant to Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw has designed the first course at the property Swayed by the success the Keisers have had with Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast and Sand Valley in the sandy soil of central Wisconsin the Cervi family donated 2,000 acres for the Rodeo Dunes project That’s a small piece of their overall 40,000-acre property (they also have additional land in Colorado and other states) but it’s more than enough room for at least six special golf courses who is getting his first solo billing after 25 years as a top assistant to the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw Craig and his wife were traveling south from Denver to Breckenridge with whom he’d worked closely on the Par 3 Sandbox course at Sand Valley had told him he had come across some golf ground near the Denver airport Craig phoned Keiser and told him he was in the area Keiser at that very moment was in Sand Valley showing the rodeo family patriarch the potential of his Colorado property run Cervi Championship Rodeo and donated about .. A member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame who now run the rodeo business – providing all the livestock to rodeos throughout the country and then producing and directing the shows One of them met Craig at the gate to let him on the property Craig and his wife ended up spending two days there wandering the heaving dunes and “getting lost in a hurry.” Not to worry; the Craigs did officially celebrate their anniversary too going to a concert at Red Rocks and eventually making it to Breckenridge but Craig found his way back to Rodeo Dunes a short time later Jim Craig (left) is designing the first course at Rodeo Dunes More two decades with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw “I just invited him out to look at the site and share his thoughts And then he just didn’t leave and started working on a routing,” Keiser said with a laugh and I didn’t think I was interviewing him to be the architect But then a routing emerged that is just spectacular Every story tells its own story and those chapters come together to create a beautiful story arc,” Keiser added “His course looks like one that should be pure fun There are extraordinary courses that I really appreciate academically and artistically but as a 12-handicapper I think are less fun to play Whereas when you go to Prestwick or North Berwick There is room for at least six golf courses at Rodeo Dunes More one designed by Jim Craig and the second course from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw followed by the second course – designed by Coore & Crenshaw – in 2025 “It’s a wonderful opportunity,” said Craig who sought out Bill Coore’s blessing before accepting the lead design role “My efforts weren’t to win a job or get a job Bill always encourages us to look at an opportunity when it comes our way and don’t be afraid to do something that would help our lives We share things and we help each other make things better all the time Irrigation will be laid this summer and the progress should be relatively quick No earthmoving is required and there won’t be any heavy equipment at the property Sand dunes and mountain views make Rodeo Dunes one of the most unique golf destinations in the .. there will be a short course built on a 58-acre site between the first tees of Craig’s course and the Coore-Crenshaw layout There will also be a massive Himalayas-style putting course and — eventually — lodging and bunk houses for visiting golfers The locations for three other courses have been identified but Keiser said the plan is to take them one at a time after the opening of the first two maybe one day there can be six great courses on this site,” Keiser said “We’ll get to two before we really know how one is received see how the market responds and then go from there.” A rendering (by Peter Flory) of a golf hole at Rodeo Dunes in Colorado The vision for Rodeo Dunes is more Bandon Dunes – pure golf – than Sand Valley which has year-round activities and a housing component as well as a planned village center with stores Keiser acknowledges the model may be more that of the ultra-private Sand Hills (in Nebraska) The Cervi family that owns the land has one of the oldest cattle brands in the state: a circle with a line down the middle of it There’s a wonderful simplicity to the logo which just might be incorporated in the golf resort’s branding down the road Rodeo Dunes will have a program in which up to 200 founders donate $75,000 apiece to have access to a limited number of preferred morning tee times and be on the ground floor of what promises to be a unique property The founders are buying into the same thing the family in the rodeo business did – the strong Keiser family track record for creating remarkable golf experiences it’s Irish golf contours in the sandscapes of Colorado Michael Keiser initially discovered the property for Rodeo Dunes while searching satellite photos on .. “It’s not always just linear dunes parallel to the ocean It’s very much multidirectional,” explained Keiser drawing comparisons to revered Southwest Ireland courses like Ballybunion and Lahinch “These dunes go for miles in every direction there are so many different directional changes The dunes don’t have an obvious pattern or direction to them “Another thing I appreciated is that in many of the valleys there’s a lot more width than you see sometimes in Ireland dramatic dunes and then these skinny fairways that wild golfers that might struggle to hit,” Keiser added “There is some breathing room on this site which is nice because it allows you more width and therefore more strategy If you didn’t see Pike’s Peak and the mountains in the distance you’d believe you were in Ireland if I just dropped you on the site I’ve never seen a site that needs so little work.” but the pieces are in place for golf’s next great destination property Rendering (by Peter Flory) of a hole at the Jim Craig-designed course at Rodeo Dunes outside Denver Pittman’s team was organized by Scott Fischer, a 40-year-old professional guide who co-founded the Seattle-based trekking company Mountain Madness. With three guides and seven Sherpas, Fischer would lead eight clients (two turned back) up the Southeast Route, which he jokingly dubbed “the yellow brick road” because of its popularity among wealthy amateurs who do not shrink at the fact that for the 600 who have summited there have been 142 deaths. It was fortunate that she got down fast, for the next four people (not including Sherpas), no more than 15 minutes behind her, ran into trouble. Makalu Gau, a Taiwanese climber, was discovered half frozen the following day and was delivered from death’s door in one of the highest helicopter rescues ever. Fischer and Rob Hall, the New Zealand expedition leader, who stopped to help his client Doug Hansen, would not be so lucky. Beidleman scrambled over to Danish climber Lene Gammelgaard and asked her to trade oxygen with Pittman, whose bottle was running low. He turned her oxygen flow rate to high, which feels like a jolt of adrenaline. “It was a judgment call, not preferential treatment,” he says, explaining that he had to get her moving. “Sandy was the one in the biggest trouble at that point.” Beidleman rounded up the group and got them to huddle together, backs to the wind. They fell into a huge dog pile, sitting or lying in one another’s laps, beating their friends and acquaintances, yelling profanities—anything to stay awake. All were now out of oxygen. With the windchill lowering temperatures to 100 degrees below freezing, the climbers were shaking uncontrollably from hypothermia. If anyone passed out, death would be imminent. Sometime around midnight, the storm subsided, the stars came out, and the climbers decided to make a mad dash for safety. But Namba was barely conscious, and Pittman and Fox were too weak to walk. “Our knees were buckling,” recalls Fox. Beidleman remembers shouting at Pittman that she had to keep going. She tried to crawl, but couldn’t. If someone didn’t go for help, “we would all be Popsicles by morning,” Beidleman said. Madsen, still strong, elected to stay with Charlotte Fox, who, like Pittman, had sat down in the snow. They were fading fast. “We sat down to conserve energy, and so we wouldn’t walk off the mountain,” says Fox. “The wind was blowing and I couldn’t open my eyes. I concentrated on staying alive.” Meanwhile, as Fox later recalled, she and Sandy Pittman had completely given up. By three A.M. they had been out 30 hours. They had no water. Their food was frozen solid. “Sandy and I thought this was the end and just curled up in a ball and waited to die,” says Fox. “Tim had a better attitude. He said, ‘Beat Sandy on the back! Rub her arms! Move your legs!’ I said, ‘No, leave me to die. Nobody’s going to save us.’” Pittman couldn’t say much. “I am tired,” she told him. “I cannot.” So Anatoli Boukreev half carried, half dragged Sandy Pittman back to camp. That morning, encouraged by Makalu Gau’s rescue, Boukreev started to search for Fischer, a close friend. He found him frozen in the snow, his oxygen mask still on. No one will ever know exactly what happened, whether he was overcome by the altitude or simply wrung out from weeks of shepherding clients up and down the mountain. But the next morning, when the team hiked down to Pheriche, the town below Base Camp, it was obvious that Pittman was in a hurry to split. She pled media obligations. A team member recalls, “She was worried about damage control.” First thing Friday, she chartered a helicopter to Kathmandu for $2,500, offering a ride to Madsen and the team doctor, Ingrid Hunt. For the same sum she could have chartered a large Russian helicopter to take everyone down. On Monday, May 20, Fischer’s team gathered in the Yak and Yeti garden for a group picture. Pittman, who had originally refused to pose for Vanity Fair (saying she didn’t “want to do anything to stand out from the group”), arrived fully made up, wearing a tight black miniskirt, a black blouse with mandarin collar, and an elaborate Tibetan headdress. The other climbers, most of them casually dressed, appeared taken aback. As the controversy grew heated, veteran climbers tried to make the point that the essence of mountaineering has always been self-reliance, consideration for others, character, and integrity. “What happened up there was terrible, but some people came out looking wonderful and some didn’t,” observed a climber who knows all the players well. “Beck Weathers sat on a rock for 12 hours waiting to be saved. But he’s a hero because he’s so honest about it.” Charlotte Fox thinks it’s too early to pass judgment on anyone who has been through such an emotional experience. “Sandy is a strong woman and she is committed,” says Fox. “Maybe she doesn’t know how to say thank you for saving her life.” In the end, Pittman left the surgery to a doctor. During a day hike, Sailor fell over backward and gashed her head. The women had to walk three hours to the next camp, where a doctor, with only a hut as a hospital, put in six stitches. Sailor’s husband, public-relations executive Ken Lerer, was reportedly furious when he heard about his wife’s accident. Hoge, however, came back singing Pittman’s praises, telling spine-tingling tales about her friend’s prowess and brush with death. “Some people climb for the publicity, not the experience,” says David Swanson, a past Explorers Club president and former publisher of Summit magazine. “And I would say that 85 percent of the people [within the climbing community] dislike that sort of thing and would not climb with that person. Climbing is meant to be elemental, simplistic—you are meant to respect the dangers and the environment. A movable circus is not what it is meant to be.” At the University of Colorado in Boulder, she fell in love with Jerry Solomon, now a sports agent married to former Olympic ice-skater Nancy Kerrigan. They eventually transferred to U.C.L.A. together and Pittman earned a degree in art history. They split a year later. “She was always into climbing, but it seems to have become an all-consuming thing,” says Solomon. “She was always an ambitious person, and I don’t just mean about climbing mountains.” This past October, the Pittmans threw one of their famous parties, with 50 guests dining under an elaborately embroidered Tibetan tent. On the menu were yak stew and Sherpa tea. In attendance were the couple’s country friends—the Brokaws, Lerers, and others. “Everything was beautifully done and so tasteful, as always,” recalls Jurate Kazickas, “so it was a real shock to hear they split up just a few weeks later.” Bob Pittman reportedly moved out a few days before Halloween, quitting their Central Park West apartment, which is crammed with artifacts from her farflung travels. She told friends that it came as a complete shock, saying, “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” He told friends that there had been signs for a long time, but that she never noticed. She was gone all the time. “Enough is enough,” he said. Ironically, it had been Bob Pittman who, in the mid-80s, encouraged his wife to find something meaningful to do. “It was he who turned my head around,” she once acknowledged. But even her friends agree that Sandy Pittman’s single-minded dedication to her avocation complicated her relationship with her husband. “A lot of people look at mountain climbing as discretionary, but Sandy looks at this as her job,” says Nina Griscom, adding, “But in a marriage, it’s hard when someone finds out who they are in the middle.” On Sunday, June 9, a private memorial service was held for Scott Fischer at Kiana Lodge, near Seattle, Washington. Most of Fischer’s team, as well as the Sherpas, came to pay tribute to their fallen leader. Sandy Pittman arrived with Todd Harris, a senior producer at NBC’s on-line interactive service who designed Pittman’s Everest Web site. After everything that had happened, she had little time for Beidleman or Boukreev. There were photographers everywhere. SCITUATE  – Turner Road was a flurry of activity this week background screens and other equipment near Sand Hills Beach to shoot scenes for a feature film with the working title “Untitled Novelist Project.”   a crew member told a Patriot Ledger photographer that filming in town has been underway for a week at three locations in town Shooting was scheduled to wrap Wednesday and the production returns to Boston other filming locations have been at the corner of Congress and A streets in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston outside the Brookline Booksmith on Harvard Street and in West Roxbury.   Braintree returns to the big screen: Christmas musical 'Spirited' premieres in November Hollywood hot spots: Tommy Lee Jones movie 'Finestkind' shooting in Scituate This is the second movie to shoot in Scituate since May when the Tommy Lee Jones crime drama “Finestkind” filmed scenes at a seaside home on Edward Foster Road That flick will debut on Paramount+ later this year. Cameras also rolled in Scituate at the high school for the Netflix teen mystery series "The Society." And Hollywood took over Front Street to shoot a scene for "The Witches of Eastwick" at the now-shuttered Quarter Deck antique shop Since tax credits were signed into law in 2005 and made permanent in 2021 film and television production in the region has steadily increased with bigger-budget  productions, such as the superhero blockbusters “Black Panther 2” and “Madame Web” and star-studded Oscar nominees in “Little Women,” “Don’t Look Up” and “Knives Out.”  The state is also starting to benefit from repeat customers. HBO filmed scenes in Framingham and Brookline for Season 2 of its series “Julia,” about culinary icon Julia Child. After shooting two seasons of the dark comedy “Kevin Can F*** Himself” in Braintree the AMC network is rolling its cameras again in the region for another prestige drama series “Invitation to a Bonfire,” a psychological thriller set in the 1930s at an all-girls boarding school in New Jersey. The cast includes Tatiana Maslany (the Boston Marathon bombing drama “Stronger”) Pilou Asbæk (“Game of Thrones”) and Ngozi Anyanwu (“Deuce”).   'Don't Look Up': Ariana Grande concert scene filmed in Weymouth Netflix is keeping the local film industry busy with a number of projects shooting Mark Wahlberg’s “Spenser Confidential” in Weymouth; the family-friendly adventure “The Sleepover” in Hanover; the dark satire “I Care a Lot” in Braintree; and the upcoming crime series “12 Scars,” with Jason Bateman Production for Halle Berry's "The Mothership" also took place in southeastern Massachusetts and is scheduled for a 2023 release Another upcoming film project is “The Collaboration,” about the complicated friendship between artists Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope) It will shoot at Marina Studios on Victory Road in Quincy Coming this Christmas is the Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” starring Naomi Ackie (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) Scenes for that one were also shot at Marina Studios.   Quincy: New movie studio opens in Marina Bay, scores deal to film Whitney Houston biopic The Christmas-themed musical “Spirited," shot at South Shore Plaza last summer It will premiere on Apple TV+  in December.   Shooting for “Boston Strangler,” starring Kingston’s Chris Cooper and Keira Knightley as Milton journalist Loretta McLaughlin took place at the former Foster Elementary School in Braintree Ben Affleck's "The Tender Bar" also shot in Braintree and can be streamed on Amazon Prime.   'Tender Bar': Braintree gets its close-up in movie starring Ben Affleck Last year, director Adam McKay partially filmed his Oscar-nominated satire “Don’t Look Up” at the Hangout in Weymouth, including an Ariana Grande concert scene. Cohasset’s sprawling Oaks Estate was the backdrop for scenes in “Confess, Fletch,” which was released last Friday and will stream Oct Reel attraction: Massachusetts is a hot Hollywood alternative Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer. Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com.  the world of venture capital can seem mysterious at best understanding how venture capital works and how VCs make decisions is often critical to the success of many startups Whether trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level founders need to know just what makes VCs tick Andreessen Horowitz’s managing partner (and former entrepreneur himself) Scott Kupor demystifies the role of venture capital in all stages of the startup lifecycle He explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide not just for every entrepreneur looking to grow their startup but for anyone seeking to understand venture capital as a driver for innovation Scott Kupor is the managing partner of Andreessen Horowitz He has overseen the firm’s rapid growth to one hundred and fifty employees and more than $10 billion in assets under management He is also a co-founder and co-director of the Stanford Venture Capital Director’s College and teaches venture capital and corporate governance courses at Stanford Law School and the Haas School of Business and Boalt School of Law at UC Berkeley He is the vice-chair of the investment committee for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and was previously the chairman of the board of the National Venture Capital Association and has written for The Wall Street Journal Leggi in italiano The fulgurite sample described in the study The quasicrystal was identified in the metallic part at the centre which they call a dodecagonal quasicrystal which probably formed when lightning struck near a fallen power line in a sandy region of the United States because until now experts doubted that such structures could form on Earth in natural conditions Quasicrystals are made of atoms arranged in an ordered fashion but without the periodic repetition of a simple geometric form that is found in normal crystals They only form in extreme temperature and pressure conditions they have magnetic and electric properties that are not found in either crystals or amorphous solids and could prove useful for many applications after a storm and close to a downed power line a melted tube of sand with traces of conductor metal found in the power line Luca Bindi from the University of Florence has been studying quasi-crystals since 2009 that often form when lightning hits sandy soils “I started asking colleagues from all over the world to send me samples of fulgurites with different origins” he explains “and one of these contained the quasicrystal described in this study” The researchers concluded that an electrical discharge created temperatures above1,700 °C, forming a quasicrystal with a symmetry and a composition that were never observed before. It is possible, as other experts have argued2 that the mineral was formed solely by the electrical discharges from the downed power line the researchers favour lightning as an explanation because the Sand Hills fulgurite extended well beyond the contact point with the aluminum wire and has a morphology similar to other fulgurites caused by lightning quasicrystals had only been found in debris from impacts of extraterrestrial bodies and in residuals of nuclear explosions These extreme conditions are difficult to reproduce but now new insights from this study may pave the way for the synthesis of artificial quasicrystals “Beside new technological applications of quasicrystals that we do not image yet our study can foster research in fields like condensed matter physics and solid-state chemistry,” says Bindi doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d43978-023-00008-9 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 120(1): e2215484119 Download references HT is an interdisciplinary research institute created and supported by the Italian government whose aim is to develop innovative strategies to pr.. UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus Department of Energy and Environmental Materials and advance cancer research in a leading translational institute Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute We are seeking a tenure-track associate professor to promote interdisciplinary research in nanoprobe life sciences or related interdisciplinary field Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science This work, Bowling Center celebrates Grand Re-Opening, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Lawsuit List Most Popular by Corrado Rizzi The Lumber Liquidators settlement has been finalized. You can find everything you need to know about the settlement here. contribute $22 million in cash and offer $14 million in store credit vouchers to put to rest all claims brought against the company by those who purchased its China-made laminate flooring sold between January 1 The settlement does not constitute an admission by Lumber Liquidators of any fault or liability and is subject to court approval and approval by the plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel Sparked by a March 2015 investigative report from “60 Minutes”—which itself came on the heels of a December 2014 lawsuit filed by non-profit Global Community Monitor—one MDL alleged certain flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators in North America had higher levels of formaldehyde than allowable under California law Subsequent testing of the China-sourced flooring in Virginia Illinois and New York also revealed dangerous formaldehyde levels The other MDL covered by this settlement claimed the company’s flooring was not as durable as it was advertised to be Lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators in California were settled in March 2016 with the company halting the sale its allegedly defective flooring roughly 10 months prior The non-exhaustive list of specific flooring that may off-gas excessive levels of formaldehyde includes (but is not limited to): No worries, reader. We have you covered. All you need to know about multi-district litigation can be found here If your child suffers from video game addiction — including Fortnite addiction or Roblox addiction — you may be able to take legal action Learn more:Video Game Addiction Lawsuit Anyone who received Depo-Provera or Depo-Provera SubQ injections and has been diagnosed with meningioma Read more: Depo-Provera Lawsuit Did you know there's usually nothing you need to do to join, sign up for, or add your name to new class action lawsuits when they're initially filed Read more here: How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit? Corrado Rizzi is the Senior Managing Editor of ClassAction.org ClassAction.org is a group of online professionals (designers developers and writers) with years of experience in the legal industry Before commenting, please review our comment policy CAMPBELL LAKE SITS dead still as the sun starts to set The porcelain surface reflects the cypress trees growing out of it Ripples echo from the center point created by the bait’s splash they leave behind a circle of water that quickly becomes flat again The worm just below the surface barely blurs the trees’ reflections Hundreds of white-skinned trunks shoot straight up from the water The reflections are so vivid the trees appear to grow up and down I can’t tell where real trees end and where the mirrored reproductions begin that it’s like looking into a mirror and seeing another mirror I find this optical illusion at the end of a beautiful December day in the Sand Hills State Forest and the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge Campbell Lake is technically in the state forest The two tracts of public land sit adjacent to each other about 75 miles southeast of uptown Charlotte Together they cover more than 90,000 acres and both of them reflect our country’s desire to keep pockets of nature undamaged by progress An observation tower in the refuge allows me to take in panoramic views while at the same time making me part of somebody else’s or it would if anybody else was here today I hike Tate’s Trail as it snakes three-and-a-half miles through the refuge Sandy ground gives birth to a longleaf pine forest an endangered species the refuge is devoted to saving.  Their rousing chirps make me wonder what I did to earn their applause A chill settles over Campbell Lake as I finish reeling in the line over the reflected trees She suggests I return in the spring when prothonotary warblers sit low on the cypress roots and reflections of their bright yellow chests beam off of the water.  I’d love to yank a pickerel out of these still waters The catch would destroy the trees’ undisturbed reflection I don’t get so much as a nibble on this cast or the next or the one after that I’m willing to stand here and keep trying until my luck changes Matt Crossman lives in Charlotte with his wife and two girls. Reach him at mcrossman98@gmail.com or on Twitter @MattCrossman_.  All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team Graphics and design by and Along a postcard stretch of Southern California beneath the geologic grandeur of Point Dume Sara Cuadra cradled a rake and prodded what seemed like just a patch of white sand this was just another pretty spot in Malibu — a popular site for film shoots and Instagrams But here among the bluffs of Westward Beach where the shoreline has quietly eroded with each passing year a forgotten ecosystem that has long since been destroyed it’s easy to forget the beach itself used to be a wild place Coastal dunes once unfurled along the shore their crests and curves teeming with plants birds and more bugs than you could imagine once boasted some of the most biodiverse beaches in the world these sandy hills have been flattened and paved over — erased to make room for ever more people seeking to live and play by the sea Now, with the looming threat of sea level rise and a state desperate for solutions conservationists and a growing movement of researchers say restoring these dunes could provide a much-needed buffer from the water These overlooked features of the coast could help buy communities a bit more time — before the ocean pushes inland and reclaims the land Most of these ideas remain untested in California Pilot projects like the one in Malibu are starting with a concept so simple it seems radical: If these degraded ecosystems were just given the space to regrow A field team from the Bay Foundation and L.A Conservation Corps spent weeks removing invasive plants from roughly three acres of beach along the Zuma and Point Dume coast (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)For Cuadra the pristine beach her canvas for a different more resilient landscape that beachgoers could learn to love There’s no silver bullet for sea level rise but here is an opportunity to try something other than a concrete seawall or some over-engineered solution that would make the coast even more unrecognizable her hands blistered from the weeks of weeding this beach could offer a different way forward in California’s fight against the sea She clutched a handful of seeds that will one day bloom into red sand verbena — a fiercely stubborn succulent that slowly builds up dunes by trapping windblown sand against big waves and flooding and all the rising forces of the ocean There’s a sobering number often cited among scientists, coastal planners and those in the know: About 90% of California’s wetlands have been choked drained or filled to accommodate our engineered landscape is that perhaps even more coastal dunes have been destroyed more than 23,000 acres of dunes once stretched from Palos Verdes to Los Angeles International Airport according to historical ecology maps from the 1850s more than 23,000 acres of dunes stretched along the Los Angeles coast even airports — these sandy areas tend to be easy to build on and prime for oil drilling and agriculture a few dune systems remain along the state’s northernmost coast Santa Barbara and other pockets of the south-central coast As for those Southern California dunes that were spared from development many have been mechanically flattened and “groomed” for a more pristine beach experience Decades of grooming have squeezed the life out of the sand. Heavy machinery, intended to clean the beach, has methodically smoothed out areas where plovers once nested and where grunions bury their eggs the now-endangered butterflies and the bugs that once brought so many different birds to the shore As these beach tractors scrub the sand for trash each day they also rake up all the kelp that has washed ashore — removing an important building block in the dune formation process as well as a major nutrient source for animals kelp wrack and native plants help trap windblown sand which support birds and intertidal species It would seem absurd to rake all the leaves off the floor of a forest but many Californians have stopped seeing their beaches as an interconnected part of nature “We have some of the richest beaches in the world; we also have some of the most impacted beaches in the world,” said Jenny Dugan a researcher at UC Santa Barbara who has spent more than 20 years studying the biodiversity of our beaches “The contrast is really striking between what a beach can be in California and what a lot of beaches are in California.” has identified at least 27 species of native intertidal beetles on a beach in Santa Barbara County that does not get groomed (Compare this with a similar beach in Chile where only one species has been documented.) Just recently she discovered a fly that had never been described before — another yet-to-be-named species on California’s vibrant shore Dugan’s voice rings with excitement whenever she talks about the “roly polies,” a sensitive isopod whose survival indicates a highly biodiverse beach and talitrids — also known as beach hoppers — that maintain balance by munching on the kelp before it rots These critters also attract all the shorebirds that once frequented the coast which relies on dunes and having enough space on the beach to nurture their young whose numbers have also plummeted as their nesting habitats continue to vanish along the shore a research specialist at UC Santa Barbara and co-founder of Coastal Restoration Consultants recommends starting with the three “ecosystem engineers”: red sand verbena These three plants are particularly good at starting the process of trapping and forming mounds of sand that continue to accumulate until they become dunes that are three Once the ecosystem engineers have stabilized the dune plants like beach evening primrose can move in and help develop the habitat further who has advised numerous restorations across California These plants are a rare sighting these days. Many beaches are now matted with a stubborn carpet of ice plant, whose fleshy green leaves and aggressive roots spread so quickly that they crowd out native plants. As one park ranger put it: Ice plant may look green and familiar This invasive plant from South Africa was popularized decades ago as a cheap way to control erosion Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Transportation once planted them as a way to stabilize cliffs and highway embankments But the ice plant quickly invaded much of the coast and got out of control Dunes in their natural state can also help delay or soften the onslaught of wave erosion The trick is to see them not as static features on the beach ever-adjusting bank of sediment that stores and supplies sand depending on the season and tide With the increasing pressures of sea level rise, these sandy ecosystems may be the first to vanish if the human-built world does not change course. A recent study led by the U.S. Geological Survey found that dune habitats in California may have already reached a tipping point Experts say it’s important to identify areas along the coast that still have enough space — and time — to give dune restoration a try These projects take not only years to grow Every project takes a really long time to get put on the ground,” said Hubbard towel space and other recreational uses must also be factored into these plans “There’s the ecological side … but also implementation making sure all the stakeholders get brought in … It gets a lot more complicated when you get to the human side.” Now after more than four years of careful maintenance and monitoring The city saw this pilot project as a way to test relatively inexpensive nature-based methods — one more tool in the solution toolkit so to speak — as well as a compelling opportunity to talk to the community about its increasing vulnerabilities to sea level rise who oversees Malibu’s sustainability efforts Studies show that 50% of the sandy beach at Zuma and Point Dume could vanish by 2040 Whether the dunes will build up fast enough or be sufficient protection for the existing infrastructure — two lifeguard buildings the parking lot and an access road — remains unclear there is still enough time to try these so-called living shorelines “If we don’t want our coast to become one long stretch of seawalls and rocks — with no wetlands and no beaches to lay our towel on — we need to develop more approaches to deal with these threats.” Cuadra knelt down to examine the field team’s progress The beach was now cleared of 50,000 pounds of ice plant which they had spent weeks coaxing out of the sand She checked the dozens of wooden garden stakes now planted in its place — positioned in strategic clusters to help accumulate more sand — and the steel posts that marked where beachgoers could walk without trampling this budding ecosystem She noticed a rogue stem of ice plant and threw her weight into tugging the entire root system out of the sand a fellow watershed program coordinator at the Bay Foundation “There were some on the other side that were 2 inches thick in diameter At Cardiff State Beach in northern San Diego County, a recent $3-million project fits somewhere between green and gray: There was not enough willpower at the time to relocate or “manage-retreat,” the coastal highway farther inland (the most cost-effective but logistically challenging solution) so officials agreed instead to line the coast with a wall of rocks — and then cover the wall with sand and build a dune habitat and walking trail on top “We were trying to buy time in a way that would benefit the environment and not preclude future nature-based adaptation,” said Sloane a project manager at the Coastal Conservancy who specializes in sea level rise adaptation “We can’t be setting ourselves up for failure setting ourselves up for a bigger rock revetment and all of the money going into this project was that the city and the transportation agencies needed time to get their appropriate planning done to move the highway.” Shifting to even greener ways of buying time is often a hard sell Engineers have been wary of the idea that plants and sand could be enough to protect roads and critical infrastructure the governor’s deputy secretary for coast and ocean policy said that good monitoring and data are critical to understanding how to make more of these projects part of the solution “It’s pretty extraordinary to realize what was there before we built up all the way to the shoreline, before we started grooming our beaches every day to keep the trash out,” said Gold, who has been working with more than a dozen state agencies to prepare for at least 3.5 feet of sea level rise by 2050 “From the standpoint of looking at coastal dunes as a nature-based solution to build coastal resilience I think there’s a great deal of unfulfilled potential in the state.” Cuadra got to work sorting tens of thousands of seeds into a broadcaster that she slung over her hip noting the spiky edges on the ambrosia chamissonis (beach bur) and the abronia maritima (red sand verbena) that looked like oatmeal She paused to admire a gray whale and its calf breaching just past the surf A group of pelicans stretched their outsize wings and soared along the break “Almost every day we’re out here we see dolphins and whales and all kinds of wildlife,” she said still feels a sense of wonder whenever she’s this close to the ocean She often thinks about the Tongva and Chumash people who understood the natural rhythms of this coast who knew these dunes before they were destroyed despite the whoosh of Pacific Coast Highway and all the homes perched today on the edge of the sea Cuadra hoped it was still possible to recognize the past as part of the present — and show more people how to share again and begin planning for a more resilient future Generations of people have never experienced a beach in California brimming with its full spectrum of life She can recite the scientific names of so many of her plants — but has yet to witness them in their natural state She scattered the first seeds like confetti and gasped with delight as they settled into the sand This story was edited by Monte Morin and copy edited by Kevin Ueda and John Penner Photographs were made by Al Seib and Brian van der Brug The illustrations in this story are based on information provided by researchers at UC Santa Barbara, Coastal Restoration Consultants and the Bay Foundation. Historical record of the El Segundo dunes was mapped with data from the U.S. Coast Survey T-sheet Atlas Suggestions or feedback? This website is managed by the MIT News Office, part of the Institute Office of Communications Massachusetts Institute of Technology77 Massachusetts Avenue Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access Our stable of 100-plus course raters scoured the globe the past two years Greatness and inspiration in some of the most unexpected places So saddle up for a tour of the world’s 100 best golf courses Methodology: How we rate courses GOLF’s Top 100 Courses sorted by country and state Photo credits in revolving gallery above (if viewed on desktop): Barnbougle Dunes (No 76): Shawn Michael Marcellin; Shinnecock Hills (No 85): Gary Lisbon; Rock Creek Cattle Company (No How many of our World Top 100 have you played? Track and display your progress on the official GOLF Top 100 Peg Board! Pick up your board here. Analyzing a golf course need not be complicated One simple but effective way to judge a design is by the quality of the course’s property with many contending it has the most formidable hazards and sophisticated green complexes in golf Throw in a wonderful routing that hopscotches from one island of turf to the next across the rolling sandy landscape and you have a course that hasn’t budged from the No it is only so because it is true: Pick Pine Valley’s “worst” three holes and they are demonstrably better than the worst three holes of any other course on this list Pine Valley’s only benchmark for sustained excellence from the 1st tee through to the 18th green is itself Oakland Hills — the famed "monster" that Ben Hogan slayed in the 1951 U.S which fit the descriptive of other American championship courses That was never meant to be the course's fate — this was Donald Ross’s parkland thought-provoking magnum opus Jim Wagner and team restored Ross’s width and playing angles The greens were expanded a whopping 35 percent and the bunkers themselves were restored to their previous immense scale Fescue grasses blow in the wind and the undulating site optimizes parkland golf’s regal offering with some of its greens like the 1st and 14th among the best in the game A Boston Brahmin society haunt for more than 125 years this tree-lined design has played host to four U.S Its configuration of holes for the 2022 U.S Open proved to be its best composite course yet out of its 27 holes but note: GOLF ranks the Clyde/Squirrel course that its members play on a regular basis That’s the configuration of holes that was used for the 1913 Open when local lad Francis Ouimet stunned the big Its old-school features include cross hazards and medium-size greens Open was reminded that there is no substitute for hitting fairways and greens as thick rough remains a component of the course’s challenge just as it was in 1913 As part of GOLF’s course rating process for 2022-23, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in Nebraska Browse the links below to check out all of our course rankings or scroll down to see the best courses in Nebraska 1 = Top 100 Course in the U.S.P = Public/Resort CourseV = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.M = Top 30 Municipal Course in the U.S. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw moved teaspoons of dirt to construct the most natural hew-to-the-land layout built since World War II rippled fairways that were spared from a bulldozer wavy prairie grasses and gigantic blow-out bunkers create the sensation of being seaside in the middle of landlocked Nebraska and the minimalist movement started in earnest with this course arguably kicking off the second Golden Age This Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner design is the only new course built in the modern age to break into the 2022-23 U.S The raw property enjoys copious natural advantages with which few other properties can compete and the design takes advantage of both the Snake River valley and the bordering dunescape Eight greens are set along or border the Snake River valley you look down and see the winding river some 190 feet below (Always neat to see a 10-million-year-old feature included in a two-year-old design!) The holes away from the valley play into dunes The routing effortlessly runs to the spectacular caprock cliffs back to the dunes and back again Prairie Club — Dunes (Valentine) [1] Co-architect Tom Lehman set out to build a walkable course very much in harmony with nature He and partner Chris Brands more than succeeded turning this former cattle ranch into an epic homage to links golf Carved out of rolling sand hills near the Snake River the Dunes Course has it all — sweeping vistas enormous bunkers and imaginative green complexes A taste of Scotland in the middle of Nebraska this is Lehman’s second major and it features some of the widest fairways on our list — which are offset by some of the wildest greens The Sand Hills of Nebraska are best known to golf buffs for a high-ranked private club of the same name For less than what a caddie costs at its exclusive counterpart Wild Horse offers a kindred golf experience fast fairways and rough-lipped bunkers gouged out of the rolling terrain While the big skies and open spaces are pure prairie the bouncy conditions and wind-whipped native grasses create the look and feel of a course across the pond Prairie Club — Pines (Valentine) [P] each panelist is provided a list of hundreds of courses and “buckets,” or groupings If they believe the course to be among the best in its category (World they check the corresponding box to place it in a specific bucket Panelists are also free to write in courses they felt should have been included on the ballot Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 115 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries Because we don’t prescribe a set method to assess courses as other ranks do no one opinion carries the day — our rank is a democracy Some panelists believe that enjoyment is the ultimate goal and thus prioritize design attributes such as width and playing angles while frowning upon having to constantly hunt for balls in thick rough Other panelists value challenge and the demands of hitting every club in the bag Still others consider a course’s surroundings and overall environment of paramount importance thereby emphasizing the setting and naturalness of the course allowing raters to freely express their tastes is what produces the desired eclecticism in our Top 100 lists Voters with any ties or associations to eligible courses must flag such conflicts Panelists also know not to let the quality of their play influence their ballot — same for a luxe experience or clubhouse While opulence may make for a more memorable outing it’s not what GOLF’s course lists are about Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix ELIZABETHTOWN - A Leland man was accused of kidnapping and battering an unborn child and strangling a 26-year-old woman Tuesday of the 3300 block of Sandy Hills Drive in Leland was charged Tuesday with first-degree kidnapping assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury assault by pointing a gun and misdemeanor communicating threats Hunt kidnapped the victim at gunpoint on Jacobs Loop Road The road is off Old Lakes Road in the Bolton area of Bladen County "He took her to another location in Bladen County where he physically assaulted her strangling her and repeatedly kicking her with heavy boots," Bladen County Sheriff James McVicker said Graham drove the victim to Brunswick County the victim was able to escape and get medical help "We were assisted in this case by both Columbus County and Brunswick County sheriff's offices," McVicker said "Their help was invaluable in locating evidence locating the suspect and getting him behind bars." Staff writer Monica Vendituoli can be reached at vendituolim@fayobserver.com or 486-3596 OttawaNews This Ottawa neighbourhood named as one of the best places to live in CanadaBy Josh PringlePublished: July 10, 2024 at 1:22PM EDT David McLay Kidd made a name for himself by building a course in a far-flung outpost far from any major cities His Bandon Dunes layout was the fuel that propelled the resort of the same name into the national spotlight a little more than 20 years ago despite the effort required for golfers to reach the now-famous destination on the southern coast of Oregon Now Kidd is tackling a new project in a region known for out-of-the-way yet exceptional golf: The Nebraska Sandhills But his new course might be a little easier to reach than most of the top destinations built in the Sandhills in recent decades Dormie Network is a private course operator based in Lincoln Currently available to its members are six courses spread about the central and eastern regions of the country: ArborLinks in Nebraska City North Carolina; Hidden Creek in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey; and Victoria National in Newburgh Members of the network have access to each course – many of which rank highly among private clubs in their states – and its amenities Dormie began considering the addition of a new facility near North Platte several years ago starting the search south of the Platte River Kidd was recruited to scout one proposed site but he didn’t like what he saw that far south which are the famed area where Sand Hills (Golf Club) and Prairie Club and Dismal River and others are who has built more than 20 courses around the world “The first time I went there and we crossed the river headed south this is not the direction I want to be going in he saw steep terrain with dense vegetation and heavy soils – “Not great golf terrain.” He and his group turned the car and headed north across the river into the Sandhills starting a long search for a new site for what will become GrayBull After months of seeing proposed sites that didn’t tick all the boxes – great golf terrain unspoiled views ­– Kidd was pitched a parcel that was part of a ranch He loved it from the moment the topo charts loaded on his computer and the Dormie Network set about acquiring almost 2,000 acres from the rancher “I learned that bad ranch land turns out to be great golf land,” Kidd said with a laugh “The ranchers on the Sandhills want relatively flat land because they want the cattle to just eat all the grass and not exercise The cows would be climbing up and down hills all day it’s like the Goldilocks thing: not too flat no visual contamination – ticks all the boxes.” Kidd and his crew broke ground in June with an unspecified target opening in 2024 It will become Dormie Network’s seventh facility it will not require a long drive from the North Platte airport Kidd said GrayBull will retain those sensibilities even if he does add a few more testing shots it’s hard to imagine building a 30-yard-wide fairway and it not looking ridiculous in the landscape,” the native Scot said I would want it to be forgiving for the average guy when they make mistakes but I also think the Dormie Network is for golfers … who are probably a little more into it than the guy who makes that once-in-a-lifetime trip somewhere I’d think these golfers are a little better players so we’ll adjust accordingly but not by a whole lot and we still want them to be able to screw up a little and still get back into the game to some extent the golf design will be responding to the site I don’t think anyone who plays Mammoth Dunes or Gamble Sands will show up and say this is an exact copy of those because the site is so different creating golf of that ilk – broad fairways with tight aggressive scoring lanes with wide areas to recover.” not in the Sandhills but also on dramatic land “(Bandon Dunes developer and owner) Mike Keiser proved that a good location for golf design was more important than a good location for demographics,” Kidd said when asked about building in far-flung locations instead of near larger cities You just can’t build a good golf course if the site doesn’t allow it Doesn’t matter how much money you throw at it chances are the golf course will almost always be inferior because you started with a poor site and this is by far the largest site I’ve ever been given for one 18-hole golf course (This article was updated to include video.) Our expert course raters sized up the best golf courses on the planet to rank GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World for 2020-21 There are plenty of familiar names on this year’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World Our brand-new list features 11 courses that jumped inside this year’s Top 100 reflecting changing trends and a revamped ranking Methodology: How we rate our courses |Meet our expert panelists Photo above of Tara Iti (No. 27) by Joann Dost. Venue for five U.S. Opens since 1986, most recently in 2018, this is William Flynn’s design masterpiece. Apart from being handed a magnificently spacious piece of land upon which to work, Flynn was given something else nearly as valuable: time. Work started in 1928 and the course didn’t open until 1931. True, the Great Depression began during construction but the grace with which the holes flow across the property is a tribute to the hands-on, slow-build process. (Photo: Joann Dost) After Tom Watson played here before his Open defense in 1981, he remarked that the experience was “the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course.” Donald Ross grew up here, though Dornoch took its final shape as we know it today well after he left. Indeed, the course is similar to Oakmont, Pinehurst No. 2 and NGLA in the sense that one man’s steady hand (in this case John Sutherland) elevated the course over a period of several decades. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images) This 16-time Open venue — and site of the 2022 Women’s Open — was never more testing or memorable than in 2013, when Phil Mickelson rode his 3-wood to victory. The course so impressed Jack Nicklaus in his 1966 win that he named his own major-worthy course in Ohio after it. Tom Weiskopf cites the primary appeal: “The continuous change in direction from hole to hole leads to different winds, great balance and maximum variety.” (Photo: LC Lambrecht) This Southwest Irish gem is wedged between huge sandhills and the Atlantic Ocean. “Nothing less than the finest seaside course I have ever seen,” said Hall of Fame writer Herbert Warren Wind. Echoed five-time Open champion Tom Watson, “It is one of the best and most beautiful tests of links golf anywhere.” Greenkeeper John Bambury embarked six years ago to convert the poa greens to fine fescue and to re-establish the running game. His hard work has reached fruition. (Photo: Getty Images) Dan Soutar, Mick Morcom and Alister MacKenzie each played a key role in creating a visual feast and a strategic masterpiece, helped in large measure by the site’s critical virtue of being located on sandy soil. Any modern architect should spend time here, studying how its creators teased so much from land that is neither rambunctious nor expansive. It’s no wonder this course is a darling among design aficionados. (Photo: Airswing Media) Because of its remote location, Crystal Downs was once overlooked but that changed when Tom Doak introduced the course to Ben Crenshaw in the 1980s. A combination of strong breezes off Lake Michigan, thick fescue roughs, undulating terrain and fiendishly contoured greens make this one of the more difficult Top 100 courses relative to its par of 70. Measuring just under 6,600 yards, monster length is not required when you have greens this good. (Photo: Gary Kellner/Dimpled Rock) Tree-dotted dunes, open meadows and bluff-top views of Long Island Sound highlight play at this 2003 Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design that Phil Mickelson has called his favorite modern course. Holes such as the par-5 14th call to mind an East Coast version of Cypress Point. Constant refinements, no matter how small, have Friar’s Head as dialed-in as any course in the country. (Photo: Channing Benjamin) A.W. Tillinghast built his most artistic collection of bunkers at this low-key Bay Area hideaway that avoids publicity as steadfastly as its neighbor the Olympic Club embraces it. Known as the Duel Hole, the drop-shot par-3 7th may be the course’s most famous hole, but its par-4s, including the 2nd, 3rd, 10th and 12th, are the real headliners. (Photo: Courtesy SFGC) Lahinch charms with titanic sandhills and stunning views of both the Atlantic Ocean and of the Cliffs of Moher. Old Tom Morris’ 1893 design, coupled with Alister MacKenzie’s 1927 enhancements, including the 9th green, and Martin Hawtree’s 2003 push into the big dunes, proves an irresistible combination of beauty, challenge and fun. (Photo: LC Lambrecht) Japanese golfers had never seen the kind of deep, strategically placed bunkers that architect C.H. Alison introduced to Hirono in the early 1930s, so bunkers built since became known as “Alisons.” Originally, the course bore a sandy, scrubby appearance, but tree planting changed Hirono’s character over the decades. Thankfully, Martin Ebert’s recent restoration efforts have reestablished sand as a dominant theme. (Photo: David Alexander/Getty Images) Many consider this links to be the “fairest” Open rota course as most of the holes roll through valleys and the number of blind shots are few, despite the course being set in towering dunes. Peter Thomson won the first Open played here, in 1954, and Birkdale has staged nine other editions, most recently Jordan Spieth’s remarkable win in 2017. (Photo: Kevin Murray) Tucked away in a nearly impossible-to-find forested location 40 miles north of Paris is a low-key heathland design that is utterly charming and utterly private. A bold start that features a 475-yard par-4 and a 225-yard par-3 give way to gentler, though strategically rich holes that were favorites of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a frequent visitor. Don’t miss Morfontaine’s nine-hole Valliere course; its green contours are as dazzling as the City of Lights itself. (Photo: Dylan Dethier) Steep ravines affect play throughout Shoreacres’ famed stretch of holes from 10-15. The rest of the property features more modest topography but you are unlikely to notice that fact as the expansive greens offer such interesting targets. Ironic for an architect who built template holes but the best hole on this Seth Raynor design may well be the thoroughly original risk-reward 520-yard par-5 15th, which doglegs left, over and around a ravine. (Photo: Patrick Koenig) Sydney’s magnificent Harbour Bridge and Opera House speak to a city of impossible beauty and the course at La Perouse is its crowning golf offering. The middle of each nine features holes along the rugged shoreline. The two most famous holes are the par-5 5th, with its long, downward sloping fairway toward the Pacific, and the 195-yard 6th that plays over an inlet of Cape Banks, but the stretch from 13 to 16 is as good a run of par-4s as you will find anywhere. (Photo: Gary Lisbon) This low-key 1926 Seth Raynor creation in suburban Cincinnati dishes out deep bunkers and huge, squared-off greens on a property laced with valleys and ravines. The standard quartet of Raynor template one-shot holes (Redan, Short, Biarritz and Eden) are here and rival his best set. Constant refinements continue, including to mow lines, but this course will never close for a splashy restoration. Why? Because the club has always been a good custodian of its course.  (Photo: Patrick Koenig) Credit architects H.S. Colt and S.V. Hotchkin for enhancing Harry Vardon’s initial work and turning the course into one of golf’s supreme inland delights, an oasis amid the surrounding flat fenland of Lincolnshire. Deep bunkers are Woodhall Spa’s defining trait, along with plentiful gorse and a stellar set of par-3s. (Photo: Courtesy Woodhall Spa) Unlike America, England doesn’t have a phobia about courses with par under 70. Seeing a 6,431-yard, par-69 course like Swinley Forest be embraced as an epitome of great design is a powerful message. Like Rye, its quintet of one-shotters and tight sub-70 par make it more of a complete test than a quick glance at its scorecard might indicate. The more the world speeds up, the more people appreciate clubs like Swinley where calm reigns supreme. (Photo: Courtesy Swinley Forest) Japan’s answer to Pebble Beach is this 1936 design that boasts staggering views of snow-capped Mt. Fuji and cliff-top panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. Alison’s superb bunkering and strategies mix with undulating terrain that make it worth the three-hour trip from Tokyo. Recent tree clearing along the perimeter has enhanced the site’s phenomenal coastal setting. (Photo: Courtesy Kawana) This cult classic is a personal favorite of both Pete Dye and Tom Doak. Twenty-three miles north of Aberdeen, Cruden Bay offers many novel features, including the postcard-perfect par-3 4th, which overlooks the Water of Cruden and the fishing village of Port Erroll, and the par-4 14th, with its funnel-shaped bathtub green. The 4th kicks off a five-hole stretch that any links course would love to claim as its own, so wildly varied and well conceived is each hole. (Photo: Gary Lisbon) The opener is the easiest hole (and the course’s only three-shotter) and then … hold on! What follows are a dozen par-4s, 10 of which measure more than 420 yards, and an infamously diabolical group of five par-3s that have this 6,503-yard course weighing in yard for yard as one of the most difficult on our list. The fact that you can walk Rye in two and half hours makes you question the merit of courses that are so much longer. (Photo: Courtesy Rye) Diamante’s free-form architecture rests gently on the land, and the absence of any hard lines let the golfer’s eye soak in the delightful contrast between the dazzling Pacific Ocean, the dunescape and the emerald playing surfaces. The Dunes’ random green contours are noteworthy as is the construction technique that left micro-undulations in the fairways. Spectacular ocean views sometimes come with the price of cold and damp playing conditions but not here. (Photo: Brian Morgan) This Westchester County course has always enjoyed a spectacular component to it, courtesy of breathtaking views of the Hudson River, particularly at the 15th and 16th holes. What its holes lacked was playing interest from 50 yards and in. That changed in 2016 when Gil Hanse embarked on a two-year project to imbue the greens with a C.B. Macdonald flair that, well, even Macdonald would appreciate. (Photo: Evan Schiller) Greg Norman has never been shy about professing his admiration for Alister MacKenzie. At ultra-exclusive Ellerston, he and design partner Bob Harrison adapted MacKenzie strategies and bunker stylings on a rugged landscape, resulting in one of the strongest, most option-laden tests in the Southern Hemisphere. Forced carries over ravines, greens set along ridge-tops and the influence of Pages Creek add to the challenge. (Photo: Getty Images) Better known to English speakers as The Hague, The Netherlands’ highest-ranking course is a Morrison-and-Alison collaboration that plays across chaotically heaving fairways amid substantial dunes. How they were able to connect all 18 holes without an awkward moment is a marvel. So, too, is the variety of its greens, headlined by the famous hard-to-hit knob green at 6 followed by a well defended, diminutive sunken green on the ensuing hole. (Photo: Frank Pont) Andrew Green’s renovation restored Ross features, expunged those that were not and added length to test today’s tournament players. Few courses can claim as sterling a set of two-shotters, headlined by the 6th, 7th, 9th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. Inverness’s home hole famously measures under 400 yards and is one of the most interesting closers in the game. Too bad more modern architects are leery to build finishers that reward mind over muscle. (Photo: Courtesy Inverness) A herculean building effort by Raynor, Yale embodies the maxim that a world-class course must possess — you guessed it — world-class holes. There are plenty to pick from here, including the 1st, 4th, 8th, 10th and the love-it-or-hate-it 18th, but the hole everyone needs to see at least once in their life is the famous downhill Biarritz 9th. Who knew inland golf could be this exciting? (Photo: Steve Musco) From London’s heathland to the cliffs of Northern Ireland to sandy sites in the Netherlands, Colt enjoyed many fine sites in Europe over his extended career. One of the best is this property, where Colt teased a diverse collection of holes from the rolling landscape. His placement of the green sites — some on knobs or plateaus, some at ground level and the magnificent 10th green at the hole’s low point beyond a hillock — define the challenge. (Photo: Courtesy St. George's Hill) Modern architecture did itself no favors by pursuing holes that constantly scream at the golfer, because at some point the golfer goes tone deaf. Colt never went down that path and thus his courses enjoy timeless appeal. Here, he did what he did best: produce a course that is a delight to play every day. De Pan may not have the topography of St. George’s Hill but it does have sand dunes throughout the property. A master router, Colt incorporated the dunes in every way possible. (Photo: De Pan) The companion to Barnbougle Dunes yields a Coore & Crenshaw design that differs from its Tasmanian sibling in that its huge dunes run both parallel and perpendicular to the ocean so holes play up and over the dunes, as well as between them. The exposed, gorgeous par-3 4th that juts out to the tip of Sally’s Point invites comparisons to Pebble Beach’s famous 7th. (Photo: Gary Lisbon) Built in the late 1940s, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. design came before he acquired his Oakland Hills “monster” rep. More of Stanley Thompson’s influence is seen in Jones’ early work, highlighted here by his imaginative — and enormous — punchbowl green at the 10th. Seventy-five years later and this Georgia course still adheres to the founding vision, which speaks volumes to the quality of RTJ’s original design. (Photo: Dave Samson) Nine Bridges’s appeal starts with its tranquil setting on Jeju island, with holes etched into pine-clad rolling topography in the shadows of Mount Halla, Korea’s tallest peak. Lakes, creeks and wooded slopes not only contribute to the beauty and variety but also are seamlessly integrated into the design. When Nine Bridges has played host to the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup, the pro routinely praise both its challenge and presentation. (Photo: Courtesy Nine Bridges) Preeminent Canadian architect Stanley Thompson hit his professional peak at this quiet club near downtown Toronto. The wonderful rolling parkland terrain is replete with streams and natural valleys, and has been the venue for five Canadian Opens, most recently in 2010. Tom Doak and Ian Andrew spearheaded a restoration that was completed in 2015. (Photo: Clive Barber) Waterville’s slithering par-5 11th, hemmed in by dune ridges, and its seaside par-3 17th, with a back tee isolated by dense vegetation and backdropped by MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, are both world class. A 2006 reno by Tom Fazio helped balance the two nines by removing some artificial features and blending new features into the existing dunescape. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images) Way to go! You have played all the Top 100 Courses. INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE! © 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary. When you write a Golf Advisor course review now through December 31, 2019, your review will be entered into Golf Advisor’s Rate to Escape: Maui Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-star trip to Maui. One Grand Prize winner and guest will travel in an AVIS rental car for six nights/ seven days of accommodations with the latest gear from OGIO to play on the finest fairways in Maui. We’re also giving away 12 Golf Advisor Swag bags to lucky reviewers. What is the address of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club? Sand Hill Farm Golf Club is located at 14812 Mathis Rd, Waller, Texas 77484, Waller County. What year did Sand Hill Farm Golf Club open? Sand Hill Farm Golf Club was built in 2009. Jacobsen Hardy (2009) is the architect of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club. What is the par of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club The par of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club is 36. What is the length of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club The length of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club is 3588 yards. What is the rating of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club The rating of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club is 37.9. What is the slope of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club The slope of Sand Hill Farm Golf Club is 133. Enjoy all these benefits with your account Unlock a free GolfPass account to earn GolfPass Points and instantly access curated video content Upgrade to GolfPass+ for tee time credits, waived fees, and ability to spend Points on qualifying tee times Fast, convenient tee time booking with the largest selection of tee times Access to our Golf family of brands including GolfNow and GolfNow Compete Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article Print Times Staff Writer Mark Morris breezes into Sandy Hill’s Los Olivos ranch house a shawl draped loosely about his shoulders and dance company directors Nancy Umanoff and Lauren Cherubini in tow Once dubbed “our Mozart of modern dance” by the Washington Post Morris is the first speaker in a series of Sunday lunch-salons at Hill’s ranch and Oak Savanna Vineyard No matter that it’s Wednesday--plans have a way of bending to Morris’ schedule; he’s in town for a midweek performance in Santa Barbara the Santa Ynez Valley setting for Hill’s fetes is a former Spanish land grant nestled in a rolling savanna of oaks and golden grasses The ranch includes 30 acres of vineyards--planted in Chardonnay Hill won’t disclose the size of the property “Never ask a rancher the size of his spread,” she says But ask her anything about how to throw a great party and she’s eager to share Hill has an impressive list of speakers lined up for the summer--authors Hill likes her guests--and her friends--to be accomplished “Guests are always the main impetus for a party,” Hill says 25 sari-clad friends were invited to lunch in an open-air pavilion by the pond to celebrate the Hindu deity Ganesh--and were treated to rides through the vineyard on the backs of two elephants several hundred friends and family members participate in a rodeo held in her private arena and feast on the likes of grilled lobster with green mango butter and antelope with a coffee-chili crust approaches entertaining as extreme sport--much like riding horseback across the Masai Mara or climbing the highest peaks on seven continents Hill became a controversial figure after she was portrayed critically in Jon Krakauer’s 1997 book “Into Thin Air.” (In his account of the 1996 Mt Krakauer blamed the commercialization of Everest climbs Hill has chronicled 18 of her extravagant gatherings in a cookbook was inspired by the impromptu gatherings that were an integral part of California Spanish Colonial ranch life in the 19th century Neighbors who lived hours away by horseback would come to visit where three dozen olive trees create a silvery-green canopy of leaves overhead “There’s a really important interaction that happens with people when you are facing them across the table eating and drinking together outdoors,” Hill says “It always seems that the best conversations occur there It’s the most meaningful type of entertaining we do.” She sets the mood with drinks on the patio overlooking a meadow of nasturtiums Guests are offered peach coolers--made with raw honey from Valentine’s own hive--served in silver-rimmed glasses with glass straws Valentine has poured a flute of Death in the Afternoon a Champagne and absinthe cocktail dreamed up by Ernest Hemingway and a few sailor friends the green anise-flavored spirit with a touch of wormwood was a favorite of 19th century poets and painters it was approved for sale last year.) “Mark Morris loves good food and wine,” Valentine says then says: “Not for me--tastes like Good & Plenty!” When it’s time for Morris to sing for his supper “the long-lost-forever manuscript of Sergei Prokofiev.” What intrigues him about the reinterpreted “Romeo and Juliet,” he says “but then don’t live completely happily ever after Hill ushers the group to the nearby table set in her monogram H-shape grove of olives Napkins with silver rings blow off the table Leave it to her to be able to smoothly re-seat 13--around a redwood table overlooking a dramatic infinity pool Morris is sandwiched between Hill and Kate Firestone a former soloist with England’s Royal Ballet and one of the founders of Firestone Winery Accessories designer Kendall Conrad and landscape designer (and hairstylist-to-the-stars) Art Luna are deep in conversation Lunch starts off with a wonderful cool heirloom tomato soup with bacon croutons and a crumble of Point Reyes blue cheese It’s followed by pork tenderloin with an Argentine spin--Valentine pounds each serving into a thin paillard grills it quickly over oak and tops it with a beguiling herb salad Freshly dug roasted fingerling potatoes and a summer salad of Romano Offerings of Foxen Pinot Noir and Hill’s Oak Savanna Chardonnay are poured all around For dessert: a summery almond cake with a compote of perfectly ripe apricots and sour cream ice cream Conversation sparks around the table as the afternoon winds on Perhaps it can be found in the 1920s leather Hermès hostess seating chart Hill uses to arrange her guests “I like to make pairings that create a spontaneous combustion,” she says “It creates energy and interest for the whole group.” And on this windy afternoon at Rancho La Zaca Barbara Thornburg is senior style editor at the magazine. Contact her at barbara.thornburg@latimes.com. Lifestyle Travel & Experiences Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map