Global Golf Influencers Tee Off at Ba Na Hills Golf Club

Leading golf content creators spotlight Central Vietnam’s outstanding golf, culture, and lifestyle

Some of the world’s most influential golf personalities have teed off in Central Vietnam to experience the stellar golf, leisure, and cultural offerings that have made the Vietnam Golf Coast one of Asia’s premier sporting destinations.

Among the star visitors was Rick Shiels, the world’s number-one golf YouTuber with millions of subscribers. Shiels is a British golf professional who has built a global following through his YouTube channel, where he offers instruction, equipment reviews and entertaining rounds with top players.

Another significant recent presence was American professional golfer and media personality Gabi Powel, a long-drive competitor and content creator known for blending athletic power with engaging media presence, who has amassed more than 200,000 followers across social platforms.

Shiels and Powel are prominent among a contingent of international golf creators, including Korean golfer Mr. Doha, American content maker Ms. Judy, Singapore-based golfer Becca De Foe, and Australian coach Kerrod Gray. Collectively, their posts and videos are introducing millions of followers to the world-class golf and leisure experiences that define Vietnam’s central coast.

Their appearances at Ba Na Hills Golf Club generated global attention, capturing the drama and beauty of the Luke Donald–designed course set amid the forested mountains just outside Danang.

Managed by IMG, Ba Na Hills Golf Club has earned multiple World Golf Awards for its design, challenge, and pristine conditioning. The course has become a true bucket-list experience for players from every corner of the globe. Beyond the fairways, Central Vietnam offers a complete lifestyle proposition, from Michelin-accoladed restaurants and white-sand beaches to UNESCO-listed cultural sites including Hoi An Ancient Town and the Imperial City of Hue. Complementing the golf are world-renowned resorts, exceptional spas, and a hospitality scene that rivals any in Asia.

“To welcome internationally recognized golf influencers such as Rick Shiels and Gabi Powel is a proud moment for Ba Na Hills Golf Club and for the Vietnam Golf Coast as a whole,” said Simon Mees, General Manager of Ba Na Hills Golf Club. “Their presence highlights the exceptional quality of our courses and the rich mix of leisure, dining, and cultural experiences that make Central Vietnam one of the world’s most compelling destinations.”

With growing direct air links from Asia, Australia, and Europe, and a tourism offering that seamlessly blends sport, heritage, and luxury, Central Vietnam’s profile as a world-class golf destination continues to rise. As these global influencers share their experiences across the world, Ba Na Hills Golf Club and its Vietnam Golf Coast partners stand proudly at the heart of the story, proving that Vietnam has truly arrived on golf’s global stage.

Landscapes Unlimited Completes Work at Marietta Country Club

Landscapes Unlimited has completed construction work at the exclusive Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw, Georgia, less than 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.

The golf course project centered on reshaping greens and bunkers, re-grassing fairways and upgrading irrigation system for even better member and guest experiences.  The enhancements also benefit the club’s maintenance team, making it easier on its resources while consistently presenting top-tier golf course conditions.

Architect Bill Bergin masterfully re-imagined several holes.  The Atlanta-based designer is well known for his award-winning layouts at Chattanooga Golf & Country Club (Tenn.), Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club (Fla.), McLemore Resort (Ga.) and many more private clubs and daily-fee facilities.

“We knew of Landscapes Unlimited’s exceptional work at other clubs in the region, and the company came highly recommended by Bill Bergin,” said Daniel Laterza, General Manager of Marietta Country Club.  “Its dedication and professionalism have been evident at every stage of the project.  Our Members are already thrilled with the transformation, and we look forward to showcasing the completed course when it reopens for play”

“On time and on budget, as usual, without one iota of compromise to quality,” said Brett Lacey, Senior Project Manager of Landscapes Unlimited.  “The collaboration between our field and corporate teams, Bill Bergin, Capillary Flow and others integral to lifting Marietta Country Club to even greater heights was extraordinary from day one.”

Landscapes Unlimited is no stranger to Georgia, finishing summer work at Champions Retreat, Frederica, Jekyll Island and Ocean Forest clubs.

Sleepy Hollow’s ‘Leaderboard of Shame’ Has the Golf World Divided

Finish your round in over four hours at Sleepy Hollow Country Club—and everyone will know about it.

The prestigious New York club has gone viral after a photo surfaced online showing its “Pace of Play Offenses” noticeboard, which lists the names and round times of players who failed to meet the club’s four-hour pace standard.

The post ignited a fierce debate across the golf world. Some hailed the move as a much-needed stand against slow play, while others accused the club of taking things too far in a game meant to be relaxing.

Slow play has long been one of golf’s most polarizing issues. Some players see golf as a meditative escape and enjoy taking their time; others believe nothing ruins a round faster than being stuck behind a slow group. To address the problem, many clubs post target round times on scorecards or around the course—but few enforce them as boldly as Sleepy Hollow.

And this isn’t just any course. Sleepy Hollow, a private club overlooking the Hudson River, has hosted elite tournaments including the U.S. Women’s Amateur and events on the Champions Tour. The course, renovated by Gil Hanse and George Bahto, is considered one of the most scenic in the country. Its reputation for excellence clearly extends beyond conditioning—to pace of play.

But not everyone’s applauding.

One golfer who played there described the experience as “awful,” saying their group “was basically running up the hill on 18” despite waiting on shots earlier in the day. Others admitted the halfway house was partly to blame—two drink stops can add 20 minutes to a round.

“I get the punishment—it’s funny, and the club can do what it wants,” one member said. “But we definitely had to hustle to make up time.”

Another golfer wasn’t as amused: “If I stop for a beer or bathroom break and you put my name on the wall for being 12 minutes over four hours? I’m done.”

Some suggested a more nuanced solution, like assigning early tee times to faster groups and later ones to slower players. Others pointed out that total round time isn’t always within a group’s control: “If you’re keeping up with the group in front, you shouldn’t be shamed for your total time.”

Still, plenty of golfers defended the club’s approach. “There isn’t a course in America that wouldn’t benefit from this policy,” one commenter wrote.

Love it or hate it, Sleepy Hollow’s “leaderboard of shame” has golfers everywhere talking—and maybe, just maybe, watching the clock a little more closely.

Harbour Town Golf Links Reopens After Restoration

Original Pete Dye strategy maintained by player-consultant Davis Love III; upgrading of agronomic infrastructure guarantees championship conditions year-round

After being closed for a six-month restoration project, Harbour Town Golf Links—currently ranked No. 27 among Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses in the U.S. and No. 5 on its list of Best Courses in South Carolina has reopened.

Originally designed by renowned architect Pete Dye with his wife Alice, and assisted by Jack Nicklaus, Harbour Town Golf Links has been the home of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing since it opened in 1969. It’s also widely regarded as one of Dye’s best and most iconic creations, among the first masterpieces of his long and brilliant career. TOUR players and amateur golfers, including resort guests and members, also enjoy it.  

Serving as player-consultant to the project was major championship winner and PGA TOUR legend Davis Love III, who won the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links five times. Love is very familiar with the region and the complexities of working here: He grew up on the Southeast’s coastal islands, and his company, Love Golf Design, designed another course at The Sea Pines Resort, Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III.

From the beginning of the project, Love and the team responsible for the restoration—including Allan MacCurrach from MacCurrach Golf Construction; Jon Wright, Head Golf Superintendent, Harbour Town Golf Links; John Farrell, Director of Sports Operations; The Riverstone Group, who own The Sea Pines Resort; and others—were committed to, as Love said, “protecting the strategy and integrity of Pete’s design.”

“We feel very fortunate to own such a historic and popular PGA TOUR tournament venue in Harbour Town Golf Links,” said Matthew Goodwin, representing The Riverstone Group. “We are fully committed to maintaining the golf course to the highest possible standard, while preserving the original design integrity of Pete Dye.”

Originally intended as an updating of the course’s infrastructure to ensure championship-caliber conditions year-round, it also presented an opportunity to restore many features from Dye’s original design and to ensure one of the country’s most recognizable layouts stands the test of time. Along with improvements to the agronomy and maintenance, all greens, bunkers, and bulkheads were rebuilt. The turf species—TifEagle on the greens; Celebration Bermuda on the fairways, tees, and rough—remain the same.

As for changes to the design, even the experienced Harbour Town Golf Links player will have trouble spotting them, explained Farrell. “Every ‘change’ we made had some documentation or images or video of what it was like previously.” Updates include returning some greens to their original shapes, which brought back some hole locations that were lost as the surfaces shrank over time. The same with some greenside bunkering, which, due to years of play and shrinkage, no longer abutted their greens.  

Farrell added that while Love offered a TOUR player’s expertise, he was in tune with management’s desire to keep the course fun, exciting, and challenging the other 51 weeks of the year when resort guests, property owners, and locals celebrate it.

For more information about The Sea Pines Resort, visit www.seapines.com.

The Evans at Canal Shores Recognized Among Golfweek’s Best Par-3 and Short Courses in America

The Evans at Canal Shores has been named one of the Top 25 Public-Access Par-3, Short and Non-Traditional Courses in the United States by Golfweek in its 2025 “Golfweek’s Best” rankings, coming in at No. 22 nationwide.

The recognition celebrates the historic Evanston and Wilmette community course’s unique design and recent transformation, which has reimagined the 105-year-old layout into a welcoming and engaging golf experience for players of all ages and skill levels.

Originally designed by Tom Bendelow and recently re-envisioned by architect Todd Quitno, The Evans at Canal Shores now features 19 holes stretching 3,362 yards (par 60)—a creative, community-centric layout that blends tradition with modern playability.

“We’re incredibly proud to see The Evans at Canal Shores recognized among the best short courses in the country,” said Cade Beckley, General Manager. “This honor reflects the vision behind our renovation—to preserve the course’s history while creating an accessible and fun golf experience that connects our community to the game.”

“This recognition from Golfweek highlights how far The Evans at Canal Shores has come,” said Matt Rooney, Canal Shores Board President. “Our renovation was about more than rebuilding a course—it was about creating a place where golf and community intersect in meaningful ways. We’re proud to see that vision resonating on a national level.”

The Evans at Canal Shores reopened in 2024 following a comprehensive renovation led by KemperSports in collaboration with the Canal Shores Board, the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation, First Tee – Greater Chicago, Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation, the Chicago District Golf Association, Quitno Golf Designs, and generous private donors. The project modernized the course infrastructure, enhanced sustainability, and introduced new short-game and community spaces—all while maintaining the charm and character that have defined the property since 1919.

For more information on The Evans at Canal Shores or to book a tee time, visit www.canalshores.org.

Zinkand Golf Design Completes Construction of Innovative Short Course at Chicago’s Saddle & Cycle Club

Set Amid Urban Landscape, the Reversible Four-Hole Routing Elevates Golf Experience at the Historic Social Club

Zinkand Golf Design (ZGD) – led by golf course architect David Zinkand and his more than 25 years of experience designing, managing and shaping projects in the field – has completed construction of a short course and practice facility at Chicago’s Saddle & Cycle Club.

The course’s reversible routing maximizes the golfing potential of a very compact and urban site located just north of Lincoln Park, along Lake Shore Drive and slightly inland from Lake Michigan’s Foster Avenue Beach. Eight engaging par-three holes can be played in two opposing directions, with a four-hole routing in play at any given time. The design ingeniously preserves space in the unused direction for members to simultaneously practice their short games and putting.

Work entailed the demolition of the parcel’s rudimentary existing golf features, followed by the construction of four new greens and a putting course totaling 30,000 square feet. Installation of seven Capillary Flow-lined bunkers, an artificial tee line and more than 15,000 square feet of new teeing ground were other project highlights. The golf course is expected to open in Summer 2026.

“The decision to implement a reversible routing was driven by a desire to maximize variety and interest within the site’s limited footprint,” said Zinkand, who completed a multi-year golf course restoration earlier this year at the venerable Old Elm Club in nearby Highland Park, Illinois. “Saddle & Cycle’s gently contoured terrain gave us latitude to flex our creative muscles with the routing. Additionally, the greens have been designed with ample size to support consistent play, multiple pin placements and adequate recovery time for turf health. It’s a really cool project and the type of brief we think golf will see much more of in the coming years.”

“The club’s excited to soon offer our members a quick and enjoyable loop of par-three holes, along with generous putting and pitching areas for both practice and casual recreation,” said Susannah Miller, General Manager and COO, Saddle & Cycle Club. “While we previously offered a golf amenity, Dave and team’s creativity is going to take it to a level we had not anticipated and set the standard for city clubs.”

Located a short par-4 from Lake Michigan, Saddle & Cycle was founded as a bicycle club in 1895. Now celebrating its 130th year, it has long been an oasis in the city and committed to being the finest private club in the Chicago area.

For more information about ZGD, visit zinkandgolfdesign.com or @zinkandgolfdesign (Instagram).

What are the Worst Golf Courses in Each State (Iowa)?

Shady Oaks

Here’s a take on three public golf courses in Iowa that, based on repeated reviews, seem to struggle more than most — offering cautionary tales for visiting golfers.

1. Shady Oaks Golf Course (Ackworth)

For those hoping to tee it up around the Des Moines area, Shady Oaks unfortunately comes up often in complaint forums. One TripAdvisor reviewer titled their submission: “Worst coarse in Iowa.” (Tripadvisor)

The good (or at least neutral)

- It’s affordable and easily accessible from the metro area, which means lower expectations for luxury.

- It likely draws local players rather than destination golfers, so the pace of play may be manageable.

The issues

Multiple reviewers cite poor maintenance: worn tee boxes, thin or patchy fairways, and inconsistent greens. (Yelp)

There are complaints about general course condition overshadowing enjoyment — one reviewer said they “didn’t golf 1 hole due to another kid that was only going to …” (indicating management or operational issues). (Yelp)

The vibe & takeaway

Shady Oaks feels like the “budget” option gone wrong: you get the lower price, yes—but you also get the kind of conditions that might frustrate a golfer used to decent turf and fair play. If you’re desperate to play a round and want cheap, go in with very modest expectations (and maybe a good sense of humor).

Airport National

2. Airport National Golf Course (Cedar Rapids)

This one is a little unusual: the issues raised are less about pristine turf and more about design and safety concerns.

The good

As a municipal‐type facility, it likely offers value for local play.

The issues

A TripAdvisor reviewer raised alarm about the layout: “The layout of Holes 19-27 is horrendous. Way too tight to one another with tee boxes close to greens. I didn’t feel safe the entire round.” (Tripadvisor)

When safety (or perception of safety) enters the picture, the fun of golf can quickly erode—especially when drives, holes, or paths feel constrained.

The vibe & takeaway

Airport National appears to suffer more from design and spacing issues than pure turf condition. If you pick this one, know it might feel congested, somewhat quirky, and less comfortable for a relaxed round—especially if you’re playing with others who hit long or stray off line.

Copper Creek

3. Copper Creek Golf Course (Pleasant Hill, near Des Moines)

A third contender for the “what to watch out for” list is Copper Creek. While not universally panned, there are specific reviews calling out serious shortcomings.

The good

Proximity to the Des Moines metro area makes it convenient for local play.

The issues

A specific TripAdvisor review states: “Copper Creek gets the distinction of WORST. This course is poorly maintained, with holes that no golf architect in his right mind would ever build. The greens …” (Tripadvisor)

The reviewer hints at design flaws and maintenance problems—double trouble for golfers expecting a playable round.

The vibe & takeaway

If you play Copper Creek, go with realistic expectations and maybe view it as a casual round rather than a “memorable golf experience.” The turf and layout might disappoint, but if you’re in the area and just want to swing, it might serve. Still—be prepared.

Final Thoughts

Golf in Iowa has many standout courses, but as with any state, there are tracks that fall short of golfer expectations. Among the three above:

- Shady Oaks for maintenance and general condition challenges.

- Airport National for layout and safety/spacing concerns.

- Copper Creek for a mix of condition and design issues.

If you’re planning a golf outing in Iowa and want a positive experience, you might want to skip these (or go in with low expectations) and instead aim for one of the highly‐rated options in the state.