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Brandon Tucker
Former Sr. Managing Editor
Brandon Tucker was the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass from 2019-2021 and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, which he ran until 2020 when Golf Advisor's editorial staff and community golf course reviews became part of GolfPass. Tucker helped drive community engagement to the site in the form of course reviews by everyday golfers and was the creator of Golf Advisor's annual Best-Of lists, later called Golfers' Choice. Prior to Golf Advisor, he was the travel editor for Golf Channel Travel and oversaw the WorldGolf network of golf travel websites. From the time he was part of WorldGolf.com in 2006 until departing GolfPass in 2021, he played golf in over two dozen countries and at over 600 courses around the world. As a youth, Tucker spent his summer on the municipal courses of Ann Arbor Michigan and was a co-captain of the state finalist high school golf team. He may have played everywhere from Pebble Beach to St. Andrews, but Tucker's favorite way to play the game will always be on a fun and welcoming public course in under three hours, and ideally somewhere in his home state of Michigan. Brandon can be found on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at btuck34.
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Popular articles
The experience at the newest golf course in Michigan is unlike anything you'll play in the Jack Nicklaus portfolio.
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It's 2020 and data-driven golf apps are here to assist with every shot you take in a round of golf. The relationship can get weird.
Brandon Tucker shares his ten best value golf destinations, where you can find great golf on a budget, from Myrtle Beach to San Diego.
From GPS and shot tracking to strokes gained data, app makers are stepping up their game for the world's most popular wearable.
Articles by Brandon Tucker
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July 12, 2010
A mountain village born of good spirits, Truckee, Calif., sits just north of Lake Tahoe's north shore and earned its reputation as a ski haven. Spectacular in the winter, this part of NoCal's High Sierra, though, provides an idyllic golf escape for a few tantalizing months each summer. A diverse golf scene has emerged, Brandon Tucker writes.
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June 29, 2010
Every tour pro has their favorite British Open venue. For the rest of us, finding a links tailored to our own hacker swing will be impossible to find. But it is possible to find the perfect cap to a week of links golf in Scotland. So we've sorted out Scotland's seven Open Championship hosts so you can determine which is the best to include in your links vacation.
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June 24, 2010
The Grand Strand can span as long or short as you want it to be on your golf trip. But if keeping your drive time (and fuel bill) down is a priority, it's easy to do here. If you're staying in the center of the Strand, you shouldn't have more than a 10-15 minute drive from your condo to one of the following courses ...
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June 17, 2010
Up for some punishment? Our cast of legendary golf architects, from Pete Dye to Jack Nicklaus and Donald Ross, challenges your golf game in every way. This list of the most challenging U.S. courses open for public play features everything from classic designs of the golden era to new facilities. Tough never goes out of style, Brandon Tucker writes. So sit back and soak up our take on the top American tests.
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June 3, 2010
So you didn't make the Old Course ballot this time around. That's why groups often book three or four days in St. Andrews alone. But if you don't want to play the waiting game, it's a near certainty you can still play golf even if you didn't book weeks in advance. St. Andrews and the Kingdom of Fife have one of the richest pockets of links golf anywhere.
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May 27, 2010
Looking to find your wildlife story on the golf course? You've come to the right place. In the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Jasper Park and Banff Springs remain the center pieces of a a golf trip. There's almost no better place for a wildlife sighting than on the golf course. And almost everyone leaves with a story, Brandon Tucker writes in his latest Planet Putter column.
Renewed Golf Gets Rave Reviews! Come Play at Saddlebrook's two Arnold Palmer signature 18-hole golf courses and enjoy deluxe accommodations, award-winning dining, and much more!
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May 18, 2010
It took 16 months, but the Makai Golf Club at the St. Regis Resort Princeville on Kauai is back and better than ever. The architect of the original Makai, Robert Trent Jones Jr., oversaw the redesign. With the design upgrades and installation of faster paspalum turf, Makai Golf Club now has what it takes to throw its name into the hat of the top plays in Hawaii.
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May 14, 2010
I visited Kauai, Hawaii two springs earlier, so why go back so soon? First, no sane man turns down the opportunity to go play golf in Hawaii for a week. Second, a lot has changed on Kauai. If you haven't checked out Hawaii's Garden Isle, here's a rundown of finished projects and the golf courses and resorts that remain as works in progress.
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May 12, 2010
Though much smaller than the Valley of the Sun, Tucson's golf courses pack a major punch, with scores of courses ranging from executive casual plays to high-end, nationally recognized courses. It offers great golf for players on three different budgets, from La Paloma Country Club on the high end to El Rio Golf Course on the low end.
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May 10, 2010
Why stay home and learn when you can hit the road for these world-class destination golf schools? Challenge yourself at top-notch schools, such as the Bandon Dunes Academy in Oregon, Jim McLean Golf Schools at El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico or Pinehurst Resort Golf Academy. From coast-to-coast in the United States and a few abroad, here are some golf schools worth making a trip for.
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May 3, 2010
A lot of pressure can come with planning a Scotland golf vacation, especially if its your once-in-a-lifetime trip to the home of golf. And to complicate things, usually each person in your group has their own wish list. But there are a few things you should agree on when it comes to your links vacation, and Brandon Tucker offers five tips to help steer you in the right direction.
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April 26, 2010
No two Myrtle Beach, S.C., golf groups are alike, but we all agree on one thing: 19th holes. Bars of every shape and size line the Grand Strand from Brunswick County to Pawleys Island, and it can be dizzying to figure out just exactly where you should head for the night. You shouldn't have to drive too far to find your watering hole, Brandon Tucker writes.
Carved by time between some of the oldest and newest mountain ranges in North America lies La Quinta Resort & PGA WEST, a world famous golf resort just minutes from Palm Springs and Palm Desert, California. Challenge your game on 90 holes of championship golf designed by three golf legends.
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April 23, 2010
Golf trips are seldom a bust. They usually range from good to great. In my relatively brief career in the golf-travel business, five trips come to mind that rank above the rest -- from St. Andrews and Scotland to Bandon Dunes and even Thailand. To make this list, it takes a little luck, some phenomenal golf and a few good folks to share it all with.
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April 12, 2010
Exotic locales usually imply a premium price, and the visitors to the Hawaiian island of Kauai can splurge with the best of them. But it doesn't require a Jurassic Park-sized budget to enjoy the golf courses and resorts of the Garden Isle. Even the best Kauai golf courses can be played at a discount if you're savvy and not concerned about what time you play, Brandon Tucker writes.
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April 9, 2010
The new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill County Resort is out to offer a taste of pure Texas. Blending Hill Country charm with Lone Star State bravado, it's the largest in the world of the JW Marriott Resorts with 1,002 guest rooms on 600 acres. The resort offers four-star dining, a spa and two great TPC courses: AT&T Oaks and AT&T Canyons.
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April 8, 2010
Pinehurst No. 6 represents the first step in the next generation of golf at the renowned resort. The first golf course built away from the main clubhouse, elevated tees abound on the No. 6 course and it features several spectacular holes, particularly on the back nine. It's a worthy championship test, Brandon Tucker writes.
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April 8, 2010
Portland is one of America's great livable and unique cities, and its residents are an especially outdoorsy bunch during the sunny summer months. So it makes perfect sense that the city would have a dynamite municipal golf system, which is highlighted by Heron Lakes Golf Club's Greenback and Great Blue courses.
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April 6, 2010
PGA Tour pros visit many multi-course golf resorts during the season, and as a result, the host course always ends up being the must-play for everyone, scratch to 36-handicap. But that doesn't mean the resort's other options are clunkers. In most cases, they're upheld to the same condition standards and are easier and cheaper to score a tee time.
Spring will be here in no time—and our world-class courses, luxury accommodations and fine dining will be waiting! Will you be ready? Plan your golf outings now!
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April 1, 2010
The link between St. Andrews and Pinehurst is strong, beginning with Donald Ross, who came to Pinehurst in 1900 after studying under Old Tom Morris in St. Andrews, and stayed until his death in 1948. The two spots are both among the game's most coveted destinations for the majors they host, and their pure golf atmosphere is impossible to duplicate. It's a friendly rivalry, of course, but it's time for a showdown: Scotland's "Home of Golf" vs. the United States' most worthy contender.
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March 31, 2010
So many different golf options abound around Austin, Texas, there's a course that can satisfy just about anyone. The same can be said for Teravista Golf Club north of Austin in Round Rock, an upscale daily fee that boasts a championship test from the back tees. The course design is all you can ask for: tough for low-handicappers and enough tee-box options to please everyone.
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March 29, 2010
The greens at Pinehurst No. 2 were the pride and joy of legendary architect Donald Ross. But the famed No. 2, host of the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2005, offers more to the golfing community than its complex putting surface. The golf course is a masterpiece, writes Brandon Tucker, and set to undergo a facelift in advance of another set of important visitors in 2014.
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March 18, 2010
The phrase "municipal golf" often conjures up images of patchy or bald fairways and greens - not plush, PGA Tour-ready conditions. But your muni probably isn't in the Coachella Valley city of Indian Wells, Calif. At the heart of it all are two municipal courses that fit right in among the area's top resort courses: the Indian Wells Golf Resort's Players and Celebrity courses.
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March 16, 2010
Pinehurst No. 7's greens are some of the resort's largest, but hitting them is tough for another reason: about half of them are elevated. It makes for dramatic, demanding golf on the most severe terrain of Pinehurst's eight courses, Brandon Tucker writes.
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March 16, 2010
Planning your next Myrtle Beach golf vacation? Maybe your group is just coming off a winter hibernation, or maybe it's made up of couples who golf together. Maybe you want to play as much as possible, or maybe you're seniors looking to go slow and easy. Looking for a high-end experience, or are you on a budget? For any of these categories (and more), we offer some proven itineraries to fit the bill.
Whether you're in the spectator gallery or lining up your ball on the tee, your round of golf, golf vacation or outing at a TPC will be unforgettable...
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March 16, 2010
Unlike the other seven semi-private courses at Pinehurst Resort, the No. 8 course doesn't afford members playing privileges. Built for the centennial of Pinehurst and opened in 1996, No. 8 is set on 450 acres of forest and wetlands and, most importantly, no residential development. It generally rates as the second most popular course at Pinehurst, Brandon Tucker writes.
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March 15, 2010
Austin holds its own with the bigger cities of Texas on the golf course. Whether you're in town for the Golf Channel World Am Tour or the South by Southwest music and film festivities, the capital city offers a flurry of Hill Country golf options in March.
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March 15, 2010
The North Carolina Sandhills are golfing country, anchored by the Pinehurst Resort, home to eight courses built between 1897 and 2004. Few visitors have time to play them all on one trip, especially if you plan on tackling some off-property courses like Pine Needles or Tobacco Road G.C., so we've compiled a briefing on each to help you decide which to include in your itinerary.
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March 10, 2010
Major championship golf venues in the United States are more accessible than ever. No, Augusta National isn't going public, but you can play many recent and upcoming U.S. Open and PGA Championship host courses - as long as you know how to get a tee time, and can afford it. Brandon Tucker offers a bucket list of big-time courses for which you don't need a membership to play.
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February 24, 2010
No golf resort on this side of the Atlantic combines the game's tradition with modern amenities like Pinehurst Resort. Situated on 2,000 acres of Carolina Sandhills, the resort and its eight courses, highlighted by the championship No. 2, rank as an American golfing mecca.
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February 22, 2010
Two of 2010's most anticipated golf courses officially opened in January: TPC San Antonio's Oaks course and Canyons course. The Oaks was designed by Greg Norman and consultant Sergio Garcia, while the Canyons was designed by TPC's favorite architect, Pete Dye, and consultant Bruce Lietzke. Both were built to host top tour events, but they come with many differences, too.
