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This past year was a fascinating one for the golf fans around the world.
We all witnessed the coronation of one of the game's greatest players (more on that later) and the continued greatness of this generation's most dominant player (Scottie Scheffler). A one-name golf legend passed away (RIP Fuzzy). Another continues to fade away from tournament golf due to ongoing injury issues, but Tiger is still shaping the future of the PGA Tour's new 'parity, scarcity, simplicity' model.
The game continued to ping-pong between technological advances (TGL, AI golf sunglasses) and holding onto its traditions. New courses are being built at an inspiring pace, and existing courses are finally getting the investment they deserve.
We had a front seat to it all, covering stories from all angles - reviewing new equipment and courses, providing expert analysis pre and post majors and more. Here are our 10 favorite stories we wrote in 2025:
Tim Gavrich's favorite stories of 2025
Best and worst new products
An early highlight of every year is prowling the massive PGA Merchandise Show to find out the most interesting products, as well as some ideas that probably should have been left in the inventor's imagination.
West Philadelphia-born and revived
Municipal golf in America is on a steady upward trajectory, laying a foundation for decades of potential growth of the game at the grassroots level. My annual catch-up on this trend included the $180-million project that is set to transform Philly's public golf landscape.
Hottest take of 2025
Sometimes you have to just rant about something. It's cathartic. For me, that moment came this spring. My target: golf cart GPS, a scourge of the game.
My favorite tournament
The Myrtle Beach World Am and I go way back. Getting to participate in it in 2025 was a privilege and a pleasure. Here's why:
Much more than a new course
An afternoon at Storm King Golf Club in June carried a reminder of how much more golf can do than just occupy one's attention for a few hours. You'll be hearing more about this place in the future...
Jason Scott Deegan's favorite stories of 2025
Taking stock of America's most important munis
I feel like one of my first stories of 2025 also happened to be among the most meaningful. In looking back at a 2019 column about America's most endangered munies, I was happy to report most - but not all - have received significant investment work that's already been completed or is in progress.
Walking and riding in Colorado
Leave it to the Keiser family to pull off an incredible duo in the dunes of remote Colorado - a sneak peek of the new Rodeo Dunes followed by a sanctioned rodeo showcasing America's best cowboys. This new Coore & Crenshaw course is going to be better than many thought possible.
The modernization of links golf hotels
I experienced just how real the game-changing power of Marine & Lawn is, staying at its best renovated, historic hotels in St. Andrews and Dornoch in Scotland and Portrush and County Down in Northern Ireland. Links golf trips just got a whole lot more comfortable.
What should non-golfers be charged for a ride-along round?
It's always good to expose cracks in the golf industry that impact everyday players. The popularity of the game is ruining rounds of golf for many couples who like to ride together while only one of them plays (typically the husband/boyfriend). I hope the story helps courses and resorts be more transparent and reasonable about the fees being charged to non-golfing cart riders. Golfers need to understand they are part of the problem, too, if they don't communicate properly and set reasonable expectations.
A memorable Masters
Writing a 'Rory wins the Masters' column was such a cathartic release. He finally did it. My favorite part was taking stock about where he ranks among the game's greatest all-time players. He solidified himself among the top 15, but can he take that next big leap into the top 10 every golfer aspires to achieve? See you in Augusta next April.
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