We are lucky at No Laying Up — you could even say blessed — in that we get to interact with so many people in golf over the course of a year.

We travel to weird and fun places, we meet people obsessed with their craft at the highest and lowest stations in the game, and we share stories and break bread, then talk about bogeys that could have been birdies. It remains the best job we could have accidentally chosen, and we are thankful that you come along for the ride and ultimately make it possible.

Whenever the holidays pop up on the calendar, it feels like a natural time to reflect on why we enjoy this sport so much, and why it speaks to us in a way that almost nothing else does.

Professional golf can be alluring, yet maddening. From time to time, the scale tips in the wrong direction. Everyone could see some of that disillusionment reflected in the eyes of fans this year. But “professional golf” and “golf” are not the same thing. That’s an important distinction to keep in mind, and one that was a clear theme as we gathered together (

when we cast a wide net that covers at least some of what we love about this imperfect game.

For starters, we are thankful for the gift of 

 for the excuse to cross state lines, borders, mountains, or oceans, and see courses that — until this year — have only existed in our heads, or as a collection of pixels on our screens. Collectively, we got to see a dozen bucket list courses this year, both old and new. Many places, we’re already plotting a return.

Maybe it’s weird to be thankful for the 

 at Sheep Ranch on a sunny day is old hat to you. It’s possible you’ve seen the coffin bunker on the 

 at Royal Melbourne beneath your feet. But a few of us got to experience those things for the first time this year, and when a place you’ve long dreamed about exceeds your already-absurd expectations, it’s a reminder that some cathedrals in this game really are worth making a pilgrimage to experience.

We are particularly thankful this year for the country of 

— for the people there, their infectious humor, and their respect and love for the game, even when it often goes unrequited by the rest of the world. The courses, pound for pound, are unparalleled. We’re already eager to return.


Speaking of returning, we’ve fallen deeply in love the last few years with the 

, that magic piece of rock in the middle of the Firth of Clyde and all the little mysteries and flourishes she offers. We’re going to make a regular pilgrimage here for the foreseeable future. A round at 

 will always fill up our cup, and help us reconnect to what really matters, and a few nights at 

 are often a recipe for the best sleep of your life. Get there if you can, just don’t tell too many people, okay?

We are thankful, especially at a time when artificial intelligence continues to bleed into every aspect of life, for 

 whose sons are picking up the torch and running with it. We are grateful too for 

, dreamers who are imprinting their own stamp on the game and leaving it better than they found it by creating places worth seeking out.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention we are thankful for 

, who we appreciate more with each passing year. One of us even got the chance to play 

 this year. We’re still thinking about that eagle chip that almost dripped in on the second hole and the story we’ll tell our kids one day.

A couple of us have moved to new cities in recent years, and we’ve reluctantly left behind the courses and playing partners we’d grown to love. But in our new places, as we’ve begun to put down roots, we’ve been extremely thankful for the way golf offers 

, the way it allows you to find your tribe and integrate into a community.


in Las Vegas, or the randos we get paired up with at 

 in Milwaukee, or the delightful weirdos we cross paths with at 

 in Brooklyn. There is something intimate and revealing about sharing a round of golf with a stranger. Occasionally those chance encounters will lead to lasting friendships. That you can forge a life-long friendship on a course in Australia the same way you can forge one at your local muni is a nice reminder that the world is only as small as you choose to make it.

And while we’re thinking of it, a hearty shout out to local golf associations, particularly the ones where events are well run, have excellent pace of play and are hosted at interesting courses. The 

 deserves a specific call out here, but chances are there is something similar in your area you should embrace. It will take you places you would never play otherwise.


 who create the surfaces we play upon and turn a simple grass field into something so much more. The same goes for the 

 the men and women who are often underpaid and unappreciated. They are around the game way more often than they ever get the chance to play it, and the majority of them take way more pride in their work than their paycheck will ever reflect.

Living in a place where you can't play golf in the winter has made a few of us reflect on how grateful we are for 

 and those rounds when it feels almost like you’re getting away with something like you’re cheating the calendar. The Florida boys will never understand the rush of teeing off with a fellow lunatic when the temperature is hovering just south of 50 degrees. The later in the season you play, the more fun it gets, even on days when you can see your breath as the last putt drops.

This might come as a surprise, but we are thankful for the fire hose of content this year churned out by 

, and how committed he is to entertaining the audience, whether he’s trying to win a major championship or making a hole-in-one by hitting wedges over the top of his house. No matter what you think of Bryson, he is good for the sport. He makes our jobs more fun. When he put down his U.S. Open trophy and climbed back into the bunker at Pinehurst with 

, then instructed Wagner on how to recreate his remarkable up-and-down, it was the best television segment of the year. At a time when a lot of people within the sport are as riveting as a dial tone, Bryson has tapped into something riveting. And if you don’t like him, he makes for a formidable villain. We are excited to see whatever is next.


, two superstars who have forced everyone to chase their level of excellence. It’s essential to have superstars in your sport. Neither has the flair and thirst for the camera that Bryson does, but that’s not a bad thing. A quiet commitment to excellence is alluring in its own way, and the fact that they’re more interested in chasing history than they are likes or subscribers should be the skeleton of the professional game. Professional golf — despite its best efforts — is not a YouTube channel. It’s a place where the most skilled golfers in the world vie for trophies and records. No two golfers grasp that better than Scheffler and Korda, but we’d feel foolish if we didn’t mention we’re thankful for 

, who reminded us this year that you can control your own destiny if you just keep chipping away at the rock in front of you.

We are thankful, especially when we think about grit and drive, for people who don’t give up. People like our friend 

whose spirit and energy in the face of MND

 is a testament to the same qualities that made him a standout golfer before the disease took those skills from him. And for our friend 

, whose relentless positivity and force of will in the fight with cancer — and bout after bout of chemo — has given us a much-neededhard-pressed perspective in our own lives. Trego, with his 

, was the MVP of our Nest Invitational Tournament at 

 this year. We are hard pressed to think of a better evening than the one we spent sipping whiskey with him under the stars at one of America’s best munis.

 of something can make you even more grateful for its eventual return, and that was golf for a couple of us this year. When you can’t play the game, either because of injuries or work obligations or parental responsibilities, it forces you to appreciate it in new and different ways. It makes your love evolve and helps you understand the depths of it. Some days, we’re content just visualizing the shots we hope to one day hit. Our swings are never disappointing when we lay in bed at night, imagining the holes we yearn to play when life offers up the chance to return.


 the ones who encourage our infatuation with this strange and beautiful game. First and foremost, for our 

, because they never fail to celebrate our wins and encourage us to push for more. But we are also thankful for the chance to share this game with our 

 Some of us are already there, basking in the glow of the 

 disappointment. Some of us are still in the stage where we’re just changing diapers and trying to hold it together until nap time.

Time marches on, either way, for all of us.


If we’re lucky, if we pass down the stuff we love without pushing too hard, someday they might be stubborn enough and curious enough to insist on making their own lists.

Kevin Van Valkenburg is the Editorial Director of No Laying Up.

No Laying Up is Chris Solomon, Todd Schuster, Phil Landes, Neil Schuster, D.J. Piehowski, Ben Hotaling, Casey Landman, Cody McBride, Kevin Van Valkenburg and Jordan Perez.


Let us know what you're thankful for in the 

NLU 2024: What We’re Thankful For

Short one this week on the backend of some travel (more on that later) and deep into 2025 planning. 

We’re getting into the meat of golf season here in Florida and my handicap index is settling into the 2.3-2.6 range, which feels both comfortable and accurate. We discussed it a bit on this past Sunday’s pod - there’s some very good golf in there that’s trying to come out. Patience! Strangely, that hankering to play some left-handed golf is coming back for the first time in a couple of years and I may have to indulge it over the next couple of months and re-heat my alternative “Tron Carter” lefty GHIN account. Stay tuned!

Recent travels took me out to San Francisco and I had the chance to play Brambles, the latest Coore & Crenshaw layout up north of wine country. Patience, rusticity, and minimalism are all on full display. The 3rd hole felt straight out of Scotland. And then it really ramps up from 4 through 9, and there's some cool stuff on the back nine that I probably glazed over because I was jetlagged. Great burger. James Duncan poured his heart and soul into the place, lined up the right partners to fund it and bring it to life, and that all shines through. I had a great conversation with the superintendent, Tyler Marcotte, and then the head pro, Tom Holmes, felt like a kindred spirit - Australian who came over to the US for college and then caught on up at Wykagil and moved out to California to help bring this place to life.  Everyone up there about the right stuff. And sheep roaming all over the place. As the native grows in and frames the holes, it’ll be one of the better walks in U.S. golf. I also met 

 while there...not sure there's a more fascinating job in golf than what he does with tying in nature to golf course design and experiences. This guy had been a mythical creature in my head for years: "Wait, there's a guy who just wanders around out here reflecting and learning the rhythms of the property and observes the trees and the light and then crafts little tie-ins?" That realization and thoughtfulness made me think of a walk around a golf course in a far different light nearly five years ago and my experiences have been far richer because of it. A wonderful surprise to meet the man himself and realize he isn't just an urban legend!

It was fun to dig into the Golf Magazine Top 100 rankings on Sunday’s pod, and really I think we’re just scratching the surface. Golf Digest’s list should be coming out in the weeks ahead and will provide great fodder and context. Will have plenty more to come on this front.

Cody flew into Jax on Sunday and we went up to Sea Island for the RSM Pro-Am and enjoyed a day out on Seaside with no wind. I’ve played there a couple dozen times over the last two decades and have never had a windless day out there. That, combined with middle pins and smooth tour greens added up to a lot of birdies. We played with Greyson Sigg and you can count me among his new fans. He’s 29 years old and his game and statistical profile remind me of a souped-up version of Zac Blair. He gives away distance off the tee and knows how to scramble and get the ball in the hole. His attitude and demeanor couldn’t be more unaffected and he works with the same coach at Augusta Country Club who taught him while he was growing up. Delightful afternoon!

I spent the last couple of nights up north of Aiken at The Tree Farm. It’s been really fun to see it come together and be able to stay on-site. Couldn’t be more proud of Zac and Alex Warr and the others who have brought it to life. Speaking of Zac, big week on tap at RSM for him - he heads into the final event of the season at 123rd in FedEx Cup standings and is paired up in the first two rounds with Joel Dahmen (124th) and Wesley Bryan (125th). Good bubble this year!

Page Break

out to Northern California, I carved out a night to eat at 

- this was the highlight of the entire trip. I believe the chef is an Eagle Scout, so the tasting menu was guided by a cool little booklet. The service generally speaking was both colorful and anticipatory.  Flighted wines were a delight, particularly a unique Chenin Blanc that was so much more green and fresh than I’ve ever had. Being taken upstairs to a lounge/den area for the dessert portion of the night was a cool flourish. In all, it lived up to the hype (and I didn't take many pics because I just wanted to experience it and not be distracted!)

On the homefront, Halloween was great, Freddie lost his flag football championship by a single point and was devastated, and we went to the Florida-Georgia game for the first time!

I feel like I need to address the Pacman Jones arrest. We were doing so well since the airport incident a couple of years ago and this was such an unfortunate regression. I’ll continue to assess the situation, until then we’ll have no further comment.

, which is always the highlight of the quarter from a wine perspective. The more I drink and add to my palate, the more I enjoy drinking Tom’s wines. All of the qualities I laid out above in regard to Brambles also apply to Darling - intention and restraint in spades. The Syrahs are perfect food wines, the Pinots are coastal and moody, and the fall Gamay release was a fun surprise.

I’m wholly confused by Los Falcons - the Saints loss and the blowout loss at Denver have me spinning.

Will have more to say regarding Kyle and Los Niners in the near future. In the meantime, by all means, please keep flooding my inbox and DMs with hateful stuff.

Speaking of haters, Eagles fans are getting chippier and chippier! This is the same team that almost lost to the Jags at home a few weeks ago. I remain bullish on their defense, but Hurts is *exactly* who we thought he was.

 with tales of my magical afternoon/evening at Root Down in the Denver Airport on this week’s TrapDraw. Between the snow, the food, the people-watching, the great service and traveling between two places with temps in the 70s, it truly felt like a suspended reality. I find myself yearning for a dose of winter every few weeks to make me thankful for the seasons and for the good weather at home. And to see the oft-maligned DEN folks handle 19 inches of heavy, wet snow in a capable, orderly way was cool to watch. To be able to marvel at the de-icing stations, plowing schemes, and general operational excellence was a highlight of my year in travel.

 DEN: It's the best, and it's not particularly close right now. The green onion risotto, the duck wings, the cocktails, the service, the way they never waste seats - invigorating every time!

PDX: Doesn't look like much but it BANGS. Everything is scratch-made, it's street-pricing, and the service is on-point. 

MRY (Really shouldn’t count. It’s an actual restaurant AT the airport.)

ATL (Has plummeted in my rankings in the last few years but still good in relative terms)

, DEN: I can't alwys make it out to terminal C, and this place remains a shining light in B (along with the pho place that's tucked away upstairs.) There's also a good dog place in Milwaukee. Dressed up hot dogs need to be more prevalent in airports - they're portable, quick, customizable and easy to pull off. 

 SAN: The more I go here the more I crave the fresh rolls, particularly because I'm usually either taking a redeye home or embarking on a wasted day of travel, so fueling up with something light and fresh is awesome and well-executed Thai is always a win. 

Also a big Pappadeux guy at IAH.  On the chain front, I also have a major soft spot for the lobster roll at  Legal Seafood and/or Legal Test Kitchen at BOS. Stephanie'ss is also good at BOS. I don’t want to eat burgers while traveling! Chef Geoff’s, Grindhouse, etc. Bun Tee is good at SFO - have tried virtually the entire menu this year. I haven't flown into Austin in a bit so need to reassess but there's always good options there. Obryckis is good in Baltimore, but I hesitate to eat too much crab when I'm flying for fear of smelling. ORD needs a better hot dog stand and more of them - the Chicago Cubs bar just isn't cutting it. I try to spend as little time at DFW, MIA, CLT, PHL as possible, so these are mostly blind spots for me (though the food has always been great in the Centurion in PHL, and people rave about Bigalora at DFW and then I need to reacquaint myself with the offerings at DTW, namely Anita's Kitchen in the North Terminal. Also, I flew through ATL last night and the new AMEX lounge there was staggeringly nice, especially the roof deck. 

Thank you for indulging me during rankings season - I felt it important to rank something after being so fired up about the Golf Mag Top 100. This list is not meant to be exhaustive and I welcome your suggestions and/or disagreements via email at 

 These rankings will be a living document and are something that you really can't cover every base with.  

GHIN & Tonic, Vol. 26 (TC)

926: How to plan a St. Andrews golf trip (Fife region)

Soly and Tron welcome friend of the program and native Scot Ru Macdonald to kick off a new series as we take a comprehensive look at all things Scotland golf travel. For this first episode, we focus on the area in and around St. Andrews and the larger Fife region on the east coast of Scotland.

If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining 

: No Laying Up’s community of avid golfers. Nest members help us maintain our light commercial interruptions (3 minutes of ads per 90 minutes of content) and receive access to exclusive content, discounts in the pro shop, and an annual member gift. It’s a $90 annual membership, and you can sign up or learn more at 

A fresh, funny discussion of all things golf from the guys at No Laying Up. Episodes air twice a week and topics include tournament recaps, interviews, deep dive player profiles, golf travel, and more.

No Laying Up Podcast

926: How to plan a St Andrews golf trip (Fife region)

Soly and KVV are back as we take a deep dive into the majors from 1998 - highlighted by Mark O'Meara's Masters-Open Championship double, plus Lee Janzen's US Open win at Olympic Club and Vijay Singh claiming the PGA Championship at Sahalee.

923: 1998 Majors Deep Dive

This Veterans Day, we join forces at Southampton Golf Club on Long Island for a special occasion—an exhilarating Four-Ball match featuring two remarkable adaptive golfers, Mike Browne and Chad Pfeifer. Fresh off their stellar performances at this year's Simpson Cup at the legendary Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Mike teams up with Neil, while Chad partners with Cody in a spirited "Artillery vs. Airborne" showdown.


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NLU Film Room

Veterans Day at Southampton Golf Club | NLU Film Room

In a little Strapped boys reunion, Neil gives Randy a tour of a place that's had his heart for years. They indulge in his favorite golf and food, then encounter the true magic of the city. 

City Tour

Golf, Food, Magic | Neil and Randy Explore Brooklyn

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