Thanks for your interest. This event is sold out and the wait list is also full.

No Laying Up is excited to announce a bucket list listener trip we’ve put together for April 2020. Join the five of us in Scotland to play a few of the world’s most iconic courses, discover some low-key gems, and experience a variety of unique elements of St Andrews. This package includes eight rounds, six nights accommodations at the five star 

 (including Full Scottish Breakfast each morning overlooking the Road Hole), six lunches, four dinners, and scheduled airport/golf transfers. The trip will be limited to the first 31 people to put down deposit. We’re thrilled to be able to share this experience (including an elusive tee time on The Old Course) with like-minded enthusiasts!


AM arrival into Edinburgh Airport (air travel booked on own; plan to arrive before 9am local time)
Transfer to Crail
Lunch at Crail
Afternoon jetlag round on Crail’s Balcomie Course
Transfer to St Andrews (30 min)
Check-in to The Old Course Hotel (Eden Twins/Eden Singles)
Straight to the Dunvegan private room to watch final round of The Masters in prime-time



Morning round on Eden Course
Lunch as you finish at the Jigger Inn
Afternoon NLU Putting Championship on Himalayas
Back to hotel
Welcome cocktails and informal tournament briefing
Group dinner in the Conservatory


Morning round on Jubilee Course
Lunch in Links Clubhouse
Afternoon round on New Course
Free evening for dinner


Morning round on The Old Course
Lunch at Hams Hame (included)
Afternoon at leisure – walking tour/pub crawl of St Andrews
Formal dinner at The St Andrews Golf Club, overlooking 18th green & R&A (jacket & tie required)


Transfer to Carnoustie (45 min)
Morning round at Carnoustie Golf Links
Lunch in the Rookery
Afternoon round at Panmure Golf Club
Transfer back to St Andrews (45 min)
Free evening for dinner


Transfer to Elie (30 min)
Morning round at Elie
Lunch at Elie
Transfer to St Andrews (30 min)
Final dinner in the Conservatory


Transfer to Edinburgh Airport
Depart for home

£ 3680.00 GBP for twin occupancy Eden Parkland Rooms (no course view)

£ 4230.00 GBP for single occupancy Eden Parkland Rooms (no course view)

50% deposit at time of booking + remaining 50% due at least 70 days prior to group arrival. Pricing does not include flights or alcohol.

This trip is arranged through Connoisseur Golf. Please read the 

 Payment of your deposit confirms you have read and understood the terms and conditions. Keep in mind the opportunity to add additional rounds before/after at your discretion (either on own, or through Connoisseur).

NLU Invitational: Scotland / SOLD OUT

Folks, we’re going to try a slightly different approach this month. We’ll see how it goes…

“Every year I bury a couple hundred of my townspeople.” So opens the singular testimony of the Thomas Lynch. Like all poets, inspired by death, Lynch is, unlike others, also hired to serve the living by caring for the dead in a small Michigan town where he serves as the funeral director. In this wholly unique collection of essays, the two vocations meet as Lynch shows himself to be a competent functionary of mourning, a reliable witness to life’s mysteries, and a poet poignantly tuning language to the right tones of private release.

Now, some metaphor. Of course, the 2018-19 PGA Tour season will be put to rest this month. A champion will be crowned, life will move on, and we’ll get set to do it all again in 2019-20. To be clear, this book is *not* about golf, except to the parallels you wish to draw to your own game and experience. I will say, though, golf is mentioned in the book (as is Icarus, for all you 

 fans!). If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, please give this a try.

Lastly, for additional background on the author, Thomas Lynch, the New York Times’ Dinitia Smith wrote this article in June of 2000: 

Matters of Life and Death; A Prizewinning Writer Holds Onto His Day Job as a Funeral Director.

Selection #15: August 2019

This month’s pick is a follow-up from May and my Trap Draw podcast conversation with Alan Shipnuck (Episode 30). It is Michael Murphy’s classic, 

. It has a tie-in this month with the British Open (even though it’s being played in Ireland at Royal Portrush).

When a young man en route to India stops in Scotland to play at the legendary Burningbush golf club and in twenty-four hours, his life is transformed. Paired with a mysterious teacher named Shivas Irons, he is led through a round of phenomenal golf, swept into a world where extraordinary powers are unleashed in a backswing governed by “true gravity.” A night of adventure and revelation follows, and leads to a glimpse of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts a ravine off Burningbush’s thirteenth fairway—the one they call Lucifer’s Rug.

A classic, originally published in 1972, this novel is a must read for all golf fans, especially those (like me) bemused by the philosophical and etherial elements of the game. I mentioned Alan Shipnuck and I discussed the book on a Trap Draw, and shortly following that conversation Alan 

published a piece about a day spent with Michael Murphy at the US Open.

Selection #14: July 2019

 to host The Summit at CommonGround Golf Course for the benefit of the CGA’s 

 This will be our first official NLU event, and all net proceeds will benefit the fantastic initiatives of the Solich Academy. Event details, registration link, and other pertinent info listed below:

The No Laying Up Summit at CommonGround – Friday, August 23, 2019

The No Laying Up Summit will be a 36-hole golf event at the Tom Doak-designed 

, which is home of the Colorado Golf Association and the Solich Caddie Academy. The playing field will be limited to the first 100 registrants (50 two-player teams will participate). The entry fee is $400/player; participants will enjoy the following benefits:

36 holes of golf in a two-person format.
– Morning shotgun will begin at 8:00 a.m. Format is a net best ball.
– Afternoon shotgun (following lunch) is Scotch foursomes (alternate shot) handicapped.

On-course contests, including closest to pin and long drive.

Additional Playing Information:
– Although walking is strongly encouraged, golf carts are included in the $400 per person entry fee for those who prefer to ride.
– Don’t have a partner? Singles who register will be paired to form teams.
– Active GHIN number required for handicap calculation (otherwise players will play at scratch).


– Men’s Holderness & Bourne Polo or Women’s Polo (equivalent brand)
– Custom Sleeve of Callaway Golf Balls
– Custom NLU Golf Towel
– More tee gifts to be added

All players will enjoy breakfast and lunch, beer and non-alcoholic beverages on-course.

Post-afternoon round cocktails and awards

Complimentary admission ticket to The Peak Party on Thursday, August 22nd at CommonGround from 5:30-9:30pm (details below)

Participants have priority access to purchase one additional Peak Party ticket ($50) during registration.

Play on the par 3 course at CommonGround from 4:00-6:00 pm on Thursday, August 22nd.

The Peak Party – Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Peak Party will be also be at CommonGround Golf Course. Admission is limited to 250 people, age 21 and over. All guests not playing in the Summit golf event must purchase tickets ($50) in advance. Highlights include:

Live podcast by No Laying Up, meet and greet.

Exclusive No Laying Up Summit merchandise sales.

Two drink tickets (additional tickets available for purchase onsite).

Golf contests (Note: all clubs will be supplied onsite; please do not bring your own).

 for Thursday and Friday nights for $179/night plus tax. The hotel is approximately 18 minutes from the golf course and in a vibrant area with plenty of nightlife. 

Registration will be Monday, July 1st at 12:00pm Eastern Time. Here are the links:

Registration for Thursday night party only

.The NLU Summit at CommonGround team is available to answer any questions that you might have, and will do our best to make sure all issues are resolved in a meaningful way.

The NLU Summit

This month is exciting for me because I’m going to read a book I haven’t read before, by an author whose name I know quite well but whose work I do not. The pick is Herbert Warren Wind’s 

The Story of American Golf: Its Champions and Its Championships

. Released in 1975, it chronicles the roots of golf in America all the way up through the time of publishing. Wind is a name I have grown to know but is a real blind spot for me. I look forward to going about changing that a bit.

The description of the book is as follows:

Here, in words & pictures, the whole story of American golf unfolds, from the inspiration of the Scottish game for the exclusive entertainment of millionaires in Newport, Tuxedo Park, & on Long Island & the golf madness that swept Chicago in 1895, down to the present day [1975]. From the triumphs of Walter Travis & Jerome Travers to the glorious 1975 Masters, here are the developments of the sport, the idiosyncrasies of the players, the courses, the tournaments, the club life, the historical & sociological insights, the drama & humor of golf.

Selection #13: June 2019

It’s that time again! You may be absorbed in the PGA Championship this weekend but I’d argue it’s absolutely not the most fun tournament being contested. That distinction goes to NCAA Division-I Women’s Golf championship, which kicks off Friday, May 17th. While television coverage won’t come until Monday, May 20th, you can follow along with the action thanks to 

. I said the exact same thing last year but it bears repeating—the women’s championship is the opening act of a two-part drama (the men begin their championship the week after the women) which is genuinely one of my favorite stretches within the golf calendar each and every year. It’s a perfect recipe of individual stroke play, passion-filled, team-based match play, and life-altering, yet wholly-intrinsic stakes. I urge you to check it out.

Friday, May 17th, through Wednesday, May 22rd, at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Blessings celebrates its 15thyear of existence by playing host to the 2019 NCAA Championships. The home course of the Arkansas Razorbacks, it’s a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design touched up more recently by Kyle Phillips. The private course was the brainchild of Tyson Foods chairman, John H. Tyson (if you want to enjoy some chicken nuggets while watching coverage be sure to also check out some of the warm, fuzzy press around Tyson’s practices. Yum!) Anyway, the course is par 72 (37-35) that can be stretched out to a comfy 7,900+ yards with a 79.1 rating and 153 slope. Exactly my type of track!

Two NCAA national championships will be awarded: one for the team champion and one for the individual champion.

The team format consists of 72 holes of stroke play to whittle the field from twenty-four programs to eight. The eight best teams are seeded 1 through 8 and square off in match play involving five duels. The team tournament from the quarterfinals through the finals is single elimination with individual matches consisting of 18 holes.

The individual format consists of the aforementioned 72 holes of stroke play. The low competitor from the competing twenty-four programs, plus an additional twelve individual qualifiers, is crowned the individual NCAA national champion.

: 4:00pm to 8:00pm EST (Final round of stroke play–individual champion crowned, plus match-play brackets finalized)

: 11:00am to 1:30pm EST (Team Quarterfinal Matches) AND 4:00pm to 8:00pm EST (Team Semifinal Matches)

: 4:00pm to 8:00pm (Team National Championship Matches)

As always, I couldn’t possibly tell you where to place your allegiance. Like last year, though, I’ve broken the field out in my own way which I hope will serve to help inform a rooting interest should you be searching (number in parenthesis next to each team is their 

There have been 36 NCAA D-I Women’s Golf Team national championships awarded throughout history. The following schools have won a combined 23 of them:

 –the Trojans have three team titles in their history. This year’s squad is led by sophomore Jennifer Chang, 3rd-ranked nationally. They’re young and deep, five players within the top-29, all sophomores or freshmen.

 –highest ranked player is sophomore Jaravee Boonchant (4th). Squad also features senior Virginia Elana-Carta, NCAA champion four years ago as a freshman, who comes in ranked 50th.

 –last year’s team champs will look to run it back with a very experienced squad. Haley Moore, who clinched the winning point last year on the 19th hole, is back. 

I urge you to read this piece on her by Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner.

 –have won 8 team titles, most in NCAA history. This year’s team is led by junior Olivia Mehaffey, ranked 7th nationally.

 –led by sophomore Patty Tavatanakit who comes in ranked 8th this year and was low amateur at the 2018 US Women’s Open.

These programs have a team title to their name, all in this decade. Another title would catapult them up a level:

won their sole team title in 2010; highest ranked player is senior Melati Putri (91st). Will be a tall feat to make the knockout stage.

Andrea Lee, ranked 2nd nationally, leads the Cardinal. They captured the team title in 2015.

won the team title in 2016; an experienced group which is fronted by their youngest member, Rino Sasaki, ranked 60th nationally.

Between 1985 and 1992 these two programs won a combined 5 team titles, none since, however. They’d obviously love to change that:

 –great depth on this Gators team with five players ranked between 41st (Sierra Brooks) and 94th (Addison Baggarly). My opinion is completely uninformed but I look for them to make serious noise.

 –led by the dynamic duo of freshman Natasha Andrea Oon (31st ranked) and senior Abegail Arevalo (36th ranked). No other Spartans rank in the top-250. Can the rest of the squad step up?

Deep in the heart of SEC country in Fayetteville there are four tried-and-true SEC programs to pick from. Each is seeking their first team title:

–host squad should be at an advantage. 5th-ranked Maria Fassi leads the group.

 –10th-ranked Julie McCarthy leads War Eagle.

 –Julia Johnson, ranked 57th, leads Ole Miss. They have an uphill climb facing them this week.

 –95th-ranked Micheala Williams leads the Lady Vols. Like Ole Miss, I don’t foresee a long week but of course I could be wrong!

These schools have ALL THE MONEY so you shouldn’t casually root for either of them, unless you enjoy playing the Don’t Pass line at the craps table:

–led by top-ranked freshman, Frida Kinhult. She is super decorated and if that last name sounds familiar, her brother, Marcus, just won the British Masters on the Euro Tour. Excited to see her play!

–Agathe Laisne (11th) and Kaitlyn Papp (12th) lead the Longhorns, and they’re peaking at the right time. Are seeking the program’s first team title.

Great schools, so I’m told, zero team titles to their name:

 –this is a deep team capable of winning their first title. They’re led by Jennifer Kupcho, who among other things won the 2018 individual NCAA title as well as the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur earlier this year.

 –does Vandy like being separated from the rest of the SEC? I don’t know, but it feels right. Auston Kim (37th) and Abbey Carlson (40th) offer a solid one-two punch.

 –Stephanie Lau (35th) and Brooke Riley (47th) lead this iteration of the Wildcats. They were runners-up in 2017.

 –no school has ever pulled off the men’s basketball/women’s golf double in the same year! That’s a completely arbitrary nugget I like with UVA having the opportunity this year. 39th-ranked senior, Anna Redding, leads the Cavs.

 –competing in the NCAA championships for the first time since 2007, the Hoosiers have battled back from a February swoon. Senior Erin Harper (137th) is the highest-ranked individual for IU. A berth in the knockout bracket would be a huge success.

Ranking-wise, Kent State is *not* an underdog, which makes their resource disadvantage more interesting:

 –The Flashes are experienced and looking to make serious noise this week. Led by Karoline Stormo (34th), Kent State will look to make the quarterfinals after just missing last year. As a Mid-American Conference honk I will always pull for Kent State.

 –freshman Elizabeth Moon (83rd) leads the squad. By virtue of being non-Power 5 I hope UCF makes a run this week.

–I couldn’t find a good spot for the Illini so here they are! This is their first NCAA championships, so anything past qualifying for knockouts would be a huge bonus.

As noted earlier, the field for the individual national championship consists of all the members of the twenty-four qualifying teams, along with twelve additional individual qualifiers. Those twelve qualifiers, with 

 –freshman has burst onto the scene this year. Ranks 5thin scoring average. Won the 2017 North & South Championship, finished second in 2018.

 –sophomore, native Oregonian set the school scoring average mark this year while ranking 10th nationally. Fun fact from her bio– she won every single league tournament in high school as a sophomore, junior and senior. Bet there were some coaches glad to see her graduate.

 –the pride of Norman, Oklahoma is 16th in scoring average nationally, having improved 2.5 strokes from her freshman year.

 –sophomore from Italy is currently 86thin scoring average. She captured the bronze medal at last summer’s European Ladies’ Amateur Championship, and we also share an October 10th birthday!

 –senior is peaking at the right time. Truthfully, I couldn’t find much else so apologies, Kathleen.

 –junior Michigan native is 59th in scoring average. A former Big10 Freshman of the Year, she has competed via sponsors exemption in the Meijer LPGA Classic on multiple occasions.

 –the redshirt senior from South Africa ranks 12th in scoring average and is back as an individual qualifier after doing so as a freshman in 2015.

 –sophomore from Thailand is 46th in scoring average. That $2 will get you a coffee tomorrow morning.

 –the Dane is 55th in scoring average across D1. She’s a senior so this is it.

 –junior from Arizona attended Xavier College Prep in Phoenix, which might have contractually obligated her to attend Xavier University (that’s a joke). All-Big East performer is a bit of a darkhorse nationally. No doubt my brother-in-law and the Maketewah faithful will be cheering her on from Cincinnati.

Amanda Hollandsworth, Virginia Tech (182nd)

 –cool tidbit here, the Virginia native was the first ever commit to the Va Tech women’s golf program back in 2013. A graduate student, she is also the first woman from the Hokie’s program to qualify for the US Open which she’ll compete in later this month.

 –a bit of a surprise qualifier perhaps as she’s not ranked in the top-250, but she was a very-highly touted freshman (3rd in 2018 class per Golfweek). Beware the streaky golfer!

-Used this tidbit last year but it holds–there’s never been a two-time NCAA individual champion. Jennifer Kupcho can change that this year, but so can Virginia Elena Carter! Something to keep an eye on.

-South Carolina is the highest ranked team (12th) to not make the championships. Similarly, Jiwon Jeon, ranked 9th for Alabama, the best player not competing this week.

-Since changing formats in 2015, the Pac-12 has won all four team titles, passing it around the league. If the trend holds look for one of the So Cal schools to win it.

-Very cool incentive starting this year as the 

individual champion will receive an exemption

 into the LPGA’s #NWAChampionship (that’s really the tourney name, I think) later this June in Rogers, Arkansas.

-San Jose State enters the week with all kinds of good karma as 

reports breaks that their athletic department has allegedly mishandled over $6 million in funds which were intended to fund athletic scholarships.

 This is the type of story I live for, and I hope the top gets blown off! Stay tuned, and as always, athletic administrators (and definitely revenue sport coaches) salaries are bloated, and athletes should be able to market their names and likenesses. And it’s all at the feet of the NCAA.

-Speaking of the NCAA, Melissa Luellen, head coach at Auburn, has her Tigers in this year’s championship. Last year I passed along the nuggets about the vacated 1988 women’s championship (team and individual titles). If you missed it, 

Jacob Bogage of the Chicago Tribune, details why Tulsa’s championships were revoked by the NCAA

. Apparently, though, the rules infractions didn’t have anything to do with the women’s golf team; instead, the NCAA vacated wins across the athletic department “after track and field coaches let athletes run under assumed names to bolster roster size.” Melissa Luellen won the individual title that year and still has the ring as nobody ever asked for it back. Tulsa still displays the championship banner and notes the titles in their media guides too. Hooray for the NCAA and I’m rooting for Luellen and her squad.

-In case you were curious about the volunteer setup, for $45 you too could volunteer. The details of what you receive are 

. On paper, begrudgingly, I understand it’s a ‘good’ deal. But I also am categorically opposed to having volunteers pay money on top of their unpaid labor, flimsy reasons be damned!

-Last thing, this is in all likelihood the last time the NCAA Championships will be held outside of Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. I think it’s a mistake to tether them to one spot, as I’ve greatly enjoyed the unique flair and character of each course and venue.

2019 NCAA Women's Championship Preview

Two things influenced the selection this month–the PGA Championship moving to May and the fact I have yet to select a book from one of my favorite golf writers, Alan Shipnuck. So in that spirit, this month’s selection is 

Bud, Sweat & Tees: Rich Beem’s Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour.

 Beem of course is famous for outlasting Tiger at the 2002 PGA Championship and now does broadcast work. Hopefully you’ve come across this book, but if you haven’t I urge you to give it a read.

Rich Beem became an overnight folk hero with his victory at the 2002 PGA Championship, where he dazzled fans with fearless shotmaking and glib one-liners. By the time Beem had stared down Tiger Woods in an epic back nine and then danced a goofy jig on the final green, the sports world was clamoring to know, “Who is this guy, anyway?”



That question is answered in 

 Alan Shipnuck’s no-holds-barred look at modern professional golf. Shipnuck began tracking Beem during his rookie year in 1999, when he was a logo-free rube only a couple of years removed from a seven-dollar-an-hour job hawking cell phones. Beem and his hard-living caddie, Steve Duplantis, would find sudden fame and fortune, and Shipnuck enjoyed unparalleled access in chronicling their wild ride—sharing endless drives across the desert and eventful nights at strip clubs, cutthroat golf matches and late-night confessionals at assorted watering holes.



The result is an intimate portrait of two exceedingly colorful characters. Beem and Duplantis invite us deep into the world of the PGA Tour, exposing the rowdy, randy reality of the most interesting subculture in sports, which has always been a well-protected secret—until now. Sometimes bawdy, often hilarious, and always unpredictable, 

 stands as the finest insider sports book since 

Selection #12: May 2019

April in the golf world is synonymous with the Masters. This month’s selection is of course Augusta related though it’s not Masters specific. It’s a book written by Tripp Bowden about his relationship with longtime ANGC caddie master, Freddie Bennett. The description below does a pretty good job of conveying what it’s all about.

Though he was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, home of fabled Augusta National and The Masters, as a child Tripp Bowden was too young and too removed from the game of golf to realize what Augusta National really was, what it meant to his town and the world and the sport; its history, nostalgia, prestige and secrecy. All the ten year old Bowden knew about golf was that it was a stupid game that took up too much of his father’s time, and that he’d much rather kick around a soccer ball or stay home and read a book. But all that changed once Bowden’s father, a renowned local doctor, introduced him to one of his patients, Freddie Bennett, the legendary Augusta National caddie master.



Though Bowden was a white child of considerable privilege and Bennett was an older black gentleman of more modest means, the two formed an unusual bond. It was Bennett who introduced Bowden to the game of golf, a sport that would one day earn him a Division 1 golf scholarship and lead him to the final stage of a British Open qualifier. But it was the lessons Bennett taught the young Bowden off the course that had their profoundest impact on his life. Through Freddie and his particular brand of homespun wisdom, the author learned invaluable lessons about personal responsibility, hard work, and respect for others regardless of age, race or religion. He also learned that there’s much more to life than just playing golf.



Like the bestsellers 

 is a heartwarming tale of two unlikely friends and their uncommon bond forged through sport.

Hope you enjoy, and more than that, I hope golf season is officially upon you wherever you might reside!

Selection #11: April 2019

Given the sad news of the passing of legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins late last week, I think it appropriate to read one of his works which has been on my list for quite some time. This month’s selection is:

, Dan Jenkins takes us on a tour of his legendary career as a sportswriter and novelist. Here we see Dan’s hone his craft, from his high school paper through to his first job at the

. Whether in Texas, New York, or anywhere for that matter, Dan was always at the center of it all—hanging out at Elaine’s while swapping stories with politicians and movie stars, covering every Masters and U.S. Open and British Open for over four decades. The result is a knee-slapping, star-studded, once-in-a-lifetime memoir from one of the most important, hilarious, and semi-cantankerous sportswriters ever.

There were a number of wonderful tributes to Jenkins published in the aftermath of the news. I greatly appreciated learning about his life and career. A couple of my favorites were:

Selection #10: March 2019

With February being Black History Month I think it’s perfect occasion to explore a book I’ve had my eye on for some time. This month’s pick is:

The book’s description reads as follows:

Golfers talk a lot about “love of the game,” but the phrase acquires a whole new level of meaning when it’s used in the context of the first African Americans who tried to make careers for themselves on the links. No mere coffee-table book, this attractively illustrated and designed volume by veteran golf writer McDaniel (one of the first blacks to achieve prominence as a golf journalist) tells the fascinating and inspirational story of the first black golf pros in riveting detail and with quiet eloquence. The stories of Charlie Sifford and Lee Elder, the first black pros to crack professional golf’s color line, are here, but it is the less-familiar sagas of such equally talented pros as Bill Spiller and Teddy Rhodes, who were denied a chance to succeed on the tour, that are the most revealing. Equally fascinating are the accounts of African Americans John Shippen, who played in the U. S. Open in 1896, and Dr. George Grant, who invented the golf tee. An essential addition to golf literature and to the history of race relations. -Bill Ott

I’m looking forward to this and hope you enjoy as well.

Selection #9: February 2019

With the new year we’re excited to launch the inaugural Fauxlex Series! Think of it as the world golf tour we would create if given the power to do so. It incorporates events from several tours across the world, bringing them together for a season-long points race in which you can create a team and compete for various ‘trophies’. Let’s get into the particulars…

Follow the link below to enter your team. Each team will consist of 32 players from the OWGR top-1000 based on year-end 2018 ranks. Specifically, you’ll select:

OWGR #1 to 10: 2 players
OWGR #11 to 30: 3 players
OWGR #31 to 50: 3 players
OWGR #51 to 100: 4 players
OWGR #101 to 250: 6 players
OWGR #251 to 500: 6 players
OWGR #501 to 1000: 8 players

Unlike other fantasy-type competitions, the team you select at the start of the year will be your #SQUAD throughout the year, so choose wisely and make sure to pick guys for which you want to ride!

The deadline for entry is January 11th at 5pm Eastern

Lastly, please note there is only one team per email, so please don’t feel the need or desire to sign-up multiple teams. Thank you.

What Tournaments are Included in the Fauxlex Series?

Great question! The current schedule looks like this:

Week 1: Sony Open (PGA Tour)
Week 2: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Euro Tour)
Week 3: Farmers Insurance Open (PGA Tour)
Week 4: Waste Management Phoenix Open (PGA Tour)
Week 5: ISPS Handa Vic Open (Euro Tour)
Week 6: Genesis Open (PGA Tour)
Week 7: WGC Mexico Championship (Joint event)
Week 8: Oman Open (Euro Tour)
Week 9: OFF
Week 10: The Players Championship (PGA Tour) 

 Kenya Open (Euro Tour)
Week 11: Valspar Championship (PGA Tour)
Week 12: Hero Indian Open (Euro Tour)
Week 13: OFF
Week 14: The Masters (Joint event)
Week 15: RBC Heritage (PGA Tour)
Week 16: Trophée Hassan II (Euro Tour)
Week 17: Wells Fargo Championship (PGA Tour)**
Week 18: British Masters Hosted by Tommy Fleetwood (Euro Tour)
Week 19: PGA Championship (Joint event)
Week 20: Charles Schwab Challenge (PGA Tour)
Week 21: The Memorial (PGA Tour)
Week 22: BMW Charity Pro-Am (Web.com Tour)
Week 23: US Open (Joint event)
Week 24: Travelers Championship (PGA Tour)
Week 25: Rocket Mortgage Classic (PGA Tour)**
Week 26: Dubai Duty Free Irish Open (Euro Tour)
Week 27: John Deere Classic (PGA Tour)
Week 28: The Open Championship (Joint event)
Week 29: Reno-Tahoe Tournament (PGA Tour)
Week 30: Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae (Web.com Tour)
Week 31: Shot Clock Challenge (Euro Tour)
Week 32: BMW Championship (PGA Tour)
Week 33: Scandinavian Invitation (Euro Tour)
Week 34: Omega European Masters (Euro Tour)
Week 35: Mackenzie Investments Open (Mackenzie Tour)
Week 36: A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier (PGA Tour)
Week 37: BMW PGA Championship (Euro Tour)
Week 38: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (Euro Tour)
Week 39: Open de Espana (Euro Tour)
Week 40: Italian Open (Euro Tour)
Week 41: Japan Open Golf Championship (Japan Tour)
Week 42: The ZOZO Championship (PGA Tour)
Week 43: Bermuda Championship (PGA Tour)
Week 44: Gippsland Super 6 (Australasia Tour)
Week 45: 114 Visa Open de Argentina presentado por Macro (PGA Latino America Tour)
Week 46: Dunlop Phoenix (Japan Tour)
Week 47: OFF (THANKSGIVING WEEK)
Week 48: Emirates Australian Open (Australasia Tour)

Again, great question. You ask a lot of those. This is very important–each event is equally weighted. That means the John Deere Classic is equal to the Masters which is equal to the BMW Charity Pro-Am, and so on. The actual scoring mechanism will be the same as the PGA Tour’s scoring system used in their season-long points race for majors, which can be viewed in detail 

What Kind of Sweet Prizes Will I Get If I Win?

Let me be very clear–if you’re in this for material rewards, your head and heart is in the wrong place. This competition will be devoid of prizes except a piece of custom merchandise for the winner of the Fauxlex Series, plus each ‘cup’ winner.

Like the Tour de France, the Fauxlex Series will be awarding competition ‘cups’ across several ‘sub-competitions.’ These are meant to both add fun and allow people to get strategic in how they pick and choose their team. The ‘jerseys’ up for grabs this year are:

The Global Citizen (ie. “Globalist”) Cup

: points leader across all national Open events


: points leader across the five majors (Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA Championship and John Deere Classic)


: points leader across all non-PGA, non-Euro Tour events


The Fred Thompson Memorial Reverse Mortgage Cup**

: points “leader” for the Wells Fargo and Rocket Mortgage tournaments

**Please note: points earned by your team in these events will be subtracted from your overall Fauxlex score.

We will have a page with a permanent link to the standings on our website. Also, we will start a thread with a link to the standings on our message board, 

. It’s a great place to discuss the Fauxlex Series throughout the year.

Any other questions reach out to me on twitter (@BigRandyNLU) or on the Refuge. With all that said, sign up below!

The 2019 NLU Fauxlex Series

Let’s ring in the New Year with this selection:

Alister MacKenzie was one of golf’s greatest architects. He designed his courses so that players of all skill levels could enjoy the game while still creating fantastic challenges for the most experienced players. Several of MacKenzie’s courses, such as Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Pasatiempo, remain in the top 100 today. In his “lost” 1933 manuscript, published for the first time in 1995 and now finally available in paperback, MacKenzie leads you through the evolution of golf–from St. Andrews to the modern-day golf course–and shares his insight on great golf holes, the swing, technology and equipment, putting tips, the USGA, the Royal & Ancient, and more. With fascinating stories about Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and many others, 

 gives valuable lessons for all golfers as well as an intimate portrait of Alister MacKenzie, a true legend of the game.

I’m not an architecture aficiendo by any means, but I believe this book is both enjoyable and important for all golf lovers to read. The insight into golf course design, and specifically MacKenzie’s beliefs, provides a wonderful foundation to think about and enjoy the game in a deeper manner. This is a book that countless people have reached out and told me is a must read (a good first book to begin an architectural deep-dive as well, if that’s among your goals and/or interests in the New Year).

Selection #8: January 2019

 is the story of four middle class buddies who live outside of Boston and for years have been 1) utterly obsessed with golf and 2) a regular foursome at Ponkaquoque Municipal Course and Deli, not so fondly known as Ponky, the single worst golf course in America. Just adjacent to these municipal links lies the Mayflower Country Club, the most exclusive private course in all of Boston and a major needle in their collective sides. Frustrated by the Mayflower’s finely manicured greens and snooty members, three of Ponky’s finest and most courageous—Two Down, Dannie, and Stick—set up a bet: $1,000.00 apiece, and the first man to somehow finagle his way on to the Mayflower course takes all. A long overdue tribute to dog-meat public courses and the incurables who play them, 

This is one of those books if you haven’t read yet, please do so immediately. And if you have read it, especially if it has been awhile, read it again. It’s a very rare book I’ve read cover to cover more than once. Don’t let any preconceived notions about the author sway your opinion–this is a fun, fantastic golf book. It feels right to read it in December, around the holidays, because it’s as close to golf comfort food and coziness as I know.

Selection #7: December 2018

Are you a museum person? I am, sort of, depends on what type of museum, I guess. What I like most about any museum, though, are the interactive displays and exhibits that are able to bring their subject material to life in cool, meaningful ways. I mention that because it’s exactly what Musselburgh does, and why it’s special. Think of it as entirely interactive golf museum, the lone exhibit being the oldest golf course in existence. Pause and reflect on that last line. Not only do you get to walk all around–there are no ropes or annoying security guards reminding you “no photos, please”–but you also get to actually play golf! Take divots, cause pitch marks, watch your ball bounce all over all while battling the elements and anguishing over the rub of the green and your messy swing. If you’re going to Scotland, and especially if you’re in and around East Lothian, it’s more than worth your time to get to Musselburgh and connect with the history. But here’s the really important part–DO NOT BRING YOUR OWN CLUBS. Leave them in the hotel, the car, wherever; you don’t need them and won’t want them. Period. End of story. Call ahead to the golf shop, rent a set of hickories (old-school balls included) and don’t worry about shooting a number. Just go out and play, have fun, and soak in as much of the history and aura as you can.

Cockenzie Power Station, a massive structure, used to stand right on the edge of the Firth of Forth near Musselburgh. It dominated both the skyline in town, as well as sightlines from the course. In late 2015, however, it was demolished. The video of the demo is worth a watch:

We learned that the ash from the coal being burned through the years at the plant began settling and accumulating all around. What’s crazy to think about is Musselburgh used to be situated much closer to the Firth, but now there is young terra firma built up making the Firth seem far away as you go around the course. In the picture below you can see the plot in the distance where the old power station stood, as well as get a sense of the way the land has expanded off to the Firth-side of the course through the years:

The 4th. It’s a 400+ yd par 4, meaning all you can handle with hickories and an old ball. It’s a slight dogleg right that plays through the first turn of the racetrack and out to the corner of the property where the green sits tucked between Mrs. Foreman’s pub long and left and a roadway to the right. My biggest disappointment with the hole is that Mrs. Foreman’s pub is not an operational bar! To read more about the situation, including some efforts to save and restore it, click 

Speaking of efforts to save and restore, there is a big effort to return Musselburgh closer to its original design. Blue Thistle Limited is a Scottish company created to raise and spend funds to make the Old Course at Musselburgh a “must-visit” golf venue. Part of their 

 is to commission Mackenzie & Ebert, renowned course architects, whose initial renderings call for “many of the course’s lost features” to be reintroduced and modern changes remodelled back to their original state.

WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE PLAYING THIS COURSE?

Two necessities: reserve a set of hickory clubs and read up on the history.

The golf shop at Musselburgh clubhouse isn’t much in terms of food and clubhouse, you can pick up a drink and snack from the vending machines if you need something. The place to seek out, however, is the 

 located just a short jaunt from the course. According to Dave, general manager at Musselburgh, it’s “the friendliest place you’ll ever go.” He said it doesn’t have any of the airs or graces of a traditional golf club (eg. no shirt and tie requirement), but instead is a bit boisterous and a marvelous place to go have a sandwich and beer. According to Dave, they’ll “welcome you with open arms.” Maybe the biggest regret of the trip for me is there was nobody at the club on the Sunday evening after we played.

Tee Times: open to the public and can be made through the 

Greens Fees: greens fees top out at about 16 pounds, with a set of rental hickories costing an additional 39 pounds

Lodging: quick trip from wherever you’re staying in East Lothian

Articles

NLU Invitational: Scotland / SOLD OUT

Selection #15: August 2019

Selection #14: July 2019

The NLU Summit

Selection #13: June 2019

2019 NCAA Women's Championship Preview

Selection #12: May 2019

Selection #11: April 2019

Selection #10: March 2019

Selection #9: February 2019

The 2019 NLU Fauxlex Series

Selection #8: January 2019

Selection #7: December 2018

Tourist Sauce, Season 2: Musselburgh

Selection #6: November 2018

VIDEO: Zac Blair unveils his plans for the Buck Club at The Ringer at Sweetens Cove

Unquenchable Thirst: A First-Timer’s Journey to Sweetens Cove

STRAPPED: Iowa (The Maize Runners)

Articles

NLU Invitational: Scotland / SOLD OUT

Selection #15: August 2019

Selection #14: July 2019

The NLU Summit

Selection #13: June 2019

2019 NCAA Women's Championship Preview

Selection #12: May 2019

Selection #11: April 2019

Selection #10: March 2019

Selection #9: February 2019

The 2019 NLU Fauxlex Series

Selection #8: January 2019

Selection #7: December 2018

Tourist Sauce, Season 2: Musselburgh

Selection #6: November 2018

VIDEO: Zac Blair unveils his plans for the Buck Club at The Ringer at Sweetens Cove

Unquenchable Thirst: A First-Timer&#8217;s Journey to Sweetens Cove

STRAPPED: Iowa (The Maize Runners)

Unquenchable Thirst: A First-Timer’s Journey to Sweetens Cove