Author: Sean Ogle

I thought my golf season was over for the year – or at least the quest for top 100 courses. That is until I got an email inviting me to a business conference in Charlotte, North Carolina in October. It’d prove to be easy to tack onto the end of my trip to New York City, so I figured why not. Of course, that easy two days quickly devolved into a full week after I realized that Pinehurst was a short 2 hour drive from where I’d be staying. Simply put Pinehurst #2 is one of the most famous and…

We all have our list of bucket list courses. For most if not all of us, that includes some very obvious places like Pine Valley, Augusta National, Cypress Point and so on. But once you get out of the top 10 or 20 courses in the world, everyone’s personal golf bucket list tends to diverge a bit. All of a sudden the courses you want to play tend to have less to do with prestige, and more to do with your personal preferences, geographic history, and the style of golf you enjoy most. For instance, I’ve always loved mountain golf…

A few years ago the thought of going to Las Vegas and staying in a hotel without a casino, would seem ridiculous to me. In my 20s and early 30s, the whole reason to go to Vegas is to drink, gamble, and go to clubs that never quite lived up to expectations. So the idea of staying at a place that didn’t have a casino? Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind. Now, at the ripe old age of 37, I have a greater appreciation for peace and quiet. And, luxury. Gone are the days of finding the $39 dollar-a-night room at Circus,…

This review was originally published in February 2021, and has been updated in October 2022 to give a long term update on my experience using the bag. There are golf bags, and then there are golf bags. And from the second I laid eyes on the Vessel Player III, I could tell this was the latter. I’ve been fortunate through Breaking Eighty to get hands on with dozens of golf bags over the years, and the more you see and the more you golf, you begin to realize just how personal a golf bag is. Everyone golfs differently. Some people only…

Updated in October 2022 to make sure information and pricing is up to date. Quick question for you: how much of your practice time do you actually feel like you know what you’re doing? For me when I’m on the range, I usually have one swing thought I’m working on, but it’s highly debatable as to whether or not that thought is actually the proper way to be doing something. But the reality is, most of us are clueless when we practice. And that is one of the problems that Blast Motion’s Golf Sensor sets out to solve, and it…

Part of the fun of having a quest like visiting the top golf courses in the world, or the top 100 bars in the world, are the cool and unique hotels you get to stay at on the journey. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to work off that hangover or recover from 36 hole days in a nice hotel than it is in a Motel 6. If you were making a list of the most iconic hotels around the world, you couldn’t have a proper list without the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Located on the top floors of the Shinjuku…

Updated in October 2022 to add commentary on other products, the new Bushnell Pro X3, and to add long term thoughts on the Pro XE after using it for 3 yars. Over the years here, I’ve reviewed a lot of golf rangefinders – and pretty much across the board, the Bushnell devices have been the best. Each year when they come out with their latest models, I question how they could improve on this in a way that actually makes a significant difference. And each year I’m surprised by what they come to the table with, that actually makes a…

This Coeur d’Alene Golf Resort review was first published in June of 2013. You can find a more recent recap of the course from my last trip here. This post was updated in September 2022 to add relevant references to other courses in the area. Ever since I found out I’d be attending a wedding in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho I’ve been excited to play some golf out there. Scratch that, I’ve been excited to play there ever since I first saw the floating green many years ago. The small Idaho town has quickly become a mecca of high-quality golf, not…

Every day for the last 4 years I’ve faced the same dilemma: Apple Watch or mechanical watch. For as long as I can remember I’ve had a fascination and appreciation for mechanical watches. There’s something about the analog nature of it in an increasingly digital world that I find joy in. I have a small collection of these watches and I wear them frequently. On the other side of the spectrum is the Apple Watch. It integrates technology even more intimately into my day-to-day life in ways that are useful, convenient, and at times intrusive. Whether it’s the health benefits…

I still remember the first St. Regis hotel I ever visited. It was at the tail end of a 2 month round the world trip, at the St. Regis Shanghai. I was blown away. Sure at the time it was a brand new property, but everything about it was a step above. From the in-room coffee service, to the luxury rooms, to the spectacular views – it was the perfect way to end an exhausting trip. 18 months later, we found ourselves in Singapore visiting 8 of the top 100 bars in the world. We booked a room at the…