This post was originally published in April 2013 and updated in February 2022. After year two at the Masters, I decided to make my first jaunt down to Hilton Head Island to spend a few days with some family friends. My friends live in beautiful Port Royal Plantation, and it just so happens that they are members of the golf club here. What does this mean? Three solid days of golf, on each of the three courses that they have to offer: Robbers Row, Barony, and Planters Row. I was expecting each of the courses to be pretty similar given…
Author: Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle
As the Founder of Breaking Eighty Sean has spent the last 10+ years reviewing the best golf products and golf courses in the world. He prides himself on only writing about products and courses he's experienced first hand, and helping others find exactly what they need to enhance their enjoyment of the game we all love so much.
A couple weeks ago I was walking out of the clubhouse towards the range when I ran into one of my most fashion-conscious friends. He’s an opinionated guy, and has never been shy about giving his honest opinions about many of the golf products I’ve tested for this site. In short, he can be hard to please. As I was walking up to him, the first thing out of his mouth “damn, what are those?!” “Those new Payntr shoes I was telling you about.” “Those look sick.” The next week I was playing in a 3 day tournament out at…
Use the Code BREAKINGEIGHTY to get $20 off any Precision Pro Product on their site. Of all the products I’ve reviewed here on Breaking Eighty, the Precision Pro NX7 rangefinder is one of the most popular. It hits a sweet spot with price and features that make it an attractive option for people looking for a solid golf rangefinder, without breaking the budget. That said, this market segment has been really getting competitive lately. Bushnell, Blue Tees, Nikon, and more are all making really solid products in the $300 price range. So moving into three years after it’s release, do…
This post was originally published in April 2013. Gonna be down in Augusta for the Masters any time soon? Want to play golf while you’re down there? Thought so. Playing golf during the Masters can be a relatively difficult proposition, simply because of the demand and expense. While I was down there I really wanted to knock off one of the top 100 public courses, but even places like Reynolds Lake Oconee two hours away had nearly doubled their prices. One of the more popular courses in the area the River Club is all but taken over by AT&T during…
Simply put, there are very few golf courses in thw world that are as unique, and polarizing, as Tobacco Road in North Carolina. Before playing it I had one reader say: “If you like fun golf courses, RUN, don’t walk, to Tobacco Road. You’ll thank me.” Another said: “You’re intereted in playing the Top 100 Public Courses? So that means, you’re playing Tobacco Road, right? You’re going to love it.” In the years since I’ve played this course, I’ve had conversations and debates with over 100 other golfers about this course. Some call it “Mickey Mouse.” Some call it “tricked…
The small state of Connecticut certainly gets a bad rap in the golf world, especially when it comes to top 100 courses. With the exception of the Golf Course at Yale – rarely do you see other Connecticut golf courses make top 100 lists. That being said, this is not a golf state to sleep on. Some of the top municipal courses in the country reside in Connecticut, one of which, Wintonbury Hills, was built by Tom Fazio. It’s one of the only municipal Tom Fazio designs in the country as far as we know. It’s a fantastic course, full…
When it comes to a vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico you have….options. Like, a lot of options. With dozens of resorts to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. Do you go adults only? Do you choose a family destination? Are you hoping to golf every day? Or would you prefer to just sit by the pool? Do you want to be close to all the action and party scene of Cabo San Lucas? Or do you want to just chill out and relax? These are all things you need to consider when…
For years I’ve been hearing about this mythical golf course down on the tip of Baja Mexico. A course with holes dangling over the ocean, and others carved into the side of a mountain. A track with looks to kill, and comfort stations that will make you forget about the golf altogether. I’m talking about Quivira Golf Club, and after years of hearing stories like this, I finally got the chance to see it for myself. And I’ve got news for you: the stories are true. Arriving at Quivira Golf Club This trip down to Los Cabos was only the…
I started this website nine years ago. For seven of those years, I’ve always published a list of my personal favorite golf courses – until last year. Between COVID and a pregnant wife, I simply didn’t play enough new courses to warrant updating the list. But this year? I’m finally getting back to golf travel, and excited to update our top 100 list for the first time in 2 years. This past decade, I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of really good golf courses all over the world. I’ve taken thousands of photos, played thousands of holes, and started…
Every year for 7 years I published my list of my top 100 golf courses. And each year it got more and more difficult. For better or worse, last year was easy: we didn’t update the list. With COVID keeping my travel at bay, I simply didn’t play enough new courses to warrant an update. Fortunately, that’s changed this year. While I’m still not back at pre-COVID (and pre-baby) travel levels, I’ve been able to get out and see a handful of new courses. Can I just tell you how good it feels to travel again? As I began reviewing…