The Monterey Peninsula is among a very small handful of places that can make the case for being the best golf destination in the world. Long Island… St. Andrews… Melbourne Sandbelt… There may be a few others, but no one will argue that this area of California’s coastline is about as good as it gets when it comes to golf. Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula Country Club – all world-class golf courses. So it’s not necessarily a surprise that what is perhaps the most unique course of all of them has remained largely a secret: The Preserve…
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.
I started this website over a decade ago. Before it began in 2012, I’d never taken a dedicated golf trip outside my home state. I’d never played a private golf course. I’d never broken 80. And then something happened. I started. I played my first really good golf course. I started bringing golf clubs on my trips. And since then, 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 to have a much better understanding of what makes a good golf course. I’ve also…
Younger Sean would never believe what I’m about to write. Up until about a year ago, in my 38 years of life, I’d not spent a single second thinking about “skin care.” I mean, I’d wash my face in the shower using, well, soap… But I didn’t have a skin care routine, and I definitely wasn’t considering spending a bunch of money on dedicated skin care products. And then…I realized I was right on the cusp of middle age. I’ll be 39 in a few months, and as much as I hate to admit it, that feels solidly in the…
TRUE Linkswear is answering a question no other footwear company has been able to figure out: How do you make a shoe that performs on the golf course, but is also wearable off the course as well? There are plenty of apparel brands that have brought a more casual vibe to the course with “all-day” styles. But shoes? Until recently, you were basically a weirdo if you wore golf shoes off the course. Even Ecco shoes, for as wonderful as their spikeless models are, aren’t generally meant to be worn off the course. Enter TRUE. TRUE has slowly developed a killer lineup…
Simply put, California is one of the best states for golf in the country. Possibly even the best (although New York might have something to say about that.) Part of what makes it such a great state for golf is the fact it’s so diverse. You have some of the best private courses in the world. You have some of the best public courses in the world. You have phenomenal oceanside golf courses, desert courses, mountain courses, and parkland courses. California golf has it all. California is also a massive state, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. So where should you play when…
Over the past year or so I’ve started doing a lot more traveling with golf clubs. And we’re not talking throw them in the back of the car and head out for a long weekend a few hours away. Since I started this top 100 quest I’ve been flying all over the world playing top 100 golf clubs – and I needed a golf travel bag that would live up to the constant abuse I’ve been throwing at it. Up until recently, I’d been using the Tour Trek GTS 3 bag, which I bought before my first trip last year.…
Updated in January 2024 to provide a long-term wear update. I’ve written about quite a few different TRUE Linkswear shoes lately, and you know what? It hasn’t gotten old. TRUE has done such a good job of putting out shoes that each fill its own unique niche in the world of golf and lifestyle footwear. And guess what? The Lux Hybrid is no different. I once said in a review that the Lux Sport was my favorite pair of TRUE shoes. They’re fantastic on the golf course, providing more stability and water resistance than I expected in what appears to…
Hybrids, utility clubs, rescue clubs — by whatever name you want to use, for many golfers, these clubs could be called life savers. Of all the innovations in golf over the past few decades — and there have been a lot of them when you think in terms of equipment, balls, push carts, electric push carts, affordable golf launch monitors, rangefinders, golf watches, and on and on — the hybrid golf club may have had the biggest impact on the most golfers. These tools have become indispensable in pretty much every golf bag nowadays. Some players carry just one. Others…
Wisconsin is one of those rare states (along with Oregon) where the public golf truly outshines the private golf courses. That’s not to say there aren’t some great private courses in Wisconsin, but the quality of public and resort golf in the State is nearly unparalleled across the country. From Kohler, to Sand Valley, to Lawsonia, and Erin Hills – there are so many good options for the public golfer. That said, where should you be trying to play on a golf trip to Wisconsin? This post will tell you everything you need to know. The Best Golf Courses in…
Leupold Golf flies under the radar. Amidst all the hype of the latest Bushnell products or young rangefinder startups, Leupold has been sitting quietly in the background doing what they’ve been doing for many years: Making some of the best rangefinders in golf. They’re a little bit of an enigma to me. How does a company that makes such a good product seem to stay out of the spotlight? Occasionally I’ll golf with someone using a Leupold rangefinder, and almost always that person is a good golfer, and someone who just seems, “in the know,” for lack of a better…