I Played 7 New Courses in 2025—Here's How I'd Rank Them

I can confidently say that 2025 was the best year of golf I've ever had—and I don't mean in the GHIN number sense. If anything, my swing and scorecard performance worsened this year, and to me, that's proof that I'm beginning to get the hang of this "golf should be fun" thing.

To some that might sound utterly insane, because yes, golf is fun when you're getting better, but as someone who has always had an objective tied to her performance, putzing around for the hell of it is new territory. I'll spare you the details of my traumatic high school golf days, but just know that it took me the last few years to really start unlearning the bad behaviors and practices that sucked the life out of game that I love. Meaning, my practices are limited, and few and far between. I keep two speakers in my golf bag at all times to maximize vibe curation. I've stopped saying "good shot" to my playing partners and upped my onomatopoeia game (taking a page out of Mike Breen's book...if you know, you know).

Slowly but surely, I'm working to create more joyful moments while playing, and bringing the "art for art's sake" concept to life. And a strong component of that is saying yes to cool things, i.e. accepting invitations to once in a lifetime golf outings. I got to add seven new courses to my golfing ledger, and each one helped to shape the most transformative year of golf I've ever had.

I'm not sure what I did in a past life to deserve some of the special on-course opportunities I got this year, but I'll continue to thank my lucky stars and recount my favorite playing moments of 2025 just for you, my Skratch friends.

This isn't the kind of golf rating list you're used to. Some of these courses are critically acclaimed, some are backdrops to inner-city daily junior clinics, but all of them helped me get to a special headspace reminding me of my why. If I'm not golfing to chase a score, then why am I golfing? I found different versions of the same answer in each of these places I'll mention.

My grading scale is simple, I'm diving into the overall aesthetic of the course (aka how sick the views were), how challenged I felt when playing the course, and the overall energy from the car to the cart path—we're unpacking what the pro shops had to offer, getting to know the friendly faces of the staff, and what the course concessions were hitting on.

I hope my silly little reviews inspire you to book the trip, do the thing, and above all else, just have fun.

Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Where: Bandon, Oregon

I already waxed poetic about my time at Bandon Dunes and playing Pac, and not to be dramatic but that experience truly healed something in me, and I feel so strongly about that change that I simply had to say it again.

This is without a doubt my favorite round of golf from this year, and probably a top-5 round of my life. It just felt so pure. There was no warming up, I didn't even have my own clubs with me, I just hacked it around with two people who felt familiar despite meeting each other on the first tee.

For my first round at Bandon to be Pacific Dunes, I hit the freaking jackpot. It was a crisp, August morning, with dew blanketed over the grass. The sun was climbing its way up the horizon. I felt like I was in this enchanted bubble of perfection.

Photography courtesy of Matt Hennelly.

It should go without saying, but the views at Pac Dunes—the jagged rocky edges, the waves rhythmically crashing onto the shores, the gentle rolling hills that provided the perfect hiding spot for your ball—it was all so idyllic. An easy 10 out of 10.

And the cherry on top was how beyond friendly everyone was. There's no such thing as small talk at Bandon Dunes, you really get to know people and their experiences, whether if they're a part of the staff, caddies, or fellow visitors, this place checked every box you could have.

Oh and I'm still dreaming of the cookie skillet from the Pac Grill—easily my favorite thing I ate on the resort.

I'm not sure how they do it, but everything at Bandon was a hit, zero misses, and I'd do that trip a hundred times over.

Grade: A++

The Keep at McLemore

Where: Rising Fawn, Georgia

This was my first time previewing a golf course...and as you could imagine, it was incredible. Back in the spring, right on the heels of Masters week, I ventured up to the northern part of Georgia. Situated in between the boarders of Alabama and Tennessee sits a glorious resort above the clouds, reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands.

Never did I imagine a little slice of heaven existing in a small, remote town in Georgia (outside of Augusta National), but the McLemore Resort was nothing short of spectacular. The hotel itself could have been the back drop to a season of White Lotus, with scenic 360 degree views of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

As for the golf, the Keep got the best of me. It was my first round of golf in 2025 and I had to swing off some winter rust, but even my very best was no match for this place. The winds were gusting, and took complete control over every shot I hit. It was a humbling round of golf but I enjoyed how challenged I felt.

The course was beautiful and my favorite hole was the 17th which had these gorgeous naturally formed rock formations that surrounded the fairway and green like an amphitheater.

Because the course wasn't fully open to the public yet, the pro shop was a little trailer that was filled with some merch, but the chicken salad sandwich was the perfect companion to the yummy ginger and grape libations we were sipping on.

Grade: A+

El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba

Where: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

In May I got the privilege of playing in my second LPGA Pro Am, my first outside of the States. I mean how could I say no to a trip to Mexico to play golf?

Related: Ever Wonder What it's Like to Play in a Pro-Am in Mexico?

El Camaleón has now hosted every major golf tour, on both the men and women's side, and the course did not disappoint. Between the wildlife, and the holes with ocean views, this place was nothing short of breathtaking.

It plays tighter than it looks, and the greens are tiny, but the surrounding foliage felt like I was playing jungle golf. The signature hole on the front nine, is a par 5 that has a massive cave right in the middle of the fairway.

As for the hospitality, I mean the LPGA and the tournament hosts rolled out the red carpet for us, with food and drink stations on every hole—I felt like royalty.

Grade: A

Plainfield Country Club

Where: Edison, New Jersey

When you get the chance to play a top-100 course, you jump at it. Plainfield was a very last-minute and unexpected outing, and sometimes those are the best ones.

It's a Donald Ross design (the same man who gave us Pinehurst #2), meaning it demanded executing perfect shot placement and I had to get creative at times. The course was unbelievably pure and reminded me a lot of the courses I played growing up in the south.

Something about it felt nostalgic, like the it would be the kind of course I'd play in high school for my state tournament—something challenging, at championship level, but still rewarding great shots and if you play it smart.

My actual round of golf was rather unspectacular, but I just remember the lushness of the grass. Even for a private club, it was expertly manicured and if you happen to be in and around the New York area this is the kind of course worth the personal investment.

Grade: A (If Bandon was great, Plainfield was good with an exclamation point.)

The Ranch at Laguna Beach Golf Course

Where: Laguna Beach, California

This gem in southern California really surprised me. It's a simple, 9-hole track that at times made me feel like I was on O‘ahu. The vastness of the mountains was so striking even at a distance—it was kind of unreal.

The course was super charming and was just enough to scratch the itch, but it was my playing group that really set this round of golf over the top. I got to play with the funniest women in golf, Hannah Aslesen from St. Andre Golf, and we giggled...a lot...like a lot, a lot. It's hard not to when you're around her.

What you see is what you get with The Ranch and I really appreciate that about this course. It doesn't have any of the bells and whistles like some of these other courses, and that's okay because it didn't need it! Folks were playing barefoot, drinking PBRs, and listening to the Beach Boys—just Cali things.

Grade: B+

Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point

Where: Bronx, New York

Playing here had been nearly a year in the making. As a New Yorker, how could I not play the links-y style course with beautiful views of Manhattan? It feels like a rite of passage at this point.

And I can honestly say that it lived up to expectations. Bally's is a gem in the heart of NYC and a must-visit if you're in town. Between the fescue and massive greens, this course can get the best of you if you let it, and I loved it. Each hole was a fun little surprise.

But this was yet another case of my playing partners, Justin Tuck and Jacob Trouba, being the cherries on top. I mean it's not every day that you get to play with two legends of NYC sports culture, and you beat their asses.

We have a fun little 5-hole match where we each went up against each other and we had a ball.

I'm almost afraid to play Bally's again just because the first time was so good. From the front of house staff to the caddies, it's a premier experience and I highly recommend it.

Grade: A

Bobby Jones Golf Course

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

I will always have a soft spot for a course that hosts a First Tee chapter. Those courses are essential to nurturing the development of the new generation of golfers, and their role in being the home to young people and their games can't be celebrated enough.

During the week of the TOUR Championship, I was hanging with some friends at the First Tee of Metro Atlanta and we got to play in a little scramble.

The cool thing about this track is that it's only 9 holes, but they reverse the course to make it a full 18. I was confused at first too, but basically once you complete the first nine, you turn right around and play it backwards. What a freaking concept, especially in a city, where you have to be creative with space.

I've never played anything quite like it, and I really dug the set up. I felt like I could go after pins and get aggressive at times and play freely, there wasn't a ton of areas of trouble.

It's a fun little set up down there and I would highly recommend it to anyone who just wants to have fun.

Grade: B+ for the course, A for the vibes