Beyond Dunluce: Discover the Valley Links at Royal Portrush

Along Northern Ireland’s dramatic Causeway Coast sits one of the most celebrated clubs in golf: Royal Portrush Golf Club. While the championship Dunluce Links has earned worldwide recognition through major championships and unforgettable moments in the game, the club’s Valley Links offers its own remarkable links golf experience.

Set among towering dunes and natural valleys between the Dunluce course and the Atlantic coastline, Valley Links captures the essence of traditional links golf—strategic shot-making, constantly shifting winds, and landscapes shaped by nature rather than heavy earthmoving.

For golfers visiting Royal Portrush, it represents another opportunity to experience world-class links golf in one of the sport’s most iconic settings.

Rooted in Links Tradition

Like many of the great courses across the British Isles, the Valley Links was originally shaped by legendary architect Harry Colt, whose work helped define the character of Royal Portrush in the early 20th century.

The course winds through natural dunes and valleys that give the layout its name, creating dramatic elevation changes rarely found on links courses. These rolling landforms create both visual beauty and strategic complexity, forcing golfers to think carefully about angles, trajectories, and positioning throughout the round.

Rather than relying on length alone, Valley Links rewards players who embrace the creativity that links golf demands.

Low-running approach shots, controlled ball flights through the wind, and thoughtful course management all become essential skills.

A Different Perspective on Royal Portrush

While the Dunluce Links commands international attention as a championship venue, the Valley Links offers a slightly different perspective on the landscape that defines Royal Portrush.

The routing explores quieter corridors of the property, weaving through towering sand dunes and expansive valleys that feel distinctly secluded from the championship course. At times the terrain opens to sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, while other holes feel tucked deep within the dunes.

This contrast gives Valley Links a personality all its own—one that many golfers describe as equally memorable and every bit as enjoyable.

A Complete Royal Portrush Experience

Together, the Dunluce Links and Valley Links showcase the full beauty and diversity of Royal Portrush.

Where Dunluce delivers the drama of championship golf along the Atlantic cliffs, Valley Links offers a slightly more intimate journey through the club’s remarkable dune landscape. Both courses highlight the timeless principles of links design: strategy, creativity, and a deep connection to the natural environment.

For golfers exploring the rich traditions of links golf, the Valley Links stands as an essential part of the Royal Portrush story.

I Just Bought a Launch Monitor - Now What? Your Complete Golf Simulator Setup Guide

Congratulations. You just pulled the trigger on a launch monitor — a Mevo+, a Garmin R10, a SkyTrak, a Bushnell Launch Pro, or something else. It arrived, you unboxed it, and now you're looking at it wondering what comes next.

This happens to almost everyone. The launch monitor is the obvious, exciting purchase. The rest of the setup — the software, the screen, the enclosure, the mat — is where first-timers tend to get overwhelmed.

This guide cuts through it. Here's exactly what you need, in what order, and how to think about each decision.

Step 1: Pick Your Simulator Software

Most people set up their launch monitor, hit some balls in the backyard or into a net, look at the numbers — and then realise they want to actually play golf on it. That's when they start researching software.

Save yourself the cycle and pick your software first. It affects decisions like which PC you need, whether you can use an iPad, and what kind of putting setup makes sense.

The main options right now:
●  GSPro ($250/year) — best for course variety and online competition. Windows PC required.
●  E6 Connect ($300–$600/year) — broad hardware support, works on iPad. Good all-rounder.
●  Awesome Golf ($15/month or $350 lifetime) — easiest setup, best for casual/family use.
●  Native software — many launch monitors include basic driving range or course play in their own apps. Good to start, but most players outgrow it.

One more option to have on your radar: GOLF+ Simulator is launching later this year with 40+ real-world courses, AI coaching and a robust practice facility that features guided practice and training modules. For those that own a virtual reality headset, GOLF+ will also feature a mixed reality mode to take the simulator experience to the next level. If you're in the market for a home simulator, it's worth keeping your eye on!

Step 2: Figure Out Your Space

This is the step that determines everything else. You don't need as much room as you think, but there are real minimums.

Minimum Ceiling Height

For a full swing with a driver, you need at least 8.5 feet of ceiling clearance at your hitting position. 9 feet is comfortable. 10+ feet is ideal. If you're under 8.5 feet, you may need to choke down and avoid full driver swings — some players do this intentionally in tight spaces.

Minimum Room Depth

You need enough room behind you to swing and enough in front for your screen and some ball flight. The typical minimum is 15 feet of total depth: roughly 5 feet behind the mat to the wall, 3–4 feet for the mat itself, and 7+ feet to the impact screen.

Width

10 feet wide is comfortable for a single bay. You can make 8 feet work, but it gets tight for left-handed golfers or wide takeaways.

Step 3: Impact Screen and Projector

Once you know your space, you can spec your screen and projector. These two go together.

Impact Screen

The screen is what the ball actually hits, so it needs to be durable. Quality screens start around $300 and go up to $1,500+. At the mid-range ($400–$700), you can get a solid 10x8 foot screen that will handle full driver shots without damage. The most popular sizes are 10x8.5 and 10x9 feet.

You'll also need an enclosure frame to mount the screen, or a wall-mounted solution. Basic enclosure kits start around $500. Companies like Carl's Place, Rain or Shine Golf, and The Indoor Golf Shop have good options.

Projector

For a bright, sharp image, you want at minimum 3,500 lumens and a short-throw ratio so you're not projecting from 15 feet away. The BenQ LH750 and Optoma GT1090HDR are popular choices in the $600–$1,000 range. Budget projectors can work short-term but you'll notice the difference in image quality.

Key spec to check: make sure your projector's throw distance works for your room depth. A projector spec sheet will tell you how far back it needs to be for a given screen size.

Step 4: Hitting Mat

Don't underestimate the mat. You're going to be taking thousands of swings on it, so a thin, hard mat will destroy your wrists and give you no feedback on turf interaction.

The Fiberbuilt Flight Deck is the industry gold standard ($600–$900) — realistic turf feel, replaceable hitting strips, and a fibreglass base that absorbs impact. For a more budget-friendly option, the Rukket Tri-Turf mat ($200–$300) offers three different turf surfaces and holds up well under regular use.

Minimum size: 5x5 feet. Bigger is better if your space allows — 5x10 or larger gives you room to set up for different shots.

Step 5: PC or No PC?

If you choose GSPro, you'll need a Windows gaming PC. Minimum specs from GSPro are an Nvidia GTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 10GB of storage. A capable gaming PC for these specs costs $800–$1,200 new, less used.

E6 Connect can run on an iPad, which is a meaningful advantage if you want to keep the setup simpler. Awesome Golf also supports iOS.

If you're already a PC gamer or have a capable Windows machine, this decision is made for you. If not, it's worth factoring the PC cost into your budget planning.

Budget Reality Check

One More Thing: Putting

Here's what every setup guide leaves out: most simulator software defaults to AutoPutt, which assigns you a number of putts based on where your ball lands on the green. You don't actually putt.

For a lot of players that's fine — they use the simulator for ball striking practice and don't need to putt. But if you want a full-round experience, it's worth knowing that real putting in most simulator software is either a hassle to set up or doesn't feel realistic once you do.

GOLF+ Simulator, launching later this year, is the first software built with putting as a core feature rather than an afterthought. Something to keep in mind as you plan your setup.

GOLF+ Is Coming to Golf Simulators: Everything We Know So Far

For the past several years, GOLF+ has defined what virtual reality golf looks like. With nearly two million players, 40+ real-world courses, and the most realistic putting physics in the game, we've spent a long time making VR golf feel exactly like the real thing.

Now, we're bringing that same obsession to the golf simulator world.

This year, GOLF+ will launch as true simulator software — meaning if you own a launch monitor, you'll be able to run GOLF+ just like you'd run GSPro, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf, or any other third-party supported software. Same iconic courses. Same physics engine. And something none of the other platforms have cracked yet: putting that actually works.

Here's everything we know so far:

What is GOLF+ Sim?

GOLF+ Sim is a standalone golf simulation software platform designed to work with your existing launch monitor hardware. You swing with real clubs, your launch monitor reads the data, and GOLF+ renders your shot in real time — on courses like Pebble Beach, TPC Scottsdale, St Andrews, and 40+ other world-class venues.

If you already play GOLF+ in VR, think of it as the same game you love, now playable without the headset — on a projector, TV, or monitor in your simulator bay.

If you've never tried GOLF+ before, it's the official VR golf game of the PGA TOUR, built by a team of golfers who refused to accept that simulator putting had to be terrible.

The Putting Story

Here's the thing nobody talks about enough: putting in golf simulators is broken.

Ask anyone who uses GSPro or E6 Connect what they actually do on the green — most of them AutoPutt. Hit the green and move on, because actually putting with a radar-based launch monitor feels nothing like real golf. The ball speeds are off, the distance control is unpredictable, and it breaks your real putting stroke if you practice it seriously.

GOLF+ is the first sim where putting isn't optional. We're building it to be worth doing.

Bringing Mixed Reality to Simulator Golf

Here's what makes GOLF+ putting genuinely different from anything else on the market — and it goes beyond physics.

GOLF+ Sim is being built with a mixed reality mode that no other simulator software offers: you can pair your Meta Quest headset directly with your launch monitor and wear it while you play. Full swing, real clubs, real ball — but instead of hitting at a 2D impact screen, you're looking through the headset at a fully rendered 3D course wrapping around you.

When it comes to putting, this changes everything. Depth perception is one of the biggest reasons putting on a flat screen feels wrong — your brain knows the hole is a painted circle on a wall, not a real cup three feet in front of you. In mixed reality, the hole is where it should be, at the right depth, in the right position relative to your eyes and your body. Distance is readable the way it is on a real course.

Which Launch Monitors Will be Compatible with GOLF+ Sim?

We're working to support the most popular launch monitors on the market. While the full compatibility list will be confirmed closer to launch, our goal is broad support across the ecosystem — including:
●      FlightScope Mevo+
●      SkyTrak / SkyTrak+
●      Garmin Approach R10
●      Bushnell Launch Pro / Foresight GC3
●      Uneekor EYE series
●      Rapsodo MLM2Pro
●      Full Swing KIT

We'll be sharing the confirmed compatibility list as we get closer to launch. Join the waitlist below to get that update the moment it's live.

What's Next for GOLF+ Sim?

We're deep in development and will be sharing more — launch monitor compatibility confirmations, pricing details, beta access updates, and a first look at gameplay — over the coming months.

The best way to stay ahead of it is to join the waitlist. Waitlist members will be the first to hear about beta access, early pricing, and launch dates.

Under the Lights: Grass Clippings Rolling Hills

Located in the heart of Tempe, Arizona, Grass Clippings Rolling Hills is redefining what a modern municipal golf course can be. A long-standing local favorite that has been thoughtfully reimagined, Rolling Hills now offers a unique dual-personality experience — playing one way by day and transforming into something entirely different after dark.

By day, the course plays as an 18-hole executive layout, featuring a mix of par 3s and par 4s that reward precision, strategy, and smart positioning. As the sun sets, Rolling Hills becomes an 18-hole, all-par-3 course under the lights, creating one of the most distinctive golf experiences in the country.

Two Courses in One: Day Golf vs. Night Golf

What truly sets Rolling Hills apart is its ability to transform with the time of day.

During daylight hours, golfers experience an executive-style layout that blends short par 3s with strategic par 4s. It’s a format that encourages smart course management, creative shot selection, and fast-paced rounds that fit easily into busy schedules.

At night, the course shifts into a completely different experience. Every hole becomes a par 3, creating a true short-course test under stadium-style lighting. The transition turns Rolling Hills into a rare destination where players can loop a full 18 holes of par 3 golf after dark — a format that emphasizes distance control, trajectory, and aggressive play at the flag.

Golf After Dark in the Desert

Night golf is at the core of Rolling Hills’ identity.

Under the glow of towering light poles, the course comes alive with illuminated greens, glowing fairways, and a desert sky filled with stars and moonlight. The atmosphere is quieter, cooler, and more dramatic — offering a version of golf that feels closer to a stadium sport than a traditional daytime round.

With only a small number of fully lighted 18-hole courses in the United States, Rolling Hills stands out as a true destination for golfers looking to experience the game in a completely different way.

Home of the Grass League

Since reopening under Grass Clippings, Rolling Hills has become best known locally as the home of the Grass League — a community-driven series of events that has helped define the course’s culture and energy. Designed to be social, competitive, and welcoming, Grass League nights bring golfers together under the lights for a format that feels modern, accessible, and fun.

More than just events, the Grass League has become part of the identity of Rolling Hills. From league nights filled with friendly competition to tee signage proudly calling it home, the course has evolved into a gathering place where golf, community, and atmosphere all intersect.

Rolling Hills has also hosted high-profile events like the Good Good Desert Open, helping introduce the course to a wider audience during WM Phoenix Open week. But at its core, the heartbeat of Rolling Hills remains the local community — and the Grass League is what keeps the lights on, the energy high, and golfers coming back week after week.

A New Model for Municipal Golf

Grass Clippings Rolling Hills represents a shift in how municipal golf can look and feel. By combining an accessible executive layout with a one-of-a-kind night-golf experience, the course offers something for nearly every type of golfer — from beginners to competitive players, locals to visitors, early risers to night owls.

It’s a place built around community, creativity, and making golf more approachable — while still delivering a layout that rewards skill, strategy, and great shotmaking.

Cliffs and Calm: Torrey Pines North

Perched above the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California, the North Course at Torrey Pines sits beside its famous sibling — the storied South Course — and stands as a staple of American public golf. Known for its coastal beauty, approachable routing, and strategic challenge, the North is a course that invites you to enjoy the view while demanding precision from the first tee to the final putt.

Fast Facts
Year Opened: 1957 (original layout)
Architect: William F. Bell; redesigned by Tom Weiskopf in 2016
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,258

A Feel-Good Coastal Test

Torrey Pines North has long been the more relaxed and scenic counterpart to the demanding South Course — but don’t mistake “friendly” for “easy.” It’s a full championship layout that rewards thoughtful shot-making and punishes careless swings.

The North emphasizes precision over power, meaning well-placed tee shots and controlled iron play are the keys to scoring. The 2016 Weiskopf redesign modernized mowing lines, reworked bunkering, and completely revamped green complexes, creating a layout that feels fresh, strategic, and beautifully balanced.

All of it unfolds with the Pacific Ocean as your backdrop, giving rounds here a calm-but-challenging rhythm.

A Brief History of Torrey Pines North

When Torrey Pines expanded to a two-course facility in 1957, the North quickly developed its own identity. It offered a lighter, more relaxed contrast to the demanding South Course, while still delivering championship-caliber golf and memorable coastal scenery.

The biggest evolution came in 2016, when Tom Weiskopf led a full redesign. His approach focused on modern strategy and improved flow, highlighted by:

• Reversing the nines to bring the ocean views later in the round
• Updating bunkering for cleaner sightlines and smarter angles
• Widening fairways to encourage confident tee shots
• Rebuilding every green to create fresh contours and more interesting pin locations

The renovation elevated the North from “the other Torrey Pines course” to a destination of its own — a layout that TOUR players respect and everyday golfers love.

It’s a modern public-golf success story: accessible, scenic, and thoughtfully designed.

Tour Pedigree & Local Love

While the South Course gets the major-championship spotlight, the North Course has its own longstanding connection to the PGA TOUR. During the Farmers Insurance Open, players split their opening two rounds between the North and South, giving the North a recurring role on one of the TOUR’s most recognizable stops.

And as a municipal facility, Torrey Pines North is beloved by the golfers who play it every day — proof that world-class golf doesn’t have to come with a private-club price tag.

Play it today in GOLF+!

Golf's Wildest Ride: Tobacco Road Golf Club

Just south of Pinehurst in North Carolina lies a course unlike almost any other. Tobacco Road is a bold, visceral statement in golf architecture. With its wild contours, steep bunkers, blind shots, and dramatic elevation shifts, it challenges conventional expectations and sparks spirited debate among all who play it.

Fast Facts

Year Opened: 1998
Accessibility: Public
Architect: Mike Strantz
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,557

The Land and The Vision

Mike Strantz was never one to pursue safe, predictable design. When he took on the old sand quarry lands near Sanford, NC, he embraced the raw topography. Where other architects might have smoothed or softened, Strantz exposed, accentuated, and exaggerated. Sand mounds rise sharply. Fairways tumble. Some greens are hidden until the final step. The land is allowed to speak—and sometimes shout.

Rather than trying to impose a “style,” Strantz leaned into chaos. Holes are conceived to be memorable, often forcing decisions: do you flirt with danger, or play it safe and hope your margin holds? That tension is woven through every inch of the layout.

Over the years, that audacity became the course’s identity. You’ll see bunkers carved with steep lips, fairways spilling into hollows, and landing zones that demand creativity over brute distance.

Why Golfers Flock Here

1. It’s unlike anything else.

Tobacco Road has a personality you feel from the first tee. There’s no back-nine clone, no “signature hole” that overshadows the rest. Every hole demands something new. You’ll hit blind tee shots, partial approaches, delicate recoveries, and risk/reward decisions you won’t forget.

2. Strategy and imagination rule.

Long hitters don’t always have the advantage; shorter players who embrace angles and curvature can flourish. Many shots demand you think around the corner, negotiate slopes, link your shot shapes, and manage bounce off sandy terrain.

3. Visual drama & “wow” factor.

From steeply contoured bunkers to dramatic elevation changes, Tobacco Road photographs beautifully. Even walking it — or playing it — gives you a visceral sense of space and scale. Many consider it an architectural work you want to experience at least once.

A Bit of History & Influence

When it launched in 1998, Tobacco Road was divisive. Traditionalists balked. Adventurers cheered. But over time, its boldness earned respect. It became part of a small group of courses celebrated more for design daring than for how easy or fair they play.

In the years following, the architectural world took notice. Its audacious lines and terrain-based approach inspired a wave of designers to take more liberties, to play more aggressively with landforms, and to respect what chaos can bring.

Although Strantz passed away in 2005, his legacy lives on in layouts that dare to be different — and Tobacco Road remains perhaps his boldest statement.

Sweeten's Secret: The Illuminati Routing

Sweetens Cove has always been more than your typical nine-hole course — it’s a provocation to imagination, a green-shaped canvas that invites creativity. Designed by Rob Collins and Tad King, its original routing is already legendary for its strategic options, ruthless greens, and the freedom it gives players to explore lines. But for those who want more, there is another path — one whispered about among regulars: the Illuminati Routing.

What Is the Illuminati Routing?

Think of it as Sweetens off-script. The Illuminati Routing is a secret alternate loop that reconfigures the course — new tee-to-green pairings, fresh angles, and terrain used in ways you’ve never seen. In many rounds, players will cut across fields, link nontraditional holes, and test shots that defy what you thought possible. It’s not just variation — it’s a reinvention. Forums and trip reports even refer to it as “cross country” play or the “secret” loop. 

Every round feels like uncovering a hidden map: you won’t just play Sweetens, you’ll rediscover it.

What Else is New?

The Illuminati routing in GOLF+ doesn’t just change the path — we’ve layered in atmosphere and character. Expect:

• Dynamic lighting effects that shift the mood, casting shadows and highlighting terrain differently than in the daytime original.
• Halloween-themed Easter eggs sprinkled throughout — subtle nods, artifacts, or visuals that reward the observant.
• Refreshed greens and bunkers with slight tweaks, giving familiar holes a new face.

These touches make each round feel like you’re entering a secret world — not just playing golf.

Two Courses, One Price

When you get the Sweetens Cove add-on in GOLF+, you’re not just getting one experience — you’re getting two. You retain full access to the cherished original routing, but you also unlock the Illuminati Routing as a bold alternative. Play whichever suits your mood — classic, or clandestine.

Pinehurst No. 10: A Bold New Chapter in the Sandhills

Few places in golf are as storied as Pinehurst. With nine existing courses, including the legendary No. 2, it’s long been known as the “Cradle of American Golf.” In 2024, the resort unveiled something it hadn’t done in nearly three decades: a brand-new 18-hole layout. That course — Pinehurst No. 10 — is the latest addition to a destination already rich in history and tradition.

The First New Full Course in 30 Years

No. 10 officially opened to the public in April 2024, making it the first completely new build at Pinehurst since the 1990s. The site, known locally as “the Sandmines,” had once been home to industrial sand mining. What was left behind — rugged dunes, deep pits, ridgelines, and natural elevation changes — turned out to be the perfect canvas for something extraordinary.

Tom Doak’s Vision

Renowned architect Tom Doak, working alongside associate Angela Moser, embraced the unique topography of the Sandhills to create a course that is at once natural, dramatic, and deeply memorable. Doak’s minimalist style is all about letting the land dictate the design, and Pinehurst No. 10 reflects that ethos throughout its routing.

The layout stretches just over 7,000 yards, par 70, with more than 75 feet of elevation change — a rare feature in this part of North Carolina. Players encounter wide fairways framed by longleaf pines, sandy waste areas, and native wiregrass, but the most unforgettable sections are those that dive into the old mining spoils, where bold contours and dramatic visuals create a one-of-a-kind stretch of holes.

Greens That Demand Creativity

One of the hallmarks of No. 10 is its set of green complexes. Doak and Moser built putting surfaces that feature tiers, run-offs, and collecting slopes — often within the same green. Short grass surrounds invite creativity and recovery, rewarding imaginative shot-making just as much as precision.

The progression of the course is intentional: early holes allow players to find their rhythm, while the middle and later holes turn up the challenge, highlighted by the rugged climbs and downhill approaches of the back nine.

Recognition and Future Legacy

Though it’s only been open a short time, Pinehurst No. 10 has already received wide acclaim, including being named Best New Public Course of 2024 by Golf Digest. For Pinehurst Resort, it’s more than just a new track — it’s the beginning of a new chapter in the Sandhills, where future development on the Sandmines property is expected to continue expanding the Pinehurst experience.

Now Playable in GOLF+

Golfers around the world don’t have to travel to North Carolina to experience Pinehurst No. 10. Starting today, you can step onto this bold new course in GOLF+, joining Pinehurst No. 2 and The Cradle as part of the Resort's offerings already available in-game.

Why The Cradle Might be the Most Fun 9 Holes in Golf

Nestled steps from the historic Pinehurst No. 2, The Cradle is a 9-hole, par-3 course that redefines what golf can be. Spanning just 789 yards in total, it may be one of the shortest layouts you’ll ever see — but it packs in more charm, challenge, and creativity than courses three times its length.

A Modern Classic by Gil Hanse

Designed by renowned architect Gil Hanse, The Cradle was unveiled in 2017 as part of Pinehurst Resort’s ongoing reinvention. Hanse, known for his work on The Olympic Club, Streamsong Black, and the Rio 2016 Olympic Course, brought an imaginative flair to the layout. The Cradle isn’t just a pitch-and-putt. It’s a canvas for shot-making, with bold bunkering, artistic contours, and green complexes that encourage every player to get creative with wedges and putters.

Where Everyone Belongs

The Cradle has quickly earned a reputation as golf’s ultimate hangout spot. Whether you’re a seasoned player fine-tuning your short game or a newcomer looking for a low-pressure entry point, this course delivers. You’re as likely to hear music playing from a Bluetooth speaker as you are to see someone holing out with a putter from 70 yards.

Even the scorecard invites freedom: most holes hover around 100 yards, and many players walk the course barefoot with a wedge and putter in hand. It’s golf distilled to its most joyful, accessible essence.

A Cult Following

Despite its size, The Cradle has built a huge fanbase. Golfers from around the world make pilgrimages to Pinehurst not just for its championship pedigree, but to spend an afternoon at The Cradle with friends, family, and a few cold drinks. Golf Digest called it “the most fun 10 acres in golf,” and it’s not hard to see why.

How Can I Play the Cradle in Real Life?

Despite its casual vibe, The Cradle is one of the most in-demand tee times at Pinehurst—and for good reason.

Golfers that are not staying on property at Pinehurst can attempt to book a round on the Cradle 24 hours in advance. Provided there is availability, golfers pay $50 and can loop around the property as many times as they want before the sun goes down!

The Cradle is more than just a short course — it’s a blueprint for how the game can grow. It’s welcoming, unpretentious, and endlessly replayable. It celebrates the best parts of golf: camaraderie, creativity, and pure fun.

Caves Valley Golf Club: Home of the 2025 BMW Championship

Just outside Baltimore in the hills of Owings Mills, Maryland, Caves Valley Golf Club blends modern championship design with classic sensibility. Now available in GOLF+, this Tom Fazio-designed layout is known for its strategic challenge, tournament pedigree, and stunning natural beauty.

Fast Facts
Year Opened: 1991
Architect: Tom Fazio
Par: 71
Yardage: 7226

Championship Pedigree

Since its debut, Caves Valley has impressed architects and tournament organizers alike with its dynamic terrain and thoughtful layout. Fazio’s routing winds through hardwood forests, rolling meadows, hills, and wetlands — demanding creativity off the tee and precision into fast, well-protected greens.

Despite being relatively young compared to many TOUR venues, the course has quickly built a championship résumé. Caves Valley has hosted high-profile events across all levels of the game, including:

• 1995 U.S. Mid-Amateur
• 2002 U.S. Senior Open
• 2005 NCAA Division I Men’s Championship
• 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Championship
• 2014 International Crown (LPGA’s inaugural team match-play event)

This year, it once again takes center stage in the FedExCup Playoffs.

BMW Championship Returns to Caves

This week, Caves Valley plays host to the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. Only the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings earn a spot in the field — all vying for a place in the final 30 who will advance to the TOUR Championship.

The last time the BMW Championship came to Caves Valley in 2021, it delivered one of the most unforgettable finishes in modern PGA TOUR history.

Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau traded birdies all weekend, finishing at an astounding 27-under-par — tying the event scoring record. What followed was a six-hole sudden-death playoff filled with tension, clutch putting, and unforgettable drama. Cantlay, nicknamed “Patty Ice,” holed multiple pressure-packed putts throughout the extra holes before sealing the win with an 18-foot birdie on the 18th.

The playoff captivated fans and players alike, showcasing Caves Valley as a worthy test under the game’s highest pressure. The course’s closing stretch, including the drivable 12th and demanding 18th, proved the perfect stage for elite shot-making.

Play Caves Valley in GOLF+

Now available in GOLF+, Caves Valley gives players the chance to experience this premier venue in immersive detail. Whether you’re chasing a low score or stepping into the pressure of the virtual FedExCup Playoffs, every shot demands your full attention.

Step up to the tee and see how your game stacks up at Caves Valley.